WR's Competing for 2 Roster Spots

[sflegend89]

Assuming we will only carry 6 wr's like we have in 2012 and years prior there's only 2 spots really up for grabs at wr on the 53. Let's break down the wr situation with the addition of Stokley:

 

Locks:

 

1. Torrey Smith

 

2. Jacoby Jones

 

Virtual Locks:

 

3. Brandon Stokley - Skill set fits what we need out of a reliable slot wr. Good chance Broncos would've brought him back had they not upgraded to Welker who's basically just a better (younger) version of Stokley. Seems highly likely he'll get on the 53.

 

4. Tandon Doss - If you read my posts on here you know I'm not a big fan of Doss but the coaching staff obviously likes him and has tried to get him involved with the 1st team offense quite a lot so far this training camp. Doss being a 4th round pick probably has a lot to do with that, he's the highest drafted wr left by far at this point on the depth chart. We have a 4th selection invested in him and the majority of the remaining wr's are UDFA's. We're looking to get a return on our investment and Doss basically makes the team on that merit alone, he isn't as expendable as the remaining wr's because we spent a mid round pick on him. Like Stokley, Doss has an inside lane to a roster spot.

 

 

Now here's the Real Competition (Spots 5 and 6):

 

Deonte Thompson - Was considered an early favorite for the #3 wr spot but his stock hasn't exactly been on the rise as of late. I think he will take that 5th spot and compete for playing time this year.. DT's the closest wr in this group to that "Virtual Locks" category but he's not quite a shoe in just yet. Further Injury concerns and drops could bring down his value but I expect him to get going on a positive note and make this football team.

 

LaQuan Williams - Truly a player on the bubble in this current wr situation. His recent play gives him a solid push towards making the 53 after showing his worth as a ST'er as well as a possible breakout wr. His performance in these next 2 pre-season games will be crucial for the coaching staff giving him the nod on the 6th and final wr spot. As of right now LaQuan is my last wr in.

 

David Reed - This might be the biggest mystery in the bunch. Where do the coaches stand on David Reed currently? We know he's injured and missed the 1st pre-season game. Hard to imagine the headache that is David Reed making our 53 yet again this year but he is a good ST player and that's why he's even stayed on the team this long. This is the hardest player to gauge for me because we usually do keep a couple players on the 53 as ST specialists. If we were to carry 7 wr's it would have to be so David Reed can be one of those ST specialists. Worst case scenario he actually bumps DT or LaQuan off and we still only carry 6 wr's but I think we're all really hoping that won't be the case.

 

Aaron Mellette - I would consider him the dark horse to make the 53. Most likely he'll end up on the PS though. I can't see him playing his way on the 53 out right, it would take a snag from DT or LaQuan in the remainder of the preseason to open up a spot for him. 

 

Marlon Brown - The 6'5 UDFA out of Georgia is a long shot to get on the 53 but I can't count him out like his fellow UDFA wr's Gerrard Sheppard and Marcus Rivers. I personally think Brown is already better then Tommie Streeter who was included on the PS squad last year, so Brown should be one of the top players considered when it comes time for coaches to select players for the PS this year. Like Mellette it would take a snag from DT or LaQuan to get him legitimately in the discussion.

 

Tommie Streeter: Long time favorite on the boards here but the hype alone without any sort of results is really starting to wear thin. Since we IR'd him his rookie year he has one more year of eligibility left on our PS. However if the coaches see him as too big of a project at the NFL level then he might be cut so we can open a spot on the PS for a player with a more of a realistic chance at getting on the 53 in the near future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rmw10]

Give me Deonte and one of Reed/LaQuan.  I'd like to see Mellette and Brown stashed or put on the PS.  Streeter can go for all I care after his performance the other night.

[Ravens1991]

I think Reed will make the team. Harbs seems to love the guy and he did recently sign a multi year deal last off season. I think we keep Smith/Jones/Stokely/Doss/Thompson/Reed if we needed a 53 man roster today.  We cut Streeter and IR stash Mellette/Brown.  Though it will be real tough to cut LaQuan Williams.

