Madubuike Is Out for Week 1. The Tackle Depth Problem Just Got Real Again.

Nnamdi Madubuike is listed out for the Indianapolis opener. That's worth a moment, because the whole offseason story at defensive tackle was supposed to end with him healthy. He practiced for the first time in ten months back in late July, was confirmed active by August 1, and for a few weeks the Ravens could reasonably tell themselves the position had a future beyond 37-year-old John Jenkins.

It doesn't, at least not this week. Behind Jenkins, Baltimore is working with Broderick Washington, who logged only spot snaps last season, and Madubuike himself, who at this point has contributed almost nothing in terms of actual game production. The depth chart at defensive tackle is thin in the way that gets exposed on a sustained drive in the fourth quarter, and there is no quick fix on the roster as currently constructed.

The Ravens spent the offseason loudly addressing the offensive line and quietly hoping Madubuike's recovery would paper over the defensive interior. He was never going to be a starter in Week 1 — Jenkins still holds that job — but he was the piece that made the position feel less precarious. Without him active, it's Jenkins and then a significant drop to whoever is next. That's the same problem Baltimore had going into last season, and it's the same problem they have going into this one.