With Ray Rice’s suspension looming, questions about Bernard Pierce’s shoulder and his status for the beginning of training camp, and Lorenzo Taliaferro’s recent incident, Justin Forsett, the 7th year scatback out of California, has a prime opportunity to not only impress the Ravens coaching staff in camp, but see significant time on the field when September rolls around.
Forsett took an ample number of the reps as the #1 RB during the Ravens most recent OTA’s, looking sharp and most importantly, 100% over the broken bone in his foot that ended Forsett’s season after 9 games and limited him to just 6 carries for 31 yards in 2013.
After leaving his mark at the University of California, where he still ranks 3rd in rushing yards (3,220) and 6th in rushing TD’s (26), Forsett was drafted in the 7th round by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2008 NFL Draft.
In 2009, Forsett had his best season to date, setting the bar with a team-high 969 total yards on offense while racking up 619 yards on 114 carries (5.4 avg) and a team-high 4 TD’s along with 41 catches for 350 yards and a TD.
Forsett then followed his breakout 2009 season with a solid one in 2010, again leading the team with 775 total yards of Offense and finishing with 523 yards on 118 carries (4.4 avg) and 2 TD while adding 33 catches for 252 yards.
After sitting on the sidelines behind Marshawn Lynch in 2011, the 28-year-old had a very solid season (374 yards on 63 carries, 1 TD) in current Ravens OC Gary Kubiak’s system as a member of the Houston Texans in 2012, serving as the change-of-pace back behind Arian Foster.
Forsett’s previously mentioned, ill-fated reunion with Gus Bradley in Jacksonville came to an end after just one season, but he didn’t even spend a month as a free agent before the Ravens inked him to 1 year/ $730 k deal on 4/4/2014.
With 347 carries, 1,692 yards (4.9 avg) and 8 TD’s on the ground and 115 receptions for 850 yards and a TD through the air on his resume, Forsett will definitely be a guy to keep an eye on in camp and throughout the preseason. Trust me, he’s not a guy that’s just battling Cierre Wood for the #4 RB spot. He’s going to be out there looking to make an impact and take advantage of a great opportunity to earn playing time in the regular season.
Forsett is a solid veteran that excels as a change-of-pace back with big-play ability and as a weapon on 3rd downs due to his reliable hands out of the backfield. Despite his size, he is solid and consistent at picking up the blitz in pass protection. While Ray Rice is serving his suspension, however long it may be (My guess- four games), Forsett could be the perfect compliment to Bernard Pierce and if he seizes the opportunity in front of him going into camp, he could even stick in the game plan as a rotational/3DRB in Kubiak’s high-powered scheme when Rice returns to the team.
Due to his speed and versatility out of the backfield, I wouldn’t even put it past Gary Kubiak to use Forsett in a “Sproles-Type” Role in 2014, where he would see the ball 5-8 times a game, either running the ball, using his hands out of the backfield, or even dating back to his early-Seahawks days, an occasional kick and/or punt return or two.
Keep tabs on #29.
He might just be the guy turning heads in August.