[SecretAgentMan]

Give me Deonte and one of Reed/LaQuan. I'd like to see Mellette and Brown stashed or put on the PS. Streeter can go for all I care after his performance the other night.

This.

[GrimCoconut]

I'd like Reed on the team. He has injury issues so that does concern me but he's a quality ST player and he looked pretty good at times as a WR. If he's always hurt he's no use to us though.

Reed, Brown, Thompson are my top three guys for the last two spots. Mellette is in the discussion but right now I'm not sure he's got it more than those. Williams and Mellette are close.

[GrimCoconut]

Give me Deonte and one of Reed/LaQuan. I'd like to see Mellette and Brown stashed or put on the PS. Streeter can go for all I care after his performance the other night.

I just can't put how bad Streeter was into words. Easily the worst performance of any player on this team. I'm surprised more haven't brought it up.

[BirdWatcher]

As many as two of them might be kept as ST guys, meaning four of them might make the team. Every year the Ravens keep a couple of guys who pretty much just play ST. With Ayenbadejo gone, there's another open spot.

[Tank 92]

As many as two of them might be kept as ST guys, meaning four of them might make the team. Every year the Ravens keep a couple of guys who pretty much just play ST. With Ayenbadejo gone, there's another open spot.

 

 

Good point and probably confirms LW as a lock to make the 53.

[rmw10]

As many as two of them might be kept as ST guys, meaning four of them might make the team. Every year the Ravens keep a couple of guys who pretty much just play ST. With Ayenbadejo gone, there's another open spot.

 

I don't think we can keep 8, ST contributions or not.  I doubt we keep more than 6.  We have way too much talent at other positions to hold onto a 7th receiver that would likely be inactive every week.

[GrimCoconut]

I don't think we can keep 8, ST contributions or not. I doubt we keep more than 6. We have way too much talent at other positions to hold onto a 7th receiver that would likely be inactive every week.

I don't know about eight WR but I think seven is possible. We could keep David Reed and LaQuan Williams around for that role. Keep in mind we will be without Asa and Christian for eight and four games respectively. If those two guys are awesome on ST then they'll get jobs.

[rmw10]

I don't know about eight WR but I think seven is possible. We could keep David Reed and LaQuan Williams around for that role. Keep in mind we will be without Asa and Christian for eight and four games respectively. If those two guys are awesome on ST then they'll get jobs.

 

I think 7 is possible, but I'm still predicting that's it's not going to happen lol.  I wouldn't be surprised at all to see us go with 7 with Stokley now on board, though.  I'm looking at the rest of the roster and I see other guys that I'd rather take that can help out at other positions.  Anthony Levine, Chykie Brown, Omar Brown, etc. can all fill the gunner role as well.

[RavensAllTheWay]

Reed's not going anywhere, and he's not even that much of a headache.  That said, I don't know why we gave him an extension, but we did.

[GrimCoconut]

Reed's not going anywhere, and he's not even that much of a headache. That said, I don't know why we gave him an extension, but we did.

We gave him an extension because he's a quality ST player who can play both gunner and return specialist. He got an extremely cheap deal. On top of it he can play wR. His biggest issue is staying healthy.

[GrimCoconut]

I think 7 is possible, but I'm still predicting that's it's not going to happen lol. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see us go with 7 with Stokley now on board, though. I'm looking at the rest of the roster and I see other guys that I'd rather take that can help out at other positions. Anthony Levine, Chykie Brown, Omar Brown, etc. can all fill the gunner role as well.

I need to really review our roster. I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm not sure. We are insanely talented at positions other than wR lol

[rmw10]

I need to really review our roster. I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm not sure. We are insanely talented at positions other than wR lol

 

I'm very excited to see how the roster turns out.  In years past, it seems like we've had 2 or 3 open spots, but this year, I wouldn't think it's inconceivable to say we have 10-15 openings.  We're going to have to cut a lot of good players.

