Breaking: Ravens add Bobby Rainey, Kenneth Dixon injured
The Baltimore Ravens have a double dose of news this morning. According to reports the Ravens signed Bobby Rainey. Unfortunately one reason the Ravens added the running back was concerns about Kenneth Dixon.
We’ll start with the news about Kenneth Dixon, which was reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Dixon has torn his meniscus and will require surgery. This injury may not result in Dixon missing any action in the regular season, as a suspension has him out for the first four weeks of the season any way. This is the second knee injury that Dixon has gotten in his short NFL career, which adds to the concern level here.
#Ravens RB Kenneth Dixon suffered a tear in his meniscus, source said. He'll have surgery & hope is it's just a trim. Will know more post.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2017
Dixon is one of the most promising young players on the team. This injury means that he may not hit the field until week five of the regular season. This isn’t good news for the former Louisiana Tech star. This now makes Terrance West’s bid to become the feature back even stronger. Now let’s get on to the other piece of news, which was reported by Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun.
Signing Bobby Rainey:
Per sources, the Ravens are planning to sign RB Bobby Rainey who was with them earlier in his career. They wanted more RB depth.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) July 25, 2017
The addition of Bobby Rainey could end up being a little deal or a very significant move. At this point in the year, the Ravens need all the bodies they can get at every position. Rainey has been a bit of a journeyman. This is his second stint with the purple and black and he has played for three
other teams. The best year of his career was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013. That season he rushed for 532 yards and five touchdowns.
Without Dixon for the first portion of the season it isn’t unimaginable that Rainey could contribute in the backfield. It’s far from a given, but it could happen. Remember, West is the main running back and the Ravens didn’t sign Danny Woodhead for nothing. Rainey will compete with Buck Allen for a job in the Ravens running back group.
The Bottom Line:
Rainey also has some experience as a kick returner. That is a position that is wide open. In a perfect world, Michael Campanaro would man that position. Campanaro is starting training camp on the PUP list and is the most injury prone player the Ravens have. Keenan Reynolds has a shot to earn the returning job but he has a lot to prove. If Rainey wants to make his mark on this team in the regular season it will most likely be as a kick returner.
Next: Baltimore Ravens: Top position battles heading into training camp
The news about Dixon is frustrating. If you’re keeping score, that’s one four game suspension and two pre-season injuries in less than two seasons. Dixon’s potential is off the charts, that’s why we want to see him on the field so badly. The move to pick up Rainey adds to the depth at the running back position. At the minimum it helps the Ravens get through the preseason. In the best case scenario, the Ravens just added up a reliable role player.