Final Preseason Countdown: Key Roster Battles for the Ravens Against Green Bay
The Baltimore Ravens have spent the whole week getting ready for their last preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, with the 2024 NFL regular season beginning in 15 days. In advance of the preseason finale, the Ravens and Packers will have a joint practice session in Green Bay on Thursday. As the preseason draws to a close, the race for a spot on the 53-man roster is intensifying for certain players. The deadline for teams to reduce their roster from 90 to 53 players is approaching on Tuesday, August 27th at 4 p.m. ET. The Ravens and the other teams in the league must make difficult decisions about who will make the final cut. Having said that, the following is a breakdown of some crucial decisions head coach John Harbaugh will need to make about the roster after their game against the Packers.
Running Back: The Competition for RB3
There is still competition in the Ravens running back room going into their game against the Packers since there is just one spot available on the roster. The competition for the third slot as running back has been intense since Derrick Henry, a four-time Pro Bowler, and Justice Hill have secured the top two spots. The door is open for others to take as 2023 breakthrough star Keaton Mitchell is anticipated to start this season on the Physically Unable to Perform list because of his ongoing recovery from an ACL tear sustained in Week 15 of last season. The Ravens selected former Marshall running back Rasheen Ali in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the hopes that Ali would be the one to take the final place.
However, Ali's production has been severely constrained during the first two preseason games, as he has only managed 26 rushing yards on 10 carries. The lack of production from Ali has allowed Bethesda local Owen Wright to show off his skills. In their first preseason game against the Eagles, Wright put on a show, running for 33 yards on seven rushes at an average of 4.7 yards per carry. This weekend's game against the Packers appears to be the decisive duel between Wright and Ali; the player with the stronger performance will be in an excellent position to make the 53-man roster for the upcoming season.
Wide Receiver: Battling for Depth
The Ravens seem to have locked up their initial five wide receiver slots with one preseason game left. Right now, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Devontez Walker, Tylan Wallace, and 2023 breakthrough rookie Zay Flowers are surefire picks to make the roster. Still, there are presumably two more slots up for grabs, which a number of bubble players are hoping to secure. After their game against the Falcons last week, where receiver Dayton Wade recorded two receptions for 67 receiving yards, including one touchdown, and has six catches for 94 yards in two preseason games so far, Wade seems to be in the lead to claim one of the two available slots. Thus, the competition for the last wide receiver spot will be between Deonte Harty, Anthony Miller, and five-year wideout Russell Gage. Whichever receiver can put on a standout performance against the Packers will have an advantage over the other two going into roster cuts, though Harty might have an advantage over Gage and Miller because he was a kickoff return option in previous seasons. Plus, special teams are very important to coach Harbaugh because of his experience there before taking the helm as head coach of the Ravens in 2008.
Safety
Of all the battles the Ravens still have to figure out, the one at the safety position seems to be the most intriguing. Going into Saturday's game against the Packers, one spot looks to be open in the safety room; the other four slots seem to be grabbed by 2023 Pro Bowler Kyle Hamilton, Marcus Williams, Eddie Jackson, and Ar'Darius Washington. For the last safety position, rookie Sanoussi Kane and former Maryland Terrapin Beau Brade will have to battle against each other. Many experts view Brade, an undrafted free agent, as a dark horse candidate to make the final cut because of his ties to the Maryland area and his strong preseason performance thus far. In the win over the Falcons last week, Brade recorded eight total tackles, five of which came solo. The Maryland native might find himself playing important games for the Ravens if Brade can maintain his strong preseason performance against the Packers.
Quarterback: Practice Squad Battle
With two-time MVP Lamar Jackson starting and seasoned veteran Josh Johnson seemingly cemented in as Jackson's backup following Johnson's impressive performance against the Falcons, where he completed an impeccable 11 for 11 passing with one touchdown on 120 passing yards, the Ravens are set at the quarterback position. Following a poor preseason performance against the Eagles, in which he completed only four of 12 passes for 62 yards, Johnson's performance against the Eagles caused concern among Ravens fans who wondered whether the team should sign another veteran free-agent quarterback, such as former Titan Ryan Tannehill. However, Johnson has secured the backup spot on the team. Thus going into the last preseason game, Devin Leary, a 2024 sixth-round selection, and Emory Jones will be vying for a spot on the practice squad.
Even though Leary was selected by the Ravens in the draft, Jones appears to be the favorite to make the practice squad because of his better preseason performance. In his lone game thus far, Jones had an impressive effort against the Falcons, completing seven of his nine throws for 100 yards and a touchdown. On the other hand, Leary has been erratic through two games, completing only nine of 15 throws for 61 yards. Given that Jones doesn't have a disappointing performance against the Packers this coming weekend, a position on the practice squad appears to be certain for the Georgia native.
