Every team has the incredibly unfavorable and unenviable decision to cut down its roster to 53 players before the regular season begins. The deadline for teams to do this is typically a very stressful and difficult day. While it is a very tough day for all 32 teams, it typically seems as though it is extra hard for the Baltimore Ravens every year because of the desirable depth they tend to have. Teams with a strong bottom of their rosters have more work to do in deciding who to cut and usually end up cutting some talented players who latch on elsewhere. This year is no different, as the Ravens were finally active in free agency for the first time seemingly ever under Ozzie Newsome, as well as having a ton of players coming back from injury.
Here I will discuss who I believe Ozzie and company will choose to keep on the roster by position. Key: Players I consider locks are listed in italics.
Baltimore Ravens 53-Man Roster Prediction
Quarterbacks: Joe Flacco, Ryan Mallett.
This one was easy. All signs point to Flacco being healthy enough to start the season opener after tearing his ACL in Week 11 and Mallett is exactly the type of veteran backup this team needs. Plus with no promising young quarterbacks on the roster and Flacco’s (usual) reliability with staying healthy, there is no way this team keeps three quarterbacks. Name to keep an eye on: newly-signed Josh Johnson.
Running Backs: Justin Forsett, Kenneth Dixon, Javorius Allen, Kyle Juszczyk.
One of the harder decisions the Ravens are going to have to make is what to do with the running back position, particularly with Juszczyk if they decide to keep four tight ends. This scenario leads to Lorenzo Taliaferro, Terrance West, and the hopeful reclamation project Trent Richardson all not making the team. But this would definitely be a strength of the team regardless with a lot of depth at the running back position and one of the best and most versatile fullbacks in the game. Who is going to be the starter though? That is the difficult question here.
Wide Receivers: Steve Smith, Breshad Perriman, Mike Wallace, Kamar Aiken, Chris Moore, Keenan Reynolds.
In this scenario, one of my favorite under the radar Ravens, Michael Campanaro, does not make the team, but he still definitely has a shot if the Ravens deem Reynolds not ready or Pitta cannot stay healthy and they only keep three tight ends. This wide receiver corps all of a sudden is filled with speed from top to bottom, something the Ravens were catastrophically missing last season. If Perriman can stay healthy and turn into a solid number 2 receiver, this could also be a strength of the team, which has not been said in years. Keep an eye on both Jeremy Butler and Daniel Brown, two guys seemingly always on the bubble but never quite making it.
Tight Ends: Ben Watson, Crockett Gillmore, Maxx Williams, Dennis Pitta.
Yet another one of the harder positions to figure out because of health questions. Pitta has not been able to shake the nasty hip injury he suffered during training camp after the 2012 Super Bowl Championship, while Gillmore had shoulder surgery in the off-season, though both are apparently progressing very nicely. The Ravens and Flacco love to use the tight end more than most other teams in the league, so keeping four is not out of the question, though a newly loaded wide receiver position might have something to say about that. And this does not even take into account surprising second-year tight end Nick Boyle, who is suspended for the first 10 games of the season.
Offensive Line: Ronnie Stanley, Marshal Yanda, Ricky Wagner, John Urschel, Jeremy Zuttah, Alex Lewis, Eugene Monroe, Ryan Jensen.
The biggest wild card here is Monroe. With the drafting of Ronnie Stanley to be the left tackle of the future (something the Ravens have not had since Hall Of Famer Johnathon Ogden), Monroe becomes a rather expensive stopgap/guard. I believe the Ravens will eventually find a trade partner with someone who loses a left tackle to injury like the Denver Broncos with Ryan Clady from last year. If not, however, he is too good to cut, assuming he stays healthy, so they will figure it out and put “the best five guys out there” like Ozzie always says. This unit was ravished by injuries last year (a recurring theme for the 2015 Ravens), but a healthy line of Stanley, Urschel/Monroe, Zuttah, Yanda, and Wagner should once again climb towards the top of the ranks. Names to keep an eye on: Tackle James Hurst, guard Vladimir Ducasse, and center Matt Skura.
Defensive Line: Timmy Jernigan, Brandon Williams, Bronson Kaufusi, Carl Davis, Lawrence Guy, Willie Henry, Brent Urban.
This unit also looks like a potential strength. If Jernigan can put it all together and play consistently instead of just showing All-Pro flashes, he could pair up with Williams to form a devastating duo in the middle of the defense. The other starting spot seems to be up for grabs after the retirement of Chris Canty, but the Ravens shuffle defensive linemen in and out and play sub-packages so frequently anyway that the starting job is almost just a formality. This is a deep and young group capable of doing some serious damage against the run and creating a strong interior push. Name to keep an eye on: fan favorite Kapron Lewis-Moore.
Linebackers: C.J. Mosley, Elvis Dumervil, Terrell Suggs, Kamalei Correa, Za’Darius Smith, Zach Orr, Albert McClellan, Arthur Brown, Matt Judon.
Mosley, Dumervil, Suggs, and Smith all seem to have concrete roles and spots on this roster, so the question here is who do the Ravens keep as their backups, and who wins the second starting inside linebacker spot. Correa is a lock to make the team and be a situational pass rusher, as he is a highly-drafted rookie, and Orr and McClellan are likely locks whether one of them wins the starting job or not due to their special teams prowess. The main question here comes down to Brown. The disappointing second-round pick from 2013 has one more chance at winning the starting inside spot next to rising star C.J. Mosley or he likely will be cut since he cannot play on special teams. Matt Judon is raw and likely not ready to perform yet, but he has enough potential to keep around and develop on the roster.
Defensive Backs: Jimmy Smith, Eric Weddle, Tavon Young, Lardarius Webb, Shareece Wright, Jerraud Powers, Maurice Canady, Terrence Brooks, Kendrick Lewis, Will Davis.
This group was a train-wreck last year, but the silver-lining here is that because of all of the struggles, as well as players returning from injury, this group now has more than a few capable contributors. Smith, Weddle, and Webb look to be decent enough bets to start next year with Wright likely manning the other cornerback position and Young fighting with Powers for the job in the slot. The rest of the guys are somewhat toss-ups as depth additions. Canady was just drafted and the Ravens have said they love his potential, Davis was acquired in a trade last year before getting injured, Lewis started last season and while he struggled a bit he should have a spot on the roster, and Brooks has not been able to stay healthy but at one point looked like a future building block. This position group might be missing an elite starter, but it is definitely not lacking in depth. Names to keep an eye on: Julian Wright and Kyle Arrington.
Special Teams: Justin Tucker, Sam Koch, Morgan Cox.
No surprises here as the Ravens have one of the top special teams units every year and have stuck with this threesome (outside of Cox’s injury-shortened second-half of last season) for the past few years and nothing points to anything different.
Bonus: Every year the Ravens seem to find some undrafted rookie surprise that makes the team and makes an impact and while I did not list him here, Victor Ochi is a strong favorite to be that guy this year and rack up a few sacks.
Admittedly it is very early, but after looking at and analyzing this predicted 53-man roster, the Baltimore Ravens of 2016 look like serious contenders in the grueling AFC North.
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