Ravens running back Justin Forsett is no dummy, but he played dumb on the first day of training camp.
When asked if he doesn't want a running back-by-committee approach given the Ravens' abundance of talent at the position, Forsett responded, "What's that?"
"What is running back by committee? I don't really know what that is," he joked.
Forsett was a Pro Bowler in 2014 when he rushed for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns. He was the lead dog again last year until he broke his arm in Week 11, opening the door for rookie Buck Allen and Terrance West.
Now, with plenty of competition in the running backs room, Forsett is happy to help his younger teammates, but he isn't ready to give up his starting role.
"I want to put myself in a position where they can't take me off the field. That is my mentality," Forsett said. "At the end of the day, everybody has their role, and I'll let coach decide that."
Forsett said he grew up watching Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders, the workhorse backs of the 90s. Times have changed since then, and very few teams (if any) hitch their wagon to one running back. Teams roll in multiple tailbacks to keep them fresh and utilize their different strengths.
But every running back still wants the ball as much as possible. The Ravens will find out during training camp who deserves it more than others.
Allen stepped in for Forsett last year and showed he can handle a large role. He rushed for 514 yards (3.8 yards per carry) and one touchdown, and showcased his receiving skills with 45 catches for 353 yards and two touchdowns.
Entering Year 2, he doesn't want to take a step backwards. He said he's focused on being more physical this year, playing up to his 220-pound frame. He also said he wants coaches to feel like he'll be "accountable in any situation." Allen was referring to some fumbling issues last season.
"Being that guy that can play first, second, third and fourth down. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it," Allen said. "All of us are trying to compete. Everybody wants to be the starter."
The Ravens also have rookie fourth-round pick Kenneth Dixon, West, Lorenzo Taliaferro and Trent Richardson pushing for carries or a roster spot. To compete, both Taliaferro and Richardson will need come off the physically unable to perform list first.
They all have promise, but even Allen alluded to Forsett as being the leader of the group.
"Starting with Justin, a veteran guy. He's a workhorse," Allen said. "He comes out here and sets the tone which everybody tries to match or go beyond."
Forsett is one of the most respected and well-liked players on the team. When Dixon went down with a minor knee injury in Thursday's practice, Forsett helped carry him off the field. Forsett said that, after having great mentors himself such as T.J. Duckett, Maurice Morries, Julius Jones and Edgerrin James, it's "my duty" to pass on what it means to be a pro.
But after battling to find a place in the NFL for much of his career, Forsett doesn't want to give it up. Not yet.
"I look at it like [this] every year: I've got to fight, make sure I'm doing my best and am at my best," Forsett said. "My goal is to go out and lead this team to a Super Bowl. I'm going to try to put myself in a position to do so and attack every day like it is my last."
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.
