"The Competition" is a series that breaks down every position battle leading up to training camp.
Returning Players
Justin Forsett (5-foot-8, 195 pounds, ninth season)
Javorius Allen (6-0, 220, second season)
Lorenzo Taliaferro (6-0, 225, third season)
Terrance West (5-10, 225, third season)
Free-Agent Signing
Trent Richardson (5-9, 230, fourth season)
Rookies
Kenneth Dixon (5-10, 215)
Projected Starter
Coming off a broken arm that cut his season short last year, Forsett returned to summer workouts as the clear lead dog. He's healthy once again and just two years removed from a Pro Bowl season. Still, Forsett will have to fend off talented younger competition, especially after his average yards per carry dropped from 5.4 yards in 2014 to 4.2 yards last season. He has to prove himself once again, but it's his job to lose. Allen showed last year that he's capable of stepping into the starting role if needed.
Key Role Players
Allen has good hands coming out of the backfield and can be an all-around back. One of the group's most interesting players is the rookie Dixon, who may have the quickest feet in the pack. Dixon finished second all-time in NCAA career touchdowns and was dynamic running and catching the football.
Most Anticipated Battle
The question is whether the Ravens keep three or four running backs. If they keep four, there will be an excellent battle between West, Taliaferro and Richardson. Richardson is a former No. 3-overall draft pick who is getting perhaps one final chance to prove himself with the Ravens. He didn't get off to a good start as he tweaked a hamstring, then underwent minor knee surgery. Taliaferro has been a good, hard runner when healthy, but his first two seasons have both been cut short by foot injuries. West impressed Head Coach John Harbaugh with his fitness and maturation.
We're looking at competitive positions heading into Organized Team Activities, where players will battle for depth chart positioning. It's unclear who will be Baltimore's featured running back or odd man out in a deep group.
Justin Forsett 2015 Stats: 151 carries, 641 yards, 4.2 yards per rush, 2 TDs; 31 receptions, 153 yards After a Pro Bowl season in 2014, Forsett wasn't off to as good a start in 2015 before breaking his arm in Week 10. His average yards per carry were down 1.2 yards per attempt. Now, Forsett's arm is healed and he will be on the field vying to reclaim his starting position amidst a lot of contenders. The nine-year veteran is a leader in the running backs meeting room and locker room.
Javorius Allen 2015 Stats: 137 carries, 514 yards, 3.8 yards per rush, 1 TD; 45 receptions, 353 yards, 2 TDs Allen performed well as the starter after Forsett suffered his broken arm. The 2015 fourth-round pick showed elusiveness and toughness, particularly as a pass catcher. He has good vision and burst. Now the sophomore will have to prove that he can take the next step and retain the starting job even with Forsett back.
Lorenzo Taliaferro 2015 Stats: 13 carries, 47 yards, 3.6 yards per carry, 1 TD; 5 receptions, 29 yards The big, bruising runner has struggled to stay on the field in his first two NFL seasons. Both campaigns ended early because of foot injuries, and last year Taliaferro went down after just three games. Now the 2014 fourth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina has to make up ground. His size is his advantage, as he's one of the team's better short-yardage backs whose strength is running between the tackles.
Kenneth Dixon 2015 Stats: N/A The fourth-round rookie out of Louisiana Tech is already generating a ton of buzz, as some pundits believe he will emerge as the Ravens' leading running back. It's still early for that, but Dixon does have the talent to pull it off. The NCAA's second-leading scorer of all-time shows a lot of wiggle and excellent burst running inside and outside of the tackles. He's also one of Baltimore's better pass catchers out of the backfield. Now it's a question of how quickly Dixon can get up to speed.
Terrance West 2015 Stats: 46 carries, 180 yards, 3.9 yards per rush; 4 receptions, 21 yards The Ravens were thrilled to grab West off waivers last November and he quickly was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster. Serving as the 1-2 punch with Allen, West broke off some impressive runs last season. The Towson product didn't find traction in Cleveland or Tennessee, but may have found a home in Baltimore. Now he's going to have to fight off more competition to stay.
Trent Richardson 2015 Stats: N/A Richardson is looking for a career turnaround after being out of football entirely last season. The former 2012 third-overall pick had trouble with his weight in Cleveland and Indianapolis, then dealt with injuries in training camp with Oakland last offseason, leading to his release. General Manager Ozzie Newsome is giving Richardson another chance, and, so far, Richardson has made the most of it by shedding a lot of weight. He looks quite fit now, but has to show that those physical changes will translate to the field. The Ravens usually keep three running backs, but could maybe keep up to four this year. It's going to be a battle for the final one or two spots.
