Ravens GM Wary of Rebuilt Lines Entering Season

Eric DeCosta expressed caution about the team's new offensive and defensive lines, noting many starters haven't played together. The Ravens have rookies and new players, and key defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is recovering from surgery. DeCosta hopes the units will peak later in the season.

The Ravens enter the season with significant uncertainty along both lines of scrimmage. Offensively, the interior is entirely new, with five rookies among 25 offensive players and nine players who have never suited up for Baltimore. The team has not committed to a starting center, and the second-string line includes Andrew Vorhees, who lost his starting job last year. Defensively, All-Pro tackle Nnamdi Madubuike remains sidelined following surgery and may miss the opening games, while 40-year-old Calais Campbell and Broderick Washington, whose play has declined, add further questions.

DeCosta acknowledged the unknowns, noting the units have not played together in game conditions. He kept six defensive linemen partly due to injury concerns, a departure from past seasons when the team entered dangerously thin. The new scheme, installed by rookie head coach Jesse Minter and 30-year-old play caller Declan Doyle, relies on a healthy, cohesive front. DeCosta's caution stems from last year's disappointment, when he believed he had a Super Bowl roster but missed the playoffs due to line issues.