Ronnie Stanley Misses Practice, Alejandro Villanueva to Left Tackle?
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ronnie Stanley missed practice this week, which could open the door for Alejandro Villanueva to move from right to left tackle when the Ravens play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.
"If that does happen, I feel great about it," offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. "He's played many years there, if that's the way we go. But we'll see how things play out. I think 'Al' is a guy that's going to just keep getting better in our system as we go, as well."
Stanley has been dealing with an ankle issue this week after playing every snap in a 33-27 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders Week 1.
Last season, Stanley suffered a season-ending ankle injury Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. There was some uncertainty whether he would be ready for the regular season, but Stanley was able to get back on the field late in training camp.
Now, his status against the Chiefs is uncertain.
Adding to the challenges, guard/tackle Tyre Phillips had to be carted from the field with a knee injury and was placed on IR.
If Stanley cannot play, the Ravens could move Villanueva into his spot and have Patrick Mekari play right tackle. Mekari played six snaps at guard against the Raiders.
The Ravens revamped their offensive line this offseason by signing guard Kevin Zeitler and Villanueva. They also moved Bradley Bozeman to center.
However, the offensive line struggles against the Raiders and allowed three sacks on quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Villanueva was beaten several times by Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.
The Ravens will face another challenge this week against Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones, who had two sacks against Cleveland.
Baltimore coach John Harbaugh expressed confidence in Villanueva and the rest of his offensive line heading into the matchup with the Chiefs.
“I’m not really into that kind of conversation," Harbaugh said. "We come out, and we work to get better. [Villanueva] works his butt off to get better. He’s going to play very well for us.”
In October, the Ravens signed Stanley to a five-year extension, which keeps the All-Pro under contract through the 2025 season. The deal is worth $98.75, which makes him the second-highest-paid left tackle at $19.75 million per year.
