By Chris Schisler
The Baltimore Ravens are almost to the regular season. There are just two more preseason games to go and it will be here before you know it. I decided to answer some questions submitted to me via Twitter. Let’s get to it Ravens fans.
@Bij_Sadoughi asks: Are Duvernay and Proche the return specialists still? Or is it time for some new blood?
Answer: I absolutely believe that Devin Duvernay will be the starting kickoff return specialist. Duvernay had one touchdown as a rookie kickoff returner and his speed always gives him a chance to go for six. All it takes is somebody to be out of position and nobody is going to catch him. Duvernay returned 21 kickoffs for 578 yards in 2020. That’s not bad at all and I don’t see any reason to switch things up.
Proche kind of fell off at punt returner last season. That’s still in question. Proche is a reliable catcher of the football and he has returning experience at SMU. The thing that Proche lacks is the speed and acceleration to burn past an entire punt team trying to get him. Does he have a good chance of winning the job? Yes. Is it a given? Nope.
Look for Tylan Wallace and maybe even Brandon Stephens to get in on the punt returning competition. They both seem like natural fits for that role. Proche is reliable, but Baltimore may be looking for more pizazz. The answer to your question is half yes, half we’ll see. The kick returner should be locked up. Punt returning is in question.
@DJ_BMORE asks: Do we keep Anthony Levine Sr. as a vet presence or start the youth movement at safety and special teams?
Answer: Let’s count defensive backs you don’t want to lose. Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Tavon Young, Jimmy Smith, Anthony Averett, Shaun Wade, Brandon Stephens, Chuck Clark, DeShon Elliott. That’s nine defensive backs right there. Both Geno Stone and Ar’Darius Washington are making strong pushes for a roster spot. That’s 11 defensive backs right there.
If we clump Stephens in at safety, and both Stone and Washington make the roster the Ravens already have five special teams players. I want to say that Levine will stay. Not having “Co-Cap’ on the roster would almost feel wrong. If there’s a year where Levine doesn’t make it, this is it. I haven’t even talked about Chris Westry, who has from a handful of accounts had a great performance throughout camp.
Assuming the Ravens keep don’t keep more than six cornerbacks and five safeties, Levine being cut actually makes a lot of sense. Levine still has a chance because he’s been with the Baltimore Ravens forever and he’s a great special teams player. In fact, if you don’t count Levine as a defensive back, but a special teams player it works better for him. He’s going to play better on special teams than a rookie who needs to be coached up.
It depends on how many players the Ravens keep extra players at. If it’s more than two or three spots where the Ravens commit to a surplus, Levine may be on his way out. Levine has been an awesome part of the team and is a veteran leader. I say this with nothing but respect for him.
@JijiNakaba asks: Do the Ravens sign Mark Andrews before the season or let him play out his rookie contract?
Answer: I know what the Ravens want to do and what they’ll probably end up doing. The Ravens want to sign Andrews to an extension. They probably won’t get it done before the season though. The Ravens’ next big deal is probably going to go to Lamar Jackson. Until the Ravens figure out how to get that deal done (a deal that may feel pressured by Josh Allen’s extension with the Buffalo Bills) everything else can fall into place.
I wouldn’t put it past the Ravens to ink Andrews while the season was underway. The Ravens surely want Andrews to be a Raven for life. That’s obvious. Jackson surely doesn’t want to lose the player he has the most chemistry with. At the end of the day though I really do think it boils down to what happens with Lamar Jackson. That deal is going to shape what the Ravens do with the rest of the roster.
NEXT POST: Baltimore Ravens vs. Carolina Panthers: Video preseason preview
Thanks to those who asked questions. It’s a big weekend for the Baltimore Ravens. Keep it locked into PBN for everything Ravens vs. Panthers.