Ebony Bird
FanSided

Baltimore Ravens: Projecting 3 surprise stars of season opener

By Chris Schisler

OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND - JUNE 10: Pernell McPhee #90 of the Baltimore Ravens poses for a photo at the Under Armour Performance Center on June 10, 2019 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND - JUNE 10: Pernell McPhee #90 of the Baltimore Ravens poses for a photo at the Under Armour Performance Center on June 10, 2019 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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DALLAS, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 09: James Proche #3 of the Southern Methodist Mustangs runs for a touchdown against the East Carolina Pirates in the first half at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 09: James Proche #3 of the Southern Methodist Mustangs runs for a touchdown against the East Carolina Pirates in the first half at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

2.  James Proche

It seems unlikely that James Proche will have a ton of time on the field with the offense. That being said, Proche should be able to make an impact on special teams. Proche should be the starting punt returner. It’s been a while since the Ravens had a real difference maker at this specialist position. Proche has a chance to not only show that he deserves the job but that the Ravens are going to relish him having it.

Another thing to note here is that Chris Moore has a broken finger and may not be ready to roll for the season opener. Moore is an all around special teams player, most notably as a gunner on punt team. It’s not unthinkable that Proche would find himself in a position where he takes Moore’s snaps on special teams and returns punts.

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It’s also important to note that the 2020 Ravens offense hasn’t taken the field in a game and that while media has access to training camp there is a lot more we don’t know this year than usual. Maybe Proche does fit into the lineup at wide receiver. Maybe, he finds himself being a secret weapon for the offense. It’s not like him playing receiver is something that the Browns are spending a lot of time thinking about.

When you’re looking for a surprise player, you can’t just do the obvious. I couldn’t put Miles Boykin on the list because just about everyone is looking for him to have a nice second season. I couldn’t put DeShon Elliott on the list because he’s expected to be a starter, it wouldn’t be shocking if he did well, even if it would be a relief after all the Earl Thomas fiasco. So you look for players who have multiple ways to impact the game that aren’t obvious. Proche is a player people are excited about but he’s not supposed to be a big part of the offense, at least not yet. He can get the job done on special teams and special teams could be the difference in a win and a loss.

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