The Baltimore Ravens have five weeks before they’ll kick off training camp. While organized team activities and minicamp were important, everything will boil down to how the players perform at training camp and the preseason to determine the 53-man roster.
With such an important set of practices ahead, I looked at which jobs are really up for grabs. As is the case with every team, players are going to rotate in and out, so some of these jobs are more title than anything. But for quite a few others, it could be the difference between making the team and getting cut.
Let’s start with the offensive line:
Starting center
Competitors: Matt Skura, Bradley Bozeman
Skura was the starter for all 16 games last season but lacked luster. He’ll enter training camp looking to keep his grip on the starting center job for another year.
Though Skura looked a little overwhelmed at times last season, having a whole season under his belt should give him a leg up. But Bozeman was drafted last year with the starting center job in mind.
Starting left guard
Competitors: James Hurst, Alex Lewis, Ben Powers, Jermaine Eluemunor
Left guard might be the fullest competition on the team, with four players legitimately having a shot at the starting job.
Hurst should be penciled in. After losing the starting right tackle job to Orlando Brown Jr. last season, Hurst moved back to left guard. But he never really regained his 2017 form.
Alex Lewis has battled injuries throughout his career and is fresh off offseason shoulder surgery. If he can stay healthy throughout training camp, he could have a real shot at pushing for the starting job.
Powers was drafted with left guard in mind. Regardless of when it happens, I fully expect Powers to take the starting job in the next year or two. But with question marks there right now, Powers will be given a chance immediately.
Even Eluemunor is in the mix, though probably not as seriously as the others. But John Harbaugh mentioned that the coaches were trying him out at guard and he’s played well.
Third wide receiver
Competitors: Michael Floyd, Seth Roberts, Jordan Lasley, Jaleel Scott, Chris Moore
Without knowing the specifics of Baltimore’s new offensive scheme, it’s difficult to tell which players are actually in the running here. That makes it a more of an open-ended competition until we get to training camp and see who is getting reps and where.
That being said, I believe the Ravens are going to be looking for an outside possession receiver to take the No. 3 slot. If that’s the case, the competition likely boils down to Roberts and Floyd primarily. Both fit into that type of role and have more experience than the others on the depth chart.
But I simply can’t count out the rest of the group. Though Lasley, Scott and Moore might not fit the role of possession receiver perfectly, Baltimore might simply want to get their best guys on the field more often and not worry as much about specific roles.
If that’s the case, Moore should have a leg up on the competition since he’s been with the team the longest and shown flashes in recent years. But Lasley and Scott were drafted with the hope they’d be weapons in their own right and could push the inconsistent Moore for the starting job.
The third wide receiver role probably will be fluid because I expect Baltimore will rotate players depending on the play and their opponent. So some of this is just determining how the players fit and how to utilize their talents in the best ways possible. Still, one or two of these players might not make the cut if they don’t turn heads in training camp and the preseason.
Starting outside linebacker
Competitors: Tim Williams, Tyus Bowser, Shane Ray, Pernell McPhee, Jaylon Ferguson
Outside linebacker is the one key competition everyone will be paying close attention to. Matthew Judon is the obvious starter on one side, but Baltimore needs to fill the job opposite him. It’s an interesting mix of players the Ravens are hoping can step up and a few insurance policies in case they don’t.
The ideal situation would be Williams and Bowser at the top of the competition. They still have some time on their contracts, and if one can win the starting job, Baltimore will be thrilled.
However, the Ravens brought in Ray and McPhee because neither Williams nor Bowser has done much. With the most experience, McPhee is likely the top candidate right now, but Ray has some experience himself and was a high draft pick.
Ferguson is in the mix as well, but as a rookie, he’s likely to be relegated to a rotational role this season. He can still contribute mightily as a pure pass rush option but Baltimore asks their outside linebacker to do everything for their defense, from rushing the quarterback to run support and even dropping back into coverage. That’s a lot for a rookie to take in and be expected to still perform consistently.
Starting tight end
Competitors: Nick Boyle, Hayden Hurst, Mark Andrews
Much like wide receiver, tight end is a position where Baltimore will end up rotating all three players depending on the play and the opponent. But there will have to be a designated starter that likely sees the most playing time.
