Ravens Make Shocking Cut: Say Goodbye To Justin Forsett

Nov 22, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett (29) runs with the ball in the first quarter against the St. Louis Rams at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett (29) runs with the ball in the first quarter against the St. Louis Rams at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Forsett Is No Longer A Raven:

The Baltimore Ravens aren’t making much sense today. In the first wave of cuts, there were no surprises. In this emotional round on the chopping block, there has been many surprises. Cutting Justin Forsett has to be the biggest surprise of the day. If there is anyone who saw this coming, they may want to play the lottery.

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Justin Forsett got almost no action this preseason. It seemed like that was because the Ravens were resting their established starter. Now it’s obvious what they were doing. The Ravens gauged their ability to live without Forsett. Terrance West will now be the Ravens starting running back. While the Ravens still have plenty of talent at the running back position, cutting Forsett is a weird move.

Forsett didn’t just revive his career in Baltimore, he got the opportunity he had always dreamed of. Forsett rushed for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns in the 2014 season. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry and helped out as a receiver. Forsett broke his arm in week 11 of the 2015 season but still managed to rush for 641 yards and he averaged 4.2 yards per carry.

This doesn’t seem fair and it is a cold reminder that the NFL is often a calculated business. The Ravens had a surplus of talent at the running back position. We thought the Ravens would keep four backs, instead Forsett is the odd man out.

While Forsett’s results diminished a bit last season, there are two important things to note. First, the entire team did worse last season. Secondly, Forsett is still the perfect rusher for the zone blocking scheme the Ravens employ. When you add up Forsett’s patience, and sharp on the fly decision making, you see the ideal qualities in a Ravens running back.

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This strikes me as nothing more than a numbers game. Keeping four running backs was something the Ravens didn’t want to do. They chose to go with three exciting running backs who have youth on their side. He may be a young and energetic 30 years old, but Forsett is 30 years old.

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