predicting the 53 is pretty easy for the ravens right now but as you build that team it becomes clear that WR and EDGE just need more players (who will actually make the roster) - whether they're starters or not, we just need to add bodies at both those positions
i think it's pretty much a lock at this point that we're keeping 2 QBs, 4 RBs, 1 FB, 4 TEs, 9 OL and 5 WRs on offence - and all of those guys are on the roster right now except that 5th WR - that's 25 on offence and i dont think there's much wiggle room either way...
key battles on offence
- RB4 - which is probably gonna be mike davis vs justice hill and i think ultimately as long as tyler badie continues to impress, that justice hill will have the inside track on special teams and with his athleticism even though mike davis has some experience out of the backfield (he's just not dynamic and makes me think of the cabal of RBs we had last year)
- OL9 - Ja'wuan James vs Trystan Colon vs Ben Powers - i think powers is already basically gone and then it's just a case of backup C (which becomes less important if pat mekari isnt a starter) vs backup T which with Ronnie's injury makes a lot of sense to me - and i think a healthy james is far more valuable than colon
- WR2-5 lol - at least one and maybe 2 of Proche, Duvernay and Wallace are going to be starting and all 3 are going to play significant snaps i imagine... i think it's even more telling just how out on boykin the ravens were that they were fine getting rid of him even knowing they were gonna trade away hollywood lol (thank fuck they did or else i'd be sick to my stomach right now about the prospect of miles boykin maybe factoring on this team in 2022 hahaha) - i think it's still pretty clear we're going to have to add a 5th WR from somewhere but whether that's a veteran who factors in to start or whether it's someone to round out the depth remains to be seen - will fuller is still out there (im guessing because his finger still isnt ready to go... or because he's not interested in signing with anyone until training camp... idk why otherwise)
defence is a little more complicated because of derek wolfe, the lack of depth at both LB and EDGE, the crazy depth at S - best guess is 6 DL, 5 OLB, 4 ILB, 11 DB which makes 26
key battles on defence
- DL6 - to me this is simply derek wolfe vs brent urban with wolfe a massive question-mark... i imagine someone like isaiah mack will be back on the practice squad as the 3rd NT so no need to carry him on the 53
- EDGE - who's starting opposite odafe if bowser isn't ready to go, do we bring in another EDGE (i'm assuming we do whether that be Houston or JPP or someone else), and then how many guys do we carry... ojabo's 100% gonna start on PUP - right now it looks like Oweh, Bowser and Hayes are the locks and Ferguson's gonna make it on a pure numbers game basis - does vince biegel factor at all? i hope not but if hayes can't stay healthy and bowser's not ready to go then maybe he has to - i expect we'll go into the season with 5 with one being someone yet to sign...
- LB3 - malik harrison vs kristian welch straight up and i think they both make the roster
- DB10-12 - i think we probably carry 11 guys but possible we only carry 10 and possible we try and carry 12... best guess is geno stone, tony jefferson and ardarius washington are fighting over 2 spots, but they could be fighting for 1 or 3 spots too... also partly depends on whether chuck's still here in september... if he isnt then geno and TJ probably both instantly become locks
if anyone can do maths lol - you'll probably notice that between offence and defence i've got 1 too many guys based on the projection that we add both a WR and an EDGE before the 53... not sure where we lose a guy to cutdown to the 53... maybe JK and Gus are absolutely ready to go for week 1 and we only have to carry 3 RBs (or one of them has to start on short-term I/R), maybe we only keep 4 WRs although that feels sketchy, maybe we only keep 4 EDGEs which feels even sketchier given the health of that unit, maybe we drop a LB and only carry 3 but again that feels thin, or maybe we only keep 10 DBs but we can never have too many and we've got lots of talent there
stuff will work itself out but right now it's easy to do the 53 until we add the couple of vets we're expecting to add + this doesnt account for any potential surprise UDFAs although i imagine if one of them does great that they may well be knocking harrison off the roster rather than adding a 5th LB (especially with how much dime i expect us to play in 2022)
Any 53 man roster talk summons me lol
QB: we know the 2
RB: probably keeping 4 to start and as you said, that battle comes down to Hill vs. Davis. Not sure who I'm giving the leg up to at this point as it depends on the health of Dobbins and Edwards. If they're slow to start, I think Davis makes more sense. He could also be a cut and re-sign after week 1 guy.
FB/TE: Gonna be a heavy group this year with all 5 making it.
WR: You have a top 4 and you're probably only keeping 5 as of now. I'd be surprised if it isn't a veteran of some sorts that isn't on the team currently, but the young guys certainly have an opportunity right now.
OL: We'll be keeping 9 again. Assuming Stanley is healthy, we know Linderbaum, Zeitler, and Moses are 3 other starters. LG is open to Phillips, Cleveland, Mekari, and/or Powers. Add in Faalele and James at T, and then Colon at C. 2 of those 11 names on the outside looking in.
DL: Trending toward 6 right now with some younger options (Crawford, Mack) as PS options.
ILB: Another position where the young guys have a big opportunity. You've got the 4 vets (Queen, Bynes, Welch, and Harrison) ahead of the pack right now but there's always room if a guy plays ST well enough.
OLB: Injuries will dictate this one as Bowser is the big question mark here. Oweh is obvious and Hayes and Ferguson are in good spots due to the numbers currently. Like WR, I'd be shocked if a veteran isn't added here at some point. But wouldn't count out Biegel who has inside/outside versatility and is probably a better STer than Ferguson IF Bowser is healthy and a vet is added.
CB/S: Lumping them together here because I think you have an obvious 9 that are making it as of now... big 3 at CB plus the 2 rookies, big 3 at S (assuming Clark stays) plus Stephens and wherever you consider him. That leaves 1-3 spots for some combo of Stone, Jefferson, Washington, and Seymour.
ST: A new big 3 here
With all of those assumptions, that's 53 players if you go with 10 in the secondary and 55 if you go up to 12.