As we get closer to the time when the Baltimore Ravens have to make their roster cut downs, and they take us from 90 to 53 players there are questions about who the final players on the roster will be.
We identified some of the potential locks for the roster and found a total of 50 players who may have secured a job. So, there are only about three spots where the Ravens can do some maneuvering. Who are the candidates for those last spots that we did not mention as locks?
9. Is Kyu Blu Kelly on the Baltimore Ravens roster edge?
The Baltimore Ravens are going to have to make a tough decision when it comes to their fifth-round rookie from Stanford. Given Kyu Blu Kelly is a draft pick and is just getting his feet wet; you know that the Ravens do not want to give up on his ability just yet. At the same time, he has shown us that he is not ready to play in the NFL over the past two weeks.
It starts with how low he is on the depth chart. He has not been able to beat out Kevon Seymour all training camp, and we see why during the preseason games. Seymour is much better, and if the Ravens needed one of these guys to get on the field, they would have to go with Seymour.
So, when you look at the Ravens roster, we already listed out five locks. Seymour and Jalyn Armour-Davis have not even been mentioned as locks, but they are liklier to get on a field than Kelly. The Ravens have to either decide to place Kelly on the IR or hope he clears waivers to the practice squad. They cannot spend a roster spot on someone who cannot contribute when their room is thin already.
8. Does Laquon Treadwell still have a chance to make the Baltimore Ravens roster?
Laquon Treadwell is still on our list, but he is starting to lose ground. He has the first-round pedigree, he had a strong training camp, and he was getting looks with the first team on special teams during the preseason opener. These things were trending in his direction.
On the flip side, he missed all of last week and missed the second preseason. If he misses the third game it is all but a wrap on the battle, but for now, we will entertain the idea. However, he could also get back on the field and find a way to make the roster. He is going to compete for the sixth wide receiver spot, and the main candidates competing here are James Proche and Tylan Wallace.
Wallace and Proche are the usual suspects, and the Ravens know what they have in him. Meanwhile, Treadwell brings up the question of the unknown. Could he get back, show out on special teams, and make the Ravens think twice about keeping someone like Wallace?
7. Will the Baltimore Ravens keep Sam Mustipher?
How the Baltimore Ravens construct their offensive line will be one of the bigger takeaways of the offseason. We know that their starting five is now locked in with John Simpson not officially winning the job, but essentially winning the job.
Then, Sala Aumavae-Laulu will make the team despite losing the left guard competition. Patrick Mekari is a lock as well. The next names are Daniel Faalele, Ben Cleveland, and Sam Mustipher. At least one will make it, and there is a decent chance that two will. However, it is hard to say that a third will.
Daniel Faalele seems to be ahead of Ben Cleveland for the backup right tackle position, and his progression is notable, so he should stay. The Ravens do not love Cleveland, and he was not competing to start at left guard, but it would be hard to see them cut the former third-round pick.
Then, there is Mustipher. He is a backup center, and that is all he can do. This is significant if Tyler Linderbaum were ever injured, but at the same time, if he is not injured, you will consistently see Mustipher inactive on gamedays. Do the Baltimore Ravens really want to give up a roster spot to someone they know this will be the case for, or do they risk it and try to get him the practice squad?
6. Can Jeremiah Moon make a push for the Baltimore Ravens roster?
Jeremiah Moon still has a case to be made to make the Baltimore Ravens roster. He started in the second preseason game over Tavius Robinson, showing that he has been outperforming him in training camp. It is notable that they were playing Moon in the SAM role, which would be filling in for Tyus Bowser.
Bowser is on the PUP, and probably will not be ready for the start of the season. So, it frees up a roster spot, and that may go to Moon, who is showing that he can drop into coverage. Between Moon being able to drop, Jadeveon Clowney being more of a downhill SAM player, and both having pass-rush ability, this may be what they use to replace Bowser for the time being.
Still, Moon is not quite a lock yet. We could put Malik Hamm on this list, but considering they play the same role, and Moon has started and looked solid doing so, it is fair to say that Moon may have the upper hand. Still, both of them are going to have a lot on the line when the Ravens take the field for the preseason finale.
5. Kevon Seymour is climbing up the Baltimore Ravens roster
It would be hard to talk about potential roster players and not mention Kevon Seymour at this point. We had already mentioned Kyu Blu Kelly, but as we said, there is no shot that the Ravens would let Kelly get on an NFL field before Seymour at this point.
It was a small surprise to Seymour over Kelly on the depth chart, and that led to him starting both preseason games. However, when you watch the tape it is clear that Seymour is much better and has been deserving to start.
