Residing in the Land of Pleasant Living: Baltimore

Last night’s game in Atlanta was a great opportunity for some guys to make the team and keep their dream of playing professional football alive; certain players took full advantage, others regressed.  Overall we played well enough to notch a 21-7 victory with TD’s coming on both sides of the ball, yet there still a lot of question marks at certain positions.  53 man roster submissions are due before 5pm tonight at the below link and hopefully one of our readers can win tickets to the home opener.  Lets get into it…

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/Ravenstown/Contests/You_Pick_The_Team.aspx

I put together the below spreadsheet to show depth at certain positions and where we have room to add.  I consider all these players locks to make the team and you would be hard pressed to argue otherwise.  That leaves 9 spots to fill with 30 some odd players.  Harbaugh is a pretty old school guy who seems to stick to his convictions, so I broke the field down by position and vetted it against last years roster to show availability.  This isn’t gospel and coach could easily keep a utility linebacker over a reserve o-lineman or bring in a 3^rd QB after the injury to Taylor, but this helps show where we have flexibility.

Linebackers: I thought Jason Phillips did enough to make the team last night.  I saw him shoot the wrong gap on Atlanta’s touchdown too, but the interception off the Jimmy Smith tip, the fumble recovery, and solid tackling ought to be enough.  Another guy I had actually never heard of was No. 39 Josh Bynes, who led the team with five tackles and two sacks.  I think his work on the practice field will carry more water than last nights performance, but he sure made it hard to cut him.  I also think Prescott Burgess will make the team as well and contribute mostly on special teams, but I’m hesitant to call him a lock.  Sergio Kindle has the talent to be a contributor, and I think he makes the 53.

WR/TE: This has been a great battle and after Lee Evans was signed to be our number two wideout, there are about five guys fighting for maybe three spots.  David Reed was targeted on several occasions and was able to get the necessary separation but couldn’t complete the play.  I didn’t see enough of a push off on his TD reception to warrant a flag but its preseason for officials too, and that has to be one of the hardest calls to make.  Marcus Smith also had a drop in this game.  This could be attributed to the lack of rhythm with 3^rd string quarterback Hunter Cantwell but when your jobs on the line there can’t be any excuses.  He has a been a solid special teams player, excluding the bull shit holding flag in Pittsburgh, who will need to rely on consistent play with that group to stick around. Kris Wilson has shown veteran leadership that may prove invaluable to back up two second year TE’s.  Before last night, he tallied seven catches for 83 yards and has been a regular on special teams.  We’ve typically kept three TE’s but that was with injury prone Todd Heap as the starter.  If we feel Dickson and Pitta can handle the load we might not see a need for a 3^rd.  LaQuan Williams seems to be the talk of camp.  Undrafted out of Maryland he has impressed coaches enough to give him a long hard look.  His work as a return man has been sufficient with a nice 33-yard return last night.  If Harbaugh wants to send a message that we’re open to anyone that can play regardless of draft status and reputation, I think he makes the team.  There’s a limited number of seats at the table, and one of these guys is going home.

Runingback: I know Parmele took the majority of reps last night but one run by Allen stands out in my mind as he barreled over tacklers for about a 13-yard gain.  Parmele carried 10 times for 21 yards and did not have any work as a return man, and I feel Allen’s potential gives him the edge over Parmele’s proven work.

QB: As if we needed this…  Tyrod Taylor could have thrown for 300 yards and 2 TDs last night and now we’d still keep a close eye on available veterans.  His interception was hindered by a fierce hit right as he released the ball but still results in a turnover.  Hunter Cantwell led us to a victory, but I don’t think his body of work is enough to keep him around.  The second string QB job is Taylor’s to lose, the question is does Ozzie buy the insurance now or wait to see if something happens to Flacco.  Possible signings could be Jake Delhomme, J.P. Losman, or one of the Giant’s back ups either David Carr or Sage Rosenfels.  Cuts around the league will soon be made so we’ll have options if we choose to pursue them.

