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We could go on and on about the issues surrounding Baltimore's offensive line in 2013.
But a new season is what the franchise, and fans, are looking forward to, meaning it's time to go ahead and see what could be in store for the unit that was a part of a franchise-low 1,328 rushing yards this past season.
First, here was the 2013 two-deep that finished this past season:
LT: Eugene Monroe, Rick Wagner
LG: A.Q. Shipley, Jah Reid
C: Gino Gradkowski, Ryan Jensen
RG: Marshal Yanda, Jah Reid
RT: Michael Oher, Rick Wagner
*Kelchi Osemele finished the year on injured reserve.
Of this group, Oher has the best chance to leave during free agency, creating an opening at right tackle. Reid, Gradkowski and Shipley will likely find themselves in a position where they're playing for roster spots in training camp. (However, Shipley's ability to play guard this year should have put him in good standing with the front office.)
With Jensen entering his second year, he's likely safe for 2014. Wagner appears to be someone the Ravens organization is high on, too.
A few mock drafts out there, including SB Nation's Mocking the Draft, have the Ravens taking Alabama offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio. While that wouldn't be a bad pick in the middle of the first round, it may not address a more pressing need for the interior offensive line.
The center position was abysmal. Part of me has to wonder if Shipley would have been given a chance to start at center if he wasn't needed to fill in at left guard.
In my opinion, the Ravens need an interior lineman first and foremost, preferably at guard. Center ranks second and tackle is third. Osemele is more of a natural tackle, meaning they already have a right tackle on the roster. Monroe is likely to be brought back, which would lock down the organization's left tackle of the future.
With that in mind, it wouldn't be out of the question for the Ravens to draft an offensive playmaker — at receiver or tight end — in the first round and then follow it with a guard in the second. Two players that stick out at the position are UCLA's Xavier Su'a-Filo and Stanford's David Yankey.
If the Ravens draft a center later in the draft, which is a possibility, then that would probably ensure that one of the aforementioned centers currently on the roster will be heading elsewhere by the end of training camp.
All that said, here's my earliest projection of the two-deep for Baltimore in 2014.
LT: Eugene Monroe, Rick Wagner
LG: Rookie draft pick, A.Q. Shipley
C: Top two of Gino Gradkowski/A.Q. Shipley/Ryan Jensen/potential draft pick
RG: Marshal Yanda, A.Q. Shipley
RT: Kelechi Osemele, Rick Wagner
Obviously, center is the toughest position to project, considering the logjam there. That will be the most important position battle to watch throughout the offseason.