The preseason is all about the players who have the chance to move up and down the depth chart and earn roster spots. While it is a chance for so many players to rise up the depth chart, there are always fallers at this point as well. Who are some of the names on the Baltimore Ravens who are in a worse spot now than they were a few weeks ago?
5. Kyu Blu Kelly may be a cut by the Baltimore Ravens
After playing in just 17 snaps in the preseason opener, the Baltimore Ravens former fifth-round pick found the field a bit more in preseason week two. He played 54 snaps in total, with 40 in coverage. While he got more experience, the ability showed us why the team was hesitant to play him earlier.
Kyu Blu Kelly struggled. It is fair to say that Jahan Dotson and Terry McLaurin were doing a bit of the work on him, but he also gave up a grab to Dyami Brown. While he is just a rookie, it is hard to make a case for him on the 53-man roster as he currently stands. He has not been able to beat out Kevon Seymour, and watching him this preseason, you can see why.
The Ravens are a merit-based team, and Kelly has not earned it. They would be taking a spot from someone who has. There is almost no chance the team would trust him on an NFL field this season. The thought is that he will easily get to the practice squad after such a poor preseason. Do not be surprised when this is the outcome.
4. Tavius Robinson has not lived up to the Balimore Ravens expectations
Both Baltimore Ravens mid-round draft picks have struggled out of the gates. Tavius Robinson started across from David Ojabo in week one of the preseason. However, he was clearly the worst player between himself, Malik Hamm, and Jeremiah Moon.
This was obvious to the coaches as well. They started Moon over Robinson in the second preseason to see how he looked. Moon did not set the world on fire, but he did play better than Robinson when Robinson was given his chance.
So far this preseason Moon has six pressures on 49 pass rush snaps, per PFF. Robinson has three pressures on 48 snaps. Meanwhile, Hamm has three pressures on 30 pass-rushing chances. Hamm also has 11 plays where he dropped back into coverage while Moon has 12. Robinson has just six.
This shows that both Moon and Hamm are more direct backups to Tyus Bowser, while Robinson is a backup to David Ojabo and Odafe Oweh. All of a sudden, it is easy to make the case for Moon and Hamm to make the team over the rookie draft pick. Not a great development.
3. Sala Aumavae-Laulu lost a starting job with the Baltimore Ravens
The starting left guard job has been anything but a competition after thoughts that it would be the most heated competition all summer long. Sala Aumavae-Laulu stepped into compete with John Simpson after Ben Cleveland quickly bowed out of the competition in training camp.
Aumavae-Laulu started the first week of training camp, signaling that he had a real chance to start week one. However, after that first week, it has been all John Simpson. Simpson started both preseason games, and it has not been close who has been better.
Per PFF Aumavae-Laulu has 64 snaps at left guard compared to just 42 for Simpson. Simpson did add 28 snaps at right guard, though, so he has more snaps. On 70 snaps he has not allowed a pressure while Aumavae-Laulu has allowed four.
Aumavae-Laulu has a run-blocking grade of 29.3, while Simpson graded out at 77.5. The grades are not perfect, but it is easy to put on the tape and find the same results. Aumavae-Laulu has hit a rookie wall in the preseason. He is seeing how much different the level of competition is. Meanwhile, Simpson is used to the NFL preseason. This has not been much of a battle.
2. Trenton Simpson struggled in his NFL debut with the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens' third-round rookie was injured and missed the first preseason game of the season. This set him back, but he was able to get on the field for week two. The Ravens stuck true to their depth chart, and because Simpson has not beat out Del'Shawn Phillips, Phillips started over him.
Phillips is a lock for the roster now, especially because nothing Simpson did in week two of the preseason suggests he is ready to take on the role of Patrick Queen's backup. Simpson only played 43 snaps but had multiple missed tackles. He looked like he had hardly practiced and was thrown into his first NFL game.
Simpson was up and down on special teams as well. The commitment made to him is great enough that they will sit him this year if they need to. He should be able to progress enough on special teams to find a role on game days. Still, the third-string linebacker behind Del'Shawn Phillips is not where this rookie wanted to be as he walks into week one of the NFL season. That will be the case, though.
1. James Proche will be cut by the Baltimore Ravens
James Proche leads the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver room in snaps this preseason. He is second amongst wide receivers in special teams snaps, mainly because he remains one of the top return men. The Baltimore Ravens are giving him plenty of chances to prove himself.
However, he has not done anything to lock down that job. Proche has one punt return and a bunch of touchbacks on kickoffs. Devin Duvernay is still better than him in both areas, and Keaton Mitchell has shown more in kick returns.
Also, he is averaging 0.15 yards per route run, which is by far the worst on the team for anyone with more than ten snaps. Tylan Wallace is at 0.76, and Laquon Treadwell is at 0.54. For an even crazier comparison, Zay Flowers is at 4.11 on his limited number of snaps.
Still, this shows that even though Wallace and Treadwell are not lighting it up, they are three times, if not more productive than Proche. So, he is not as productive as Mitchell or Duvernay on special teams and is behind Treadwell and Wallace on offense. He is not going to make the Baltimore Ravens roster.