During eight NFL seasons, Morgan Moses has blocked for many different quarterbacks – too many for his taste. He has only been to the playoffs twice, and is still looking for his first postseason victory.
Moses was looking for a stable situation during free agency, which is a major reason the veteran right tackle signed a three-year contract with the Ravens. After arriving at the Under Armour Performance Center for Thursday's introductory press conference, Moses walked through the hallways and was struck by the pictures of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Jonathan Ogden among others.
Those players left a legacy of winning, and Moses wants to help franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson do the same thing.
"It's a blessing to be able to block for Lamar. My whole career I've averaged about five quarterbacks a season," Moses said. "Just to have one is amazing. I'm ready to go. I'm excited. He's elite quarterback because not only can he throw the ball, he can run, he can dissect defenses."
Moses always seems ready to play, and his track record of durability during seven seasons with Washington and one season with the Jets made him extremely attractive to the Ravens. He has started 16 games in seven straight seasons, and the Ravens are coming off a 2021 season in which they were devastated by injuries.
The recent retirement of Alejandro Villanueva left Baltimore even thinner at offensive tackle. Patrick Mekari was the primary starter at right tackle last season, but he also has value as a versatile lineman who can play all five positions.
The Ravens clearly needed more tackle depth, and now Ju'Wuan James and Mekari can compete for the right tackle job with Moses, a proven starter who welcomes the challenge of earning that role.
"I'm smart enough to know that nothing's written in ink," Moses said. "This league is competitive and you've got to come out and compete every day. One thing I've shown over my career – I don't shy away from competition. If there's competition, I believe the best comes out of it."
Offensive Line Coach Joe D'Alessandris pointed out Moses' ability to block effectively without drawing penalties, but put much of his emphasis on his availability.
Asked about his formula for staying healthy, Moses mentioned Yoga, baths with Epsom salt and diet. But he also has determination to play through injuries, taking pride in being a player who refuses to leave the lineup.
"If you feel like your 70 percent is better than the guy behind you, you should be out there able to play," Moses said. "I want to be one of those guys people can depend on, show leadership qualities. That's driven me over my career. No matter what's going on, I want people to say – Morgan Moses is going to show up on Sunday."
If Moses has his way, his first playoff victory will come next season.
"At the age I am, and going into Year 9, being able to play meaningful football is very important," Moses said. "This franchise has a history of being in the playoffs, year after year. With all the injuries that happened last year, things happen. But this is not an organization that's not a playoff-ready team. They have all the pieces. You see them working in free agency. They'll be working in the draft. I'm just excited to be here and be a part of it."