I’m going to wait to see if we make any significant roster moves today before submitting my 53, but feel free to email me at FedHillStu38@gmail.com if you’d like to discuss.

Each week I’ll be writing a pre and post game column focusing on key aspects of the game and evaluating how we handled the competition (This isn’t a report card and I don’t despise the Ravens like Preston, merely voicing an opinion). This week being the final preseason game, I’m less worried about specific matchups with the Falcons and will queue in on a few question marks from our starters, as well as heated competition for spots on the second teams. I can be reached at FedHillStu38@gmail.com or via twitter@FedHillStu38 and will respond or try and morph any questions into future posts. Let’s get into it…

Running Back: I expect Ray Rice to get a series or two and Ricky Williams to maybe make it into the 2nd quarter, but the main competition here is between 4th year vet Jalen Parmele and rookie Georgia Tech product Anthony Allen. Parmele has amassed 55yards on 15 carries against Allen’s 10 for 64, yet each has had their struggles. Last week, Parmele had a 4th quarter fumble near the redzone and Allen saw the potential game winning TD pass slip through his hands.

At Georgia Tech, Allen was very successful in an option offense relying on his downhill running style and typically initiating the contact. Parmele has yet to find his niche in the running game, but has been solid on special teams, averaging 31.4 and 23.4yards per return in 2009 and 2010 respectfully. If neither is able to separate themselves from the field, it will depend solely on if Harbaugh wants experience with a known ceiling or an unproven with a higher upside.

Corner Back: This looks to be one of the deeper positions on the team, yet no two are willing to own the starting spots and put an end to this CB by committee. At the start ofthe season, safe money was on Chris Carr and Domonique Foxworth as the starters with Lardarius Webb right on their heels, while Jimmy Smith learned the defensive schemes and got acclimated to the NFL.

The emergence of Cary Williams and Fox’s sub par return has shaken this up quite a bit. Smith and Williams started vs the Skins and did well tackling and comin goff the blitz, but both showed weaknesses in communication and zone coverage. Their size makes them the more physical tandem but both are entirely unproven. Carr and Fox are the most senior of the group but seem to be lacking the speed and fury needed to contribute on this Ravens defense. Lardarius Webb is a bit of a wild card that will have an interception, 3 great open field tackles and a long punt return, then get beat for a 58yard pass by Antonio Brown on 3rd and 17 (PUKE!!!). History shows it’s easier to start the safer, more veteran players with a very short leash while raw unproven talent waits to usurp the position at the first sign of trouble, and I expect that to remain true. I would like all players to see significant time in the first half so we can get a more accurate assessment for the depth chart.

Quarterback: Let’s be honest, who knows. Tyrod Taylor has performed admirably,completing 35 of 57 attempts for 392 yards and a touchdown over the course of the preseason. We should sleep well at night knowing we have a back up QB capable of those numbers, but we were spoiled with Marc Bulger last year and most want the veteran fallback option. Assuming Taylor has a similarly productive game, I think he can sure up the job with the knowledge that Ozzie will be scouring the waiver wire should something happen to Joe.

Offensive Line: The most glaring weakness in the preseason is still under the microscope as this unit has yet to see consistent snaps at their primary positions. Assuming Bryant McKinnie’s weight and character issues are being blown out of proportion, I expect a week one starting line of him, Ben Grubbs, Matt Birk, Marshal Yanda and Michael Oher. This lineup allows all players to be at their natural positions but need to grow together and fast before Harrison and Woodley come to town. While letting Birk rest, I’d like to see a solid half out of the other four as they mold into one of the better O-Lines in the AFC because the potential is there.

Depth is a question after losing Chris Chester and “Turnstile” Cousins, so we need solid performances out of Mark LeVoir and Jah Reid to provide insurance at the interior and tackle positions. I’ve also been reading a lot about Justin Boren, a rookie G/C out of Ohio State, and all reports have been positive about this kid. If both him and project pick Ramon Harwood can have solid performances it will surely make for an interesting battle for the second line.