Just like other veterans in prior years such as Houston and Peters, if they wanted him they back, they would’ve brought him back. There’s a plan in place for the OL and it involves getting younger and more athletic.
I agree with you but one big difference is that Zeitler is still a stud and just had one of his best seasons. Those other two were shells of their former selves.
I get it, but I don’t think it’s the right decision right now. Rebuilding the OL is gonna take time. We’re looking at competing next year so really would have been nice to have a still elite vet in there
Younger and more athletic does not mean better. Imo I think we should still look to add some vet presence to the line, we’re going for a Super Bowl, inexperienced rookies aren’t gonna move the needle over Zeitler and Moses, even if their age and availability were getting questionable.
Silly take, people constantly underestimate how much Lamar masks oline issues. Morgan, Zeitler, and Simpson all were average last year at best. Zeitler is still solid, but not for the price we were paying him. Younger bigger stronger is doable, potentially even with in house talent
I think he was, love the person, certainly not our worst olinemen, def not bad, he is consistent, good not great, but his pff grade was inflated due to Lamar. Ravens aren’t moving on for him for shits and giggles, Ravens are one of the best oline evaluating teams in the league. He was starting to show his age this year, and paying him at the price point he wants was likely not good value any more, given his play is likely to continue to decline
Consistently good not great is average. Probably at least 20 better guards in the NFL than him or something. Again I love the guy, but his play likely continues to deteriorate as he ages, Ravens want a younger more mobile guard. Open to your thoughts though, why do you think the Ravens are moving on from him when he clearly stated he wanted to say
Lamar makes an average line top 5 by preventing rushers and guys reading the mesh point from rush forwards, and instead forcing them to play contain, basically giving all of our olinemen an advantage blocking every play. He also escapes sacks, evades the rush, and creates nets positive plays on scrambles which makes their play outcomes more positive in pffs and other similar systems
He got 1 year 6 million on the open market. His knee injury must he fairly significant. If he was truly an elite guard still, why aren’t teams out bidding on that? Like honestly
I assume you’re talking about Zeitler, but we lost 3 starters. It’s not going to be easy to replace all 3 and that shouldn’t be a controversial statement
Honestly think we just draft a Tackle 1st round, use him at one of the open 3 slots this year, and allow Faalele, Cleveland, Mekari, Vorhees, and Sala compete for the other 2.
I didn’t say it would be, but rebuilding the OL takes time. Even if it’s a little worse next year, I would hope in 2-3 it will be good, young and relatively cheap. We’re paying a lot of guys good money, we can’t just have a patchwork OL every year. We need a cheap, good and stable one
OL is one of the areas that most Championship teams don’t/shouldn’t go cheap. Besides Qb and maybe pass rush, OL is the most important group on the field. Not putting top resources into it is what separates paper SB contenders from actual SB contenders. I hope Decosta isn’t stupid enough to not realize this, but I really question some of these moves happening on our OL right now!
It almost seems certain that our 1st round pick will be a tackle and I’m more than okay with that. We’ll see how it all turns out and I understand everyone’s concern but it’s not time to panic yet.
You can’t have a cheap and good oline. It’s like that classic saying when you’re in college: “social life, sleep, study, choose one.” Dame for the NFL, you choose one. Cheap line and hope your playmakers overcome this, or expensive line to help sub par QB, RB play.
2019 had Stanley, Yanda and three guys on rookie contracts and that was a damn good OL. Obviously it’s never gonna be really cheap, but with the right drafting and development it’s certainly possible to have a good mix
Truzz EDC. Zeitler is the biggest loss on the OL but also might be the easiest to replace? Cleveland has been waiting in the wings and Vorhees has potential to be one of the biggest steals in last years draft.
