ExtremeRavens Posted yesterday at 10:30 AM Posted yesterday at 10:30 AM A week from Tuesday, the Ravens’ initial 53-man roster will be officially set. But in many ways, it already is. Coach John Harbaugh announced following Saturday night’s preseason win over the Dallas Cowboys that sixth-round rookie Tyler Loop will be the team’s kicker this season, thus ending the search for Justin Tucker’s replacement. He also said Baltimore will carry four running backs — a somewhat unusual move — with second-year fifth-round pick Rasheen Ali joining Derrick Henry, Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell. There have been injuries that will shape the roster, too. Second-year outside linebacker and fourth-round pick Adisa Isaac suffered a dislocated elbow against Dallas and will be out at least a few weeks. Rookie sixth-round cornerbacks Robert Kone and Bilhal Kone have already been placed on injured reserve after suffering a torn patellar tendon and torn knee ligaments, respectively, to end their seasons. Safety Ar’Darius Washington is also expected to miss most, if not all, of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon during offseason workouts. Still, some tough decisions will have to be made for what are very few openings on a roster replete with high-end talent and expected to contend for a Super Bowl. Harbaugh has been pleased with his rookie class and now will have to decide which ones make the team and which ones can be stashed on the practice squad without another team scooping them up before that can happen. He’ll also have to consider some roster gymnastics and how to juggle certain players and position groups. For example, with Isaiah Likely still recovering from surgery to repair a broken bone in his right foot, does that mean the ascendant tight end will begin the year on injured reserve, resulting in him automatically missing at least the first four games of the season and clearing a roster spot elsewhere? Already, the decision to carry a fourth running back is having an impact. “It just makes it one less guy that you can take at some other spot, and that’ll be the challenge,” Harbaugh said. “Because there’s more than 53 guys that would be good enough to make the team.” Here’s a look at who those 53 players are projected to be: Quarterbacks (2) Lamar Jackson, Cooper Rush The competition for Lamar Jackson’s backup was never actually one. Veteran Cooper Rush was signed this past offseason for that role and has unsurprisingly easily outperformed second-year quarterback Devin Leary all summer. Saturday night, he found some rhythm, too, completing 20 of 30 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown in Baltimore’s win over the Dallas Cowboys. He also had two interceptions, but one of those was off Ali’s hands. “He’s just very good,” Harbaugh said of the former Cowboys backup. “He’s a very good player. He’s accurate, on time. He runs the offense, runs the show very well. I think he’s a good fit with our guys. Our guys like him.” Running backs (4) Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell, Rasheen Ali In a somewhat surprising move, Harbaugh announced after the Cowboys game that he will carry four running backs on the roster, with Ali being the fourth member of a deep and talented group. That’ll take a spot away from another position, but given the injury history of Keaton Mitchell, who is currently dealing with a hamstring issue but is expected to be ready for Week 1, it provides Baltimore with some insurance. Ali has also looked good in camp and, aside from a couple of mistakes against the Cowboys, in the preseason. It doesn’t hurt that he also plays special teams. Wide receivers (6) Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins, Tylan Wallace, Devontez Walker, LaJohntay Wester One of Harbaugh’s draft desires was to find a punt returner. Enter LaJohntay Wester, who already has a punt return for a touchdown in the preseason and has looked comfortable and fluid fielding kicks. He still needs some work as a receiver, but the sixth receiver has to contribute on special teams, and he’s certainly proven he is capable of doing that. Likewise, Tylan Wallace is a valuable special teams contributor, dependable receiver and popular within the locker room and organization. Second-year receiver Devontez Walker has also progressed to the point where he should be on the field more often this season. Tight ends/fullback (3) Mark Andrews, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely could be placed on the reserve/PUP list and miss the first four games of the season because of his foot injury. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) What the Ravens do here will impact the roster. Likely will be part of this unit once he returns, but given the likelihood that he’ll miss at least a game or two, he could start the year on the reserve/physically unable to perform list list (which would force him to miss four games), thus opening up a spot elsewhere on the roster. Whenever he does return, Baltimore will have to make room for him, but that’s something that could work itself out with the unfortunate reality of future injuries or simply through releasing a player the Ravens feel they could re-sign to the practice squad. Offensive linemen (10) Ronnie Stanley, Andrew Vorhees, Tyler Linderbaum, Daniel Faalele, Roger Rosengarten, Joseph Noteboom, Corey Bullock, Ben Cleveland, Carson Vinson, Garrett