OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens are two weeks into training camp and, by now, the team’s decision-makers have a strong idea of what they have and what they might still need. Unless there are injuries, the Ravens are all but set at tight end and along the defensive line.
They’re so deep in the secondary team officials are already pondering whether they’ll have the roster room for all the defensive backs they want to keep. Advertisement At other positions, the Ravens probably have enough depth to get by, but that could change if there are multiple injuries or young players don’t perform when thrust into bigger roles. Then, there are a few spots where Baltimore looks a bit vulnerable with what it currently has.
The Ravens have just under $7 million of salary-cap space, according to the NFL Players Association’s Public Salary Cap Report. They’ll likely want — and need — even more than that to get through the regular season and maintain the flexibility to make moves. There are contracts they can restructure to create more space.
Still, they’ll have to be judicious with what they add. They’ll have to determine what’s a luxury and what’s a necessity. After watching the team the past two weeks, it’s a good time to look at where the Ravens still could improve.
Let’s evaluate the concern level (at least from an outsider’s perspective) with each position of potential need. Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox. document.
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forEach((el) => { el.setAttribute("style", "pointer-events: none;");}) Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox. Backup quarterback Level of concern: Moderate Veteran Josh Johnson , who has already been anointed by coach John Harbaugh as the team’s No.
2 quarterback over rookie sixth-round pick Devin Leary , led the offense for much of the first week of camp when Lamar Jackson was sidelined with an illness . Johnson was in a tough spot, and Baltimore’s defense didn’t make it easy on him. But his performance didn’t quiet the questions about whether the Ravens should make a play for free agent Ryan Tannehill or look for an upgrade elsewhere at backup quarterback.
The Ravens believe in Johnson’s ability to manage a game and make sound decisions. They know he’ll be ready and prepared if called upon. And they like his experience and professionalism in the quarterback room.
The offensive coaches seem to have a bit more trust in Johnson than they did in Jackson’s previous No. 2, Tyler Huntley , who is now in Cleveland trying to earn a 53-man spot this summer. Advertisement If Jackson sustains a long-term injury, it probably won’t matter much who the Ravens have as their No.
2. More than likely, they won’t be considered Super Bowl contenders anymore. However, what if Jackson sustains a relatively minor injury that sidelines him for two or three games? Is Johnson, the 38-year-old who has played sparingly over his well-traveled career, good enough to keep Baltimore afloat? The Ravens believe he is.
If their opinion has changed in recent weeks or is wavering, it would make sense to keep tabs on Tannehill or veteran quarterbacks elsewhere who are on the roster bubble. Running back Level of concern: Low When the Ravens went out this offseason and signed Derrick Henry , they didn’t do it to have him be part of a running back by committee. Henry is going to be the lead back.
When he’s not in the game, fellow veteran Justice Hill probably will be. That doesn’t mean the Ravens won’t keep a No. 3 back.
They almost certainly will, but that player likely won’t have a notable role on offense. Rookie fifth-round pick Rasheen Ali is the front-runner to earn the No. 3 role.
Aside from a fumble last week that dredged up some of the ball-security issues he had at Marshall, Ali has had a solid camp and has looked comfortable catching balls out of the backfield. However, don’t discount second-year undrafted player Owen Wright , who spent last season on Baltimore’s practice squad. Quietly, Wright has been a camp standout and has put himself in the roster mix.
The preseason games will be important for both of the young backs, who figure to get a ton of run. It feels like adding a veteran running back — Dalvin Cook and Jerick McKinnon are among those still available — is closer to a luxury than a necessity. Whether it’s a free agent off the street or a guy on someone else’s practice squad, there are always veteran backs available.
If Henry or Hill gets hurt, the Ravens could then look for a veteran to replace them. But now? They’ll probably be OK having a young and unproven back as their No. 3 until Keaton Mitchell is ready to return in the second half of the season.
GO DEEPER In his new home with the Ravens, Derrick Henry is still competing against himself Wide receiver Level of concern: Low Well, it depends on whom you ask. The team’s depth chart at the position, which includes Zay Flowers , Rashod Bateman , Nelson Agholor and only one other player with more than 15 catches in an NFL season (return specialist Deonte Harty ), has produced some angst with the team’s wide receiver-crazed fan base. But the Ravens seem content with what they have.
Advertisement They have a running back in Hill and three tight ends, Mark Andrews , Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar , who they want to involve in the passing game — and there’s only one football to go around. Likely’s emergence in the second half of last season when Andrews was out with a lower leg injury will likely prompt offensive coordinator Todd Monken to use more 12 personnel groupings , which means just two wide receivers on the field. The Ravens essentially factor Likely in their wide receiver equation, which is part of the reason they are comfortable with that group.