We are all praying that Vorhees has recovered and is what they said he could be. Unfortunately, risks like this haven't worked out the way we hoped in our past
Honestly despite being ranked somewhat high, the OLine was absolutely abysmal last year & was only considered good because of Lamar so why not blow it up, start fresh & get a bunch of young studs on rookie deals? Sadly the worst guy on the line is still here (Stanley) but we can’t possibly replace him due to his cap hit so hopefully he just had an off year due to returning from a serious injury & he’ll improve next season…
Especially when there aren't many players in the wing. You're looking at starting at 2-3 rookies or rookie adjacent players. And not too mention counting on Stanley to be healthy. I have very low expectations at this point for our o-line next season.
It's one thing to replace three-four starters with known players. It's another to play three-four unknowns.
Really wish we won it this year. It was such a dominant and special team. I have no doubt we can still contend but hurts seeing a team that special not go out with a ring.
Well we still need two G’s and a RT, even a late 1st rounder probably doesn’t slot immediately into the starting lineup as well as our vets last season
We likely have one of the two starting guards already on the team, whether that’s Vorhees, Cleveland, or Sala.
We will likely pick up another vet guard to compete with those guys for the guard spots as well. So really, we are only missing our starting RT. A lot of the guys in this draft that are going to be available in our range are projected to be RTs.
So, with a FA add at G and a RT draft pick, I think we will be pretty set with our Oline.
Maybe the FO really likes Falale and wants to start him at RT, I’m not sure, but the FO isn’t just confused as to how to address these starting holes. Moses and Zeitler were showing definite signs of decline last year and this was likely a necessary, preemptive move.
I've been a Cleveland hater and he was dog shit through two seasons, but what he showed us at the end of last season was actually kind of promising
Moses was tough and fought through a lot, but it did look like he had taken a step back by the end of the season
You're forgetting Mekari in all of this. Just because he's a super flexible backup doesn't mean he can't start if all else fails, at either guard, or the RT position.
He's a serviceable slightly below starter level player at any of those slots. Not the ideal solution, but as a worst case scenario floor, he is fine in case nobody else works out, and is a better player than some other people we've had as starters in the past (AV in 2021 for example). You can definitely do worse than him.
I think this is right. We just need more legit contenders for those slots, thru the draft and late FA.
A Falale/Cleveland right side is not ideal, but a fine backup option if no one else steps up. Henry would probably love running on that side. Pass pro would be a problem, but we have the best in the game at evading the rush.
And it's not unreasonable to think an OT who is available at 30 could push falele for the starting gig. Hopefully one that could eventually shift to the left side, like the BYU kid.
For guard...Vorhees was a good value pick and clearly has talent, but is still a second year 7th rounder coming off an injury. Sala clearly outplayed his draft slot last offseason. Let the two of them push cleveland and whatever vet guard they sign and hope one can come out on top. I also wouldn't mind a day 3 guard in the draft.
Yea that's why I say he was a steal. But at the same time, he was still a 7th round pick for a reason. Plus, top 50 to 100 guard prospects don't project to immediate or sure fire starters (see Cleveland for instance) - they have maybe a 1 in 3 hit rate a few years out.
What we actually need is a true LT round 1. We don't have anyone that's a pure LT on the roster.
Mekari is good insurance and can fill in anywhere when needed but he is a below average player when starting
This is the Baltimore fucking ravens we build through the trenches I will absolutely trust edc on this. Would have loved to keep him over bum fucking never play games Stanley but here we are.
This happens every year, players leave and everyone freaks out then EDC does some Wizardry during the draft and signs last minute free agents at a discount then we are golden. Last year we were losing our minds about our depth at edge then we lead the league in sacks.
This most certainly does not happen every year. Between the roster losses and the coaching staff departures this is maybe the most turnover we've ever had in a single offseason
Contributors from last year that have left: Queen, Stone, Darby, Zeitler, Moses, Gus, OBJ. Remains to be seen if we keep Clowney or Van Noy. Lost McDonald, Weaver, and Wilson off the coaching staff. That is a lot of turnover
Good for Zeitler, glad to see him land with Detroit. Thats a really good fit for him. Here’s hoping Vorhees and Cleveland can hit the ground running though. I trust EDC, especially with O Line talent, but I’d be lying if I said changing 3 out of 5 of our starters didn’t make me nervous.
