Baltimore Ravens: Start, Keep, Cut All Offensive Positions Edition

Between now and Aug. 31st, the Baltimore Ravens must whittle down their current 90-man roster to the 53-man squad that will start the season in Denver.

General manager Ozzie Newsome and head coach John Harbaugh will be discussing the team's strengths and weaknesses and figuring out who makes the cut. They will be basing their decision on how players perform in practice and in the preseason games.

There are a number of extremely difficult decisions to be made, mostly at wide receiver and tight end. The new additions of Brandon Stokley and Dallas Clark only complicate matters, but they will strengthen the roster in the long run.

Here’s a breakdown of job security by position, and my predictions for who makes the final roster.

The Quarterbacks

Start: Joe Flacco

Quite simply, you don’t pay a man $120.6 million to sit on the bench.

Keep: Tyrod Taylor

Taylor has been the lone backup for the past two seasons. An impressive preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-of-23 for 154 yards and two TDs) only gives the coaching staff more reason to have faith in the dual-threat QB from Virginia Tech.

Cut: Caleb Hanie

The only way that Caleb Hanie makes the roster is if the coaching staff wants to include Tyrod Taylor in offensive packages on a regular basis. While I’m sure the offensive coaches would like to play around with this, Joe Flacco’s ironman durability makes it unwise to waste a very valuable roster spot on a third-string quarterback.

The Fullbacks

Start: Vonta Leach

The Baltimore Ravens are going to have to lean on their running game more than they anticipated after Dennis Pitta went down for the year. Luckily, they have two very capable running backs and the best fullback in the NFL to lead that rushing attack.

Leach’s snap count may continue to decrease, but he is a vital part of the Ravens offense.

Keep: Kyle Juszczyk

Don’t read too much into the re-signing of Vonta Leach. That was what the Ravens wanted all along, and it is not an indicator that Juszczyk has failed to impress in training camp.

The Harvard rookie is versatile and has excellent hands. Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com speculates that he could even get reps out of the slot since he's such a good receiver.

The Running Backs

Start: Ray Rice

Despite the fact that Bernard Pierce did indeed have a great rookie year, Ray Rice is still the man in Baltimore. The workhorse back leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage since 2009, when he took over the starting role.

While his workload will decrease slightly, Rice is the unquestioned starter.

Keep: Bernard Pierce

Pierce kept improving throughout his rookie year, and over the second half of the season, he averaged 10 rushing attempts per game. The third-round pick adds another element to the running game, finishing third in the league in average yards after contact per attempt.

The addition of Pierce’s thunder to Rice’s lightning is a deadly combination, and it should give the Ravens a scary one-two punch.

Keep: Anthony Allen

Anthony Allen’s role on the Baltimore Ravens is on special teams, but it’s a role in which he excelled last year. He was the lead blocker on returns, paving the way for Jacoby Jones’ Pro Bowl season as a returner.

Allen’s vision as a running back allows him to find creases in the return coverage. Both Jones and Special Teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg have credited Allen as being a large part of the Ravens’ league-leading return unit last season (via CBSSports.com)

His special teams prowess should be enough to get him on the roster once again, but having two excellent running backs ahead of him will prevent Allen from getting snaps on offense.

Cut: Bobby Rainey

Rainey used last year's preseason to impress coaches and earn a spot on the 2013 roster. Unfortunately, he was on the final roster for only 10 days before the Ravens released him in favor of Anthony Allen and his aforementioned special teams skills.

Rainey may once again fall victim to the numbers game. It will take sustained brilliance during the preseason from him to unseat Allen as the third running back.

Cut: Damien Berry

Berry just doesn’t bring as much to the table as the other four running backs. The Ravens only kept three running backs on the roster last year, and that number will likely stay the same given the two fullbacks that will make the roster.

The Wide Receivers

Start: Torrey Smith

Torrey Smith is the one receiver that isn’t a question mark for the Baltimore Ravens. He’ll become the focal point of the passing attack this season and one of the leaders of the offense.

Start: Tandon Doss

The Ravens are blessed with an abundance of speed in their receiving corps, which gives them the opportunity to boast a vertical passing attack from both outside the numbers and from the slot. While this plays to Joe Flacco’s downfield strength, someone needs to step up and replace Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta as Flacco’s short and intermediate targets.

Tandon Doss was drafted for his prowess as a possession receiver and was handpicked by Joe Flacco for his excellent receiving abilities. Doss has the most experience among the young receivers, so he should have the upper hand early.

