Baltimore Ravens Face Tough Choices at Backup Quarterback

As the Baltimore Ravens put the wraps on the preseason with a 20-19 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the tough decisions are on the horizon. This final game is the last gasp for all the “bubble” players, whose futures are teetering ever so precariously on the opinion of the coaches.

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One position where Baltimore is going to have a tough decision is at quarterback. No silly, this isn’t about Joe Flacco. His spot at the leader of this offense is locked down and secure. However, the battle to be his backup really heated up on Thursday night.

In this corner we have Matt Schaub. The wily veteran, Schaub has 90 career starts, 24,311 yards passing and 11 seasons in the league on his side. During the 2015 preseason, Schaub has played better than he has practiced. Against the Falcons, Schaub went 7-for-7 for 88 yards including this beautiful deep throw to wide receiver Marlon Brown.

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4th week of the preseason? Doesn't matter. Marlon Brown with still make a 42-yard fingertip catch. #BALvsATL http://t.co/AhG60thqMv

— NFL (@NFL) September 3, 2015"

Biggest negative on Schaub? The fact that according to overthecap.com, Schaub is set to make $2 million this season, guaranteed. So, if the Ravens did opt to cut him loose, they have to hope another team signs him and is willing to pay him that much. If not, they have to eat that contract.

In the other corner, we have the youngster Bryn Renner. Renner found his way to the Ravens via the University of North Carolina as an undrafted free agent after the 2014 NFL draft. Renner had a solid, but not spectacular, career in college, but watching him play in preseason, that seems like a lifetime ago.

Against the Falcons, Renner was spot-on. He went 18-for-24 for 128 yards and two touchdowns. He shows excellent zip on his throws and did a nice job working through his progressions and delivering the football with excellent timing. Obviously, Renner’s lack of experience is a huge negative for him, but his $435,000 salary, none of which is guaranteed, is a big plus.

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So, with the regular season only a week away, what will the Ravens do? The easiest solution is for Baltimore to carry three quarterbacks into the season. Whichever guy the Ravens name the backup would be active each week, and the other would be deactivated.

It’s similar to the situation the Pittsburgh Steelers have had the past two seasons with backup Bruce Gradkowski and third-string quarterback Landry Jones.

Baltimore could try and stash Renner on the practice squad, but that would be a mistake. With his strong preseason and the dire state of the NFL quarterback right now, he would get plucked in a hurry. If Baltimore did that and a team tried to get him, it could cost them a lot more to keep him with the Ravens.

Finally, Baltimore could cut one of them. Cutting Schaub would open the door for the young quarterback to learn from Flacco. On the other side, cutting the youngster means the backup position is being watched over by an experienced veteran. It is going to be a very interesting couple of days as Baltimore sorts out its backup quarterback conundrum.