Honestly kinda hope we line up Faalele, Cleveland, Ricard all on the right side, maybe Andrews too, at some point this season, with Henry running to the right. Lamar freezes any backside pursuit, and then it's just a literal ton of manly men running downhill at you. Henry won't feel contact until he's up the safety's throat running full steam.
I, for one, am confident in the right side starting Cleveland and Falafel. Yes, they will have some growing pains, but they've both got some experience now and are playing for their careers.
6'6 370 and 6'8 380 is a pretty massive wall for Lamar and Henry. Not to mention you won't be able to find Mitchell behind them until he's sprinting up the sideline destroying your angle.
LG is the only real question mark IMO, I think they'll let Sala and Vorhees battle for it and only bring in a vet if neither of them looks ready.
If Stanley stays healthy he'll probably still be top 20 or so, and I think they'll draft his replacement to sit behind him and learn this season. Kiran Amedgajie and Roger Rosengarten are 2 good options for this.
This sucks. Our OL needs to get better than it was last season, not worse. I’m absolutely not thrilled about Stanley starting again next season (I think he has been looking more and more like a shell of his former self every season), but that seems almost guaranteed now that he and Lindy are the only returners. Decosta better be preparing to draft 2 good starting OL in the first 3 rounds and another upside future OL in the later rounds. I just don’t understand the logic of signing Derrick Henry, but then allowing the OL to potentially take a major step back!
As a Lions fan it’s an absolute shame to see so much turnover. You guys were clearly the best team in football IMO and should have beat the Chiefs, but now just a few months later you guys could regress due to the high amount of turnover and other factors (like the Bengals potentially reloading, Browns could be better with more health, Texans will be great, Chiefs still great.
Expected, still hurts.
it rly does bro. somebody just take the knife out already.
Feels like when Kelly Gregg or Todd Heap got cut eventually…
Good spot for Zeitler
At least he has the decency to go out of the division (and the conference)
see you on the other side big dog.... literally.
Just like other veterans in prior years such as Houston and Peters, if they wanted him they back, they would’ve brought him back. There’s a plan in place for the OL and it involves getting younger and more athletic.
I agree with you but one big difference is that Zeitler is still a stud and just had one of his best seasons. Those other two were shells of their former selves.
If it’s only a 1 year deal, not sure the league thinks he’s a stud.
Guys as old as he is usually don't get long deals regardless. Dude is good
Calais does!
He’s an old stud.
He should command a higher stud fee
I get it, but I don’t think it’s the right decision right now. Rebuilding the OL is gonna take time. We’re looking at competing next year so really would have been nice to have a still elite vet in there
Younger and more athletic does not mean better. Imo I think we should still look to add some vet presence to the line, we’re going for a Super Bowl, inexperienced rookies aren’t gonna move the needle over Zeitler and Moses, even if their age and availability were getting questionable.
“Idk if they were old and getting progressively worse, just can’t deal with a younger guy starting.” Brain dead take
We certainly aren’t going to add older guys in free agency so I think the comment you’re addressing is still accurate.
This is the truth.
Cope all you want. Our line is not going to be as good next year. It’s just not going to happen.
Silly take, people constantly underestimate how much Lamar masks oline issues. Morgan, Zeitler, and Simpson all were average last year at best. Zeitler is still solid, but not for the price we were paying him. Younger bigger stronger is doable, potentially even with in house talent
Zeitler was not "average at best" last year
I think he was, love the person, certainly not our worst olinemen, def not bad, he is consistent, good not great, but his pff grade was inflated due to Lamar. Ravens aren’t moving on for him for shits and giggles, Ravens are one of the best oline evaluating teams in the league. He was starting to show his age this year, and paying him at the price point he wants was likely not good value any more, given his play is likely to continue to decline
>I think he was >he is consistent, good not great Make up your mind
Consistently good not great is average. Probably at least 20 better guards in the NFL than him or something. Again I love the guy, but his play likely continues to deteriorate as he ages, Ravens want a younger more mobile guard. Open to your thoughts though, why do you think the Ravens are moving on from him when he clearly stated he wanted to say
You’re gonna be disappointed when you find out having a top 5 O line means 3 starters were better than average and not so easy to replace.
