If you listen closely, you can hear the smashing of pads, the dripping of sweat and the grunts of effort emanating from Owings Mills, Maryland, where the Baltimore Ravens are in the swing of training camp. Football has arrived.
Discuss in the BSL Forums here…
With little in the way of hard news having emerged from camp yet (aside from Lardarius Webb‘s failure of the fitness test, which is barely an issue), let’s take a look at what you can expect going forward.
Position Battles
Receiver: Breshad Perriman vs Kamar Aiken vs Marlon Brown
If there is one thing we know about who will start opposite Steve Smith, it’s that he will be tall, as all three of the competitors are 6’2″ or taller. Yet, all remain mostly unknown, save Marlon Brown, who is the only one of the three to have starting experience.
Aiken settled into the fourth receiver role nicely last season, outperforming Brown despite playing fewer snaps. Brown struggled last year after a promising rookie season in 2013.
Perriman is obviously the long-term answer. His speed and ability to make contested catches make him the most talented receiver on the roster by far, but his hands and routes make Torrey Smith look like a technician in comparison. The more coachable Perriman is, the sooner he will get the job. A small knee injury on Thursday, the first day of practice, will do little to impede his progress.
Prediction: Perriman
Safety: Will Hill vs Matt Elam
As detailed in a previous article, the Ravens are giving Matt Elam a chance to regain a starting role. Kendrick Lewis is essentially guaranteed one starting spot, meaning Elam will compete with Will Hill for the starting nod at strong safety. Hill is the more instinctive, athletic and accomplished player. This shouldn’t be much of a competition unless Elam has truly turned a corner. Regardless, Hill is a potential Pro Bowler, and keeping him on the bench for too long would be a monumental waste of his talents.
Prediction: Hill
Tight End: Maxx Williams vs Crockett Gillmore
Also detailed in a previous article, the Williams-Gillmore competition is a close one. Gillmore is the presumptive starter for now, but how long can the Ravens keep the fiery and playmaking Williams off the field? The answer: They can’t, so expect a lot of two tight end sets.
Prediction: Gillmore (for now)
On the Bubble
The bubble has grown this year. A lot. The Ravens are deeper and more talented than they have been each of the past two years. Merely being great on special teams won’t cut it anymore. Nor will being a passable depth guy. Thus, based on my team power rankings, here are predictions for the last five guys to get cut, and the last five to make the roster.
Last Five Out
5. Brynden Trawick, S
The perfect example of a great special teamer who just doesn’t do enough on defense to justify a roster spot. Not with Terrence Brooks coming back, Anthony Levine proving his mettle on defense last year and an established top three at the position in Lewis, Elam and Hill.
4. DeAngelo Tyson, DT
DeAngelo Tyson has had a good run in Baltimore, but with high-upside guys like Brent Urban and Kapron Lewis-Moore waiting in the wings, he is the victim of a numbers game in what should be a deep defensive line rotation.
3. Darren Waller, WR
The ascent of Jeremy Butler and a deep group otherwise make Darren Waller a prime practice squad candidate. He probably isn’t ready for the intricacies of the NFL game.
2. Michael Campanaro, WR
If he stays healthy in camp, Camp makes the roster, no questions asked. I’m hedging my bets on his health though. Even a small injury would have to give the Ravens serious pause about keeping the talent slot receiver and returner.
1. Jah Reid, T/G
The Ravens’ offensive line depth is full of talented young players, and there just isn’t room for Reid in that mix with guys like Robert Myers, James Hurst and John Urschel around.
Last Five In
5. Jeremy Butler, WR
The Ravens will think long and hard about whether Butler deserves a roster spot over a group of former draft picks. Ultimately, if he plays as well in training camp as he did in minicamps, he should have a stranglehold on a spot.
4. Kapron Lewis-Moore, DL
Just beats out DeAngelo Tyson based on his upside. Needs to stay healthy, though, or his career is over.
3. Asa Jackson, CB
Jackson’s roster spot is more or less secure based on his kick return ability. An inability to stay healthy and a lack of production on the field should keep him off the defense, though.
2. Arthur Brown, LB
Would anyone be surprised if Arthur Brown gets cut? I think he gets one more chance on the 53-man roster, even if he doesn’t suit up very often.
1. Tray Walker, CB
Again, another guy whose roster spot is secure. He was a fourth-round pick, after all. Still, Walker is so raw that he may end up off the active roster more often than not.
Questions Facing the Ravens
Fellow BSL analyst Mike Randall broke down some questions here.
Important Dates
August 3: Practice is open to the public at M&T Bank Stadium
September 1: Teams must reduce their rosters to 75 by 4:00 pm ET.
September 5: Teams must reduce their rosters to 53 by 4:00pm ET.
Shawn began his writing career with Bleacher Report as a Ravens featured columnist and Breaking News Team writer. He moved on to write for Yahoo! and work on the Ravens Central Radio podcast. Most recently, he was an Editor at the Baltimore Wire. Shawn is a 2013 graduate of the Catholic University of America.