[Ravenseconbeast]

doss is not a lock.   its his third year.  we're not going to craddle him for another year if he can't show us something.   

[GrimCoconut]

I'm very excited to see how the roster turns out. In years past, it seems like we've had 2 or 3 open spots, but this year, I wouldn't think it's inconceivable to say we have 10-15 openings. We're going to have to cut a lot of good players.

Yeah I agree. We'll need four WR on offense because you can't go 4W without that lol. So we'll need for guys who can play on offense. I see those guys as Smith, Jones, Stokley and Doss. I think those guys make it. I believe Thompson has shown enough to make it unless he really screws up like Streeter. So it's open for one guy and I think it'll be David Reed. He's our most versatile player. It's troubling that he hasn't played but do you know if he's practiced? Is he eligible for the PUP?

[rmw10]

Yeah I agree. We'll need four WR on offense because you can't go 4W without that lol. So we'll need for guys who can play on offense. I see those guys as Smith, Jones, Stokley and Doss. I think those guys make it. I believe Thompson has shown enough to make it unless he really screws up like Streeter. So it's open for one guy and I think it'll be David Reed. He's our most versatile player. It's troubling that he hasn't played but do you know if he's practiced? Is he eligible for the PUP?

 

Reed is not eligible for the PUP.  He did return to practice yesterday, but I'm still not sure what the extent of his injury is.  I'd like to see him stay on the field consistently before giving him a spot, but I do think he has the edge up on LaQuan (if we only go with 6) based on his superior return ability.

[GrimCoconut]

Reed is not eligible for the PUP. He did return to practice yesterday, but I'm still not sure what the extent of his injury is. I'd like to see him stay on the field consistently before giving him a spot, but I do think he has the edge up on LaQuan (if we only go with 6) based on his superior return ability.

If we go with seven then LaQuan or Brown makes the team. That's my feeling. I think Brown will either get an injury or go on the PS. We're usually pretty good about knowing what players to stash on the PS.

I do think we could open with seven WR because of Asa and Christian.

[radicals]

I don't know about anybody else, but I'm starting to like Marlon Brown... He's almost what we were expecting from Tommy Streeter. Now I don't know if he is a fast receiver but he is someone I am going to watch for the rest of preseason. I'm not expecting him to be a UDFA star like Victor Cruz, but he could break out and become a reliable number 2. But that's all hypothetically speaking on what could  happen. I've been watching Deonte Thompson and I've liked some of the things he has done during practices, but in the first preseason game he was injured so you couldn't see much from him. Tandon Doss is not one if my favorites but I can't say much because he was not passed to much. There's a lot I will have to watch but I think it's too soon to determine. LaQuan Williams did great in the first game but he honestly is not my favorite. I mean I would love for him to break out, but I'm unsure. After the 3rd preseason game I think we will all be seeing who may be coming out on top.

[GrimCoconut]

I don't know about anybody else, but I'm starting to like Marlon Brown... He's almost what we were expecting from Tommy Streeter. Now I don't know if he is a fast receiver but he is someone I am going to watch for the rest of preseason. I'm not expecting him to be a UDFA star like Victor Cruz, but he could break out and become a reliable number 2. But that's all hypothetically speaking on what could happen. I've been watching Deonte Thompson and I've liked some of the things he has done during practices, but in the first preseason game he was injured so you couldn't see much from him. Tandon Doss is not one if my favorites but I can't say much because he was not passed to much. There's a lot I will have to watch but I think it's too soon to determine. LaQuan Williams did great in the first game but he honestly is not my favorite. I mean I would love for him to break out, but I'm unsure. After the 3rd preseason game I think we will all be seeing who may be coming out on top.

Yep. I really like what I saw from Marlon. His concentration needs work because he dropped an easy one but I loved his effort. He was solid in the run game. He's my favorite sleeper WR right now. I'm pulling for him.

