Despite the search for youth, experience and versatility are keys.
Tuesday, July 26, 2022. Despite my many years covering the Baltimore Ravens, I usually don’t do preseason roster projections, but this team is at a certain crossroads. For one thing, the AFC is deeper and more talented than at any time in recent history, necessitating a delicate precision in constructing the kind of roster that can compete for a playoff berth and/or a Super Bowl appearance.
For another, the upcoming contract extension showdown between quarterback Lamar Jackson and the team will dictate exactly how easily the Ravens will be able to remain in contention over the next five years. As fans well know, teams can go quickly from good to bad and back again in the parity-ridden NFL.
But perhaps the most important reason is health and depth. Injuries are inevitable, and while it is believed the Ravens won’t have the laundry list of players missing significant time as they did last year, there will still be bumps in the road (not to mention on the knees, ankles, and shoulders).
So, the urgency of the moment dictates that we take a shot at seeing exactly how I feel the Ravens will look when final cuts are made on or about September 3.
This list is a revision of the one posted July 2, with full-team training camp practices set to begin this week. Six players have been placed on the Physically Unable To Perform (PUP) list, none of which are considered surprising, given the nature of their 2021 injuries. They are: Running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, safety Ar’Darius Washington, linebacker Tyus Bowser, cornerback Marcus Peters, and left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
QUARTERBACKS (2) – Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley. The Ravens’ organization is counting on a deeper blocking corps and a return to a 2019-type scheme to return Jackson to his MVP level from that year. That also means those elements will help him stay healthy, further decreasing the need for a third quarterback, something head coach John Harbaugh hasn’t had for most of his tenure anyway. Huntley proved serviceable when he had to be after Jackson went down last season. Still, the Ravens would rather rely on the franchise’s face for the entire season rather than someone who has been considerably more anonymous. Jackson’s much-discussed contract talks will likely be put on hold once camp and the regular season begin.
RUNNING BACKS (5) – J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Tyler Badie, Justice Hill, Patrick Ricard. Perhaps the biggest injury concerns rest here;. At the same time, Dobbins looks like he will be able to be ready for the start of the season. The same may not be said for Edwards, necessitating the acquisition of veterans Mike Davis and Corey Clement. Badie is a sixth-round pick, giving him a longer leash, and he could be a practice-squad candidate at the very least. Hill is a valuable special-teamer who can be handy in the backfield in a pinch. Even though fullbacks, as we used to know them, are a dying breed, and Ricard has proven to be quite versatile, I’ve included him with this unit for the moment; his return to the team could prove to be huge, as well as that of Hill. If anything, this season could prove to be a boon to the unit’s health, as the team’s perennial reliance on tight ends will keep the backs off the field a little more, keeping them fresh for the cold-weather, run-dominated homestretch of the campaign.
WIDE RECEIVERS (5) – Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, James Proche, Tylan Wallace, Binjimen Victor. Usually, teams in today’s NFL would rely on a base number of six wideouts, given the way the game is played. But the Ravens pride themselves on being a run-first team, so maybe they go with only five here. Wallace’s receiving talent bubbled a bit to the surface last year, and Victor has been in the system, albeit on much lower levels, for two years now. That means much more will be asked of Bateman and Duvernay, especially in light of Marquise Brown’s departure. If the highly-touted Makai Polk, an undrafted rookie, makes the team, he will be relied upon for special-teams duty, where Duvernay and Proche have already formed the foundation of a great punt/kick return unit.
TIGHT ENDS (4) – Mark Andrews, Nick Boyle, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar. Movement, deception, and field-stretching are being asked more of this group than merely blocking for a dominating running game. The fourth-round duo of Likely and Kolar brings to mind the occasions when the Ravens previously took two tight ends in the same draft; for now, they will help on special teams, but the so-far-impressive Likely could see early playing time in the regular offense. Boyle has added receptions, and even a few touchdowns, to his already-stellar blocking reputation. Andrews became the game’s best tight end in 2021 as he climbs up the team’s all-time receiving charts in several different categories.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9) – Ronnie Stanley, Ben Cleveland, Tyler Linderbaum, Kevin Zeitler, Morgan Moses, Patrick Mekari, Trystan Colon, Daniel Faalele, JaWuan James. Reportedly, Stanley’s troublesome ankle is healed, and he should head into this season free of the effects that rushing him back had last year when he played in Week One before missing the rest of the campaign. It’s tough to maintain depth and versatility with a hard salary cap, but if the Ravens need such qualities out of any unit, it’s this one. The biggest need is a swing tackle, and Mekari – who can play all five positions along the line – is a good bet to be a candidate for that role. Faalele and Colon provide interior depth – especially if Cleveland doesn’t play as well as expected, given his size – and James could be a crucial piece in the tackle corps. Zeitler and Moses are heavily experienced in right-side play, and Linderbaum could be a decade-long, plug-and-play type. Left guard is still a revolving door, so Cleveland looks to be on a short leash.
DEFENSIVE LINE (6) – Calais Campbell, Michael Pierce, Justin Madabuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, Brent Urban. Youth has been a priority as far as rebuilding the most banged-up, statistically-poor Ravens defenses in team history. But the wisdom and work ethic of players like Campbell and Urban are invaluable, not to mention what they can do blocking field goals and conversions. Big improvement is expected from Washington, while Jones could be one of the steals of this year’s draft. More pocket push from this unit could go a long way towards improving a pass rush that has broken the 40-sack barrier only twice in the last seven years.
LINEBACKERS (8) – Josh Bynes, Patrick Queen (inside), Tyus Bowser, Odafe Oweh (outside), Daelin Hayes, Justin Houston, Malik Harrison, Kristian Welch. The defense’s second level is where most of the tackles should come from, but the Ravens are a bit light in this area, with injuries to David Ojabo and Bowser not helping matters. From this level, the pass rush should be keyed by the fast-developing Oweh and the versatile Bowser, who also drops well into coverage. Yet, Bowser’s late-season Achilles injury could prove troublesome, But for now, I’ll assume he’ll be back. Hayes is expected to make the kind of Year Two leap not seen from Harrison, who could be pressed into service on the outside. Welch is a key special-teamer who has had good reps on regular defense, and if Ojabo is a quick healer, he should come off one of the various injury lists and join the group late in the season. On top of all that, Houston’s return was necessary, even for a team trying to get younger and faster.
SECONDARY (11) – Marcus Williams, Chuck Clark (safeties), Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters (cornerbacks), Kyle Fuller, Damarion Williams, Kevon Seymour, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Brandon Stephens, Geno Stone, Kyle Hamilton. Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome has always said that you can’t have too many cover corners, and when you combine those words with the Ravens’ willingness to spend money on the back end in a pass-happy league, this is what you come up with. Plus, the corner-to-safety versatility of players like Stephens and top pick Hamilton, not to mention the special-teams presence of him and Stone, are big keys as well. I still think Clark is a starter; either he or Williams is perfectly capable of wearing the green dot. Fuller is another who can play multiple roles, making nickel and dime formations rather common. I’m projecting Peters as being ready to go; his veteran savvy on the field and inspirational leadership off it would be sorely missed if he isn’t.
SPECIALISTS (3) – Justin Tucker (kicker), Jordan Stout (punter), Nick Moore (long snapper). Absolutely no mystery here, but the hope is that the transition from Sam Koch to Stout will be as seamless as it was from Morgan Cox to Moore.
