Baltimore Ravens: 3 Most Crucial Training-Camp Position Battles to Watch

We're now just two weeks from the start of NFL training camp. 

The Baltimore Ravens will enter camp with much of their roster from last year intact. That team went 10-6 in the regular season and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs before their season ended with a loss at New England. 

However, there will still be several important battles at positions where Baltimore lost key starters this offseason. While the Ravens have players capable of filling these spots, you can expect heated competition for those starting roles over the next month. 

Here's a look at Baltimore's three most critical position battles heading into training camp. 

3. Free Safety

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Baltimore lost starting free safety Darian Stewart this offseason when he signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency.

Stewart joined Baltimore last year and started 14 of 16 games while registering 53 total tackles and one interception. He did a good job of protecting the back end of Baltimore's defense, and finding another reliable safety like him will be critical in training camp. 

With Stewart gone, the Ravens signed Kendrick Lewis this offseason. He was a full-time starting safety for the Houston Texans last season.

In 16 games, Lewis registered 84 tackles, six passes defensed and two interceptions. He has 66 career starts under his belt with the Texans and Kansas City Chiefs, and he's the early favorite to replace Stewart at free safety. 

However, Lewis will face a challenge from third-year safety Matt Elam. Though he's more suited at strong safety, Elam spent most his rookie season as the starting free safety. 

He finished 2013 with a modest minus-3.4 grade from Pro Football Focus while playing mostly at free safety. However, that number dipped significantly to minus-16 in 2014 when he played both safety spots, as well as slot cornerback.

While the 2013 first-round draft pick out of Florida possesses a lot of talent, he's not shown enough consistency to usurp a quality vet like Lewis for a starting spot. 

2. Tight End

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When healthy, Dennis Pitta was one of the better tight ends in the NFL. 

However, he hasn't been healthy since 2012. That year saw Pitta haul in 61 passes for 669 yards and seven scores while helping lead Baltimore to a Super Bowl title. 

Since then, he has suffered two major hip injuries that have resulted in his playing in just seven games over the past two seasons. While he's hopeful he'll play this year, Pitta has yet to be medically cleared for full football activities, per BaltimoreRavens.com. 

Even if he does play this year, there's no assurance he'll be the starter after Baltimore drafted Minnesota's Maxx Williams this year. The Ravens traded up to get Williams in Round 2 of this year's draft, and he was viewed as one of the top tight end prospects, if not the top. 

Williams is talented enough to win the starting job as a rookie, but Pitta will be a strong contender for it as well if he is medically cleared. 

The only other guy who is competing for this starting spot is Crockett Gillmore. Drafted in the third round out of Colorado State last year, he caught just 10 passes for 121 yards and one score as a rookie. 

Gillmore did catch a critical 21-yard touchdown pass during Baltimore's 30-17 victory at Pittsburgh in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how big of a jump he makes in his second NFL season.

As of now though, it looks like the starting tight end spot will come down to Pitta and Williams, with the rookie being the slight favorite. 

1. Wide Receiver

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The Ravens were hit hard on the wide receiver front this offseason while losing a lot of production. 

The biggest loss came in the form of Torrey Smith, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. In four seasons with the Ravens, he had 213 receptions for 3,591 yards (16.9 YPC) and 30 touchdowns, all of which were team highs over that span.

Those 30 touchdowns are also a franchise record. Smith's departure has left a starting receiver spot up for grabs, but who will fill it? 

Steve Smith Sr. is all but a lock for one of the starting receiver spots. He caught 79 passes for 1,065 yards and six touchdowns in 2014. However, the 36-year-old caught just 42 passes for 425 yards and two scores over Baltimore's final nine games of the regular season. 

Age appeared to catch up with him as the season wore on. Whoever the starting receiver next to him is this year needs to be capable of producing like a No. 1 receiver if Smith continues to decline. 

As of now, the top three guys back from last year are Michael Campanaro, Kamar Aiken and Marlon Brown. Those three combined for just 55 catches for 624 yards and four scores in 2014. 

Also joining this position battle is UCF receiver Breshad Perriman, whom Baltimore took in the first round in this year's NFL draft.

Perriman was a deep-threat specialist who caught 115 passes for 2,243 yards (19.5 YPC) and 16 scores over three years in college. He's the slight favorite to start next to Smith, but he'll have to beat out those other experienced receivers for the job. 

Aiken is the likeliest challenger for the starting spot. A career journeyman entering his fifth NFL season, he caught 24 passes for 267 yards and three scores last year. 

He also returned a blocked punt for a score against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Aiken was the only receiver other than Torrey and Smith to catch more than one touchdown last year.

Aiken showed some nice promise, but Perriman is the more talented player. This will be a great battle to watch in training camp and through the preseason.