The Baltimore Ravens open training camp for the 2020 NFL season July 28 at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills, Maryland. The Ravens finished the regular season 14-2 and in first place in the AFC North, earning the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC playoffs. The Ravens return 21 starters from that team as well as head coach John Harbaugh and coordinators Greg Roman (offense), Wink Martindale (defense) and Chris Horton (special teams). Here's a 53-player roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): Lamar Jackson, Robert Griffin III, Trace McSorley.
Given the pandemic, the Ravens presumably will keep two quarterbacks as insurance behind Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP. Baltimore can free up $2 million by releasing Griffin, but his experience might prove more valuable in a season when quarterback depth is at an even higher premium. The interesting roster issue at quarterback is whether McSorley has improved enough on special teams to be active on game days. Undrafted rookie Tyler Huntley's chances of landing the No. 3 spot have taken a hit by the cancellation of spring practices.
RUNNING BACK (4): Mark Ingram, J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill.
By my count, the Ravens have never carried four tailbacks on their season-opening roster in John Harbaugh's 12 seasons. But, barring a trade, it's difficult to imagine Baltimore parting with Edwards, a 700-yard rusher each of the past two seasons, or Hill, a fourth-round pick from a year ago. Ingram and Dobbins should carry the workload of arguably the deepest backfield in the league.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Marquise Brown, Willie Snead, Miles Boykin, Devin Duvernay, Chris Moore, James Proche.
Brown, Snead, Boykin and Duvernay are expected to be the top four pass-catchers. Moore was brought back as a core special-teamer. The way coaches and team officials have talked about Proche, the rookie sixth-round pick seems to be the favorite at returner over De'Anthony Thomas. Jaleel Scott, a fourth-round pick in 2018, needs a strong summer to make the team.
TIGHT END (4): Mark Andrews, Nick Boyle, Jacob Breeland, Patrick Ricard (FB)
A roster spot opened up when Baltimore traded former first-round pick Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons. Harbaugh expects one of the two undrafted rookies -- Breeland and Eli Wolf -- to make the team and didn't rule out both doing so. Charles Scarff is also in the mix for one of the final tight end spots. The Ravens love using multiple tight ends, lining up three on the field 171 times over the past two seasons (fourth-most in the NFL). Andrews is among the best pass-catching tight ends in the league, and Boyle ranks as one of the best blocking ones. Ricard can line up at tight end and fullback as well as the defensive line.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Ronnie Stanley, Orlando Brown Jr., Bradley Bozeman, D.J. Fluker, Matt Skura, Patrick Mekari, Ben Powers, Tyre Phillips, Ben Bredeson.
Baltimore lost eight-time Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda to retirement and signed Fluker, a seven-year NFL starter who was cut by the Seahawks. The Ravens return five linemen who made at least five starts last season (Stanley, Brown, Bozeman, Skura and Mekari) and have built up quality young depth over the past two drafts (Powers, Phillips and Bredeson). If Baltimore wants an experienced backup at tackle, it will have to keep former Bengals first-round pick Andre Smith as the 10th lineman. Undrafted rookie center Trystan Colon-Castillo is a sleeper to watch.
DEFENSIVE LINE (6): Brandon Williams, Calais Campbell, Derek Wolfe, Justin Madubuike, Jihad Ward, Broderick Washington.
The Ravens made a huge investment in the defensive line this offseason, trading for Campbell, signing Wolfe as a free agent and drafting Madubuike (third round) and Washington (fifth round). Baltimore is really high on the potential of Ward, who can also figure in at outside linebacker. All of this puts Daylon Mack, a fifth-round pick from last year, and Justin Ellis, a rotational player in 2019, on the outside of the bubble.
LINEBACKER (8): Matthew Judon, Patrick Queen, Malik Harrison, Jaylon Ferguson, Tyus Bowser, L.J. Fort, Pernell McPhee, Chris Board
Baltimore is set with its two-deep depth chart at outside linebacker (Judon, Ferguson, Bowser and McPhee) and on the inside (Queen, Harrison, Fort and Board). Team officials have talked repeatedly this offseason about Otaro Alaka, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he makes the season-opening roster for the second straight year. John Daka is an undrafted rookie to watch at outside linebacker.
SECONDARY (10): Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Earl Thomas, Chuck Clark, Tavon Young, Jimmy Smith, Anthony Averett, Iman Marshall, Anthony Levine, Geno Stone.
The Ravens have kept at least six cornerbacks at the start of the past four seasons, and that shouldn't change this year with Humphrey, Peters, Young, Smith, Averett and Marshall. At safety, Thomas, Clark and Levine are locks. With Smith spending time at safety along with cornerback, Baltimore doesn't have to carry more than four safeties. One of the final roster spots could come down to Stone or DeShon Elliott, a sixth-round pick in 2018 who has flashed but has struggled to stay healthy.
SPECIALIST (3): Justin Tucker, Sam Koch, Morgan Cox.
The self-proclaimed "Wolfpack" is entering its ninth season together, and each one is among the best at what they do.