The Baltimore Ravens preseason starts tomorrow against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Here are three things we want to see:
1. Receivers competing for roster spots begin to separate themselves:
It goes without saying that everyone in the Ravens Flock is waiting to see Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin. That being said, the first preseason game is more for players like Antoine Wesley and Jaleel Scott. The wide receiver competition is as tight as it ever has been. Somebody has to start to separate themselves because there is only one or two roster spots that are actually up for grabs.
The preseason is the best glimpse at what wide receivers can do under pressure, in a game situation. Making a play on a two minute drill is different than catching a pass in practice. Getting tackled is a lot different than just getting a thud in practice. This is the best chance for the wide receivers that aren’t locks for the roster.
The receivers to keep an eye on are as follows: Chris Moore, Antoine Wesley, Jaleel Scott, Michael Floyd and Jaylen Smith. Chris Moore has a strong case to make the team because of his special teams prowess; to this point in his career it has been his ticket in. Moore is the most important piece of the Ravens punt team not named Morgan Cox or Sam Koch.
Wesley and Jaleel Scott fit the same mold. They are both big bodied receivers with similar numbers in their last collegiate season. Floyd is in a different spot then the rest of the competition. Floyd has been in the league since 2012. Baltimore is his fifth stop in his career and he may not make the team if he doesn’t shine in the preseason.