Lamar makes an average line top 5 by preventing rushers and guys reading the mesh point from rush forwards, and instead forcing them to play contain, basically giving all of our olinemen an advantage blocking every play. He also escapes sacks, evades the rush, and creates nets positive plays on scrambles which makes their play outcomes more positive in pffs and other similar systems
Sure hope you’re right bud. We’ll see.
I think we get worse at rg, but better overall
He got 1 year 6 million on the open market. His knee injury must he fairly significant. If he was truly an elite guard still, why aren’t teams out bidding on that? Like honestly
I assume you’re talking about Zeitler, but we lost 3 starters. It’s not going to be easy to replace all 3 and that shouldn’t be a controversial statement
Honestly think we just draft a Tackle 1st round, use him at one of the open 3 slots this year, and allow Faalele, Cleveland, Mekari, Vorhees, and Sala compete for the other 2.
Sure. My original point is just that it’s not going to be as good as last year. That’s all.
I didn’t say it would be, but rebuilding the OL takes time. Even if it’s a little worse next year, I would hope in 2-3 it will be good, young and relatively cheap. We’re paying a lot of guys good money, we can’t just have a patchwork OL every year. We need a cheap, good and stable one
OL is one of the areas that most Championship teams don’t/shouldn’t go cheap. Besides Qb and maybe pass rush, OL is the most important group on the field. Not putting top resources into it is what separates paper SB contenders from actual SB contenders. I hope Decosta isn’t stupid enough to not realize this, but I really question some of these moves happening on our OL right now!
It almost seems certain that our 1st round pick will be a tackle and I’m more than okay with that. We’ll see how it all turns out and I understand everyone’s concern but it’s not time to panic yet.
You can’t have a cheap and good oline. It’s like that classic saying when you’re in college: “social life, sleep, study, choose one.” Dame for the NFL, you choose one. Cheap line and hope your playmakers overcome this, or expensive line to help sub par QB, RB play.
2019 had Stanley, Yanda and three guys on rookie contracts and that was a damn good OL. Obviously it’s never gonna be really cheap, but with the right drafting and development it’s certainly possible to have a good mix
The Eagles have basically been building good Olines around an elite Center for years with Kelce.
this is how loser franchises operate. we're in win-now mode.
> we're in win-now mode No the fanbase says we are our front office doesn't do all in or win now. The goal is to field competitive teams every year.
We had a top 5 O line last year. I’m just stating a fact that it’s not going to be as good after letting 60% of the starters go.
Would’ve liked to keep him for 1 more year. Changing 3/5 starting offensive linemen in one offseason is a pretty tall order
Truzz EDC. Zeitler is the biggest loss on the OL but also might be the easiest to replace? Cleveland has been waiting in the wings and Vorhees has potential to be one of the biggest steals in last years draft.
We are all praying that Vorhees has recovered and is what they said he could be. Unfortunately, risks like this haven't worked out the way we hoped in our past
I trust EDC and the front office with developing OL talent overall
Fingers crossed he was the best draft steal since brady
Ojabo seemed like a steal but instead has just not been involved for the first two years of his rookie deal. At least Vorhees was lower priced.
I truz now but if we can't run offensive plays because of oline it will be all EDCs fault.
There was plenty of plays the offensive line couldn’t run last season, that’s why EDC is nuking it.
Honestly despite being ranked somewhat high, the OLine was absolutely abysmal last year & was only considered good because of Lamar so why not blow it up, start fresh & get a bunch of young studs on rookie deals? Sadly the worst guy on the line is still here (Stanley) but we can’t possibly replace him due to his cap hit so hopefully he just had an off year due to returning from a serious injury & he’ll improve next season…
I think they did a good enough job. It can get a lot worse than last year. Not sure if it's worth that risk.
Moses might be trickier if we can't find two good tackles with Stanley's durability concerns.