Boyle should be penciled in as starter. He’s one of the best blocking tight ends in the league and rather underrated as a receiver too. But Andrews and Hurst should be knocking on the door now in their second seasons.
Andrews came on strong as a receiving threat at the end of last season. He finished the season with 34 receptions for 551 yards. If he can improve upon that and add a little as a blocker, he might end up taking the starting job away from Boyle.
Of course, Hurst was one of Baltimore’s first-round picks last year, he’s no slouch. A foot injury that required surgery to insert a screw messed up his rookie season. But Hurst is back, a little thicker and hungry. Coming into the draft, Hurst was considered the best overall tight end as both a strong blocker and a sure-handed receiving threat. If he can tap into that and stay healthy, there’s no reason why Hurst can’t take the starting job and force both Boyle and Andrews into more specified blocking/receiving roles.
Starting running back
Competitors: Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards
Edwards was the surprise of last season, going from undrafted free agent on the practice squad to productive starter. He’s back and penciled in as the starter, according to Harbaugh. But as we saw with Alex Collins last year, success in one season doesn’t guarantee it in the next. Which is partly why Baltimore signed Ingram in free agency.
Ingram is a good insurance policy in case Edwards regresses. But with quite a lot of experience and being more of a receiving back than Edwards, Ingram could push to be the starter in training camp. Even if Edwards remains the starter, Ingram is going to find his way on the field as part of the Ravens’ multi-headed attack.
Third running back
Competitors: Kenneth Dixon, Justice Hill, De’Lance Turner
I have only three running backs making the 53-man roster. But with five solid ones on the roster currently, this competition is going to be fierce.
When healthy and on the field, Dixon is a talented back who could very well start. But injuries and suspensions have been a problem throughout his career and relegate him to a reserve role for now. With the Ravens drafting Hill and signing Ingram, I’m not too sure I see how Dixon fits on the roster with the power-run role well handled.
As for Hill, he has a change-of-pace skill set as a faster running back. He’s also got solid hands as a receiver out of the backfield. If he can develop his pass blocking, he should be the shoo-in for the third running back job.
But don’t forget about Turner. He’s got speed and can break off big plays, as we saw last preseason. If that’s what Baltimore is looking for from their third running back, Turner should be in the mix as well.
Starting weak-side linebacker
Competitors: Kenny Young, Chris Board
This is a competition not many people expected to be happening. But some surprising play at OTAs and minicamp have made this position a little more interesting for training camp.
Young looked to be the de facto starter opposite Patrick Onwuasor after last season. A fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, Young played fast and strong in his rookie season. In limited playing time, Young had 51 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
But Board has come on strong this offseason after being an undrafted free agent pickup last year. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Board has played with speed and aggressiveness, earning quite a lot of reps with the first team. That means Baltimore is interested in seeing what he can do and turning this into a real competition for a starting job.
Both will undoubtedly see the field this season as they rotate in for different plays, but one will get handed the starting title.
Starting cornerbacks
Competitors: Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Carr, Jimmy Smith
Humphrey has steadily improved since being selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft, and he’s one of the best young cornerbacks in the league. But Baltimore has arguably the best and deepest secondary in the NFL this season, which means he’ll still have to earn the starting job.
Carr and Smith certainly have the experience edge over Humphrey. Carr is considered one of the best outside cornerbacks in the league thanks to his dependability and consistency.
Of course, Smith shouldn’t be discounted either. Though he had a disappointing 2018 season following his Achilles tear at the end of 2017, Smith is a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback when healthy. If he’s still capable of hitting those levels remains to be seen but the Ravens appear to have confidence he can.
As with so many of the other starting jobs, we’re going to see all three of these players on the field this season, perhaps at the same time in some cases. But the storylines will be big at training camp. Can Humphrey make the full leap to one of the few shutdown cornerbacks in the NFL? Is Smith passed his prime or is he finally 100% from his Achilles injury and will return to form? Can Carr continue to be an interception machine (six over two years) for Baltimore?