Keep: Jacoby Jones

I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think Jacoby Jones is a No. 2 wide receiver. He was excellent as a No. 3 wideout and kick returner extraordinaire, but his route tree is limited to downfield bombs, and drops have been an issue for him in the past.

Expect him to return in the same role as last year.

Keep: Brandon Stokley

A crowded position battle got jam-packed when the Ravens added the 14-year veteran to the roster. Stokley has been a free agent since March, so it’s not an opportunistic signing a la Elvis Dumervil. The 37-year-old still has plenty left in the tank, as he seemed rejuvenated last year playing with Peyton Manning (No. 18 has a tendency to do that).

He’s an excellent route-runner with great hands, and he should give the Ravens a reliable intermediate threat and competition for Tandon Doss.

Keep: Deonte Thompson

Even on a roster with Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones, Deonte Thompson is probably the fastest player on the team. Offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell told Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun that Thompson is a “gifted route-runner” and he appears to be the complete package.

This position battle is going to continue throughout the year unless someone separates himself from the pack, and I expect Thompson to take over the starting role at some point in the regular season.

Keep: David Reed

The last WR spot is a battle between LaQuan Williams, Aaron Mellette and David Reed. The Ravens place a premium on their draft picks, but Mellette is making the transition from FCS to the NFL and probably has to hone his skills.

Both Reed and Williams are special teams contributors. Reed led the NFL in average kickoff return yardage in 2011, and has more upside as a receiver than Williams which leads me to believe he'll get the last roster spot for the receivers.

Cut: LaQuan Williams

Williams is once again doing all the right things in training camp and the preseason. He is a great special teams player with a nose for the ball, as evidenced by his two fumble recoveries against Tampa Bay.

While special teams are greatly valued in Baltimore, Williams has less upside as a receiver, which will ultimately cost him a roster spot.

Cut: Tommy Streeter, Aaron Mellette and Marlon Brown

This trio of wide receivers is young, talented and raw. All of them are big too (Streeter and Brown are 6’5”, Mellette is 6’2”), and their size and potential in the red zone will keep them on the Ravens radar. Ultimately, they are still too raw to leapfrog any of the receivers listed ahead of them, and they will all be candidates for the practice squad.

Cut: Gerrard Sheppard and Rashaad Carter

They were signed for training camp competition, but there are too many other receivers for them to merit serious consideration for the 53-man roster.

The Tight Ends

Start: Ed Dickson

Dickson was going to see a lot of playing time anyway, but Pitta’s injury makes him the starter and possibly the only tight end that will get a significant number of snaps.

Keep: Dallas Clark

Clark is a good complement to Ed Dickson as an intermediate route runner with exceptional hands. According to Sarah Ellison of BaltimoreRavens.com, Coach Harbaugh has made it clear that neither Stokley nor Clark are guaranteed roster spots.

They merely have the chance to compete for a starting job, but Clark is a better fit than Visanthe Shiancoe, and I think he’ll become the second TE with the chance to become one of Flacco's security blankets.

Keep: Billy Bajema

The Ravens only use their third tight end as a blocker, and Bajema is very good in that role. He’s not a receiving threat by any stretch, but he’s the best blocking tight end out of the bunch.

Injured Reserve: Dennis Pitta

Pitta will be on Injured Reserve after suffering a season-ending hip injury.

Cut: Visanthe Shiancoe

Shiancoe had a number of solid seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and is hoping to return to that form with the Ravens. With the plethora of receivers on the roster, the Ravens probably won’t use two-TE formations that much, so they don’t need a third tight end with receiving capabilities.

Shiancoe is not as effective in the short passing game as Dallas Clark, which makes him expendable.

Cut: Matt Furstenburg

According to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun, the undrafted rookie out of Maryland has done well so far in training camp. If it were purely based on talent and potential, Furstenburg would definitely be ahead of Bajema, but the latter is a better and more proven blocker.

Furstenburg will get a lot of playing time in the preseason games, so he has the chance to make some plays and earn his roster spot.

Cut: Alex Silvestro

We haven’t heard much about Silvestro during training camp, and that’s not a good sign for him. There’s too much depth for him to make the roster.

The Left Tackles

Start: Bryant McKinnie

Despite incorporating boxing and tennis into his offseason workouts, McKinnie was still held out of the first training camp practice for being too heavy, according Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com.

