OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The pads came on for the start of Week 2 of Ravens training camp in Owings Mills, and as players continue to ramp up, all eyes are on who will be the starting center for the team.
With the departure of Tyler Linderbaum and the Ravens' draft choices going earlier than anticipated, the team looked to multiple avenues to fill the position.
With the signings of Ethan Pocic, Danny Pinter, and Jovaughn Gwynn, along with the presence of Corey Bullock, the Ravens have been heavily evaluating the competition for the starting role. Offensive line coordinator Dwayne Ledford says the winner will be someone who takes control of the offense.
Hear from Coach Ledford as he speaks on what he would like to see from the starting center:
Rookie guard Vega Ioane is also getting up to NFL speed among the starting group, earning multiple reps with many of the vets.
Both Coach Ledford and third-year tackle Roger Rosengarten shared the same sentiment about the rookie, both stating how impressed they've been with him so far.
"He understands the game up front. He's done a really good job understanding what we're asking of him, especially at that position. He has some really good feet that allow him to do a lot of things up front that, given his size, are pretty special. I just think that he keeps going out there with a mindset of trying to get better every day, and to me, the sky's the limit for him. I'm very excited about him and the growth he has in front of him — just the steps that he's taken. I'm very excited for Vega," said Ledford.
"Vega is a pro. Being with him and working on our combos— inside zone, outside zone, and pass protection—I feel like I've been playing with the guy for three to four years. It's crazy. The way he moves, his balance, the way his contact balance is at the point of attack, his speed off the ball—I cannot speak highly enough of him. He has definitely made my job a lot easier. I cannot speak highly enough about him," said Rosengarten.
As for the rookie, he is still working to continue improving each and every day.
"For me, as a young guy, there are a bunch of things that I need to fix and grow in. Having a coach like run game coordinator/offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford and all the guys in the room being next to tackle Roger Rosengarten—they're making life easy for me. There are a lot of things I need to learn, but they're helping me out a lot," Ioane said.
Rosengarten said he felt like he made a "good jump" going from year one to year two, adding that he wants to take on more of the leadership role alongside Ronnie Stanley.
Beyond that, he wants to assert his dominance more in the run game.
"Throughout my high school and college career, I have definitely been in more pass-heavy offenses. Especially now with what offensive coordinator Declan Doyle has got cooking and especially Coach 'Led' and the fundamentals he has instilled in all the O-linemen — the speed off the ball and being physical at the point of attack — I really want to assert my dominance there. I feel like I have done a great job working on that this offseason and through OTAs, and now going into training camp, it's time to put it all together and put it on film," said Rosengarten.
Head coach Jesse Minter says he doesn't really know if there's a deadline for when the starting five offensive linemen will be set.