[Ravenslifer]

From what I've seen, after Smith and Jones, Thompson and Williams should pretty much be locks.  Doss will probably be in the mix.  If we're keeping 7 guys, I'd say Reed will be one given they resigned him when he was a FA.  I'm going to guess the other guy is Mallette or Marlon Brown.

[rmw10]

I don't understand how people don't realize that Doss is a lock.  There's no way they're going to invest this much time into a guy with the first-team to turn around and cut him a few weeks later.  Has he been somewhat disappointing?  Yes, but not to the extent that he won't be on the team.  Do people really think that one of Brown, Mellette, etc. are going to be able to offer more than him this year?  They have upside, but they aren't ready to step in yet.  Doss is a lock.

[mgridda]

I don't know about anybody else, but I'm starting to like Marlon Brown... He's almost what we were expecting from Tommy Streeter. Now I don't know if he is a fast receiver but he is someone I am going to watch for the rest of preseason. I'm not expecting him to be a UDFA star like Victor Cruz, but he could break out and become a reliable number 2. But that's all hypothetically speaking on what could  happen. I've been watching Deonte Thompson and I've liked some of the things he has done during practices, but in the first preseason game he was injured so you couldn't see much from him. Tandon Doss is not one if my favorites but I can't say much because he was not passed to much. There's a lot I will have to watch but I think it's too soon to determine. LaQuan Williams did great in the first game but he honestly is not my favorite. I mean I would love for him to break out, but I'm unsure. After the 3rd preseason game I think we will all be seeing who may be coming out on top.

 

Oh no, I agree with you completely. Marlon showed a lot of tenacity and aggressiveness in getting after the football. He has a great size and if he works with the jugs and his focus, he can be a pretty good receiver in this league.

 

I can't wait until 2-3 years from now when he's only had a few in game reps and it's his pre-season to really demonstrate what he's capable of and we sign some scrub veteran receiver at the twillight of their career. It'll be great. Then he'll never see the field, get cut and never get an opportunity anywhere. 

These aren't machines. They're people. Being in a situation like in Baltimore can probably demotivate anyone for life.

[BALTIMOREFLACCO]

Deonte and Laquan would be my picks as of now

[PerpetuallyBored74]

We need to find out what how bad Thompson's injury is before we start speculating on who might make the roster and who might get added to the PS.

Sure, early reports are that Thompson's ankle isn't too serious.

But that's what they said initially about Pitta after his hip dislocation: that he'd probably be ready for the 1st game.

And what they kept saying about Lee Evans, that his return was imminent--apparently, imminent meant at the end of the season.

Our FO always seem to hold out optimistic hope when players get hurt, and only reveal the ugly truth when it can no longer be denied.

It is not a good sign that they've announced that Pierce has no structural damage, but still haven't clarified Thompson's injury.

Either they don't know because they still need to run more tests or get a 2nd opinion, or they do know but would rather not break the bad news until later--perhaps because they wanted to wait until they'd signed a vet replacement (Stokely) before announcing the bad news.

Even if Thompson just misses the first couple of weeks, that still sets him back further.

Maybe he gets IR'd with the special designation of returning later in the season once he recovers.

[redlobster]

Smith

Jones

Stokley

Doss

Laquan

Mellette

 

A possibility - David Reed, I personally want him cut but he might be kept for ST purposes.

 

I didn't mess with Deonte Thompson until more is known about his injury.

[Ravenslifer]

Smith

Jones

Stokley

Doss

Laquan

Mellette

 

A possibility - David Reed, I personally want him cut but he might be kept for ST purposes.

 

I didn't mess with Deonte Thompson until more is known about his injury.

 

I totally agree, but the fact that he was a FA and they resigned him on a 2-year deal makes me think he's a virtual lock for at least one more season.

[T3hRaven]

I just can't put how bad Streeter was into words. Easily the worst performance of any player on this team. I'm surprised more haven't brought it up.

 

When you factor in that he's lazy and gives no effort whatsoever on run blocking, you can pretty much guarantee that he's getting cut.