Ravens center Jason Brown was reminded of his hard work every time he looked at the patch above the No. 60 on the front of his jersey during training camp.
The patch is of a flexing arm holding a hammer, given to players by Ravens coach John Harbaugh for making 85 percent of the offseason workouts. The fourth-year player knew he had to work harder during the offseason because he had to prove himself to a new coaching staff.
“I came back up from North Carolina and it was a big sacrifice spending a lot of time away from my family, and my new born son, J.W. ‘Jason’ Brown Jr.,” he said. “But you have to make that sacrifice if you want to be great.”
Right guard Marshal Yanda made similar sacrifices as Brown, staying in the area to dedicate his offseason so he could work toward securing a spot in the starting lineup.
“This fall we’ll have to depend on each other to go out and win a game,” Yanda said. “You want those guys who you have worked hard with in the offseason and can trust them.”
Last season, the line paved the way for a rushing attack that averaged 112.3 yards per game. But the unit yielded 39 sacks and totaled just 11 rushing touchdowns, 18th-best in the league. The offense averaged just more than 17 points and 300 yards per game, as Raven quarterbacks completed a franchise-record 341 passes for 3,308 yards.
The group also is finally healthy after right tackle Adam Terry (sprained left ankle) made his preseason debut against St. Louis and left tackle Jared Gaither (sprained right ankle) made his one week later against Atlanta. The team bolstered the line even further by signing four-time Pro Bowl tackle Willie Anderson to a three-year deal a little more than 48 hours before today’s kickoff.
When the unit takes the field this afternoon against the Bengals, Gaither or Anderson will protect the quarterback’s blind side, Grubbs wlll be left guard, Brown in the middle, with Yanda to his right and Terry or Anderson at right tackle.
“We are young guys, and we haven’t had a lot of different people around us,” Gaither said. “Because of that, we are starting to build the kind of chemistry that we need. We had a good week of practice this week, and I think we will continue to come together the way we are supposed to.”
If any player can clearly see the development of the offensive line, it’s rookie running back Ray Rice. The second-round draft pick has taken the majority of carries during the preaseason due to starter Willis McGahee sidelined after arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
“The hard work is paying off,” Rice said. “Good runs happen with time. We can run the football, but there still is plenty to work on.”
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