Baltimore Ravens roster math: The most crowded position groups
What are the most crowded position groups on the Baltimore Ravens roster?
The Ravens have some questions to answer before they cut the overstuffed roster into 53 men for the regular season. The biggest problem for the Ravens is that they have several positions where they have too much talent. Take cornerback for example.
The Ravens currently have 12 cornerbacks on the roster if you include the primarily special teams players Cyrus Jones. The mainstays at the position are Marlon Humphrey, Jimmy Smith, Brandon Carr and Tavon Young. Anthony Averett and Iman Marshall are making the team so that gives you six cornerbacks right there. That leaves players like Bethel, Jones, Bennett Jackson and Maurice Canady on the roster bubble.
Bethel is an interesting case because the Ravens added him to be a special teams ace. The team already has Chris Moore as a do it all special teams stud. When Bethel was brought into the fold, the Ravens hadn’t already drafted Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin. The Ravens all the sudden have a lot of competition at wide receiver, which frees Moore up for his usual special teams duties.
Players that serve one function are extremely vulnerable. Jones figures to be the kick returner, but the Ravens could have a handful of players return kicks. Roster math is hard and Jones might be the most expendable defensive back if the Ravens can find competent kick returning elsewhere. Jones isn’t taking snaps away from Tavon Young. He has one specific task and any number of mistakes can cost him his job.
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Wide receiver is an interesting position group because there are so many unproven players in the mix. Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin figure to be two of the main receivers for the 2019 season. The only proven receiver who has a locked in spot on the team is Willie Snead.
The Ravens have a lot of players fighting for roster spots at wide receiver. This is a position group to pay attention to as the offseason unfolds.
Some positions are fairly straight forward. The offensive line group is almost the same as it was a year ago. The main difference here is that Ben Powers has been drafted and he could potentially compete for a starting job. The defensive line is in a very similar situation as it was last year. The Ravens will keep seven to eight defensive linemen and it there shouldn’t be big surprises there.
Lamar Jackson is the starting quarterback and Robert Griffin III is his back up. Trace McSorely will be the Ravens version of Taysom Hill. That’s clear cut. Mark Andrews, Hayden Hurst and Nick Boyle are the only tight ends who matter at the end of the day and Pat Ricard is your fullback.
There are some positions that the Ravens simply don’t have that many roster spaces for. At inside linebacker for example, the Ravens may only have room for Patrick Onwuasor, Kenny Young and Chris Board. The Ravens need to have as much as they can at outside linebacker because the only sure thing they have is Matt Judon.
The Ravens are going to need players like Jaylon Ferguson, Tim Williams, Tyus Bowser, Shane Ray and Pernell McPhee to add up to enough. The Ravens have to indulge in depth at outside linebacker and that takes spots away from inside linebacker.
Maybe an undrafted free agent can work his way up into a fourth spot, yet this should cover it. Onwuasor and Young can be every down players so you only need a third player to rotate in occasionally and be a backup. The Ravens can always throw an outside linebacker inside if they must.
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The question that we’ve been working through here, is what positions will be toughest for players on the bubble to make the team? Cornerbacks, wide receivers and inside linebackers on the bubble have the steepest hill to climb. Those are the most competitive positions. For cornerbacks it’s because there is so much already locked up. For wide receiver it’s because there is too much not figured out. With inside linebackers it’s because there are not many spots up for grabs.