By Joe Schiller
You won't see any of the starters tonight as the Baltimore Ravens face off against the Washington Redskins in the preseason finale, but that doesn't mean the game is irrelevant. Just ask Michael Pierce, who solidified his roster spot as an undrafted rookie in the team's final preseason game against the New Orleans Saints back in 2016.
For the majority of players, tonight will be their last game before rosters are finalized by 4 p.m. on Saturday. For others, they're fighting to make their case to win the final few roster spots.
Here are some players to watch.
Head Coach John Harbaugh announced linebacker Chris Board was cleared from concussion protocol, but the Ravens have just three natural inside linebackers with Board, Patrick Onwuasor, and Kenny Young. That could open up the door for Otaro Alaka, who has one of the best paths to the 53-man roster of the undrafted rookies. Alaka led the Ravens with six tackles against the Packers and will need another strong performance against the Redskins tonight.
After trading Jermaine Eluemunor to the New England Patriots for an undisclosed draft pick, the left guard battle becomes that much more interesting. It's also one less lineman, which is good news for Patrick Mekari. He earned first-team reps at guard early in the offseason and has also played at center. If the Ravens decide to take eight lineman, the final spot will likely come down to Mekari or Bradley Bozeman. Tonight's performance could play a factor in that decision.
The former first-round pick was signed this offseason to offset the losses of Terrell Suggs and Za'Darius Smith, but Ray has been quiet throughout the preseason. He hasn't had a breakout performance and seems to have fallen behind third-year pass rushers Tyus Bowser and Tim Williams on the depth chart. The Ravens have second and third-round picks invested in the aforementioned players, but not Ray. Can he rekindle flashes of what he showed in Denver? Tonight offers the perfect opportunity against second and third-string players. If not, there's a good chance Ray is not on the 53-man roster come Saturday.
If you asked me today, the Ravens take three running backs on the 53-man roster: Mark Ingram III, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill. That leaves fourth-year running back Kenneth Dixon as the odd man out. Dixon was productive out of the backfield down the stretch of the 2018 season, but his availability has been the biggest question mark. He continues to be floated around as a potential trade chip, but a good performance will likely land Dixon on a roster – in Baltimore or somewhere else.
McSorley’s Week 3 preseason performance against the Eagles makes it hard for the Ravens not to keep three quarterbacks, especially with RGIII still recovering from a broken thumb. The rookie can all but guarantee his spot with another showing like we saw last Thursday.