Ravens Fans Shouldn’t Panic About Ronnie Stanley’s Offseason Performance

Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley did almost nothing during the team’s spring practices. That’s totally fine with me.

A veteran stalwart whose career could have ended years ago from a major ankle injury, and who has defied the odds several times in his return to quality form, has to at least prompt some concern that he is on borrowed time.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has become infamous for bringing players back on year too long – or giving them one contract too many – already in his career at the helm. And he tends to get overly sentimental about certain draft picks and guys who get deep into his circle of trust. Stanley has stuck around longer than anyone would have thought after his second major surgery to address the same injury.

So, yeah, keep him off his feet as long as possible.

This is not a team loaded with quality offensive line depth. They don’t have a legit swing tackle on the roster. They’d best get as long a look at Emory Jones or whatever else they think could maybe play tackle in this league one day. Because that day could come sooner rather than later. And we wouldn't want to see right tackle Roger Rosengarten on the left side anytime soon.

It’s still kind of mindboggling the Ravens didn’t come away with a legit tackle or center prospects despite using all 11 draft picks, but there is nothing that they need to learn or could really learn about Stanley now. New offense or not.

Of all the players who need to be put in bubble wrap on this roster until September, Stanley is incredibly high on the list. So I’m beyond cool with this. And the fact the Ravens haven’t invested in another tackle tells me they think Stanley will be good to go for Week 1.

And that’s all that matters at this point.

Handle With Care

There’s never much to glean from line play in May and June. Especially with players this established and this deep into his career. We won’t be seeing him in exhibition games, for certain, and I suspect he gets ample rest through training camp as well.

Stanley has managed to start 33 of 34 games the last two seasons. Unlike a few years back, he hasn’t been rotated in and out of games or needed extended breathers. He’s had very few outright bad outings and the pass rusher who gave him the most difficulty, Myles Garrett, got traded from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams and the other, TJ Watt, might be damaged goods at this point in his career (his brother went pretty quickly once he started to go) and has had a heck of a time staying healthy.

At this point, if he manages to stay at a quality level in 2026, the team has the option to bring him back at a very reasonable $16M cash and cap total for 2027. But we’re a long way from that right now. It’s a position that is going to have to be addressed in a major way soon enough. The left tackle of the future isn’t on this roster.

And every rep they continue to get out of Stanley is precious at this point.

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