2 Baltimore Ravens players who should have an expanded role in 2023, and 2 who should not

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.