The Baltimore Ravens are less than a week away from final cuts. Next Tuesday, at 4 p.m. ET, all 32 NFL teams will be required to trim their rosters down from 80 to 53 players.
It’s a day that always features intrigue and concern for those who find themselves on the roster bubble. And this year will be no different.
That said, there is something to be said for the revised roster rules the NFL has implemented over the last couple of years.
The addition of a 16-man practice squad — one that allows veterans and not just young players — combined with the new 55-man game day rosters allow for plenty of roster shuffling.
That is to say that the initial 53-man roster matters much less than it has in the past. Plenty of the players cut next Tuesday will find their way onto the active roster at some point during the season.
And they may even spend more time on the active roster than some of their teammates that survive final cuts.
Simply put, being cut is hardly the end of the world. But there is something to be said for making the original 53-man roster. It’s a sense of pride — a reward for an impressive summer.
The three players on this list deserve that reward after making a strong case for a roster spot over the last couple of months.
Let’s take a look at three players on the roster bubble who deserve to make the team.
3. James Proche, WR, Ravens
It might be a stretch to even call James Proche a “roster bubble” player given how well he’s played this summer.
While he’s failed to do anything of note in the team’s two preseason games, perhaps no player has done more to improve their stock more than Proche has.
A sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Proche was used sparignly as a rookie primarily playing on special teams and as a returner, athough he did haul in one catch for 14 yards.
He entered the summer fighting for the sixth and likely final wide receiver spot on the roster with former third-round pick Miles Boykin.
Boykin seemed to have the edge too given his starting experience and his blocking ability that is valued heavily in Greg Roman’s offense.
But as the weeks and months have gone by, Proche has clearly passed his teammate on the depth chart.
Part of that is due to the fact that Boykin hasn’t practiced since early August. It’s hard to make up ground when you can’t even get on the field.
But even when Boykin was healthy, Proche did everything in his power to prove he was the better option.
It would be a sizable surprise if Proche didn’t make the 53-man roster at this point. He’s earned a spot on the team.
2. Ar’Darius Washington, S, Ravens
The competition for the Ravens’ backup safety jobs as heated up this summer with a number of intriguing candidates emerging as viable options.
Chuck Clark, DeShon Elliott, and Brandon Stephens are locks. Behind them, however, things get interesting.
Former seventh-round pick Geno Stone has made some plays this summer including a two-interception performance in the team’s preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints.
Undrafted rookie Ar’Darius Washington has also come on strong after a quiet spring and looks the part of the versatile playmaker the Ravens thought they were getting.
Even Nigel Warrior, a 2020 undrafted free agent who spent his entire rookie year on the practice squad, has worked hard to make a name for himself.
But of them all, Washington is the player that deserves a roster spot the most.
Washington may be small, but he makes up for it with his versatility. The former TCU star has excellent range for a safety and can also make plays down in the box, as evidenced by his forced fumble in the preseason opener.
He’s not afraid to lay the hit stick.
Assuming the Ravens carry five safeties (including veteran special teamer Anthony Levine), Washington has a good chance to be among those who make the cut.
He just brings something to the table that no other player on the roster can.
1. Ty’Son Williams, RB, Ravens
Ty’Son Williams entered training camp as a total longshot to make the team. An undrafted rookie out of BYU a year ago, Williams spent his entire rookie season on the Ravens’ practice squad.
He returned in 2021 looking to stick around, but fighting an uphill battle with J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill all clearly ahead of him on the depth chart.
Hill was a player the Ravens hoped to see take that next step this summer and perhaps find his way back into the offensive rotation. But that hasn’t happened.
Hill has underwhelmed this summer including a poor performance in Week 1 of the preseason. Since then, he’s been sidelined with a sprained ankle which certainly isn’t doing him any favors.
All the while, Williams has made the most of his opportunities.
He’s impressed in both preseason games and had what was possibly the play of the entire preseason this past Saturday when he rumbled his way past multiple defenders for a 20-yard touchdown run.
Hill might still have the edge given how far ahead of Williams he was to begin the summer. But based on merit alone, it’s hard to say that Williams hasn’t earned his spot.
If Williams continues to impress over the final week of the preseason, the Ravens will have a difficult decision to make.
Ty’Son Williams deserves a roster spot. Now, it’s up to the Ravens to decide whether or not he’ll get it.