“The Competition” is a series that breaks down every position battle leading up to training camp. Below are the special teams returners:
Returning Players
WR 
CB
CB
RB
Rookies
WR
Projected Starters
This is a tough one to predict. If healthy, Campanaro and Jackson are likely the leading candidates. Campanaro briefly stepped in for Jacoby Jones on punt returns before suffering a hamstring injury in Week 8. Jackson was given a look at returner during the 2012 and 2013 preseasons before stepping into a bigger role at cornerback last year. With the arrival of
Key Role Players
Webb says he wants to be the Ravens’ returner, but that might be a difficult approval to secure from coaches considering how important he is to the defensive secondary. The Ravens used Webb occasionally as a punt returner last year, but only for fair catches when backed up against their own end zone. Baltimore has a lot of trust in Webb’s ball security in those situations. Webb will likely have a tough time convincing coaches of a bigger role.
Most Anticipated Battle
The entire battle is one worth watching. Campanaro, Jackson and Toussaint have the (limited) experience. Carter, a shifty undrafted rookie out of Sacramento State, will get his shot. He only returned four punts as a senior, but one was for a touchdown, and he averaged 23.7 yards on kickoff returns and 12.5 yards on punt returns over his college career. Smith hasn’t returned a punt since 2010 or a kick since 2006, so he is an outside candidate along with Webb.
