Returning Players

G Marshal Yanda (12th season)
G/T James Hurst (fifth season)
G/T Andrew Donnal (fourth season)
T Ronnie Stanley (third season)
G/T Alex Lewis (third season)
G/C Matt Skura (second season)
G Nico Siragusa (second season)
G/T Jermaine Eluemunor (second season)
G Maurquice Shakir (second season)

Free-Agent Signings

None

Rookies

T Orlando Brown Jr. (third round)
T Greg Senat (sixth round)
C Bradley Bozeman (sixth round)
G Justin Evans (undrafted)
G Randin Crecelius (undrafted)
C Alex Thompson (undrafted)

Projected Starters

The Ravens have two of their five starters in place. Ronnie Stanley will be their starting left tackle and is looking to break out as a Pro Bowl player. Six-time Pro Bowler Marshal Yanda will be back at right guard after missing nearly all of last season with a broken ankle.

The rest is still a work in progress with good competition coming. The top candidates at left guard are James Hurst, who started 16 games there last season, and Alex Lewis. Matt Skura, who stepped in for Yanda last year, leads the competition to replace departed free agent Ryan Jensen. Hurst and Brown are competing for the right tackle job. The flexibility of Hurst and Lewis to play multiple positions gives the Ravens a lot of options. Now, it's justdetermining the best combination.

Key Role Players

Hurst and Lewis could both end up as starters if Brown isn't ready to start at right tackle in Week 1. If the rookie gets the call, that likely means one of the two veterans will act as the key sixth man as the top backup at both guard and tackle spots. Because of all the injuries that happen during the course of a season on the offensive line, the sixth man is often a starter. Siragusa is coming back from a major knee injury and will push to start or back up at guard and center. He's a candidate to start at center. Eluemunor started two games last year and ran with the first-team offense at left guard in minicamp, so he's also pushing for an increased role.

Most Anticipated Battle

The domino on the offensive line is at right tackle, where it appears to be Hurst versus Brown. Hurst did well at guard last season, and it may be his best position. With that said, he's also shown he's a capable starting tackle and his experience (32 career starts, plus playoffs) is a major plus. Brown is switching from left to right tackle and working to hone his craft and get in better physical shape. He has the ability to be a Week 1 starter, but will have to prove it throughout training camp. If Brown is ready, Hurst and Lewis will have a good battle for the starting left guard spot. Lewis is also an option at center. While it's not glamorous, this year's offensive line competition should be one of the best in camp.