Ravens OL Roger Rosengarten discusses importance of protecting QBs blind side
The Baltimore Ravens badly needed to add offensive linemen during the 2024 NFL draft. The team lost three starters up front over the course of the 2024 offseason in John Simpson, Kevin Zeitler and Morgan Moses, and hadn’t done much to replace them up to the draft.
In the second round, Baltimore selected Roger Rosengarten from Washingon, a versatile offensive tackle that is known for his athleticism. When Rosengarten was asked about the importance of protecting the blind side, the Huskies star said that it’s ever-so important because of the quarterback’s inability to see the pressure if he gets beat.
“Yes, absolutely. Just knowing your blind side, you’ve got to sharpen up your edges. You can’t get loose on the edge and give up an edge pressure, because a quarterback is not going to be able to see it. But I mean, there are just those added, extra … I don’t even think it’s pressure to me; I think it’s a privilege – those privileges that come with [protecting] the blind side. Especially [with] my two years of starting and having that left-handed quarterback, I ate all that pressure up and took it for all it was worth.”
Rosengarten played on the right side in college, but his quarterback was left-handed in Michael Penix Jr., who was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. Rosengarten can also play on the left side, so there’s a possibility that he could protect Lamar Jackson’s blindside in Baltimore down the road once Ronnie Stanley’s days with the Ravens are over and he need replacing.