Dellinger The starting offensive line is effectively set with Andrew Vorhees being the clear favorite at left guard and the rest of the group the same as last season. Joseph Noteboom checks the box for being a swing tackle, while Corey Bullock has moved ahead of Nick Samac for the backup center role. “Corey is fantastic,” Rush said after the Cowboys game, which was the second-year Maryland product’s second straight start in the preseason. “That guy; he runs the show. … He’s very smart, knows what’s going on, gets everyone going.” He can also play guard, another plus. Ben Cleveland, meanwhile, has cemented his place on the field goal unit and is a serviceable backup at guard. Carson Vinson is a “project,” Harbaugh said, but it seems unlikely the Ravens would be able to sneak the rookie tackle out of Alabama A&M onto their practice squad because tackles don’t grow on trees. But if Baltimore does not put Likely on the reserve/PUP list, that probably means keeping just nine offensive linemen, with seventh-round rookie Garrett Dillinger headed to the practice squad. Defensive linemen (5) Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, Jon Jenkins, Aeneas Peebles The Ravens signed Jon Jenkins to be a run-stuffing nose tackle to fill the void created when Michael Pierce retired. Defensive line coach Dennis Johnson said that sixth-round rookie Aeneas Peebles has “elite” get off and, though he’s undersized, he has had a solid summer and is an intriguing player. Baltimore also brought back Brent Urban, but it seems more likely the 34-year-old would be bound for the practice squad. Second-year undrafted free agent C.J. Okoye has also made a nice push this summer, but the Ravens aren’t keeping six linemen. Outside linebackers (5) Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson, Mike Green, David Ojabo Isaac suffering a dislocated elbow against the Cowboys on Saturday means the second-year linebacker out of Penn State will be “out for a few weeks, at least,” according to Harbaugh. That will almost certainly put him on the reserve/PUP list to open the season. It also means that David Ojabo’s spot is safe as the final linebacker in the group. Inside linebackers (4) Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Teddye Buchanan, Jake Hummel Ravens linebacker Jake Hummel was brought in for his special teams ability. (Matt Patterson/AP) Rookie fourth-round pick Teddye Buchanan got off to a nice start Saturday against the Cowboys, disappeared for a bit and struggled at times, but he looked much better in his second game than his first. Jake Hummel was signed for his special teams play. Undrafted rookie Jay Higgins IV has made a strong push to make the roster as well. Against the Cowboys, he had a splash play for the second week in a row with a strip sack of quarterback Will Grier after an interception against the Indianapolis Colts the week before. He very much looks to be the Ravens’ next undrafted gem at linebacker, but they also might feel comfortable about being able to sneak him onto the practice squad. Cornerbacks (6) Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Jaire Alexander, Chide Awuzie, T.J. Tampa, Jalyn Armour-Davis There’s no question who the top five cornerbacks are, though Jaire Alexander recently had fluid buildup in his knee and hasn’t practiced of late. Undrafted rookie Keyon Martin had a terrific game against the Cowboys, sacking Joe Milton III for a safety and playing well in coverage. But as pleased as Harbaugh was with him, he’s probably a long shot at best to make the roster and is more likely headed to the practice squad. Safeties (5) Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Sanoussi Kane, Reuben Lowery, Beau Brade “Beau [Brade] is good enough to make the team, and he's right there with those decisions we're going to have to make,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. (Gareth Patterson/AP)One of the more interesting developments from Saturday night was that undrafted rookie Reuben Lowery outsnapped second-year former Maryland standout Beau Brade, 34-19, on defense. The Ravens like Lowery’s intelligence, proclivity to always seem to have his nose around the ball and his versatility to also play cornerback. A few other teams have also taken notice of Lowery, so it’s unlikely Baltimore would be able to store him on the practice squad. The same could be said of Beau Brade, a former standout at River Hill and Maryland. “Beau is good enough to make the team, and he’s right there with those decisions we’re going to have to make,” Harbaugh said. “But, I think I would be very comfortable with Beau being out there playing football for us, playing special teams and playing defense. … He plays good football when he is out there.” Brade’s ability to play special teams is also a significant factor and probably gives him the advantage of making it over Higgins for one of the final spots. Specialists (3) Tyler Loop, Jordan Stout, Nick Moore Harbaugh announced after the Cowboys game that Loop had officially won the job to be the team’s next kicker, to which Loop responded with, “That’s fun.” In two preseason games, Loop has made 6 of 8 field goal attempts, which included boots from 51 and 53 yards against Dallas in front of about 30 friends and family, an hour away from where he starred in high school. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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