ExtremeRavens Posted July 21 Posted July 21 A lot can, and likely will, happen between the start of Ravens training camp and the end of it just over a month from now. Injuries are inevitable. Some players who are expected to be significant contributors might struggle, while other, lesser-known ones could surprise and even shine. Decisions will have to be made, most notably about the three open starting offensive line jobs and the backup roles behind them. Questions also need answered at wide receiver and elsewhere on the roster. The coming days and weeks will be revelatory. On Aug. 27, NFL rosters need to be cut from 90 to 53 players. Here’s a look at how the Ravens’ final roster could end up looking: Quarterback (2) Lamar Jackson, Josh Johnson They key here is a rule change that allows a team’s No. 3 emergency quarterback on game days to come from the practice squad. There’s also no limit to the number of times said quarterback can be promoted. Last year, the Ravens carried three quarterbacks for most of the year, but with former backup Tyler Huntley now on the Cleveland Browns, the 38-year-old Johnson the clear No. 2 and the rule change, it seems unlikely Baltimore would burn an active roster spot on a third quarterback — unless sixth-round draft pick Devin Leary impresses in training camp. Running back (3) Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Rasheen Ali Thanks to another rule change, teams can place up to two players on injured reserve who are designated to return when trimming their rosters to 53. Expect Keaton Mitchell, who suffered a torn ACL in mid-December, to be one of them, with his return not likely until later in the season. Meanwhile, Henry, the Ravens’ splashy free agent addition, will be the lead back, with Hill a nice change-of-pace option and dependable pass protector spelling him. Ali, a rookie fifth-rounder who struggled with fumbles at Marshall, will get a chance this summer to show off his speed and will need to hang onto the ball or risk the Ravens possibly turning to the veteran free agent market. Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers makes a catch during a drill at OTAs at the Under Armour Performance Center in May. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Wide receiver (6) Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Devontez Walker, Deonte Harty, Tylan Wallace This is the group that will have the most compelling battles this summer. The top three spots on the depth chart are set between Flowers, Bateman and Agholor. The same is probably true for the fourth spot with Walker, a rookie fourth-round pick with big-time vertical speed. After that is where things get interesting. Harty, a Baltimore native, has experience as a receiver and a returner. Wallace has been a special teams stalwart and delivered one of the biggest plays of last season with a game-winning punt return against the Los Angeles Rams. Second-year receiver Sean Ryan out of Rutgers spent last year on the practice squad and had a solid spring. Quarterback-turned-receiver Malik Cunningham is an intriguing possibility who has transitioned well so far. The Ravens kept six receivers last year and that will likely be the case again. Tight end/fullback (4) Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard The only question among this group is how often Baltimore will feature Andrews and Likely on the field at the same time. It will be worth watching, and the expectation is it will be more than last year, which wasn’t very often. Outside of quarterback, this is also the Ravens’ best position group. Offensive line (10) Ronnie Stanley, Tyler Linderbaum, Patrick Mekari, Roger Rosengarten, Andrew Vorhees, Josh Jones, Daniel Faalele, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Ben Cleveland, Nick Samac Baltimore is in good shape with a suddenly fit and spry Stanley at left tackle and Linderbaum, who was selected to the Pro Bowl last season, at center. Beyond that are question marks. Second-round pick Roger Rosengarten out of Washington could start at right tackle, or the Ravens could opt to go with Daniel Faalele or veteran Josh Jones, who has played every position except center in his career, if the rookie doesn’t look ready. Faalele is also in the mix at right guard, along with Aumavae-Laulu and Cleveland. Vorhees, meanwhile, has a shot at the starting left guard job after sitting out his rookie year because of a torn ACL during the 2023 scouting combine, but Jones could also factor in there. Samac, a seventh-round pick from Michigan State, figures to compete for a backup role at center in the wake of Sam Mustipher’s free agency departure. Mekari can play anywhere along the line, which is one of the reasons the Ravens would prefer to keep him in his usual rotational fill-in role. Defensive line (5) Justin Madubuike, Michael Pierce, Broderick Washington, Travis Jones, Brent Urban Much like the tight ends, this group is fairly set. The biggest question is whether Jones takes a big leap forward in terms of snaps and, therefore, production. The 2022 third-round pick has drawn praise for his steady improvement, but he’s played just 35% and 39% of the team’s defensive snaps, respectively, over his first two seasons. Otherwise, these five spots should be locks. Trenton Simpson is expected to move into a starting inside linebacker spot for the Ravens following Patrick Queen’s departure. (Amy Davis/Staff photo) Inside linebacker (4) Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Malik Harrison, Chris Board Harrison can play outside or inside and gives the Ravens more depth, if needed, behind Simpson, who moves into a starting role with Patrick Queen now in Pittsburgh. Board essentially replaces Del’Shawn Phillips, last year’s leader in special teams snaps who played sparingly on defense. Josh Ross has appeared in only five games over his two seasons in Baltimore and only on special teams. Outside linebacker (5) Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, David Ojabo, Tavius Robinson, Adisa Isaac Health and production are two big concerns among this group. Ojabo is still working his way back from last year’s torn ACL. A hamstring injury suffered in rookie minicamp has landed Isaac, a third-round pick out of Penn State, on the non-football injury list. Oweh has just 13 sacks across three seasons and has never had more than five in a year. Van Noy is coming off a career-high nine sacks, but he turned 33 in March and no longer has Jadeveon Clowney (now with the Carolina Panthers) as a running mate on the outside. Malik Hamm has potential, but it’s a crowded room. Cornerback (7) Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Nate Wiggins, Arthur Maulet, T.J. Tampa, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Damarion “Pepe” Williams Injuries always seem to be a concern among this group, which is why it’s likely Baltimore will again go with seven cornerbacks to begin the season. Williams played just one game last season and spent most of the year on injured reserve because of an ankle injury. Armour-Davis appeared in eight games but was sidelined with a hip injury. Ka’Dar Hollman and Tre Swilling could factor in, though Swilling got snaps at safety in the spring. Lamar Jackson’s cousin, Trayvon Mullen, who missed all of last season with a toe injury, figures to be a longshot to make the roster. Safety (4) Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton, Eddie Jackson, Ar’Darius Washington Jackson, a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Chicago Bears who signed with the Ravens on Friday, figures to be the top option to replace Geno Stone as the third safety. Though Washington played in the slot last year before suffering a chest injury that kept him out for much of the season, his versatility and experience likely give him the edge over seventh-round rookie Sanoussi Kane and undrafted free agent and former Maryland and River Hill High standout Beau Brade. Special teams (3) Justin Tucker, Jordan Stout, Nick Moore Moore is back after suffering a torn Achilles tendon last summer. Tucker and Stout have the kicker and punter jobs locked down, so the only potential drama that exists revolves around the new kickoff rules and whether the Ravens will perhaps try Stout as a kickoff specialist. View the full article Quote
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