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OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens have been able to withstand the loss of their starting running back. They're confident that they can overcome a season-ending injury to their best tight end. But there is no such certainty that the Ravens can fill the void left by left tackle Eugene Monroe, who is expected to miss "some number of weeks" after undergoing a knee procedure. The Ravens are going from Monroe, the No. 8 overall pick of the 2009 draft, to James Hurst, an undrafted rookie. To be honest, the safer move would be to shift Kelechi Osemele to left tackle and insert Gino Gradkowski at left guard. That would put the Ravens' most experienced starting linemen up front.  That's why it's a gamble to go with Hurst as the starting left tackle. The Ravens are relying on Hurst, who has never played a snap in an NFL regular-season game, in charge of protecting Joe Flacco's blind side. Hurst also ranked as the 109th tackle (out of 141 total) in the preseason by Pro Football Focus. Many observers didn't expect Hurst to make the 53-man roster, much less start for the Ravens in Week 4.
It was only a month ago when coach John Harbaugh said that Jah Reid, and not Hurst, had earned the No. 3 offensive tackle job. Now, he's putting Hurst into the most important position along the offensive line. How much of a priority is placed on left tackles? The Ravens gave Monroe $19 million guaranteed in March. Hurst, by the way, received a $9,000 signing bonus. "I think Hurst is going to come in and do a great job," Flacco said. "All I can do is go back there and have confidence that he's going to play well." One reason to go with Hurst at left tackle is continuity. It keeps the other four starters at the same spots where they have excelled this season. The Ravens' line is a major reason why they have the No. 8 rushing attack in the NFL and why Flacco hasn't been sacked in consecutive games. It would be naive for anyone to think the Ravens are going to put Hurst on an island on the left side. The Ravens are going to help out Hurst as much as possible, whether it's lining up a tight end next to him or having a running back chip to his side. Hurst's strength is as a pass protector. He didn't allow a sack in 180 snaps this preseason. Where he needs to improve is as a run blocker. "We have a lot of good guys on the line that I've been able to learn from," Hurst said. "I'm really confident that I got the pieces around me to help me out as much as possible." The Ravens have been able to run the ball without Ray Rice. They've got a strong supporting cast to help them replace injured tight end Dennis Pitta. Nobody is saying the Ravens won't be able to withstand the loss of Monroe the same way. It's just surprising the amount of trust they're showing in Hurst.
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