It feels like they have enough on paper, but that changes with an injury to one of their top guys — and Bateman has struggled to remain healthy throughout his young career. There are a number of accomplished veteran receivers still available, including Michael Thomas , Julio Jones , Hunter Renfrow and Corey Davis . But nobody should be surprised if Baltimore stands pat here unless a significant injury arises.
Working that passing game!! @Lj_era8 ➡️ @ZayFlowers ➡️ @Mandrews_81 pic.twitter.com/GLDFFkBQm5 — Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 4, 2024 Offensive line Level of concern: High If it was just one position the Ravens had to figure out up front, the concern would range from minimal to nonexistent.
Baltimore has shown an ability in recent years to plug in an unproven option and get decent production. However, there’s uncertainty at three spots alongside left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum . Andrew Vorhees , a 2023 seventh-round pick who redshirted his rookie season as he rehabbed a knee injury, has established himself as the likely starting left guard.
He’s strong and smart and should be a quick study. But the Ravens are weighing whether to start rookie second-round pick Roger Rosengarten or veteran Patrick Mekari at right tackle, and there’s even more uncertainty at right guard. Converted tackle Daniel Faalele is getting every opportunity to win the job, but he still has a lot to prove.
Other contenders, including Ben Cleveland , Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Josh Jones , don’t appear to be forcing the issue, either. The Ravens, though, will probably have to find the solutions internally. The demand for quality linemen far exceeds the supply.
The free-agent market isn’t exactly overflowing with healthy and starting-caliber guards and tackles this close to the season. Anybody Baltimore adds would probably be more a depth piece than a bona fide starter. Still, that won’t stop general manager Eric DeCosta and company from looking around.
Thirty-one other teams will be doing the same. GO DEEPER Ravens rookie Roger Rosengarten gets his turn at RT as O-line decisions near Edge rusher Level of concern: Moderate This is another spot where the perceived outside concern probably exceeds the angst from the team’s decision-makers. Still, the Ravens understand they’ll need a few of their young edge rushers to emerge as impact players.
If they don’t, DeCosta will likely have to add a veteran free agent or make the position a priority before the trade deadline. Advertisement Depth, though, is not really the issue here — even after Baltimore lost rotational candidate Malik Hamm to a season-ending knee injury last week. The Ravens have guys.
Veteran Kyle Van Noy and 2021 first-round pick Odafe Oweh are the projected starters. Malik Harrison has become a valuable guy on the outside with his ability to set the edge against the run and provide a physical presence against backs and tight ends. He’ll play on early downs.
David Ojabo is back from a knee injury and just needs time to knock off the rust and develop as a rusher. Tavius Robinson , a fourth-round pick last year, will contribute. Harbaugh said he expects rookie third-round pick Adisa Isaac to return soon after he’s been bothered for a few months by a hamstring injury.
The questions are more about quality than quantity. The Ravens lost 9 1/2 sacks from Jadeveon Clowney last season and numerous splash plays against the run. Even if Oweh takes a big step forward — and he’s been in good form this summer — Baltimore still needs more juice off the edge.
Expecting Isaac to immediately provide that when he’s now fully in catchup mode after missing so much time seems overly ambitious. Ditto for Ojabo, who has only played five games in two seasons. Robinson has shown enough to suggest he’ll contribute, but not as an eight-to-10-sack guy, which is what the Ravens need.
Yannick Ngakoue and Carl Lawson are among the veteran edge guys still available, but the Ravens are in the process of giving their young outside linebackers the opportunity to show additional help isn’t needed at the position. Inside linebacker Level of concern: Low Second-year player Trenton Simpson may take some lumps early, but the Ravens are committed to him as the Patrick Queen replacement alongside Roquan Smith . In an elevated role, Simpson has had a strong start to camp.
He just needs experience. Behind Simpson are veterans Harrison and Chris Board , both of whom can step in if needed. Inside linebacker Josh Ross has played five games with Baltimore over the past two seasons, so he’s an option, too.
The Ravens may not even need to play Simpson on all three downs. With so much secondary depth, they could opt to play a lot of dime packages and load up on defensive backs, while not having another true linebacker next to Smith in different situations. At this point, the only question is whether the Ravens will have Ross join Smith, Simpson, Harrison and Board, or will they go with just four inside linebackers on the 53-man roster? (Top photo of Josh Johnson: Tommy Gilligan / USA Today).
