Figuring Out Ravens Running Back Situation

Ravens Have A lot Going On In The Backfield

The Baltimore Ravens are loaded at the running back position. Justin Forsett, Buck Allen, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Terrence West and Terrance Magee are all currently with the Ravens. Reports say the Ravens are still likely to sign Trent Richardson. What is going on, in the Ravens backfield?

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The Ravens won’t go into the season with six running backs on the 53 man roster. That would be madness. They are obviously playing around with their options. While this makes Preseason football a little more interesting, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

The Ravens must not have a lot of faith in any of the Ravens running backs. Forsett is old. Buck Allen is not a power runner. Taliaferro is a bowling ball that often gets hurt. West and Magee are unproven.

Even if the Ravens are committed to Forsett being their main man in the backfield, they know he’ll need help. Running back by committee is the new norm in the NFL; but no committee has six backs to feed.

The perfect situation would be a three-headed monster of Forsett, Allen and West. Forsett would be the starter. He is a shifty blend of everything a running back needs to be. Coming off of his broken arm in 2015, Forsett hopes to get back to hos 2014 form. In 2014 the journeyman running back had big run after big run, averaging  5.3 yards per carry. If he can get back to his big play 2014 form, the Ravens offense will be in good shape.

Allen is a dynamic receiver out of the backfield, and an elusive, down hill rusher. They miss the do it all performance of Ray Rice. The closest player to Rice’s skill set is Buck Allen. Allen looks like he could be a superstar. If the Ravens use him correctly he is a great weapon.

West is a power back who is ideal for short yardage situations. He is a fan favorite because he hails from Baltimore. West was a star at Towson University. He’s a local NFL product.

If Lorenzo Taliaferro was going to be a star, we would have seen it by now. He has flashed Jamal Lewis like talent, but it hasn’t been consistent. He’s injury prone, which does not help his case. Taliaferro may never end up living up to the flashes of talent he has displayed.

Richardson is interesting. There was a reason he was drafted so highly by the Browns. He has speed, power and size. There is also a reason he failed in Cleveland, Indianapolis and Oakland. He has shown a lack of vision and patience. It never felt like Richardson gave the game his full attention.

Theoretically the Ravens could give Richardson a chance to shine. With strong coaching, Richardson could finally realize his talents. The Ravens are essentially trying to buy his services cheaply so they can bring a former star back to life.

Next: Ravens Must Focus On Defense

The Ravens have a lot of choices at the running back position. It will be an interesting position to watch moving forward.