The Baltimore Ravens have a pretty stacked roster at most positions. It’ll make for a talented 53-man roster and a number of great training camp battles to get there.
While there are a number of players who need to step up their games, there are a few that those in the Ravens Flock want to see break out. I asked my Twitter followers which Baltimore players they wanted to see break out in 2019 and got quite a few really good answers. I decided to break down why so many fans appreciate these specific players and why they need to make the leap this season.
OLB, Tyus Bowser
In his rookie season, Bowser flashed something fierce. While he didn’t post any lavish stats or become an every-down player, Bowser put together a few athletic plays that made fans wonder what he could become. For no better example, watch how Bowser read the quarterback and undercut what is, admittedly, a poor decision for an interception. Bowser would go on to make a few other splash plays throughout his rookie season to earn quite a lot of pressure for 2018
Sadly, Bowser just never really showed up last season. He’d finish with just a half sack and 11 tackles on the season. He ended up playing for just 162 defensive snaps, less than half of what rookie Kenny Young got and a quarter of other outside linebackers like Terrell Suggs, Za’Darius Smith and Matthew Judon.
Now entering his third season, many are wondering if outside linebacker is even the right position for Bowser. He was never really great at generating a pass rush, being too unpolished to be consistent. However, Bowser’s athleticism is a huge asset in coverage. A move to weak-side linebacker could be in Bowser’s future in much the same way Baltimore tried to move Kamalei Correa around before trading him to the Tennessee Titans last offseason.
Even being a second-round pick doesn’t protect Bowser at this point. If he can’t find a definitive role on this defense or step up his pass-rush ability, there’s a chance Bowser doesn’t make the 53-man roster. Considering the Ravens drafted Jaylon Ferguson and signed free agents Pernell McPhee and Shane Ray, Baltimore seems to be hedging their bets.
OLB, Tim Williams
When I put the call out on Twitter, Williams was the one fans most often answered with. And it’s no wonder when you consider what Williams could be.
His final two seasons at Alabama, Williams amassed 18.5 sacks, 34 total tackles — including 27.5 for a loss — two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Yet with Baltimore, Williams hasn’t been able to answer the call. Over two seasons with the Ravens, Williams has just two sacks and has been active for just 15 games.
There’s no guarantee Williams makes the roster this offseason. If he continues to lag behind the rest of a makeshift unit, Baltimore should have no hesitation in cutting him. It would be a waste of quite a bit of talent but the Ravens simply don’t have the roster space to continue waiting for Williams to unlock his full potential.
WR, Chris Moore
Moore is a fan favorite here in Baltimore. Thanks largely to the fact the Ravens haven’t been able to develop their own wide receivers, Moore has looked like a guy on the cusp of big things for quite a while. Which is why some fans want to see him step up.
When in the open field, Moore is capable of outrunning or juking out defenders for big gains. Every time he touches the ball, there’s the feeling he can make something big happen with it. With a start on special teams, it was immediately clear Moore had talent and the potential to develop into so much more.
Add in a little intrigue thanks to Baltimore failing to utilize him on offense more. Failing players like Breshad Perriman, Mike Wallace, Jeremy Maclin and Michael Crabtree all continued to see more snaps than Moore in spite of huge let downs and lackluster production. As each game wore on, each time Moore would make a big play on special teams or offense, fans would wonder why he wasn’t in the game more often.
It’s a good question and one worth still asking right now. Of the six Ravens wide receivers to register a single snap last season, Moore had the fourth-most snaps. Keep in mind the last two had a combined 22 offensive snaps over the season while the top player — Willie Snead — saw the field on offense 43% more than Moore.
Moore needs to maximize his opportunities more. After a good overall showing in 2017 where Moore posted a 13.8 yard-per-reception average, he dipped down in 2018 in spite of getting more offensive snaps than the previous year. That means improvements in his route running to gain separation on short and intermediate routes so he sees better than the 11% target-to-snap ratio (25 targets on 224 passing plays) he posted last season. It also means doing the little things to gain more confidence from quarterback Lamar Jackson and build up chemistry.
If Moore can step up his game and new offensive coordinator Greg Roman utilizes his talents a little better, fans could get their wish and see him finally break out.
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