OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The running question that’s been asked throughout the season is still being posed as the Ravens prepare for their Week 16 matchup with the New York Giants.

When will Bryant McKinnie finally crack the lineup for a struggling offensive line? The veteran left tackle says he is preparing as though he might receive the call this week as the Ravens need a win to clinch their second straight AFC North title.

If the Ravens were to make a change — and there’s no indication they’re leaning in that direction — McKinnie would start at left tackle with Michael Oher presumably switching to the right side. This would leave rookie Kelechi Osemele to move inside to the left guard position.

For now, McKinnie says he will continue to prepare mentally while hoping to show enough during practice time to convince the coaching staff he is deserving of playing in games. McKinnie told WNST.net during the Ravens’ Week 8 bye that he expected to be named a starter at some point during the second half of the season but understandably took a softer stance when asked about the possibility of playing more against the Giants this Sunday.

“It’s a possibility,” said McKinnie, who hadn’t heard any indication from the coaching staff of a new rotation prior to Wednesday’s practice. “We’ve just got to wait and see.”

The Ravens have struggled to protect Joe Flacco all season as opponents have racked up 34 sacks against the Baltimore quarterback. In Sunday’s 34-17 loss to Denver, Flacco was sacked three times and the Broncos registered nine quarterback hits.

McKinnie has expressed confidence in his ability throughout the season, so it was no surprise to hear his response when asked what’s gone through his mind when seeing Flacco take beatings against opposing defenses with talented pass rushers.

“If I was out there, maybe some things would be a little bit different,” McKinnie said. “But there’s not too much I can do.”

The 33-year-old tackle didn’t miss an offensive snap while starting all 16 games of the 2011 regular season and both playoff contests, but his conditioning and weight came into question during the offseason and his late arrival in training camp appeared to be the last straw for coach John Harbaugh and the rest of the staff.

After the Ravens nearly released McKinnie and cut his salary by $1 million less than a week before the start of the season, Oher has started all 14 games this season at left tackle while the rookie Osemele has manned the right tackle spot all year.

“When we think [McKinnie] is the best option, we will put him in there,” said coach John Harbaugh last week when asked about the veteran’s status. “He is working hard at practice. He, obviously, has some ability [as a] pass-protector; that’s a big deal, no doubt about it. I would have no qualms about him going into the game. If we feel like he’s the best option at one position or another, we’ll do it. Right now, we think we have the best group of guys out there, but that could change.”

Though probably the best pass-blocking left tackle on the roster, McKinnie is a poor run blocker and the Ravens are not convinced he gives them the best chance to win after a tumultuous offseason that included continuing financial concerns. McKinnie was also graded as the Ravens’ lowest-rated starting offensive lineman during the 2011 season, according to Pro Football Focus.

However, the Ravens are in the midst of a three-game losing streak and have already purged their offensive coordinator from the organization, so nothing can be dismissed at this point.

Why would the Ravens finally make the change now?

“Because we’re at the end and you never know what can happen,” said McKinnie as he laughed softly.

The Ravens’ decision to part ways with Cam Cameron last week smelled of desperation, but it’s still difficult to envision McKinnie earning his starting job back now if he didn’t over the first 15 weeks of the regular season.

Listen to McKinnie’s conversation with AM 1570 WNST.net on Tuesday right here.

The financial problems continue for Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie as he reportedly faces a $375,000 lawsuit due to accumulated tabs at Miami strip clubs.

Per an NBC Miami report, a lawsuit was filed by Charles “Pop” Young, the father of rap superstar Trick Daddy, for tabs accumulated by McKinnie at various strip clubs between February 2009 and September 2010. Young claims the money was borrowed by McKinnie but never repaid.

Young is looking to recover the owed money plus interest as well as his legal costs through the lawsuit.

McKinnie’s base salary was cut from $3.2 million to $2.2 million less than a week before the start of the regular season. The 33-year-old was also replaced as the starting left tackle by fourth-year lineman Michael Oher, which has hindered McKinnie’s chances of recovering the $1 million in lost salary through incentives that can be reached by playing in 50 percent of the Ravens’ offensive snaps.

The lawsuit reportedly includes a promissory note claimed to be written by McKinnie on Oct. 1, 2010 that suggests Young loaned him the $375,000 in cash.

“In the past we discussed this amount listed above once the NFL season starts and I began receiving my payroll checks,” McKinnie allegedly wrote. “I hereby promise to speak to Mr. Young about this matter by October 5, 2010 and make arrangements to have this balance paid in full by December 1, 2010.”

The 11-year veteran is already having 50 percent of his wages garnished this season as part of a settlement for a lawsuit stemming from a $4.5 million loan taken out during last year’s NFL lockout.

With the Ravens in the midst of their bye week and plenty of discussion taking place over their offensive struggles on the road, offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie added fuel to the fire on Thursday.

In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, McKinnie suggested the Baltimore coaching staff has used the first seven games of the season to test out a more pass-heavy attack for quarterback Joe Flacco and the prospects of Michael Oher playing left tackle. McKinnie acknowledged the fact that contract statuses of both Flacco and Oher might be influencing what the Ravens have tried to do offensively.

Flacco is scheduled to become a free agent after this season while Oher is signed through the 2013 season.

