Baltimore Ravens Position-by-Position: What We've Learned so Far

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Ladies and gentlemen, football is back. Well, fake football is. The Ravens began their quest for a Lombardi trophy with a 31-17 preseason victory over the Atlanta Falcons last Thursday.

However, wins and losses are meaningless in the preseason. Teams usually display vanilla offensive game plans and allow their young players to get acclimated to the speed of the pro game.

With their first preseason game and two weeks of training camp in the books, the Baltimore Ravens still have several questions to answer before the season begins.

Quarterbacks

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Curtis Painter for quarterback!! Not really, but "Thor" did throw three touchdown passes and looked pretty good against the Falcons' second-stringers. If he continues to play well there's a chance he could be named the No. 2 quarterback, given his experience starting in Indy.

Tyrod Taylor is a very talented guy but his arm is still far too inconsistent. He finished with eight completions on 17 attempts. He did, however, lead the team in rushing. The ideal fit for Taylor in 2012 is going to be utilizing his legs, not his arm.

It's safe to say Joe Flacco's job is safe. The Ravens offense did start the game with three-and-outs on their first three drives, but Flacco ended up finding Ed Dickson in the end zone in the second quarter. Look for Flacco to get more work in the next two games to work out the kinks.

Running Backs

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With Bernard Pierce sidelined for the team's first preseason game it was another rookie that made his name known.

Bobby Rainey, an undrafted speedster out of Western Kentucky, looked good running the ball and showed his pass-catching ability with a 18-yard touchdown reception.

With Damien Berry and Anthony Allen both struggling, look for Rainey (pictured above) to get a serious look when the final rosters are decided if he keeps up his versatile production.

That being said, there's a chance that the team's backup to Ray Rice is not on the roster yet. Ozzie Newsome and company could still make a move if a veteran is available during camp.

Wide Receivers

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Against the Falcons, a total of 14 players caught passes for the Ravens but let's look at the guys that turned some heads and could make an impact in the regular season.

The sky is the limit this season for Torrey Smith and hopefully the ankle sprain he suffered in Atlanta won't force him to miss too much time.

The rookie receiver that's been making the most noise so far in camp is Deonte Thompson, who kept things rolling against the Falcons with a touchdown catch. Thompson could beat out guys like David Reed and fellow rookie Tommy Streeter for a roster spot.

Tight Ends

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Both Ed Dickson and newcomer Billy Bajema caught touchdown passes but fans are still ready to hear about the status of Dennis Pitta. Either way there is decent depth at this position so the team should be fine until Pitta returns.

Second-year guy Davon Drew was targeted twice but didn't register a catch against the Falcons. With Bajema's superior blocking skills, he could edge out Drew as the third-string tight end.

Bruce Figgins and Matt Balasavage are long shots to even make the Ravens practice squad.

Offensive Linemen

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We still don't know who will play where, but we basically know which offensive linemen will make the team.

Bobbie Williams is dealing with a swollen ankle but should be fine for the Ravens preseason matchup with the Lions on Friday.

The Falcons managed three sacks last Thursday but overall the offensive line played well. There shouldn't be any doubts about Bryant McKinnie regaining his left tackle spot. Oher is better suited for right tackle at this point in his career.

Ramon Harewood played pretty well and, with his size, would make for excellent depth if any injuries pop up during the season.

Defensive Linemen

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The biggest injury to come out of the team's first preseason game was the loss of Ryan McBean to a broken ankle.

Ma'ake Kemoeatu has been one of the biggest surprises during camp and according to Coach Harbaugh, he is "pushing" Terrence Cody for a starting spot. Hopefully he isn't trying to literally push Cody who, at 349 pounds, you would probably need a forklift to move.

It is still going to be interesting to see whether Pernell McPhee (pictured above) or Arthur Jones gets more playing time during the regular season. Neither has really separated themselves from the other during camp thus far. If McPhee doesn't make the team, however, he might have a career as a silhouette model.

Linebackers

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Ravens fans would love to see Courtney Upshaw on the field more. He did participate in last Sunday's open practice and will hopefully make his NFL debut this week when the Lions come to town.

With the departure of Jarret Johnson and the injury to Terrell Suggs, Albert McClellan is a guy the team needs to step up and he has. He's received glowing remarks from head coach John Harbaugh and backed it up with a sack against the Falcons.

This kid Ray Lewis (pictured above) is going to be a really good player. Remember that name.

Secondary

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Cary Williams, starting for the injured Jimmy Smith, got embarrassed by Julio Jones during the team's first preseason game. His roster spot is safe but he's clearly more effective in limited duty.

On the other hand, undrafted rookie Omar Brown might have gone from on the bubble to an NFL roster spot with his performance in Atlanta. He finished with an interception and two fumble recoveries. With the departures of Zbikowski and Nakamura in the offseason, the Ravens could definitely use the depth at the safety position.

Ed Reed started against the Falcons in the preseason opener but didn't play long. He was often seen backpedaling as Julio Jones blew past him. He's still one of the best safeties in the game but still needs time to get in game shape.

Special Teams

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Billy Cundiff (pictured above) is not a favorite of Ravens fans but he will need to have a total collapse over the final three preseason jobs to lose his job.

Justin Tucker hasn't looked like a rookie, hitting a 36-yard field goal and three extra points in the Falcons game. He's also been routinely nailing 50+ yard kicks in training camp, and according to several media members who have attended camp, he's outperformed Cundiff. Still, it appears like the team will stick with Cundiff barring any huge drop-off in performance. Great.

 

Phil Gentile covers the Ravens for Bleacher Report. Obviously. He can be reached on Twitter at @iHateJJRedick