Regardless, he is the best left tackle that the Ravens have, and he will be the starter on opening day.

Keep: Rick Wagner

The fifth-round pick comes from that offensive lineman factory known as the University of Wisconsin. He’s smart, tough and quite versatile. One thing the Ravens covet in their offensive linemen (especially their backups) is the ability to play multiple positions, and Wagner fits the bill.

Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun reported that Wagner can play both guard and tackle spots, but his primary role will be at left tackle.

Cut: Rogers Gaines

The Tennessee State product was dominant in college, averaging six pancake blocks per game. He won’t be able to rely on physical dominance in the pros, however, and he’ll end up getting cut.

The Left Guards

Start: Kelechi Osemele

Osemele started every regular-season game at tackle, where he had his ups and downs. It was to be expected from a rookie, but he excelled when he moved inside to guard during the playoff run.

Osemele is not only the starter, but coaches have, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com, Pro Bowl expectations for the second-year player from Iowa State.

Keep: Ramon Harewood

Harewood started the first six games last year at left guard, a position that was a revolving door for the Ravens, as four different players started at least four games there. Harewood lost his job to Bobbie Williams, but was re-signed on a one-year contract.

He is capable of switching between tackle and guard, and he will provide offensive-line depth this season.

Cut: Antoine McClain

McClain spent last year on the practice squad, but there is too much competition for him to earn a roster spot.

The Centers

Start: Gino Gradkowski

Gradkowski was drafted with the intention of replacing Matt Birk, and he has yet to disappoint. Perhaps the biggest vote of confidence has come from Joe Flacco.

Flacco praised Gradkowski's knowledge of the offense and ability in training camp to keep up with the pace of the no-huddle attack (via The Baltimore Sun).

Keep: A.Q. Shipley

Shipley has played tremendously during the offseason, and has made the competition for the starting center spot extremely interesting. Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com reports that Coach Harbaugh has been very impressed with Shipley’s play.

I still think it’s Gradkowski’s job to lose, and so far he has been excellent, which will relegate Shipley to a backup role.

Injured Reserve: Ryan Jensen

The Ravens hate cutting their draft picks, but it didn’t seem like Jensen was ready to contribute to the team this year after making the jump from Division II to the NFL.

A potential blessing in disguise for both Jensen and Baltimore is that he broke his foot in late July. This will probably mean he’ll end up on injured reserve, giving him a year to learn with the team without taking up a roster spot.

Cut: Reggie Stephens

Stephens has bounced around four different practice squads since being drafted by Cincinnati in 2010. He won’t be able to latch on in Baltimore either, with two high-quality centers providing the necessary depth.

The Right Guards

Start: Marshal Yanda

ProFootballFocus ranked Yanda as the second-best guard in the NFL last season. He was dealing with a shoulder injury earlier in training camp, but he has since returned to practice and will be the Week 1 starter.

Keep: Jah Reid

Reid started the last seven regular-season games at left guard for the Ravens before a toe injury ended his season in Week 17.

The injury forced Baltimore to reinsert Bryant McKinnie into the starting lineup and reshuffle the entire line, but the end result was a more dominant line that helped propel Joe Flacco toward his historic postseason run.

Reid is now healthy again, and he should get a roster spot as a backup capable of playing tackle and guard.

Cut: Jack Cornell

The undrafted free agent generated some buzz last offseason and earned a spot on the Ravens’ practice squad. He has good size, is very versatile and even caught the eye of Ozzie Newsome last summer, according to BaltimoreRavens.com’s Ryan Mink.

The Ravens will want to keep him around, so I see him making the practice squad again this year.

The Right Tackles

Start: Michael Oher

After switching between the tackle spots over the course of his career, Oher told BaltimoreRavens.com that he is happy to have some consistency and line up at right tackle this season.

Cut: Jordan Devey

According to The Baltimore Sun, Devey received one of the largest signing bonuses of the undrafted rookies this year. His potential impressed Baltimore, but he’s not ready to make the active roster yet.

Cut: Joe Unga

The undrafted Division-II product is the largest rookie on the roster right now, but he needs some refinement before being in the conversation to make the 53-man roster.

Cut: David Mims

Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com reports that David Mims was on Baltimore’s radar before the 2012 draft, and they signed him to a future-reserve contract in January. The 6’8” behemoth has potential as a tackle, but he won’t make the active roster.