Ravens Lose Adeniji to Retirement, Turn Around and Sign Kendall Lamm

Hakeem Adeniji retired suddenly, and Baltimore didn't wait long to respond. The Ravens signed veteran offensive tackle Kendall Lamm on August 4 to fill the void left by Adeniji's unexpected departure, adding another body to an offensive line the organization has been patching and reinforcing all offseason.

The timing is awkward. Baltimore spent the spring and summer making deliberate investments up front — the No. 14 overall pick on guard Vega Ioane, a one-year deal for center Ethan Pocic, even waiving a Heisman finalist at quarterback to make roster room for that center signing. Adeniji had cleared his active designation by late July and looked like part of the plan heading into camp. Now that plan needs a new swing tackle, weeks before the pads go on.

Lamm is a journeyman who knows the job. He won't change the calculus on this line, but that's not what Baltimore is asking of him. The ask is simple: be available, be functional, don't be a liability. The Ravens went 3–6 at home last season in large part because they couldn't protect Jackson and create running lanes consistently, and the offseason has been one long attempt to make sure that doesn't happen again. Losing Adeniji is a small setback inside a larger project that is still moving forward.