As the new season is slowly approaching everything starts new again. We know who the players are, but every week they get a chance to write a new story for themselves. With the way that things have shaken out in the offseason, there will be players that the Baltimore Ravens ask to step into expanded roles. However, there are always players who may see their role reduced from year to year as well.
Who are a couple of prime examples for each?
1. Kyle Hamilton will be a key to the Baltimore Ravens defense
There is no doubt about it, Kyle Hamilton will have a much bigger role in 2023 than he had in 2022. It is as simple as stating that the team traded Chuck Clark. Early into his career, Kyle Hamilton was just a part-time player who mainly played dime snaps.
However, as the season went on, he started to become their best option in the slot when they went with nickel looks. This helped get him on the field more. Now, getting him on the field will not be the issue.
When he steps into the role that Chuck Clark played, he will be the starting strong safety. However, because of what he did last season, even the Chuck Clark role may be expanded upon. The Ravens moved Brandon Stephens back to safety this offseason. They could play Stephens as a deep safety, and then use Hamilton in the slot at times when they want to mix it up.
They also have Geno Stone, who is more of a box safety. So, Hamilton could even play deeper in two-high looks as well. The reality is that he is going to be a chess piece. This is a big step up from what he was asked to do last season, but they seem to have the most faith you can possibly have in him. We will see how it works out.
1. Isaiah Likely will have a hard time finding work for the Baltimore Ravens
A minor loser from all of the excitement at wide receiver has to be Isaiah Likely. Likely is an interesting spot where he produced last season as a rookie, which is mighty impressive for a tight end. However, when Demarcus Robinson is the best wide receiver on the team, it does get easier to ascend up the depth chart.
Still, despite no wrongdoing of his own, the Ravens' wide receiver depth chart now has him a lot further down the totem pole. He is not going to beat out Zay Flowers, and Odell Beckham, and if Rashod Bateman was healthy last season, Likely would not have been as productive.
Beyond all of that, with Todd Monken, you expect to see more versatility in his personnel packages. This does mean that Likely will see the field plenty in the heavy tight end looks, but also that the Ravens will spread things out with their wide receiver depth a lot more than in the past. Even someone like Nelson Agholor could suck a target or two out of the hands of Isaiah Likely.
This could be a weird situation where Likely gets better as a player, but no one talks about it because his stats go down across the board. He just is not the priority on the offense anymore. Still, if he can become more efficient when he does touch the ball, his limited role could provide more value.
This will be an interesting balancing act as the Ravens want to see him improve, but they also know that they have better options on the roster.
2. Baltimore Ravens need David Ojabo to step up
This one is pretty expected from the time that the Baltimore Ravens drafted him. The Ravens never saw David Ojabo getting on the field as a rookie, so when you tell them that he played 21 snaps last season, they are impressed. Now, they view Ojabo as a healthy player and someone who probably would have gone in the first round, even in this draft.
So, can they get that type of production? They had better hope so. Both Justin Houston and Jason Pierre-Paul are currently gone from the roster. While it is fair that one of them could be back, and the Ravens also signed both because Tyus Bowser was injured last season as well, there is a lot of room to step in for the Ravens' young rusher.
Bowser is healthy and will play plenty across from Odafe Oweh. However, from 21 snaps to the third and sometimes second man in the rotation will be a heck of a step up in role from Ojabo. The Baltimore Ravens even expect his play to have a residual effect on Oweh.
Oweh was solid as a rookie, but his stats were not as strong in year two. If Ojabo can become a presence across from him, and open up rushing lanes on the other side, it could become a dup that is tough to beat out. The ripple effect of Ojabo taking a step has major consequences on just how high the defenses ceiling is. We will find out soon enough if David Ojabo is ready to step into the role, or if he is still working himself back to being a full-time player.
2. Baltimore Ravens have to limit the snaps of Michael Pierce
The Baltimore Ravens appear to be betting a lot on Michael Pierce to be their starting nose tackle, but they really need to tamper down the expectations. The reality is that it has been since 2019 when Pierce was healthy for a full season.
Pierce signed a big deal with the Minnesota Vikings, but right as the COVID pandemic hit, he opted out of the 2020 season. You can say that this was not an impact on his career, but he has not been able to play a full season since then.
It was an injury about halfway through the 2021 season that ended his tenure with the Vikings. By not playing in 2020, and getting hurt in 2021, the Baltimore Ravens were able to bring back Pierce, and fans thought it was a great addition. However, three games into his 2022 saw another season-ending injury.
The good news is that the two injuries are not related. The bad news is that Pierce is now age 30, and has appeared in 11 games over the past three seasons. You can see why this is not the player you want to bet on.
It is fair that Pierce is currently healthy, but how long can the Baltimore Ravens trust that? They already had him signed, and this may be his last year with the team if things do not go well. When you break things down, the Baltimore Ravens need to see Travis Jones take a step in year two. If the team can get a little more out of him, they can cut into the work of Pierce.
The best case would be that these two split the role so that they are not overly reliant on Jones because of his youth, or Pierce because of his injuries. The experience of Pierce and the upside of Jones could be fine in combination, but relying on just one is asking too much. This should mean that Pierce sees his role reduced.