The talk this offseason is about Lamar Jackson and the speed of the offense. Or It is about Roquan Smith and his second year in the defense. However, there are roster spots on the line towards the bottom of the Baltimore Ravens roster.
Who are five players who need to have a strong summer if they want to make it to the Baltimore Ravens roster?
5. Will the Baltimore Ravens keep Tylan Wallace?
Tylan Wallace had his best chance to make serious noise and cement himself on the roster last season, and he could not stay healthy. Now, he is facing an uphill battle to stick around. The team could not wait for him anymore.
So, they added Odell Beckham, Zay Flowers, and Nelson Agholor. All of them are ahead of Tylan Wallace on the pecking order. We know that Devin Duvernay is ahead of him, and while Rashod Bateman is not healthy, he is also clearly ahead of Wallace if he is healthy.
So, it comes down to whether Wallace can make the roster as a sixth wide receiver. He is still having to duel with James Proche, Laquon Treadwell, and Dontay Demus from there. Beyond that, if the Ravens just want to keep five wideouts, none of the four have to make it. So, Wallace is facing an uphill battle, and you could probably say his odds are closer to 45% than a 50-50 split. Will Wallace make it?
4. Keaton Mitchell saw his path to the Baltimore Ravens roster get tougher
Keaton Mitchell is one of the most intriguing rookie UDFAs this summer. However, he is just a UDFA, and he is just a rookie, and a lot of fans need to remember that. That is why the team signed Melvin Gordon. First, it was JK Dobbins insurance, but more than that, it said that Mitchell was not ready.
If they thought Mitchell was ready, they would see how he looked with the first team for a little before signing a veteran like Gordon. So, when Dobbins returns, you can expect Gordon to stick around and be the third back behind Gus Edwards and Dobbins. That would make Keaton Mitchell the fourth back.
At that rate, he is not going to make the Baltimore Ravens roster. Mitchell is not a big-time pass catcher, he lacks power between the tackles, and he does not play special teams. That is going to be tough to make a claim for a roster spot at that point.
However, he has speed and can make big plays in a hurry. If that can happen, he can make it much harder to get rid of.
3. Josh Ross needs to prove that he belongs on the Baltimore Ravens roster
Last season, the Baltimore Ravens had Josh Ross as a sleeper to start by the end of the season. However, after two weeks, he was placed on the season-ending injured reserve, and we did not see him for the rest of the year. Then, the team traded for and signed Roquan Smith before also drafting Trenton Simpson.
The linebacker room went from rail thin to the deepest group on the roster before Josh Ross could get healthy. He is ready to go now, but he is fighting for his roster life. He is clearly behind the top four linebackers on the depth chart. Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison were ahead of Ross last year, and the two new additions are also clearly ahead.
Ross also is staring down Kristian Welch, and Del'Shawn Phillips as depth linebackers and special teams option. The fifth linebacker will probably make the roster, but that is not a lock. Beyond that, it may not even be Ross. He has a lot of work to do.
2. Daryl Worley will try new positions to make the Baltimore Ravens roster
One of the more interesting reports out of training camp has been Daryl Worley getting work as a safety. Worley has been an outside cornerback only for the Baltimore Ravens, but he has been playing the slot at times in his career. Now, he is adding a bit of safety to his arsenal. This is intriguing.
It also shows that Worley will do what it takes to make the roster. Worley is in a dogfight with Kyu Blu Kelly, Trayvon Mullen, and Jalyn Armour-Davis. Two and maybe three of those guys will make the roster. Is Worley going to be one of those guys? None of the other three moves around and all of them are just outside. Worley can play the slot and can play safety, which gives him a huge step up over both.
This is not a lock that he will make the roster, and it speaks to his desperation to make a last-month push. Still, this has the attention of us and has right there on the border of the roster. Any move he makes in the coming weeks will impact his chances.
1. Can Ar'Darius Washington make the Baltimore Ravens roster?
Ar'Darius Washington is entering his third season with the Baltimore Ravens. The UDFA has not spent much time on the active roster, but he has been a practice squad mainstay. In year three, he is right on the roster border. The question is whether he can make it as a slot cornerback. He has shifted between safety and the slot based on what the team needs, and now his best path is the slot.
Pepe Williams just came back, but he had been on the PUP. Arthur Maulet has much more experience than Washington, but he also was just signed a few weeks ago. Needless to say, the last two weeks are probably the best chances that Washington has had at making the roster. He has been able to work with the first and second teams and give the Balimotr Ravens the best look at him.
So, Washington has to keep this momentum up because Maulet is getting used to the defense, and Williams is now back. The third slot will not make it, and that could easily be him. But, the chances to move up are on the table.