Baltimore Ravens training camp battle: 4 wide receivers competing for one spot

Plenty of eyes will be on the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver room this training camp because there will be battles from top to bottom on this roster. Rashod Bateman is injured, and his status may be what has the team deciding to keep a sixth wideout.

It may be because Bateman is still on the PUP or just a need for depth that forces them to keep an additional wideout. So, when you look at the Ravens roster, they have Bateman, along with Odell Beckham, Zay Flowers, Devin Duvernay, and Nelson Agholor, as the potential locks.

With five locked in, the question of who becomes the sixth actually gets intriguing. There is a case to be made for four guys, and when you look at the depth chart, the most likely candidates would be Tylan Wallace, James Proche, Laquon Treadwell, and Dontay Demus.

4. Will Baltimore Ravens keep or cut Tylan Wallace?

Tylan Wallace is a former fourth-round pick from Oklahoma State and is entering his third season in the NFL.

Case to keep Tylan Wallace:

The best case to keep Tylan Wallace is his special teams value. He can play multiple phases and has stuck around because of that for a few years. As the sixth wide receiver, that is what the team needs. Wallace has also been able to play all three wide receiver spots, both outside spots and the slot.

This is valuable because the Ravens have injury questions at their wide receiver spots and would need their depth players to fill in where they would be needed. Wallace is also the second longest-tenured of the four.

Case to let Tylan Wallace go:

The Baltimore Ravens needed Tylan Wallace last season, and he was nowhere to be found. He was just another name on the injury list for almost the entirety of the season. Wallace has promise, and it was just his second year, but the NFL is a fast-moving sport. He had a chance and lost it. They cannot trust him to stay healthy, and James Proche can play the same special teams snaps.

3. Should the Baltimore Ravens keep or cut James Proche?

James Proche is a former sixth-round pick from SMU. He is entering his fourth NFL season with the Baltimore Ravens.

Case to keep James Proche:

The Baltimore Ravens have trusted Proche for three years now, so why not give him one more to show himself? He has proven he can be an asset on special teams, and he may even be a better return option than Devin Duvernay when it comes to punts. He is the most experienced and could be depth for both Duvernay and Zay Flowers, a clear role that is needed.

Case to Cut James Proche

Of all of the players on the roster, Proche is the least likely to stick around for the 2024 season. Laquon Treadwell is a free agent after this year, too, but if he made the roster, he might stick around. If Proche stays another year, he would still look to leave for more opportunities. Still, just like Wallace, he had a shot and lost it. He was too banged up and could not stay on the field when they needed him. Now, they went out of their way to make sure he could win the sixth spot at best. He may even want to get cut.

2. Should the Baltimore Ravens cut or keep Dontay Demus

Dontay Demus is a rookie UDFA from Maryland.

Case to keep Dontay Demus

As a UDFA, he actually has a few things going for him. One is that it means he is the cheapest salary to retain, and two, if they do get him on the initial 53-man roster, then he is under a team-friendly deal for the next couple of seasons. The money incentivizes the team to push Demus up the roster if things are close. Demus could be used in the Devin Duvernay role, where he can run out the jet sweeps and trick type of plays. If he can prove he can do that as well as James Proche, it would be hard to choose the older player, who has proven he cannot stay healthy when Demus is younger and with more upside to be found.

Case to cut Dontay Demus

His best season was as a freshman, and that was years ago. He has suffered too many injuries since then. That is what caused him to be a UDFA. It is great when they hit, but the odds are much lower than fans want to hear. More than that, Demus hurts himself because he is not an asset on special teams. Both Proche and Wallace sweep him in this area, and that is key when they will hardly see the field on offense.

1. Should the Baltimore Ravens cut or keep Laquon Treadwell

Laquon Treadwell is a former first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings. He spent his first four seasons there, then went to the Falcons, Jaguars, and Seahawks over the course of his career. He had a mini-run with the Jaguars where it looked like things were coming together, but last season he was just a depth player.

Case to keep Laquon Treadwell:

So that they can have five first-round picks on the WR depth chart. Also, he makes rosters for a reason. He can play special teams and can run routes from all three spots, which puts him right there with Proche and Wallace. As we noted, Proche and Wallace may want to see if the grass is greener, while Treadwell may be comfortable sticking somewhere as depth.

Case to cut Laquon Treadwell:

Treadwell is the oldest of the group, and he is only signed for one year. We know what he is. whereas both Wallace and Prohce have not had the chance due to injuries, and Demus is a rookie. If things are close, they may go for any of the others. Treadwell has to lean on his experience and prove that he is, hands down the best option to make the team.