The Baltimore Ravens figure to be a run heavy team in the 2019 season. Here is a look at what they need from each running back. Starting with Gus Edwards:
The Ravens got a lot out of Gus Edwards this past season. They got 718 rushing yards off of 137 carries. Almost all of his carries came after Lamar Jackson became the starting quarterback. Edwards was the most important player on the field not wearing number eight. His down hill running style worked perfectly with Jackson. The defense had to guess who would come away from the mesh point with the ball. Edwards hit the point of attack so fearlessly and determined that before the defense knew what hit them, he had at least a few yards. The question becomes, where can Edwards go from here?
Edwards needs to become more than just a downhill runner. When the Ravens have Mark Ingram in the game the Ravens have a running back who can do it all. The defense knows the Ravens are a run heavy team but Ingram’s presence in the backfield doesn’t mean the Ravens are surely going to call a running play. Edwards is a ball carrier who has to learn to contribute in the passing game. Edwards had only two receptions for 20 yards in the 2018 season. Edwards needs to go to a more well rounded back. We know that he can run the ball downhill. Now we must see him become a better pass catcher and pass protector.
In an ideal world the Ravens have Edwards and Ingram become a powerful one-two punch. Edwards may fall short of a 1,000 yards on the ground but it’s more about what he does with each carry. If he can stay close to his 5.2 yards per carry from 2018, the Ravens will be getting what they need from Edwards on the ground. Adding 15-20 receptions just to prove that it’s an element of his game, would make Edwards a good pairing with Ingram.