The Baltimore Ravens are just one week into training camp, so things are not all that different than they were when the team got to training camp. Beyond that, they have yet to put on the pads, so that time to move and shake up and down the roster will be there.
Still, every day matters at training camp. Who are some of the players who are not making the most of it?
3. Rashod Bateman is not going to earn playing time with the Baltimore Ravens
Rashod Bateman has been on the PUP so far this entire training camp. He missed the first day and has been working with the medical team since then. This is not a good development. First, it shows just how serious Bateman's Lisfranc injury was. More than that, it is costing him seriously valuable time with Lamar Jackson.
The big question all offseason was who the top target would be for the Ravens. Jackson was quick to say Bateman was still his top dog this year. However, without Bateman out there, Jackson has to move on. When the other options are Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham, it is easy for Bateman to fall behind and not catch up.
That does not even factor in Mark Andrews, who already has so much chemistry established with Lamar Jackson. Even Isaiah Likely, Nelson Agholor, and Devin Duvernay are gaining time Jackson that Bateman cannot establish.
It is easy to see Bateman slowly becoming the fourth wide receiver in this group, potentially lower, which is devastating.
2. Did Ben Cleveland already lose his position battle?
Ben Cleveland has been trending down ever since the Baltimore Ravens left OTAs. Cleveland entered OTAs as the unquestioned starter at left guard. However, he left with the statement being made that the competition was wide open, and he was just another name in the mix.
Early in training camp, you could make the case that he is the third most likely player to start at left guard. First, Sala Aumavae-Laulu has clearly impressed coaches because he started with the first team from the jump. That is impressive for a day-three rookie, and it is why fans are surprised that Cleveland could not beat him.
The bigger issue is that when the Ravens run the second team, it is actually John Simpson and not Ben Cleveland, who is out there at left guard. Cleveland has been at right guard with the second team. That is behind Kevin Zeitler, so out of the competition. Considering Andrew Vorhees has a shot to be the long-term answer there, they are just using Cleveland there as a placeholder and to get him work. He is hardly even competing for the starting left guard spot.
Perhaps things can change, but this is the same momentum that started in OTAs, and it is has not stopped. John Simpson is officially ahead of Cleveland, who is the backup right guard, but the third-string left guard.
1. Trayvon Mullen is back with the Baltimore Ravens, but for how long?
The Baltimore Ravens released Trayvon Mullen, so that is not good. However, some fans will point out that he is back, so this is not that big of a deal. However, it means that the odds of him being here in week one went down significantly.
Mullen signed a guaranteed contract this season. By releasing him on the NFI, they were able to clear his salary without the guarantees. They signed him back, but they did not include the guarnanteed money.
So, essentially, because Mullen was let go so late in the summer, it would be hard to catch on anywhere else right now. He feels he can still make the roster, so why not prove himself, even without having the guaranteed salary? However, the Ravens see it as an ability to keep Mullen and take on any upside if he does get healthy and play well. He is behind Kyu Blu Kelly, Jalyn Armour-Davis, and Daryl Worley right now, but that can change quickly with the up-and-down nature of the names listed.
But, they are now free of any burden if Mullen is cut again in a week. He went from being hard to release in a month to being easy to release in a month. Even if Trayvon Mullen is back, his stock is down after one week of training camp.