ExtremeRavens Posted August 25 Posted August 25 The time for the Ravens has come: The readiness is all. Fatalistic as the William Shakespeare line from “Hamlet” is and perhaps overdramatic as it might seem, Baltimore has reached that point with its roster. The deadline for NFL teams to trim from 90 players to the requisite 53 is Tuesday at 4 p.m. Though there were few jobs up for grabs when the Ravens began training camp on July 23, the team’s rookie class has made the task of general manager Eric DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh that much tougher. As Harbaugh has said on a couple of occasions, there are more players who have performed well enough to make the team that won’t. It’s not hyperbole. “That’s the problem we want to have,” he said following a 30-3 drubbing of the Commanders on Saturday that wrapped up a 3-0 preseason for the Ravens. Now comes the tricky part with those decisions on the margins of a roster expected to compete for the Super Bowl. Here’s a look at the final projection of who those 53 players will likely be: Quarterbacks (2) Lamar Jackson, Cooper Rush Rush has shown this summer what the Ravens expected him to be: a capable and dependable backup who can fill in adequately if Jackson suffers an injury. Devin Leary, meanwhile, showed some growth but continued to struggle in his second year, and that raises the question of whether the Ravens should look elsewhere for a practice squad quarterback. Running backs (4) Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell, Rasheen Ali Just over a week ago, Harbaugh announced that his plan would be to keep four running backs, an unusual move for a backfield already loaded with talent. He then further backed Ali after the Commanders game, noting his ubiquitous presence on special teams. Given Mitchell’s injury history, Ali, a 2024 fifth-round pick who has performed well this summer, provides insurance, but it means another position group on defense will get squeezed. Wide receivers (6) Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins, Tylan Wallace, Devontez Walker, LaJohntay Wester With Walker having shown good growth in Year 2 and Wester proving a reliable and, at times, electric punt returner, the biggest question among the group is who will make the practice squad. Veterans Anthony Miller and Keith Kirkwood, as well as second-year receiver Dayton Wade and Malik Cunningham, are among the possibilities, though Wade suffered a shoulder injury Saturday while undrafted free agent rookie Xavier Guillory broke his collarbone in the game. Tight ends/fullback (4) Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard The biggest question here is whether the Ravens start Likely on injured reserve, which would mean he couldn’t play until Week 5. The fourth-year tight end had surgery on a broken bone in his foot Aug. 1 and Harbaugh said it’s possible Likely could be back for Week 1. That seems unlikely with the start of the season less than two weeks away, but if the Ravens feel he’ll be able to return by a Week 4 showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs, he’ll be on the 53-man roster. From left, Ravens offensive linemen Daniel Faalele, Corey Bullock and Nick Samac share a laugh during practice last week. Bullock and Samac are battling to be the backup center. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Offensive linemen (9) Ronnie Stanley, Andrew Vorhees, Tyler Linderbaum, Daniel Faalele, Roger Rosengarten, Joseph Noteboom, Corey Bullock, Ben Cleveland, Carson Vinson Harbaugh has already confirmed the Ravens’ starting line will be the first five names on this list. He also intimated he would keep nine linemen. With Noteboom as the team’s swing tackle, that leaves a handful of players for the final three spots. Bullock has impressed and started at center all preseason, so he’ll likely replace Nick Samac as Linderbaum’s backup. Cleveland, maligned as he has been, has experience at guard, and Harbaugh likes him on the field goal block unit. Vinson, a sixth-round rookie, is a developmental tackle but has made some strides this summer. Defensive linemen (5) Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, John Jenkins, Aeneas Peebles C.J. Okoye and C.J. Ravenell have played well this summer, and under different circumstances, at least one would have likely made the team. But with the Ravens so infrequently in their base defense, there are only so many defensive linemen they can keep. Jenkins also fills the role of run-stuffing nose tackle, while sixth-round rookie Peebles is a fascinating player with terrific get-off. Veteran Brent Urban was on the roster last season, but at 34, he might be willing to agree to a practice squad deal. Outside linebackers (5) Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson, Mike Green, David Ojabo The competition for the fifth outside linebacker spot (or the possibility of Baltimore keeping a sixth) essentially ended when Adisa Isaac suffered a dislocated elbow in the Cowboys game. That means Ojabo, a 2022 second-round pick who has suffered a litany of injuries and struggled to develop, will be on the team, while others such as Malik Hamm and Kaimon Rucker would at best be on the practice squad. Inside linebackers (4) Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Teddye Buchanan, Jake Hummel Buchanan has struggled at times, but has also made some nice plays. The fourth-round rookie will be on the team. Hummel is a special teams ace who was brought in to replace Malik Harrison and Chris Board. Undrafted rookies Jay Higgins IV and Chandler Martin have played well all summer, made plays and garnered plenty of deserved attention. But when it comes down to a final roster spot or two, other factors — such as special teams and a greater need in the defensive backfield — mean there likely isn’t room for a fifth inside linebacker. Ravens cornerback Keyon Martin had a pick-six against the Commanders on Saturday in Landover. (Nick Wass/AP) Cornerbacks (7) Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Jaire Alexander, Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Keyon Martin DeCosta is fond of saying cornerbacks are like Bugattis — a premium but fragile asset that breaks down a lot. The analogy has already played out with Alexander and Awuzie having missed time during training camp and rookies Robert Longerbeam and Bilhal Kone lost for the season. Meanwhile, Armour-Davis, once thought to be a bubble guy, has stood out over the past five weeks while Martin, an undrafted rookie who only landed in Baltimore after a tryout, has starred of late with a few splash plays to go with steady performance. Martin would also provide depth in the slot. Safeties (4) Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Sanoussi Kane, Reuben Lowery Lowery’s ascent has included going from training camp darling to surpassing second-year safety Beau Brade, who has played late into the past two preseason games and been behind the undrafted rookie on the depth chart. That’s not a great sign for Brade, the former River Hill and Maryland standout who was a contributor on special teams last season. Still, Baltimore could decide to keep Brade and instead try to stash Martin on its practice squad, calling him if needed during the season. Specialists (3) Tyler Loop, Jordan Stout, Nick Moore After the Ravens cut undrafted rookie John Hoyland two weeks into training camp, the kick job became Loop’s to lose. The sixth-round rookie drafted to replace the embattled Justin Tucker solidified his hold on it by the end of the second preseason game and finished preseason making 9 of 11 field goal attempts, including ones from 52, 53 and 61 yards. Now all that’s left to see is how he fares when the games count. 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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