The only real reason he does not get more talk about the 53-man roster is his track record in the NFL. He is a veteran who has bounced around the NFL, while Jalyn Armour-Davis and Kyu Blu Kelly have the draft pick investment.
So, those two have to clear waivers to make the roster. Meanwhile, Seymour could get cut and immediately convert to the practice squad. Or, the Ravens could cut Seymour so that a player can get on the initial 53-man roster, which allows them to be placed on the IR with designation to return. So, Seymour could get cut initially and end up on the roster a few hours or a day or so later. With that in mind, they will not prioritize him.
4. Can Keaton Mitchell lock down a roster spot with the Baltimore Ravens?
Keaton Mitchell is one of the closest players to making himself a lock for the 53-man roster. He has had a strong preseason and added an explosive run as well as a long kick return, flashing an ability to help the team in multiple phases.
He will make the roster over Melvin Gordon, if anything because he would have to clear waivers, and Gordon does not. Still, there is a decent chance that neither makes it on the roster, too. Mitchell will be the fourth running back behind J.K. Dobbins, Justice Hill, and Gus Edwards. Hill was excellent this preseason, and Mitchell did not come close to catching him.
So, Mitchell will not be needed on offense. He can return kicks, and that is great, but the Baltimore Ravens happen to be the team with All-Pro Devin Duvernay. If the Ravens traded Duvernay, maybe you could see a roster spot open for Mitchell and not another receiver. He would replace Duvernay on kicks.
However, where Mitchell stands, he is the fourth running back and backup kick return man. That does not make him active on game days, and the team needs the roster spots for players they can use when they are healthy. This will be a huge week for Mitchell.
3. Should the Baltimore Ravens keep DeAndre Houston-Carson
DeAndre Houston-Carson just signed with the Baltimore Ravens, but you have to think that he has a strong chance of making the roster. Despite just signing, DHC was able to log 63 defensive snaps and 17 special teams snaps during the second preseason game. That was within less than a week of getting to know the game plan and calls.
So, the Ravens trust him. This makes sense when you see that he had been in the NFL since 2016, and he has stuck with the Chicago Bears that whole time. Houston-Carson has 1,787 career special teams snaps, with 285 coming last year. He has 999 defensive snaps, with 414 coming last year.
This is a player who can contribute in both areas and has done it recently. The Baltimore Ravens have to like what he brings. At safety, it looks like Daryl Worley locked up the backup job across from Geno Stone. That gives us four locks. Houston-Carson is not a lock as the fifth safety, but if the Ravens do want to keep five, it will certainly be him.
More than being the fifth safety, a special teams asset should be what keeps Houston-Carson on the 53-man roster.
2. Is Jalyn Armour-Davis still a lock for the Baltimore Ravens roster?
Jalyn Armour-Davis is in a fascinating situation. He was a former draft pick and is only in his second NFL season, so it is hard to give up on him this early. However, he has not done a single thing to show that he belongs on the roster.
He missed the entire preseason of his rookie season, struggled immensely, dealt with more injuries, and then came back for year two in what looks like a groundhog day situation. JAD has not played in the first two preseason games, giving him a grand total of zero career preseason snaps.
All the Ravens have to go off of is poor play in the regular season and injuries. It is tough to keep buying into that, even if it is just the second season. Still, Armour-Davis is expected to be healthy this week and should get his first look in the preseason. How he plays this weekend will determine his fate on the roster.
For now, we see him making it. It helps that Kyu Blu Kelly is not pushing him at all, and as we noted, Seymour can placed back on the practice squad a bit easier. That, plus finally getting healthy, has him this high on the bubble.
1. Tylan Wallace is as close to a lock as you can get
Most fans are ready to give the sixth wide receiver job to Tylan Wallace. Maybe it is because there are so many names competing for it, or maybe it is because Wallace has been a disappointment in his career to date, but it is hard to make him an official lock until the preseason is completely over.
There is still time for him to show us that he was just teasing us once again. Still, everything we saw from Wallace this preseason looks real and makes you think he will make the team. Wallace has two touchdowns, and he looked savvy hauling them in.
More important than that are 16 special teams snaps and four phases of work on special teams. As the sixth wideout, that is his path to the roster. It is fair that James Proche has 18 snaps on special teams, as does Tarik Black. Laquon Treadwell looked great on eight special teams snaps in week one and was dominating in training camp while getting work with the first team.
So, Wallace has not run away with it. Still, Proche had another contested catch fail, and Treadwell is banged up. His toughest tests are out, and he is one game away from locking down the sixth spot.