How Many Ravens Running Backs in 2016?
The Baltimore Ravens 2016 Training Camp is quickly approaching and before we know it, the coaches will have to trim the roster down from 90 to 75 to 53.
As is the case with each season, there are a lot of returning and well-established players at each position. The 2016 roster is more interesting than it has been in the past. There are a lot of unknowns at a lot of positions and even some of the undrafted free agent rookies have a legitimate shot to make the final-53.
Positions like quarterback may as well be set in stone and unless the 30-year old Joe Flacco physically cannot suit up, he is going to be the starter. Ryan Mallett played well enough in 2015 to warrant the back up spot. However there are a few positions are most interesting and worth keeping an eye on during training camp – the backfield is one of those positions to watch this August.
How many will the Ravens carry?
• Returning Players: Justin Forsett, Javorius “Buck” Allen, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Kyle Juszczyk, and Terrance West.
• Newcomers: Trent Richardson and Kenneth Dixon.
2015 Season Recap
Before going down with a broken arm, Forsett averaged 4.2 yards per carry and amassed 641 yards and 2 touchdowns in 10 games. This was a far cry from his 2014 season where he racked up 1,266 yards and 8 scores while averaging 5.4 yards per carry. It’s tough to say if Forsett will ever get back to his 2014 statistics because, frankly, that was a byproduct of Gary Kubiak’s offense. Marc Trestman likes to throw the ball a lot more than Kubiak did. So, while the rushing totals aren’t expected to be astounding, we can count on the Ravens’ backs to be asked to produce a lot more.
[Related: 2016 Positional Preview: Secondary]
Buck Allen showed some flashes after taking over as the feature back and gained 514 yards and 1 touchdown while averaging 3.8 yards per carry. Allen also showcased his hands out of the backfield with 353 receiving yards on 45 receptions and 2 scores. Terrance West rounded out the backfield last year and even though he only got a handful of snaps, he looked fairly pedestrian, which is what you’d expect from a 3rd string player.
Outlook For 2016
Some may be of the mindset that Justin Forsett could be cut because of his age (will be 31 in October), his price tag, injury hangover, and a down year (statistically). I’m not among them.
For starters, Forsett’s locker room presence cannot be overlooked. Let’s face it folks, the Ravens have struggled with leadership on and off the field for a few seasons now. Forsett isn’t the loud “rah rah” guy that Ray Lewis was, but he is a steady, confident presence. On the field, I think he is a good fit for Mark Trestman’s offense, as Forsett is excellent out of the backfield as a receiver.
Another fan-created rumor making its way around Ravens message boards and social media sites is that Marc Trestman doesn’t use the fullback position in his game plan, so therefore Kyle “Juice-Check” is probably not going to make the final-53. Fans also point to the fact that the Ravens have about 563 tight ends on the roster at the moment; all of which can function as short-yardage pass catchers.
I can’t see the Ravens letting KJ go. Not only is he one of the more consistent receivers on the team (as evidenced by his 73% catch rate in 2015), but he’s also a good blocker. Oh, and he just turned 25 in April. It is true that the fullback position is a bit antiquated in today’s modern NFL offenses, but KJ is much more than just a plodding body mover.
As of now, look for the Ravens to keep 4 RBs (not including “Juice-Check”). I think two of those spots belong to Buck Allen and Kenneth Dixon. The jobs are theirs to lose. Allen played well last year considering he was a rookie and his ability, as a receiver, cannot be ignored. Dixon is also quite the receiver and – while at Louisiana Tech – drew a lot of comparisons to former All-Pro backs Ladainian Tomlinson and Marshall Faulk.
The fourth spot is going to be the most interesting battle and it will boil down to Lorenzo Taliaferro, Terrance West and Trent Richardson. At one point, I was pulling hard for Richardson (love a good comeback story), but he hasn’t been able to participate during the off-season due to a nagging knee injury. Unless he is phenomenal during training camp practices and games (and when I say phenomenal…I mean like Barry Sanders circa 1997 phenomenal), he’s as good as gone.
The battle will come down to Taliaferro and West and all reports from off-season activities have been that West is in fantastic shape, he’s immersed into the offensive design, he understands his assignments, and he’s on a mission to contribute to the Ravens in 2016 (and likely get a long term contract).
For the moment, West gets the nod and he will stick on the final-53.
Who’s In? Who’s Out?
• Justin Forsett – In, Starter
• Javorius “Buck” Allen – In, Starter/Major Contributor
• Kenneth Dixon – In, Contributor, Special Teams
• Terrence West – In, Contributor, Special Teams
• Lorenzo Taliaferro – Out
• Trent Richardson – Out
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