Ravens players on the roster bubble have had spring OTA workouts, mandatory minicamp and a couple of weeks of training camp practices in sometimes punishing heat to make their case for one of 53 spots when the initial roster is set on Aug. 30.
Now they get to state their case in game action, as the Ravens host the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium on Aug. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the preseason opener. The preseason schedule also includes games at Arizona on Aug. 21 and home against Washington on Aug. 27.
Head coach John Harbaugh has already announced that several starters won’t suit up, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, safety Marcus Williams and linebacker Justin Houston.
Many other veteran starters are also expected to sit out, giving those lower on the depth chart plenty of opportunity.
Among those that figure to have significant roles against the Titans, here are five players to watch:
RB COREY CLEMENT
Clement is a late arrival to the Ravens’ running back competition, having been signed on July 26, but he has impressed Ravens coaches in his short time with the team. Clement spent four years with the Philadelphia Eagles, and took the direct snap on the Eagles’ famous “Philly Special” touchdown pass caught by quarterback Nick Foles in the Super Bowl.
J.K. Dobbins returned to light individual work this week, and if he is ready for Week 1, as he has very publicly declared he will be, then Clement finds himself in a competition with Justice Hill, Tyler Badie, Mike Davis and Nate McCrary for probably two or at most three roster spots. (Gus Edwards remains on the PUP list, and his return by the season opener remains unlikely.) Clement does have extensive special teams experience in his five NFL seasons, which would work in his favor.
“The games are big for the running backs,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “They’re all excited to play.”
T JA’WUAN JAMES
James said he hasn’t played left tackle since high school, but he has been getting a lot of work at left tackle this summer and head coach John Harbaugh said, “I can’t wait to see him in the game. He hasn’t played football for awhile, so to see him out there with the physicality is going to be really important.”
James has not played in a game since Dec. 8, 2019, when he was with Denver. He opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID, then missed all of last season with a torn Achilles suffered in the spring, before the Ravens signed him.
James is presumably a veteran insurance policy in the event All-Pro Ronnie Stanley’s recovery is delayed, but so too is Patrick Mekari — although for now, the super-utility lineman is filling in for center Tyler Linderbaum.
The Ravens have a couple of other veteran backup options at tackle including David Sharpe and Jaryd Jones-Smith, and they will surely be watching them closely this preseason as well. The Ravens would realize about $2.5 million in cap savings if James is released, and that money could be needed to fill other holes. Much will depend on how James and the other tackles look, and how soon Stanley gets back on the field.
WR JAYLON MOORE, WR BINJIMEN VICTOR
The Ravens have just four returning wide receivers, and with no veteran free-agent signings, there appears to be an opening for someone else to make the team as the No. 5 receiver.
Moore knows this system as well as anyone in that room, having spent two full seasons on the Ravens’ practice squad, and Victor was on the Ravens’ practice squad all last year after spending a season on the New York Giants’ practice squad.
Moore has shined in several camp practices, and his long touchdown catch from Lamar Jackson was one of the best last week. Moore has also won several contested battles in the team’s 1-on-1 drills and has played with increased confidence.
At 6-foot-4, Victor has size that this group lacks overall. (Moore, Devin Duvernay, Tylan Wallace and James Proche are all listed at 5-foot-11, and Rashod Bateman is 6-foot-1.) Victor, like Moore, has been the most active receiver in some camp practices, and special teams ability could be a defining factor. Victor, incidentally, led the Ravens with 116 receiving yards (on eight catches) last preseason.
“I think they know how urgent and how ready they need to be to show what they need to show to stay on this team,” wide receivers coach Tee Martin said. “… Some guys get really comfortable at practice, because they’re going against the same guys every day, and then they go against another team, another defensive structure, and you really see — good or bad — what these guys can do.”
CB KEVON SEYMOUR
With Marcus Peters still on the PUP list and Brandon Stephens sidelined for the past week, Seymour has gotten plenty of reps against the Ravens’ top offensive players and has fared well. His special teams play has also been noteworthy.
Signed by the Ravens last September after being released by the Eagles, the 28-year-old appeared in nine games for the Ravens in 2021, with 23 tackles, one pass defensed and one sack — the last of Ben Roethlisberger’s career.
Seymour’s path to the roster appeared to lengthen when the team drafted cornerbacks Jalyn Armour-Davis and Damarion Williams and signed veteran Kyle Fuller. With those three, plus Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and Stephens, it’s already a deep group, but last year’s injury woes again recalled Ozzie Newsome’s mantra that “you can never have too many corners.”
“Kevon, he’s a proven special teams player in the NFL,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “We know what he is, as a teamer, and then his issue is he’s had some hamstring issues, which he’s worked really hard at. … But he’s had a heck of a camp.”
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