I’m not sure what to make of Baltimore’s running backs. They’ve got a lot of capable contributors, but nobody who looks likely to be used in a featured role.
At the start of last year, they went with Alex Collins and Javorius Allen as a one-two punch in most games. Collins played well in 2017 – surprisingly well, after being cut by the Seahawks. Allen is their best pass-catching back, and they’ve used him a lot in short-yardage situations.
But Collins got hurt. In the second half of the season, when they put Lamar Jackson in the lineup, they elevated Gus Edwards into a more prominent role. He’s a bigger, more physical runner, and that worked well with the read-option stuff they were featuring – make defenses wonder whether they were dealing with a big back pounding between the tackles or a speedy quarterback keeping it and scooting outside.
To further complicate things, there’s Kenneth Dixon. He’s been hurt for most of his first three seasons, but he came on nicely late in the season, playing well enough that they elevated him above Allen in December. Allen ran for 117 yards in the Week 17 win over the Browns.
Allen looks like the worst of these backs. With Jackson at quarterback, there won’t be a significant third-down back in this offense.
Edwards, I think, looks like the safest choice as a runner. I like the ying-yang dimension he brings with Jackson at quarterback. But Edwards (pictured) is a completely liability in the passing game. In 11 games last year, he caught 2 passes.
Collins and Dixon, you can be sure, are working hard, trying to carve out roles. Either one could end up being the best, 2nd-best or 3rd-best running back on this roster next season. I imagine they’ll produce some decent games along the way, but I don’t think either will be a reliable, 16-game producer.
I expect the Ravens will prominently use two backs in most of their games, and there will probably be a fifth running back who’ll be competing for a good chunk of that work – somebody they find in the draft or free agency.
Jackson, of course, will account for a good portion of the rushing production himself. He’s probably the favorite to lead this team in rushing yards and touchdowns in 2019. He ran for over 70 yards in six of the eight games he started last year.
If we treat Jackson as a running back (leaving out his passing production) he had four of their 18 most productive running back games last year. That’s using standard fantasy scoring – 6 for TDs and 1 for every 10 run/rec yards.
| RAVENS: TOP RUNNING BACK GAMES | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Opp | Score | Run | Rec | Yards | TD | Pts |
| Jackson | Clev. | W 26-24 | 20-90 | 0-0-0 | 90 | 2 | 21.0 |
| Edwards | Cin. | W 24-21 | 17-115-1 | 0-0-0 | 115 | 1 | 17.5 |
| Collins | at Ten. | W 21-0 | 19-54-2 | 0-0-0 | 54 | 2 | 17.4 |
| Edwards | T.B. | W 20-12 | 19-104-1 | 0-0-0 | 104 | 1 | 16.4 |
| Allen | Den. | W 27-14 | 6-7-1 | 3-19-1 | 26 | 2 | 14.6 |
| Dixon | at K.C. | L 24-27 | 8-59-1 | 1-21-0 | 80 | 1 | 14.0 |
| Collins | Den. | W 27-14 | 18-68-1 | 3-6-0 | 74 | 1 | 13.4 |
| Jackson | Oak. | W 34-17 | 11-71 | 0-0-0 | 71 | 1 | 13.1 |
| Collins | at Car. | L 21-36 | 11-49-1 | 2-14-0 | 63 | 1 | 12.3 |
| Dixon | Clev. | W 26-24 | 12-117-0 | 1-2-0 | 119 | 0 | 11.9 |
| Edwards | Oak. | W 34-17 | 23-118-0 | 0-0-0 | 118 | 0 | 11.8 |
| Jackson | Cin. | W 24-21 | 27-117-0 | 0-0-0 | 117 | 0 | 11.7 |
| Collins | at Pitt. | W 26-14 | 11-42-0 | 1-3-1 | 45 | 1 | 10.5 |
| Edwards | at LAC | W 22-10 | 14-92-0 | 1-13-0 | 105 | 0 | 10.5 |
| Allen | at Cin. | L 23-34 | 6-8-1 | 5-36-0 | 44 | 1 | 10.4 |
| Dixon | Buff. | W 47-3 | 13-44-1 | 0-0-0 | 44 | 1 | 10.4 |
| Collins | Pitt. | L 16-23 | 9-35-1 | 1-4-0 | 39 | 1 | 9.9 |
| Jackson | T.B. | W 20-12 | 18-95 | 0-0-0 | 95 | 0 | 9.5 |
| Allen | Buff. | W 47-3 | 4-17-1 | 5-15-0 | 32 | 1 | 9.2 |
| Collins | at Cin. | L 23-34 | 9-35-0 | 3-55-0 | 90 | 0 | 9.0 |
| Edwards | at Atl. | W 26-16 | 21-82-0 | 0-0-0 | 82 | 0 | 8.2 |
| Collins | Buff. | W 47-3 | 7-13-1 | 1-6-0 | 19 | 1 | 7.9 |
| Allen | at Car. | L 21-36 | 0-0-0 | 3-18-1 | 18 | 1 | 7.8 |
| Allen | at Clev. | L 9-12 | 8-34-0 | 6-44-0 | 78 | 0 | 7.8 |
| Collins | Cin. | W 24-21 | 7-18-1 | 0-0-0 | 18 | 1 | 7.8 |
| Edwards | Clev. | W 26-24 | 12-76-0 | 0-0-0 | 76 | 0 | 7.6 |
| Jackson | at Atl. | W 26-16 | 17-75 | 0-0-0 | 75 | 0 | 7.5 |
| Jackson | at K.C. | L 24-27 | 13-71 | 0-0-0 | 71 | 0 | 7.1 |
| Edwards | at K.C. | L 24-27 | 16-67-0 | 0-0-0 | 67 | 0 | 6.7 |
| Collins | at Clev. | L 9-12 | 12-59-0 | 1-7-0 | 66 | 0 | 6.6 |
| Dixon | LAC | L 17-23 | 6-13-0 | 3-53-0 | 66 | 0 | 6.6 |
| Jackson | LAC | L 17-23 | 9-54 | 0-0-0 | 54 | 0 | 5.4 |
| Dixon | T.B. | W 20-12 | 11-48-0 | 1-2-0 | 50 | 0 | 5.0 |
| Collins | N.O. | L 23-24 | 11-38-0 | 3-10-0 | 48 | 0 | 4.8 |
| Dixon | at LAC | W 22-10 | 8-28-0 | 2-20-0 | 48 | 0 | 4.8 |
| Allen | at Pitt. | W 26-14 | 10-30-0 | 2-17-0 | 47 | 0 | 4.7 |
| Dixon | at Atl. | W 26-16 | 8-37-0 | 1-6-0 | 43 | 0 | 4.3 |
| Edwards | at Ten. | W 21-0 | 10-42-0 | 0-0-0 | 42 | 0 | 4.2 |
| Jackson | at LAC | W 22-10 | 13-39 | 0-0-0 | 39 | 0 | 3.9 |
| Allen | N.O. | L 23-24 | 3-3-0 | 3-21-0 | 24 | 0 | 2.4 |
—Ian Allan