ExtremeRavens Posted August 12 Posted August 12 No longer are we talking about just practice. The Ravens played their first preseason game Friday night — falling to the Philadelphia Eagles, 16-13, in dramatic if not stupefying fashion — and thus provided the best look to date of position battles, rookies in action for the first time, and potentially key reserves. It was revealing on multiple fronts. “I did think the offensive line played well, from a run blocking standpoint and a pass blocking standpoint,” coach John Harbaugh said Sunday of a group that has three starting jobs up for grabs at both guard spots as well as right tackle. “There’s nobody in that group of guys that you’re talking about that didn’t look like they could play.” The passing attack, meanwhile, is still a “work in progress,” he said — something that is unsurprising and largely unimportant considering quarterback Lamar Jackson did not play nor did any of the regular starters. That will likely be the case for Baltimore’s remaining two preseason games against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday and the Green Bay Packers the following week, with a joint practice with the Packers also scheduled for next week that will at least presumably feature the starters. But until then, here’s the latest look at the Ravens’ latest projected 53-man roster with a little more than three weeks until the regular-season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Quarterbacks (2): Lamar Jackson, Josh Johnson In defense of Johnson’s four completions on 12 passes for 62 yards against the Eagles, Harbaugh noted the performance was tough to evaluate because the Ravens’ receivers who did play are mostly “developmental players.” It’s a fair point, and the 38-year-old understandably struggled. Harbaugh added that in some cases receivers ran the wrong routes. “I thought he handled himself really well and made some really good throws,” he said. “[He] protected the football like you want him to do and got us in the right plays, made some decisions on which plays to get us into, which is part of our offense.” One thing was clear: Neither rookie sixth-round draft pick Devin Leary nor undrafted free agent Emory Jones is unseating Johnson as the backup. Ravens rookie running back Rasheen Ali, left, is battling for a roster spot. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Running backs (3): Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Owen Wright Neither second-year Owen Wright nor fifth-round rookie Rasheen Ali looked overly impressive against the Eagles, though both had their moments. The former outperformed the latter, rushing for 33 yards on seven carries while catching a pass for 17 yards. Harbaugh said he isn’t worried about the fumbling issues that plagued Ali at Marshall, even though he nearly coughed up a kick return with the ball squirting out as he hit the ground. Only one of them is making the roster, though, and with Henry and Hill expected to get nearly all the carries during the regular season, special teams will be the difference. Wright provides more versatility as someone who’s been in the offense for a year and thus could contribute more in the backfield. Wide receivers (6): Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Devontez Walker, Deonte Harty, Tylan Wallace The top three spots on the depth chart are set. The group gets thin beyond that in terms of potential impact, however, which perhaps explains the Ravens’ signings of three veteran receivers (Keith Kirkwood, Russell Gage and Anthony Miller) over the past six weeks. “Sometimes you’re playing the opportunities,” Harbaugh said. “So why not take a look at these guys, see what they can do and if they can make a push?” Walker played only 19 snaps on Friday because of a rib issue, Harbaugh said, while Harty, who is expected to be the team’s kick returner and has experience at receiver, didn’t play after not practicing earlier in the week because of a lower leg injury (he returned Sunday). Wallace played and easily outperformed the other young receivers, catching both targets for 26 yards, including one on a nice back-shoulder play. The group was also plagued by poor quarterback play, particularly when it came to Leary. Right now, it’s difficult to see any of the Ravens’ young receivers breaking through, and it’s possible that someone like Miller could edge out Walker for a roster spot. Tight ends/fullbacks (4): Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard Scotty Washington spent last season on the practice squad and signed a reserve/future contract in January, so he could be back in a similar role this year. Qadir Ismail, the son of former Ravens receiver Qadry Ismail, continues to make the occasional play in training camp. But you can put this group in magic marker, even if Likely ends up being a de facto wide receiver. Mike Preston: Ravens offensive line is a clear work in