Ravens: James Proche making early case for 53-man roster spot
By Justin Fried
The Baltimore Ravens held their first training camp practice in front of fans on Saturday night. And under the lights, no player shined more than James Proche.
The 2020 sixth-round pick hauled in a total of three touchdowns on the night and finished with what felt like 50+ catches.
Proche was everywhere on Saturday night, and with that, he staked his early claim at earning the sixth and likely final wide receiver spot on the Ravens roster.
Few players have done more to improve their stock this spring and summer than Proche has. And it could serve him well in the long run.
James Proche is forcing his way onto the Ravens roster.
Proche entered spring practices as the presumptive seventh receiver on the depth chart. A busy offseason saw the Ravens add the likes of Sammy Watkins, Rashod Bateman, and Tylan Wallace — all of whom are ahead of Proche.
Throw in Marquise Brown and Devin Duvernay who are both virtual roster locks and you have five players all guaranteed a spot on the team. That leaves likely one roster spot for the remaining receivers on the team to compete for.
Right now, it’s hard to argue that Proche isn’t the favorite.
His biggest competitor, Miles Boykin, has been quiet this offseason. Boykin didn’t make any noise in spring practices and has yet to stand out this summer.
Boykin has been given ample opportunities to make an impact during his two years in Baltimore, but he’s done little with his chances. Now, he could lose his roster spot as a result.
Especially if Proche continues to play as well as he has.
The 24-year-old hauled in just one catch for 14 yards as a rookie and was almost exclusively used on special teams. He spent time as a punt returner before relinquishing the job to Devin Duvernay late in the year.
But in 2021, Proche has a chance to earn a sizable role in the offense.
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James Proche is quickly making a name for himself this summer. It’s still early, but it would be difficult to cut Proche based on merit alone given what we’ve seen so far.