Baltimore Ravens: 3 Position Battles to Watch This Offseason
By Joe Serpico
Running Back: Justin Forsett vs. Everyone
What exactly are the Ravens plans with all these running backs? In our first podcast, we joked that they might go triple option and would need each of them in case of injury. The real question should be what is the future for Justin Forsett?
Forsett is coming off two very different seasons. He had a miraculous 2014 season in which he was one of the NFL leaders in yards per carry. Last season, he did not put up the same kind of numbers even before his season came to end because of an arm injury. That leaves us wondering what to expect this year with a stable of backs waiting to take his spot.
Javorius Allen did not wow us when he took over as the starter, but did show he could handle the load if need be. He showed us he is capable of catching the ball out of the backfield, an essential skill needed in Marc Trestman’s offense. He also found himself in John Harbaugh’s doghouse after fumbling in back-to-back weeks.
Forsett already had an uphill battle to fend off Allen, but the team added two more highly touted running backs with Trent Richardson and Kenneth Dixon. Add in Terrance West and a healthy Lorenzo Taliaferro to the mix and there is some stiff competition at the position. It would not be a surprise to see a few of these guys traded at some point this offseason.
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Who sticks around? That will depend on what the Ravens plan to do with Forsett. He is the only veteran of the group as the other five players are under 25 years old. The team could decide to go with the young guys and move on from Forsett. Of all the battles to pay attention to this offseason, this will be the one to watch.