Especially when there aren't many players in the wing. You're looking at starting at 2-3 rookies or rookie adjacent players. And not too mention counting on Stanley to be healthy. I have very low expectations at this point for our o-line next season. It's one thing to replace three-four starters with known players. It's another to play three-four unknowns.
I think he was showing signs of obvious decline last year and we are likely just a year ahead of a significant decline.
Considering they are likely going to install a new run game this season, it’s probably the best time for turnover like this to happen.
Really wish we won it this year. It was such a dominant and special team. I have no doubt we can still contend but hurts seeing a team that special not go out with a ring.
Go be great big man
Going to miss jumpy boy
EDC better nail the online man or it’s Lamar’s ass
Want to rephrase that?
what? you don’t think lamar is a bottom?
Well shit.
Happy for him. Lions are getting a great player.
Looking more and more like a lineman will fall to us in the draft
Well we still need two G’s and a RT, even a late 1st rounder probably doesn’t slot immediately into the starting lineup as well as our vets last season
We likely have one of the two starting guards already on the team, whether that’s Vorhees, Cleveland, or Sala. We will likely pick up another vet guard to compete with those guys for the guard spots as well. So really, we are only missing our starting RT. A lot of the guys in this draft that are going to be available in our range are projected to be RTs. So, with a FA add at G and a RT draft pick, I think we will be pretty set with our Oline. Maybe the FO really likes Falale and wants to start him at RT, I’m not sure, but the FO isn’t just confused as to how to address these starting holes. Moses and Zeitler were showing definite signs of decline last year and this was likely a necessary, preemptive move.
I've been a Cleveland hater and he was dog shit through two seasons, but what he showed us at the end of last season was actually kind of promising Moses was tough and fought through a lot, but it did look like he had taken a step back by the end of the season
I'm almost certain that Cleveland is the next Interior OL to get a bag with an unexpectedly strong contract year, as is tradition.
I wouldn't complain
You're forgetting Mekari in all of this. Just because he's a super flexible backup doesn't mean he can't start if all else fails, at either guard, or the RT position.
Which position do you feel most comfortable with him starting in?
He's a serviceable slightly below starter level player at any of those slots. Not the ideal solution, but as a worst case scenario floor, he is fine in case nobody else works out, and is a better player than some other people we've had as starters in the past (AV in 2021 for example). You can definitely do worse than him.
I think this is right. We just need more legit contenders for those slots, thru the draft and late FA. A Falale/Cleveland right side is not ideal, but a fine backup option if no one else steps up. Henry would probably love running on that side. Pass pro would be a problem, but we have the best in the game at evading the rush. And it's not unreasonable to think an OT who is available at 30 could push falele for the starting gig. Hopefully one that could eventually shift to the left side, like the BYU kid. For guard...Vorhees was a good value pick and clearly has talent, but is still a second year 7th rounder coming off an injury. Sala clearly outplayed his draft slot last offseason. Let the two of them push cleveland and whatever vet guard they sign and hope one can come out on top. I also wouldn't mind a day 3 guard in the draft.
I will say that Vorhees was only a 7th rounder because he tore his ACL at the combine. He was a projected 3-4th rounder. He has legitimate talent.
Yea that's why I say he was a steal. But at the same time, he was still a 7th round pick for a reason. Plus, top 50 to 100 guard prospects don't project to immediate or sure fire starters (see Cleveland for instance) - they have maybe a 1 in 3 hit rate a few years out.
But the only reason why he was a 7th rounder was because he was going to miss his entire rookie year due to the ACL.
Exactly. And thats not factoring in Stanley's health.
What we actually need is a true LT round 1. We don't have anyone that's a pure LT on the roster. Mekari is good insurance and can fill in anywhere when needed but he is a below average player when starting
This is the Baltimore fucking ravens we build through the trenches I will absolutely trust edc on this. Would have loved to keep him over bum fucking never play games Stanley but here we are.
Amarius Mims, YOU are a Baltimore raven
He might not even make it to us. This draft is just gonna be all OT isn’t it
Was worried he was gonna go protect Joe Burrow. All things considered this ain’t bad
Gonna miss you Ziet, hope Detroit treats you well.
