The Ravens have faith in offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James even though he hasn’t played much in the past couple of seasons.
Coach John Harbaugh decided to move James from his natural position at right tackle to left tackle to back up Ronnie Stanley, who has missed much of the past two seasons with an ankle injury.
If Stanley is not ready to open the season at the New York Jets on Sept. 11, James would be the starting left tackle.
Ja’Wuan James has held his own so far today. He’s used his hands well to create space between the rusher and the passer. On one of bull rush was knocked backwards.
— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) August 9, 2022
James hasn’t played much on the left side throughout his career, playing nine games at that spot for the Dolphins in 2016. James described the transition as “trying to wipe your butt with your other hand.”
However, Harbaugh has full confidence in James.
“Ja’Wuan [James], as you know, has been a right tackle,” Harbaugh said. “He switched to left tackle throughout the camp, but with Ronnie [Stanley] not practicing, we have quite a few right tackles. We need a left tackle, and for him to go over there and do that, and do a good job, is really important. I can’t wait to see him in the game.
“He hasn’t played football for a while, so to see him out there with the physicality is going to be really important. But, really important for him to get back at it.”
James was originally selected by Miami in the first round (19th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played at least 15 games in three of his five years for the Dolphins.
.@JawuanJames70 on the joy of getting back on the field: pic.twitter.com/rkK3rUrXlm
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 4, 2022
James was signed by the Denver Broncos as an unrestricted free agent on March 13, 2019, and played in just three games because of a knee injury.
James voluntarily opted out of the entire 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. He spent the entire 2021 season at the Ravens practice facility rehabbing from an Achilles injury suffered while under contract with Denver during the offseason.
Now, the goal is to stay healthy and get back to being a productive player. James credits the Ravens for getting him on schedule.
“When I signed here, that’s what they talked about – getting the chance to come in, build some camaraderie with the O-line, learn some of the plays ahead of time, so when we got to this phase, it wouldn’t be like I was a fresh face or just [starting] to get to know the guys [and] getting to know the plays,” James said.
When James is on the field, he is a productive player. He allowed only 14 sacks since the start of the 2015 season over 49 starts at right tackle, according to STATSPASS LLC.
The Ravens are counting on him to contribute this season and he will provide valuable depth at tackle even if Stanley cannot play.
For James, he is just focused on getting better at protecting quarterback Lamar Jackson’s blind side.
“Man, it’s definitely been a challenge, it’s definitely been a challenge,” James said. “I’m not going to lie, it was frustrating in the spring, just because – like you said – coming back for the first time in years, I wanted to be at my best. This is a new challenge, but I’m definitely embracing it. It’s an opportunity. It’s going to be work every day, so I’m just going to continue to work at it, continue to try to get better, and stack days.”