progress. But for how long? | COMMENTARY Offensive line (10): Ronnie Stanley, Tyler Linderbaum, Roger Rosengarten, Andrew Vorhees, Daniel Faalele, Patrick Mekari, Josh Jones, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Ben Cleveland, Nick Samac What was once an intriguing group with openings at both guard spots and right tackle seems much less so a few weeks into camp and after the first preseason game. Friday night provided coaches a much better sense of the unit, more so than at any other position. The left guard spot seems all but sewn up with Vorhees firmly entrenched. At right guard, Harbaugh said he liked what he saw out of Faalele, noting that he thought he made a “jump” in the game. “He was really good with his feet, punched well, stayed square, stayed in front of people,” he said. “I’d say he passed the test.” Rosengarten, who shared right tackle duties with Mekari and got just 18 snaps against the Eagles, should see more against the Falcons. With the Ravens’ preference to continue to use Mekari as a swing tackle and fill in where necessary, Rosengarten will likely have every opportunity to win the job. Defensive line (5): Justin Madubuike, Michael Pierce, Broderick Washington, Travis Jones, Brent Urban Like the receivers, the Ravens’ young defensive linemen are largely developmental. None of them stood out against the Eagles, and the players mentioned above are talented, reliable and experienced. The most intriguing thing to keep an eye on here is whether Jones will usurp Washington and get more snaps this season. Jones has looked the part so far and seems poised to be the Ravens’ next interior defender to leap forward. Inside linebacker (4): Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Malik Harrison, Chris Board Harrison played 21 snaps against the Eagles, which was perhaps more than expected. That could’ve also been because Board was being checked for a concussion and did not return to the game. Again, there doesn’t appear to be a lot of drama among this group. Josh Ross has at best an outside chance at cracking the roster. The 55 snaps Ross got against the Eagles were largely out of necessity, though Pro Football Focus did grade him respectably with a 64.4 mark. Outside linebacker (5): Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, David Ojabo, Tavius Robinson, Adisa Isaac Even though Ojabo has been a full participant in practice, he wasn’t medically cleared to play against the Eagles as he continues to work his way back from last year’s torn ACL. Isaac took second-team reps in Sunday’s practice as he continues to ramp up from a hamstring injury suffered in rookie minicamp, though Harbaugh noted that he’d like the third-round pick to be able to do so quickly, so expect to see him on the field soon. Quincy Roche, meanwhile, remains mysteriously absent, while Joe Evans played 68 snaps against Philadelphia, again largely out of need. Cornerback Damarion “Pepe” Williams sacks Kenny Pickett during Friday night’s preseason opener against the Eagles. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Cornerback (7): Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Nate Wiggins, Arthur Maulet, T.J. Tampa, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Damarion “Pepe” Williams The Ravens got good news when they discovered Wiggins’ injury against the Eagles was not serious and thus he’ll likely be back in time for the season opener. Maulet’s knee injury, however, could keep him out for the first couple of games of the season, Harbaugh conceded Sunday. Tampa also remains out after undergoing double sports hernia surgery, though the team expects him to be back soon. Trayvon Mullen, meanwhile, is back from a shoulder injury and practiced Sunday and could be in the fold if injuries pile up. Safety (4): Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton, Ar’Darius Washington, Eddie Jackson The Ravens got a momentary scare when Hamilton suffered an apparent leg injury late in practice Sunday. Harbaugh said the injury does not appear to be serious and that the All-Pro will be fine. Rookie seventh-rounder Sanoussi Kane played 20 snaps and had two tackles and missed another against the Eagles and suffered a stinger in the game. But it’s an uphill battle for him to make the 53-man roster anyway, especially when the Ravens boast one of the league’s best safety duos in Hamilton and Williams, a veteran in Jackson and the versatile Washington. Special teams (3): Justin Tucker, Jordan Stout, Nick Moore Tucker connected on both his field goal attempts Friday, including a 47-yarder. Stout had a much busier night with six punts but handled it well, averaging 51.5 yards with a long of 64. Stout also made a tackle on one return after four teammates missed on their attempts. Both would be wise to avoid trying to make any tackles in the preseason, though. View the full article Quote
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