Ravens: 3 position battles to watch in Week 2 of the preseason
By Justin Fried
2. Ravens position battle: Backup safety spots
- Contenders: Anthony Levine, Jordan Richards, Geno Stone, Ar’Darius Washington
The biggest logjam for the Ravens likely comes in their secondary. The cornerback position is the greatest reason for that with Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Tavon Young, Jimmy Smith, and Anthony Averett all locked into roster spots.
That’s not including fifth-round rookie Shaun Wade, training camp standout Chris Westry, and third-round pick Brandon Stephens who is transitioning to safety. The safety position also has quite the battle brewing for the backup roles behind starters DeShon Elliott and Chuck Clark.
The Ravens know what they have in veterans Anthony Levine and Jordan Richards.
Levine is one of the team’s longest-tenured players and has been a special-teams standout for close to a decade. Richards led the team in special-teams snaps a year ago and is a favorite of the coaching staff.
Those two are likely fighting for one roster spot — if that. The real intrigue comes with the young duo of Geno Stone and Ar’Darius Washington.
Both players have had strong summers with Stone picking off two passes in last Saturday’s preseason opener. Washington also had an excellent showing and forced a fumble.
If Stone and Washington can find ways to contribute on special teams as well, that should go a long way toward earning them a roster spot.
These four are likely competing for one or two spots with Elliott, Clark, and Stephens locked into their roles. This week’s preseason game will serve as another chapter in their summer battle.