“I think they just want to see Joe get the numbers and throw the ball,” McKinnie said. “We know what Ray Rice is capable of, so I think they just want to test some things out.”

When discussing the struggles of the offensive line, McKinnie made it clear what he thought the first order of business should be to straighten things out up front.

“Put me in, that’s what,” said McKinnie, who also recounted the circumstances that nearly led to his departure less than week before the season when the Ravens decided to cut his pay. The veteran also hinted that incentives regarding playing time in his contract may be another factor why he hasn’t started through the first seven weeks of the season.

McKinnie is scheduled to join WNST.net’s Glenn Clark on AM 1570 at 5 p.m. to clarify his controversial remarks that had Ravens fans abuzz on Thursday afternoon.

Entering the bye week following the Ravens’ worst loss in his five years as head coach, John Harbaugh preached a message of reflection and evaluation in speaking to the media 24 hours after the 43-13 loss to the Houston Texans.

The problems are numerous on both sides of the football despite the Ravens’ 5-2 record and first-place standing in the AFC North, but one of the most concerning aspects through the first seven weeks of the season is the inconsistent play of the offensive line. Quarterback Joe Flacco was sacked four times and had several passes batted down as the Houston defense controlled the line of scrimmage.

It was the latest example of the offensive line following a strong performance with a poor outing as the Ravens held Dallas to one sack in Week 6 before allowing the Texans to make life miserable for Flacco throughout the day in Houston on Sunday.

“We’re a work in progress,” Harbaugh said. “I’m not going to put a grade on it – it’s just not what we do. We’ve done some really good things, and we’ve done some not so good things.”

The offensive line has been in line with the overall “Jekyll and Hyde” personality demonstrated by the Baltimore offense, turning in excellent performances mixed with unacceptable showings. The group struggled to protect Flacco in all three road games this season, allowing 10 sacks in those contests, and allowed the Cleveland Browns to sack the fifth-year quarterback four times in a Week 4 win in Baltimore. However, the line excelled in home wins over Cincinnati, New England, and Dallas, allowing a combined four sacks in those three games.

Beginning in training camp with the late arrival of 2011 starting left tackle Bryant McKinnie, Harbaugh emphatically stated the best five linemen would play as the Ravens used a variety of combinations in the preseason before surprisingly settling on Michael Oher at left tackle, Ramon Harewood at left guard, and rookie Kelechi Osemele at right tackle to begin the season. Veteran Bobbie Williams supplanted Harewood in the starting lineup against the Cowboys, but the Ravens appear no closer now to having a comfortable starting lineup than they did in late July.

Are more changes coming following the bye week with the offensive coaching staff now having the opportunity to take a step back from game-planning to evaluate its own personnel in a more detailed manner?

“That’s a possibility,” Harbaugh said. “We’re not benching guys and putting other guys in there and all that kind of stuff. To me, that wouldn’t be a fair description of what we’re doing. On our offensive line, we’re just trying to find a good mix. [Different] guys are probably going to be playing since we have a mix of young guys and older guys. I would guess we’re going to roll some guys in there and see how they do.”

If changes are to be made, the most logical step would be to put McKinnie back in the spot he enjoyed last season with Oher sliding back to the right tackle position he played last season. The move would also allow the Ravens to slide Osemele to the left guard spot where he received plenty of work during spring organized team activities and training camp.

McKinnie offers little as a run blocker but is arguably the Ravens’ best pass-blocking tackle. The results with Oher at the left tackle spot have been mixed as it appears the fourth-year offensive lineman is better suited to play on the right side.

And with the Ravens hell-bent on being a pass-heavy offensive attack this season — another aspect that could be tweaked during the bye — it would make sense to make the change to improve the outside pass blocking while upgrading the left guard spot where the 36-year-old Williams struggled mightily on Sunday. Of course, McKinnie’s lack of mobility and conditioning concerns would also impact the Ravens’ desire to run the no-huddle offense, which has floundered in three road games this season.

McKinnie played 18 snaps on Sunday after Osemele temporarily left the game with a sprained right ankle, but Harbaugh wouldn’t discuss the 33-year-old tackle’s play, citing a minor injury he sustained while playing. It’s no secret the organization was unhappy with McKinnie’s lack of commitment in the offseason and cut his pay less than a week before the start of the regular season.

“He got hurt. He’s had a little hip flexor issue that came up during the game,” Harbaugh said. “That’s all he played once he came out with the hip flexor, so it wasn’t that many plays to really evaluate.”

The Ravens could also look at the possibility of working Harewood back into the mix as well as second-year tackle Jah Reid, who is finally healthy after dealing with a calf injury for the better part of four months.

Pro Bowl right guard Marshal Yanda and veteran center Matt Birk figure to be the only safe bets to remain at their current positions on the starting offensive line, but Harbaugh said  even rookie Gino Gradkowski has made big strides and would be ready to play guard if needed.

Regardless of whether the Ravens make wholesale changes or simply confirm the current group as its best starting five, it’s apparent Harbaugh and the coaching staff will be taking a long look up front before their next game on Nov. 4 against the Cleveland Browns.

“We’d like to have five guys who are rock solid and who are in there and working with everybody all the time,” Harbaugh said. “It’s really just not where we’re at right now. So, let’s make the best of it and let’s work some guys in there. If we get hot with a group, then we’ll stick with it.”