The Baltimore Ravens cut their roster to 53 on Saturday. Here’s a look at their 53-man roster:
QUARTERBACK (3): Joe Flacco, Lamar Jackson and Robert Griffin III.
The Ravens keep Griffin, which gives them a more experienced fallback plan if Flacco gets injured. Jackson was impressive in his last two preseason games, but he's been inconsistent like many rookie quarterbacks. It's no time to gamble at quarterback after the Ravens have failed to reach the playoffs for three straight years.
RUNNING BACK (3): Alex Collins, Buck Allen and Kenneth Dixon.
Collins and Allen are a solid one-two punch in the backfield. The Ravens can lean on Collins on the early downs and turn to Allen in passing situations. Dixon survived the cutdown because of his potential. He just hasn't looked like the same explosive runner since suffering a season-ending knee injury last summer.
FULLBACK (1): Patrick Ricard.
Ricard is the NFL's top two-way player. He ranked as Pro Football Focus' top fullback last year. This year, Ricard should get more reps in the defensive line rotation, especially with Willie Henry sidelined after hernia surgery.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Michael Crabtree, John Brown, Willie Snead, Chris Moore, Jordan Lasley and Janarion Grant.
Flacco has developed a good rapport with each of his new top three receivers in Crabtree, Brown and Snead. Moore has made strides this summer as the No. 4 target. Lasley, who has had his share of big plays and dropped passes, gets one of the last spots because he likely wouldn't pass through waivers. Grant gets the nod over Tim White as Baltimore's returner.
TIGHT END (4): Hayden Hurst, Nick Boyle, Mark Andrews and Maxx Williams.
Hurst, the Ravens' top pick in this year's draft, could miss two to three games after having surgery for a stress fracture in his foot. He had been running with the starters and was Baltimore's top pass-catching tight end. Boyle and Williams are praised more for their blocking than their pass-catching. Andrews, a rookie third-round pick, is the best tight end target with Hurst sidelined.
OFFENSIVE LINE (8): Ronnie Stanley, Alex Lewis, Matt Skura, Marshal Yanda, Orlando Brown Jr., James Hurst, Jermaine Eluemunor and Bradley Bozeman.
The biggest question mark in the Ravens' starting lineup is Skura. The former undrafted and practice squad player is replacing Ryan Jensen, who became the NFL's highest-paid center with the Buccaneers. The Ravens believe this line can be better than last year's with the return of Lewis and Yanda, both of whom were lost to season-ending injuries last year. Hurst is a solid No. 6 lineman, but there is a big concern about depth after that. It wouldn't be a surprise if Baltimore tries to add a veteran blocker or two through trades or the waiver wire.
DEFENSIVE LINE (6): Brandon Williams, Willie Henry, Brent Urban, Michael Pierce, Chris Wormley and Zach Sieler.
The star of this group is Williams, whose value was underscored last year when the Ravens struggled to stop the run in his absence. Henry is week-to-week after having hernia surgery last month and will be replaced by Pierce. Urban has to prove he can stay healthy. Sieler, the last player drafted by Ozzie Newsome, came on strong at the end of the preseason.
LINEBACKER (9): Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley, Matthew Judon, Patrick Onwuasor, Kenny Young, Za'Darius Smith, Tim Williams, Tyus Bowser and Chris Board.
Suggs and Mosley are returning Pro Bowl players. Judon is on the verge of joining them. Onwuasor likely will start beside Mosley, especially if Young is nursing a knee injury. They were engaged in one of the few position battles in this year's training camp. Smith and Williams have revved up their pass-rush this summer. In going younger this year, Baltimore cut Albert McClellan, one of the top special teams players in team history, and kept undrafted rookie Board.
SECONDARY (10): Eric Weddle, Tony Jefferson, Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Carr, Tavon Young, Maurice Canady, Anthony Averett, Anthony Levine Sr., Chuck Clark and Darius Williams.
The Ravens will play the first four games without top cornerback Jimmy Smith, who was suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Carr, a 10-year starter, takes Smith's spot alongside Humphrey, a 2017 first-round pick. Baltimore brings back the experienced safety tandem of Weddle and Jefferson. Young, who missed all of last year with an ACL, could become one of the NFL's top nickelbacks.
SPECIALIST (3): K Justin Tucker, P Sam Koch and LS Morgan Cox.
The self-proclaimed "Wolf Pack" is entering its seventh season together as one of the NFL's best special teams tandems.