ExtremeRavens Posted August 14 Posted August 14 There are still two more Ravens preseason games, including one Saturday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium against the Atlanta Falcons, and 22 days until the season opener against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. But the end is near. Baltimore held its 18th practice of training camp Tuesday, with another roughly eight to come before the roster must be trimmed from 90 players to 53, with up to an additional 16 designated for the practice squad. In other words, for those on the bubble and others looking to ascend toward peak performance in preparation for a Super Bowl or bust season, time is relatively short. With a healthy dose of practices and one preseason game behind them, here is a look at the Ravens who have been on the rise and those who have slid the other direction. Stock up Cornerback Nate Wiggins The Ravens’ first-round draft pick has lived up to his billing. In practice, he’s been fast, aggressive (sometimes overly so) and made multiple interceptions. In last Friday’s preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, he shined from the start, successfully defending three passes on the game’s opening series, including one on fourth down. He continued his stellar play in the second half until suffering a shoulder injury, which was not deemed serious. Wiggins looks to have the ability — and swagger — of a shutdown corner who the Ravens can count on for years to come. Safety Ar’Darius Washington After losing two straight seasons to injuries, the third one has been the charm for the former undrafted free agent. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound Washington has been all over the field for Baltimore, playing both safety positions as well as the nickel and making plays on the ball daily. “He can play either corner outside, if he had to, to get you out of a game, and he can go in a dime [six defensive backs formation] if he had to — he knows the defense that well,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s fulfilling what we’ve always hoped he would do, and I really expect him to have a big year, and I think he’s going to play good football for us. It’s a big deal.” Especially with slot corner Arthur Maulet out with a knee injury at least into the early part of the regular season and the possibility of the Ravens playing more dime this season. Right tackle Roger Rosengarten There were questions about whether Rosengarten, the Ravens’ second-round draft pick this year out of Washington, was strong enough to handle the bull rush, particularly in an AFC North that is loaded with pass rushers. But he held his own over 18 snaps against the Eagles, earning what will be an uptick in playing time this week against the Falcons. He’s continued to look the part in practice, too, showing stability, good hands and quick feet. With the Ravens’ preference is to continue to use veteran Patrick Mekari as a swing tackle and their best sixth-man option, Rosengarten seems to be the clear favorite to land the starting role. Wide receiver Anthony Miller The former Chicago Bears second-round pick hasn’t played in a game since the 2021 season and bounced around a few different practice squads since. He has only been with the Ravens since Sunday, but has already made his presence felt with several catches. That included Tuesday, when he got by cornerback Marlon Humphrey during one-on-one drills and hauled in a long touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson. Then Jackson hit the receiver again during a 7-on-7 period with a perfectly thrown deep ball down the sideline that Miller caught between Washington and cornerback Ka’dar Hollman. Given the lack of production from the back end of the Ravens’ receiving corps, Miller could possibly make a push for a roster spot or more likely the practice squad. Ravens rookie Qadir Ismail is skinny for a tight end, but he plays physical. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Tight end Qadir Ismail The son of former Ravens receiver Qadry Ismail, the undrafted free agent out of Samford has been making at least one nice catch every practice and often more than that. But what has surprised Harbaugh, he said, is Ismail’s ability as a blocker. At 6-6 and 215 pounds, Ismail is skinny for a tight end, but he plays physical. While he won’t make the 53-man roster given Baltimore’s talent and depth at the position, he seems almost assured of a spot on the practice squad. Pretty remarkable for a player who had just 16 catches in 14 games over two seasons with the Bulldogs. “He’s definitely an NFL player’s and coach’s kid,” Harbaugh said. “He’s tough, he’s not afraid. He throws it in there and plays bigger than his size. I think he’s doing a good job.” Stock down Quarterbacks Josh Johnson, Devin Leary, Emory Jones The biggest problem the Ravens have when it comes to backing up Jackson is not so much the men behind him, but the lack of affordability for the role. No matter who’s on the roster, the drop-off from Jackson is so significant that it’s largely not worth investing the capital, save for drafting a player every year. This year, that was Leary, whom the Ravens took in the sixth-round and has looked every bit of a fringe NFL quarterback at best. At 38 years old, Johnson provides vast experience, though he hasn’t played in a game since 2022 and has appeared in just 39 since 2009. Jones, meanwhile, was thrust into the end of the Eagles game cold and was strip-sacked in his first and only snap, resulting in the game-winning field goal as time expired. Johnson will remain the backup out of necessity and familiarity, but none of the three have impressed. Ravens rookie running back Rasheen Ali suffered a stinger against the Eagles, making his bid for a roster spot for difficult. Running back Rasheen Ali With the No. 3 running back job up for grabs behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill, the competition has centered around the fifth-round rookie Ali and second-year player Owen Wright. While neither has stood out the way, say, Keaton Mitchell did last year, Wright outperformed Ali in the preseason opener, much the way he has throughout camp. Making matters worse for Ali was that he suffered a stinger in the game and through Tuesday has yet to practice since. That won’t help him win the job. Offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu A year ago, Aumavae-Laulu took first-team reps at left guard during the first two weeks of training camp, was talked about as a potential starter, then didn’t play a snap during the regular season. Now in his second year, he’s made progress but has been largely an afterthought in the offensive line competition and has not been getting first-team reps. He’ll probably make the roster, but his showing against the Eagles did not stand out as he earned a dismal 31.5 grade from Pro Football Focus. Wide receiver Devontez Walker The fourth-round rookie was thought to be something of an answer to the Ravens’ deep ball woes. That hasn’t been the case. Against the Eagles, Walker got 19 snaps and had zero catches on just one target. Some of that could be pinned to the rocky quarterback play, and Harbaugh noted that Walker has been dealing with a rib issue. Still, other receivers have outperformed him in camp thus far, with the former North Carolina star only very occasionally making a notable play. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman Speaking of players dealing with injuries, Bateman has been hampered again with some sort of lower body issue that kept him out of practice for a week. After returning this week, he still doesn’t look quite right, though he did fully participate Tuesday. Earlier this summer, he and Jackson found a nice but brief rhythm. That’s yet to re-materialize. Perhaps it will once the season begins, which is all that really matters. View the full article Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.