Courtesy: Yahoo! Sports
This isn’t going to be a “battle of the brothers’ per se as it is a preseason game, but John and Jim Harbaugh still have a job to do as their preparations for the NFL’s 2014 regular season begin tonight at M&T Stadium when the Baltimore Ravens host an exhibition against the San Francisco 49ers.
The first preseason contest is usually fairly dry for viewers as starters will see about a series or two of game action and then give way to the second string and reserve players. However, this year the Ravens have question marks at certain key positions that could hurt them in the long run if they lack depth.
Every game counts — even though the result doesn’t go against the Ravens’ record just yet.
When looking at what the team lost during the offseason, what areas they struggled in during the 2013 campaign and in looking at what Baltimore added in free agency and through the NFL Draft, there are three players in particular that could be worth watching tonight to gauge where they are at in this early stage of the season:
1. RT Rick Wagner
While Wagner is listed as the starter at right tackle for the Ravens, don’t be surprised if he plays more than most first team guys typically would in the first preseason game. Wagner is still raw as far as his NFL career goes as he saw a little game action from time-to-time, but was mostly a sixth option up front when injuries forced the Ravens to create a makeshift front five.
The second-year pro sat behind Michael Oher — who signed for Tennessee this offseason — last season and was thrown into the fire early against the Denver Broncos in Week One.
But Wagner wasn’t a regular on the field and that’s why this will be a position of concern all year long. The Ravens struggled up front last season and while Oher wasn’t an All-Pro by any stretch, he provided stability on a line that is used to constant turnover year in and year out.
Wagner will be opposed by defensive end/outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks in this first match-up.
Also, Wagner could move around at different positions along the offensive line throughout the game as he has versatility to give his coaching staff options with young players like himself.
2. FS Terrence Brooks
James Ihedigbo is now a Detroit Lion and that means second-year safety Matt Elam will play his natural strong safety position on the back end.There is a lot of pressure on rookie free safety Terrence Brooks as the organization wants him to be the go-to guy in the secondary.
The third-round selection from Florida State isn’t exactly a ball-hawking safety like some guy who wore No. 20 used to do when he patrolled the secondary in Charm City, but he plays well in zone coverage and closes on passes, playing the ball and not his man more often than not.
This is the first test to see if he just benefited from playing on the best defense in the country last year in college football or if he has the makings of a solid pro.
It will also be interesting to see if the rookie gets some special teams action to help raise his stock given the strong camp veteran Darian Stewart is having at his position.
3. ILB Arthur Brown
Arthur Brown’s first year in the league was disappointing to say the least. He showed that his lack of size proved to be a detriment to his game as he wasn’t as slippery with blockers as he was when he was named the Big 12’s defensive player of the year in 2012.
This is the first step in bouncing back for Brown as he will likely be competing against Josh Bynes for one of the second inside linebacker spots — Daryl Smith and C.J. Mosely have the top two spots locked down.
But how can he prove his worth especially when his competition possesses similar skills to him?
Special teams.
Brown showed flashes in pass coverage last year that he has the instincts of an NFL linebacker, just maybe not the size. Guys like Brown cash their checks because of plays they make on either punt or kick coverage.
While he will garner more defensive reps tonight than he is normally accustomed to, he will have to prove to the coaching staff that he can be more than a solo contributor to this team or else he may be on the path to being another disappointing second-round selection in recent memory for the Ravens.
