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The Ravens were dealt a blow to their special teams unit on Monday when wideout/returner De’Anthony Thomas opted out of the 2020 NFL season, and now they’re facing the same issue with offensive line depth as backup offensive tackle Andre Smith has decided to follow suit:
Former #Bengals OT Andre Smith has opted out of the 2020 NFL season according to @RapSheet. The former first-rounder signed a one-year deal with the Ravens in February.
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) July 28, 2020
While this is another player that’s more on the fringes of things, it certainly doesn’t help Baltimore in their pursuit of keeping both a strong and well supplemented offensive line in front of Lamar Jackson. Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown Jr. are both well cemented in the starting role for this position, but it, of course, wouldn’t hurt to have a veteran presence like Smith in the mix for some peace of mind.
To replace Smith, it would appear that Eric DeCosta is going to go the younger route, while still turning to a familiar face:
I’m told the expectation is for the #Ravens to sign veteran offensive lineman Parker Ehinger today.
— Andrew Gillis (@Andrew_Gillis70) July 28, 2020
Ehinger, 27, played two games for the team last year. He’d serve as some now-needed depth at tackle in the wake of Andre Smith’s opt-out.
This is about as sensible a corresponding move as could be done at this point in time. With training camp about to get into full swing (or whatever full swing looks like in the age of COVID), a guy with some experience within Greg Roman’s offense is a logical depth piece to bring in in Smith’s unexpected absence. This certainly won’t be the last of the players to announce an opt out of the 2020 season, and if there are more to come on the Ravens, stay tuned for more discussion on them here.