Rookie Report
Preseason Game 1
Stock Up/Stock Down
The Ravens victory over the New Orleans Saints last Thursday saw some dramatic moments and eyebrow-raising performances—both good and bad. Now that the dust has settled on the first action of the 2015 preseason, it’s time to look at which rookies improved their standing on the roster and which hurt their stock.
Stock Up
Carl Davis
The highest-rated Raven according to Pro Football Focus (+2.8 score), Davis was unstoppable Thursday. The defensive lineman played a ton, as coach Harbaugh explained, “we played him until he cramped up at the end, and we finally dragged him off the field and let someone else go in and play.” The extra reps were well deserved.
Davis seemed to always match his powerful first punch with good vision to locate the running back or quarterback. He tallied 3 tackles, a quarterback pressure, and on one play when he was stymied, he recorded a pass defense batting a ball at the line of scrimmage.
Brennen Beyer
The undrafted outside linebacker is a buzz-worthy. He looked the part of a legitimate edge setter late in the game. Beyer showed versatility making plays whether he was lined up on the edge of the line of scrimmage or dropped back off the line a few yards.
Some of his best plays came when he established solid outside leverage and funneled the runner inside for his fellow linemen to make the tackle. He does not strike me as a natural pass rusher, but is surely a player to watch this weekend.
Stock Down
DeAndre Carter
I actually loved Carter’s short area burst on certain routes, including his out route on Renner’s fourth quarter interception (which was thrown wildly behind Carter), but it is the worst kept secret in Baltimore that his ticket to a roster spot is as the kick returner. Unfortunately for Carter, coaches may struggle to rid themselves of the image of #16 horribly bobbling a third quarter kickoff.
It was an up-and-down performance for Carter as a receiver. He snagged two catches, but then committed a few glaring mistakes like his offensive pass interference on a pick play. Michael Campanaro’s explosive touchdown reinforces the second-year receiver’s potential, a fact that could work against Carter’s chances towards the bottom of the depth chart.
Buck Allen
I will have to take partial blame for why Allen is in the “stock down” category. I initially inflated his stock to begin with, predicting big things for Allen last week. But the rookie back disappointed a bit Thursday night.
He was too tentative at the point of attack. Yes, he rarely enjoyed spacious running lanes, but his indecisiveness made matters worse. Allen also dropped a catchable second quarter dump-off pass. My level of concern over Allen is minimal, but I will look for more pop this weekend.
Rookie Notes
- The tight ends performed fairly well, capped off by Maxx Williams’ dramatic 4th down conversion. I like the simplicity to Nick Boyle’s game. He caught 4 balls providing a safe, but not explosive, check-down option. Boyle’s development could potentially mirror Crockett Gilmore’s from a year ago.
- Darren Waller had an inconsistent performance, but among three penalties forced, he made a catch on a square-in (despite being held) where he used his hands effectively and shielded the cornerback, offering a preview of what his size could bring.
- The disparity in penalties from Thursday night should be noted. The Ravens committed 6 penalties to New Orleans’ 16. With many rookies playing big minutes, a mere 6 penalties is an impressive tribute to the team’s discipline and attention to detail.
First-round draft pick Breshad Perriman remains sidelined with a knee injury. Coach Harbaugh told reporters today that Perriman’s MRI came back “normal” but he is simply healing slowly.
