:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49453747/usa-today-8271300.0.jpg)
The Baltimore Ravens drafted 11 players in the 2016 NFL Draft and with the way the Ravens ended the season in 2015 with a 5-11 record, there is a good chance that quite a few players will be replaced. The Ravens looked for reliable depth along the offensive line and drafted offensive tackles in Ronnie Stanley and Alex Lewis. The Ravens also addressed depth in the pass rushing department, secondary and at runningback. So who stays?
Let's look at an overview of the roster and see which players at certain positions are on the hot seat.
Notable players most likely on the hot seat at wide receiver:
- Michael Campanaro
- Marlon Brown
- Kaelin Clay
- Daniel Brown
Who did the Ravens draft? Ravens drafted Keenan Reynolds in the sixth round and Chris Moore in the fourth round.
All four players listed above in the bullets are playing for two spots because Steve Smith Sr., Mike Wallace, Kamar Aiken and Breshad Perriman are locks to stay on the team. Butler looks like he is a solid lock so that makes five wide receivers.
The Ravens carried seven wide receivers for a decent portion of the 2015 season and could do it again. Campanaro needs to stay healthy if he wants to stay on the Ravens 53 man roster at the least. Marlon Brown hasn't been productive since his rookie year in 2013 so this is most likely his last shot to stick with the Ravens.
Clay is about to be in a serious competition with Reynolds because Reynolds will be asked to play as a kick returner and punt returner. With Daniel Brown, he could just be a victim of the number's game.
Notable players who are most likely on the hot seat at runningback:
- Lorenzo Taliaferro
- Terrance West
- Trent Richardson
- Terrence Magee
Who did the Ravens draft at runningback? Kenneth Dixon in the fourth round.
Taliaferro can't stay healthy. When he is healthy, he is the kind of bruising runningback the Ravens need. But with Taliaffero going on injured reserve in each of the last two seasons, his days could be numbered. With West and Richardson, both players have to really show massive improvement in order to stay on the Ravens 53 man roster.
Between West and Richardson, Richardson probably has a better shot of making the team because he is a change up to what the Ravens already have at runningback. Justin Forsett, Buck Allen and now Kenneth Dixon are all similar players in terms of size and Richardson could be the big bruiser on short down situations that the Ravens need.
Magee, like Daniel Brown at wide receiver, would most likely be a victim of the number's game.
Notable players who are most likely on the hot seat along the offensive line:
- Eugene Monroe
- James Hurst
- De'Ondre Wesley
- Leon Brown
Who did the Ravens draft along the offensive line? Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley in the first round and Alex Lewis in the fourth round.
Monroe is the biggest name so far that I have listed. When the Ravens signed Monroe to a five year deal worth 37.5 million during the 2014 offseason, everyone thought that the left tackle position was one that the Ravens didn't have to worry about for a long time. Well, the Ravens decided to draft Stanley and he is a direct threat to Monroe's job security.
I don't expect Monroe to be cut or traded this offseason. However, during the 2017 offseason if Monroe doesn't stay healthy and be productive, then that could be the time Monroe's days with the Ravens are over. With Hurst, he just hasn't been productive enough as a backup left tackle for the Ravens. The Ravens need security behind Monroe to protect quarterback Joe Flacco so at this point Stanley and Lewis will be the backup left tackles in all likelihood if Monroe is the starter at the position.
With Leon Brown and Wesley, they could very well be a victim of the number's game.
Players who are most likely on the hot seat along the defensive line:
- Kapron Lewis-Moore
- Brent Urban
- Carl Davis
- Capi Nordly
Who did the Ravens draft along the defensive line? Bronson Kaufusi in the third round and Willie Henry in the fourth round.
Moore has mainly been a rotational guy with the Ravens in his thee seasons with the team from 2013-2015. Moore unfortunately suffered a torn ACL in 2013 while at Notre Dame and suffered a torn Achilles in 2014 with the Ravens. At this point, Moore is going to have to work hard and improve in a big way over the course of the 2016 offseason. He isn't much of a pass rusher, which puts him in a tough position entering the 2016 preseason.
Urban, like Moore, unfortunately dealt with an injury of his own during the 2014 offseason as he tore his ACL ending his season and then tore his Biceps in training camp in 2015. Urban (Despite returning to the field in the middle of the 2015 season) doesn't have time on his side and he is going to have to show flashes of production over the next few months in the pass rushing department in all likelihood.
Davis is a guy who could be a surprise to leave the Ravens early after being drafted in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Usually the Ravens hang on to third rounders for a little while but he could be the exception to the rule. Not to single Davis out, but the fact that the Ravens drafted two defensive lineman this year in the third and fourth round respectively is a bit of a signal that the Ravens wanted to see more out of him. I think Davis stays, but you never know.
Nordly would be a victim of the number's game and possibly be a candidate to land on the practice squad.
Overall
We could be in for some surprise cuts this year you never know. But when the Ravens draft 11 players in a single draft, that is obviously a sign that the organization wants a change in talent in a big way. I don't know who will stay on the roster, but it is clear that players who were already on the bubble, will have to step up their game quickly.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6285217/ravensnationFIN.0.png)