Who Will Start At Every Ravens Position?
Can you feel it?
Football is upon us.
Rookies and injured players report to training camp today, and the veterans will follow Wednesday. Let’s get one last projection of the starting lineup from ESPN’s Jamison Hensley before camp battles begin:
| Offense | Defense | Special Teams | ||
QB:  | DT: | K: | ||
| RB: | NT: | P: | ||
| FB: | DE: | LS: | ||
| WR: | OLB: | R: | ||
| WR: | ILB: | |||
| TE: | ILB: | |||
| LT: | OLB: | |||
| LG: | CB: | |||
| C: | S: | |||
| RT: | S: | |||
| RT: | CB: |
Here are some comments on Hensley’s predictions …
- I agree that Forsett wins the starting running back role, but it wouldn’t necessarily make him a three-down workhorse. Assuming Buck Allen,
Kenneth Dixon or one of the others doesn’t unseat him, we could see a running-by-committee situation during the season. - Aiken is a serious contender for the starting role across from Smith Sr., but Wallace’s speed and ability to go deep may be the better complement to the 16-year veteran. Of course, all three could be on the field at the same time, which would be a pretty sight. Will Perriman be healthy enough to return to camp and make his own bid?
- Urschel is the front-runner to replace Kelechi Osemele, but there’s a loooooot of buzz surrounding rookie
Alex Lewis . He’s a nasty mauler, a lot like Osemele. - Guy already proved he can handle the starting role last year when he filled in for Chris Canty for six games. Coaches wouldn’t hate it if one of their recent draft picks –
Brent Urban orBronson Kaufusi – threatens to steal the job though. - I don’t see
Arthur Brown orAlbert McClellan beating Orr for the starting inside linebacker role next to C.J. Mosley. But it will be interesting to watch a wild-card candidate inKamalei Correa . He mostly played outside linebacker in college, but coaches had him practicing quite a bit inside during offseason practices. Don’t write him off. - Wright and Jimmy Smith played well together down the stretch last season, but
Will Davis was on the sideline with a torn ACL. Now that he’s healthy, he wants to beat out Wright.Jerraud Powers is a candidate too, but seems to be his best in the nickel role. He might get several starts at the spot anyway if opposing offenses kick games off in a three-wide receiver set. - Rookie Reynolds needs to beat out
Michael Campanaro andKaelin Clay . If Campanaro can’t stay healthy, it’ll obviously be much easier to do so.
Prisco: Brandon Williams Most Underrated Player In Entire NFL
He’s not just the most underrated player on the Ravens roster. He’s the most underrated player in the entire league, says CBSSports.com’s Pete Prisco.
We already know who Prisco is talking about, right? Brandon Williams, of course.
“A year ago, I picked him as his team's most underrated player,” Prisco wrote. “But after an impressive 16 games in 2015, where he played as well as any nose in the league, Williams shoots to the top overall honor.
“There are so many players in the NFL who, for some reason or another, just don't get the attention they deserve – which includes going to Pro Bowls. … That's why that game has become a joke in terms of evaluating a player's career. There are too many misses and there is too much popularity involved.”
The 6-foot-1, 335-pound defensive tackle is a HUGE reason (both figuratively and literally) that nobody talked about missing Haloti Ngata after the Ravens traded him to the Detroit Lions. Williams is a menace to opponents’ run game, but he doesn’t get a ton of sacks, which are what thrust linemen into the spotlight. He notched two sacks last season and has 3.5 for his career.
This is a contract year for Williams, and he would like nothing more than to have a breakthrough season and cash in next March.
Would Ravens Have Saved Money If Eugene Monroe Retired Before Release?
For many Ravens fans, Monroe’s retirement is a sign that team brass knew what it was doing when it released the 29-year-old veteran in June. The thought is that perhaps the Ravens knew Monroe wasn’t as committed to playing the game anymore, which is his prerogative.
Eugene Monroe's decision to retire should put away for good the faulty narrative that Ravens cut him for his medical marijuana advocacy.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiecsun) July 21, 2016
We’ll never know if Monroe still would’ve retired had he not been cut, but fans were asking on Twitter if the Ravens would’ve saved money if that were the case.
Not really, says Russell Street Report’s Brian McFarland.
(1/2) For those asking, Dead Money would be same if Monroe had retired prior to being released by team, but.....
— Brian McFarland (@RavensSalaryCap) July 21, 2016
(2/2)...but Ravens potentially could have pursued return of some of his Bonus ($11m) for retiring "early", but many factors involved there.
— Brian McFarland (@RavensSalaryCap) July 21, 2016
Ray Rice Promises To Donate Entire Salary To Domestic Violence If Signed
Former Ravens running back Ray Rice badly wants to get back in the NFL, and he’s willing to give up his entire salary to do so.
Rice, who has been out of football since September 2014, told USA TODAY that he would donate all of his game checks to organizations that focus on education and prevention of domestic violence and supporting victims and their families.
“Me donating my salary is something that’ll be from the heart for me,” Rice told Tom Pelissero. “I only want to play football so I can end it the right way for my kids and for the people that really believed in me. But I know there’s a lot of people affected by domestic violence, and every dollar helps. It’s raising awareness.
“People need homes. People need shelter when they’re in a crucial situation. I’ve donated a lot of money to charities, but I had a situation where it was a national crisis. I’m not saying I’d be (donating the salary) to get on the field, but it’s something that will show where my heart is. My heart is about finishing the right way and helping people along the way.”
Per the report, the minimum salary for a seven-year veteran like Rice is $885,000.
NFL Will Regularly Swap Referee Crews
Gone are the days of referee “crews.” The league will regularly swap officials instead of sticking with the same groups week-in and week-out, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
“Among the topics discussed at the recent NFL officiating clinic was a plan to swap officials from their crews based on a given week's lineup of games,” Seifert wrote. “The approach was visible on two occasions last season as the league battled a series of high-profile mistakes, and it will become a regular, if not frequent, part of officiating life in 2016.”
One high-profile mistake, committed by Pete Morelli's crew, occurred at the end of the Jaguars-Ravens game that ultimately gave the Ravens a loss when the league admitted they should have won. Blandino entirely broke up Morelli's crew, which committed more than that one gaffe.
"We're just trying to get the best seven officials on the field for every game," Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino said.
Quick Hits
#greatness pic.twitter.com/eFulgN2mTt
— Ray Lewis (@raylewis) July 21, 2016
True Ballers on set. Super Agent Joel Segal, the inspiration for my role on @BallersHBO & @untouchablejay4 #Sizzle pic.twitter.com/jdyskJu4oY
— Troy Garity (@TROYGARITY) July 21, 2016
There's a dude holding a sign at the Republican convention that says Joe Flacco is an elite quarterback.
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) July 21, 2016
I kid you not.
More questions than answers for 2016 Ravens entering camp https://t.co/kiCuBW1tKd pic.twitter.com/ckcoGa82nz
— WNST (@WNST) July 20, 2016
