These Baltimore Ravens will not be battling the Buffalo Bills in week 1…
The Baltimore Ravens have some tough decisions to make once training camp gets underway. It seems a little silly that in the midst of the player safety movement, NFL teams can only have 53 men on the active roster. The Ravens found out (the hard way) that every man on the roster may be called upon during the season. This firsthand knowledge, acquired from last season’s injury spree make the Ravens decisions even heavier.
There are always players that in a perfect world would make the team, but that the team just has no spot for. Then there are the players that do not have a great shot of making the roster in the first place. Today we are going to look at the five players most likely to be cut before the season begins.
Tough decisions are ahead of the Ravens, but they have to be made. With that in mind let’s look at the roster and discover who is in danger of losing their spot.
Next: Lawrence Guy
5. Lawrence Guy
It’s not you, it’s me, is the cliche way to break up with Lawrence Guy. Guy has been a really solid player for the Ravens at the defensive end position. He is a player that the Ravens really like and that they have grown to count on. But the numbers don’t add up after the team revamped the defensive front in the NFL Draft.
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In comes Bronson Kaufusi, Willie Henry and Matt Judon, out goes Guy. The Ravens know what they have on the defensive line. They have a surplus of talent. Brandon Williams is one of the best nose guards in football. Timmy Jernigan, Carl Davis and Brent Urban are young players with much potential. I like Guy, but its hard to keep eight defensive linemen when you play a 3-4 base defense.
Guy is one of those players that could go on and off the roster. The Ravens want him on the team. He is a gritty player that does the job. The problem is that there is nothing flashy about him. With flashy competition, Guy is the odd man out.
Next: 4. Chris Matthews
4. Chris Matthews
It hard not to feel for Matthews if and when he gets released. A couple of seasons ago he was making plays in the Super Bowl for the Seattle Seahawks. Now he is fighting for a job with the purple and black. Matthews is an exciting player who has big play potential. The problem is that he is still developing.
What Matthews brings to the table literally jumps out at you. Matthews is a 6’5″ 218 pound receiver. He can go up and get the 50-50 balls. When he makes plays, they tend to be big plays. The problem is that is all he really does. He is not great at getting open partially because his route running is lacking.
The Ravens have four receivers that are locked into the roster: Steve Smith Sr., Breshad Perriman, Mike Wallace and Kamar Aiken. You have to think Chris Moore and Keenan Reynolds make the team. That gives the Ravens six receivers. Michael Campanaro is somebody that the Ravens really are intrigued by. The Ravens are all ready in a tight spot wanting to keep seven receivers. They will not keep eight.
Next: 3. James Hurst
3. James Hurst
The man responsible for Joe Flacco’s ACL injury will be scrapped off the roster to the pleasure of many fans. In the beginning it was hard not to be optimistic about Hurst. After getting injured in his last college football game, Hurst became an undrafted free agent. Without the injury he would have been projected to be one of the top tackles in that draft class. I was wrong about Hurst, he never panned out.
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Hurst has been all kinds of awful. He is slow footed for one thing. He lacks the powerful drive of a successful left tackle. He is all size and no technique. He is perhaps the worst offensive lineman the Ravens have ever had. There is no way the Ravens can justify putting him at left tackle ever again. It’s also not like he can play any other position. There is no place on the line where he is not a liability.
The Ravens drafted Ronnie Stanley to be the future left tackle. Assuming they keep Eugene Monroe and factoring in the drafting of Alex Lewis, the Ravens have enough depth to say goodbye to Hurst.
Next: 2. Darren Waller
2. Darren Waller
The Ravens moved Waller to the tight end position because he is huge and he is not incredibly fast. At the tight end position Waller has potential. We’re talking about a 6’6″ 245 pound man here. The problem is that the tight end position is as log-jammed as the wide receiver position. The Ravens seem to want 100 tight ends but keeping 5 is unrealistic.
Dennis Pitta is trying to make a comeback. If he fails, Waller has a window. But let’s imagine that Pitta makes it back. The Ravens have Ben Watson, Crockett Gillmore, Maxx Williams and Pitta. The Ravens also have Nick Boyle who is suspended for the first 10 games. Waller is a project player at a position with proven players ready to go.
This is one of those things where you just run out of room. It is hard to say good bye to someone with the size of Waller. The Ravens have seen their big bodied wide receivers not pan out though. This is life in the NFL. The Ravens just cannot justify keeping Waller on the roster.
Next: 1. Trent Richardson
1. Trent Richardson
The Ravens made veteran running back, Trent Richardson, earn his chance just to try out for the Ravens. The Ravens signed him to a low-risk contract after he lost weight and got into shape. Richardson has been underwhelming at every stop after being drafted high by the Cleveland Browns. It’s hard to imagine Richardson finds the formula to success on his fourth NFL team.
Richardson has speed and athletic ability. The problems have been with his attitude. His work ethic has constantly been scrutinized. He has poor vision and does not always chose the right running lane. He has not been completely dedicated to the game and he has made it painfully obvious. Richardson has a record that I trust as far as I can throw him, and since he’s a pretty big fellow, that’s not a lot of trust.
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With Kenneth Dixon added to the mix the running back group got even more crowded. The Ravens currently have six running backs. They will keep a maximum of four running backs. They could end up having only three of those running backs on the roster, when the kick off against the Buffalo Bills. Knowing they potentially have to chop half of their running back group, why would I bet on Richardson.