The Baltimore Ravens rested a plethora of starters in their preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, we all know that the preseason is about the battles on the depth chart for the lower-end roster spots.
With that in mind, what were the biggest takeaways from the final game the Ravens will play before they make cutdowns and things get real?
5. Do these notable absences signify locks for the Baltimore Ravens roster?
You cannot help but notice that two names of players on the roster bubble did not see the field for the Baltimore Ravens preseason finale. Kevon Seymour missed practice on Thursday but had been healthy before that. He also had been starting over Kyu Blu Kelly at cornerback.
If he needed to get back to win a roster spot, would the Ravens tell him? Did they take it easy on him, knowing that he won the job over Kelly? The Baltimore Ravens could do some roster mechanics with Seymour. Because he is a veteran, he does not have to clear waivers.
So, the Ravens could release him, then place a player or two on the IR, and quickly re-sign him. They could not do that with Kelly or Jalyn Armour-Davis because of their rookie contract status.
Another major absence was rookie UDFA Keaton Mitchell. Mitchell had been getting work as a runner, and a kick return option, but was not on the field for the finale. Were the Ravens worried that Mitchell would flash too much and get claimed if they cut him? Or did he do enough to win a roster spot?
For Seymour and Mitchell, they both had chances to lock down spots, and the Ravens told them they did not need to see them. That has to mean that both are sticking around in some capacity.
4. Josh Johnson may have locked up the Baltimore Ravens backup quarterback job
We have been following Josh Johnson pushing Tyler Huntley for the backup quarterback job all summer. You could argue that Huntley has been behind Johnson since Todd Monken was hired. Johnson started all three games, but Huntley was only healthy in the first game.
Still, he came in behind Johnson. Johnson played well the past two weeks, and he saved his best game for last. He was 6-9 for 95 yards and a touchdown. He was pushing the ball down the field, which is why Monken prefers him to Huntley.
More than that, he is healthy, and Huntley is not right now. The Ravens may use the roster mechanics on Johnson because he is a veteran. With Huntley still injured, the Ravens could easily keep him on the initial 53-man roster, get him on the IR with designation to return, and then re-sign Johnson, who does not need to clear waivers.
This appears to be the most likely scenario as the team heads into roster cutdowns.
3. Trenton Simpson is not ready to see the defensive field for the Baltimore Ravens
A significant note in this game was how late it was before we saw Trenton Simpson play. Malik Harrison and Del'Shawn Phillips started and played the majority of the first half. Then, it was Kristian Welch and Josh Ross next to each other. It was not until late into the third quarter that we saw the third-round rookie. He was the fifth linebacker, and that was after Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith sat, so technically, he was number seven.
Fans thought that Simpson was drafted to take over for Patrick Queen, and while that may true next year, he is nowhere close to making that claim this year. In fact, he has not been able to unseat Del'Shawn Phillips, who has become a roster lock, mainly because he is the direct backup to Queen, not Simpson.
Simpson looked lost in his few snaps on defense and struggled to adjust to the NFL. It makes sense when you consider his role at Clemson, and he fell to round three because he is raw. That is the issue, though.
He looked lost in week two, and was demoted in week three. It is hard to envision the Ravens finding any role for him this season, and now they will head into the year with major questions about his future role and ability to start.
2. John Simpson locked down the Baltimore Ravens starting left guard job
One of the only spots on the Baltimore Ravens starting lineup where we had questions about who would start was the left guard job. At first, we thought Ben Cleveland was in the mix, but that was quickly erased when it came down to Sala Aumavae-Laulu and John Simpson.
Aumavae-Laulu performed well in OTAs, and he was the first one to get work with the starting unit in training camp. However, after about a week, John Simpson took over and did not look back. The Ravens likely saw what Aumavae-Laulu did and then saw how much better things looked with Simpson.
It was easy to see through two preseason games. Simpson was playing against better competition and was a much better player. Aumavae-Laulu was struggling against the backups to the players that Simpson handled well.
So, Aumavae-Laulu played the entire game in the preseason finale. The team sat Simpson as he won the job and now heads into the regular season with full health.
1. Will Jeremiah Moon make the Baltimore Ravens roster?
One of the big questions is what the Baltimore Ravens will do in their edge rusher room. Tyus Bowser will be on the PUP to start the season after missing so much time this summer. So, it frees up a roster spot. Jadveon Clowney was signed, and he will join Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo.
Tavius Robinson was a fourth-round pick and should make the roster as well. However, with Bowser out, the team may be looking at Jeremiah Moon as a roster candidate. Moon has started the last two weeks across from David Ojabo. He has started ahead of Tavius Robinson.
That is because of the two, Moon is best equipped to play the SAM role that Bowser played. He got plenty of work this preseason, almost like the Ravens knew there was a chance he would have to be trusted as the backup SAM on this roster. He has made strides in year two and should be one of those players right on the bubble as we head down the stretch to roster cut-downs.