OWINGS MILLS — The Ravens still have some uncertainty with their 53-man roster heading into the regular-season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 5th.
Rookie fifth-round Rasheen Ali made the team as the third running back behind the starter Derrick Henry and main backup Justice Hill. However, Ali missed the last two preseason games, and he is still in concussion protocol. The Ravens have undrafted rookie Chris Collier, who led the team in the preseason with 82 yards on 28 carries, and six-year NFL veteran John Kelly on the practice squad. The Ravens also have fullback Patrick Ricard, who can be used for short-yardage situations.
The question is whether the Ravens go into the game against Kansas City with two active running backs or add a third who can contribute on special teams.
In addition, the Ravens decided to keep two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster — Lamar Jackson and Josh Johnson. The NFL implemented a rule that will resort to a 2023 guideline, mandating that an emergency third quarterback needs to be on the 53-man roster and cannot be an elevation. The emergency third quarterback can be one of the two elevations per week and a player can be activated three times each season.
The Ravens opted not to have that third quarterback, which could impact them if there are injuries. Rookie sixth-round pick Devin Leary had some growing pains in training camp and needs more time to develop on the practice squad. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta could add a veteran quarterback via free agency or a trade if needed. The third quarterback is a situation to watch over the regular season.
“We have three QBs, so heaven forbid we get an injury, and if that happens, then we’ll have to adjust the roster if we get a long-term injury at quarterback,” DeCosta said. “That was an interesting dynamic. The rule passed at the owners’ meetings, and then we were notified – I believe on July 11 – that the NFLPA had not agreed to that rule change. It was a little complicated, especially for teams that potentially drafted a QB in the draft.
“We found out so late in the game, but in the end, we have three QBs; we just have [Devin Leary] on the practice squad, and we have a mechanism for getting that player up, if we need to get him up. I guess the one scenario would be if both QBs got hurt in one game, and we’ve dealt with that for years up until last year, so we’ll be ready to go regardless.”