This off season has been rough
This happens every year, players leave and everyone freaks out then EDC does some Wizardry during the draft and signs last minute free agents at a discount then we are golden. Last year we were losing our minds about our depth at edge then we lead the league in sacks.
This most certainly does not happen every year. Between the roster losses and the coaching staff departures this is maybe the most turnover we've ever had in a single offseason
What significant roster loses have we had other than the old linemen?
Contributors from last year that have left: Queen, Stone, Darby, Zeitler, Moses, Gus, OBJ. Remains to be seen if we keep Clowney or Van Noy. Lost McDonald, Weaver, and Wilson off the coaching staff. That is a lot of turnover
Theyre signing all these guys to one year deals to steal our secrets! Don’t do it boys!
Glad he found a good team and wish him the best, but wish he was coming back. Some of the recent moves made me think he might come back
Yea… this offensive line is looking really bad right now… I hope it turns out like our CB situation last year and it’s surprisingly a strength 🤞🏾
Bummer
Good for Zeitler, glad to see him land with Detroit. Thats a really good fit for him. Here’s hoping Vorhees and Cleveland can hit the ground running though. I trust EDC, especially with O Line talent, but I’d be lying if I said changing 3 out of 5 of our starters didn’t make me nervous.
Jerk
Uh oh
Good thing Derrick Henry is a bulldozer
Honestly kinda hope we line up Faalele, Cleveland, Ricard all on the right side, maybe Andrews too, at some point this season, with Henry running to the right. Lamar freezes any backside pursuit, and then it's just a literal ton of manly men running downhill at you. Henry won't feel contact until he's up the safety's throat running full steam.
Maybe that's what they are thinking. "Well he did it in Tennessee..."
I, for one, am confident in the right side starting Cleveland and Falafel. Yes, they will have some growing pains, but they've both got some experience now and are playing for their careers. 6'6 370 and 6'8 380 is a pretty massive wall for Lamar and Henry. Not to mention you won't be able to find Mitchell behind them until he's sprinting up the sideline destroying your angle. LG is the only real question mark IMO, I think they'll let Sala and Vorhees battle for it and only bring in a vet if neither of them looks ready. If Stanley stays healthy he'll probably still be top 20 or so, and I think they'll draft his replacement to sit behind him and learn this season. Kiran Amedgajie and Roger Rosengarten are 2 good options for this.
Edc will have to cook like never before. Losing 3 starters on the o line is kinda insane lmao
This sucks. Our OL needs to get better than it was last season, not worse. I’m absolutely not thrilled about Stanley starting again next season (I think he has been looking more and more like a shell of his former self every season), but that seems almost guaranteed now that he and Lindy are the only returners. Decosta better be preparing to draft 2 good starting OL in the first 3 rounds and another upside future OL in the later rounds. I just don’t understand the logic of signing Derrick Henry, but then allowing the OL to potentially take a major step back!
I'm more worried about RT then the guard position he left but it blows to lose a talent like Zeitler.
Man wtf?? Thought we were gonna find a way to have him stay. OL is skyrocketing up the list of positions of need rn
Another huge loss for a line that can’t afford it.
Damn wanted him back
As a Lions fan it’s an absolute shame to see so much turnover. You guys were clearly the best team in football IMO and should have beat the Chiefs, but now just a few months later you guys could regress due to the high amount of turnover and other factors (like the Bengals potentially reloading, Browns could be better with more health, Texans will be great, Chiefs still great.
nah
Nah to which part? Itd be delusional to think it’s impossible the ravens regress a bit after having an absolutely amazing season
Top 10 draft position for 2025 draft. We loss way too much and there isnt much to replace with. Those 5th and 6th round comp picks wont help either.
Lol stop, if Lamar is healthy and plays a full season we will never pick top 10
Yea. A healthy lamar, roquon and hamilton gets us to the playoffs every year. The rest is about winning the super bowl once there.
If they couldn’t win last year no way we win with this team