Terrance

West

“I think Ben is probably going to be a little bit ahead of him just naturally in the protection part of it, but Terrance isn’t far behind,” were Pettine’s words. West made noise during Sunday’s practice in pass-catching periods. He caught 36 passes as a college senior, so it’s not surprising West is showing well in that phase of the game early. Tate remains the slight favorite to start Week 1.

He added a 33 1/2-inch vertical jump and did 16 reps on the bench. West stands in at 5-foot-9, 225, so the forty time is very good considering the weight he carries. West could be an NFL feature back if he lands on a team with plus blocking in a power-gap scheme. He doesn’t create on his own around the line, but packs size, power, long speed, and impressive open-field jump cuts.

West’s size, speed, and open-field jump cuts pop off the screen when you watch his tape, but he can be a more sluggish mover around the line of scrimmage and must improve in pass protection. We’ll be watching him closely throughout the pre-draft process. West received a third-round grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board and is expected to be the first small-schooler drafted.

While the “best shape of his life” narrative is always eye-roll inducing, there are plenty of backs who have taken the next step simply by getting in shape. Reportedly down 15 pounds, West could be the next in that long line, but he faces a tough climb to relevance in a loaded backfield. On the bright side, West has worked ahead of Lorenzo Taliaferro all spring.

“I would say he’s in the best shape of his life,” Harbaugh said. “I think he’s really done a good job with improving on this spring, and I can’t wait to see him in training camp.” Harbaugh’s comments jibe with what beat reporters observed this spring. West faces an uphill climb to fantasy relevance in a loaded backfield, but it looks like he has the inside track on a roster spot.

West outplayed Forsett in training camp and the preseason, earning the promotion. While West is now the favorite for early-down and red-zone work in the Ravens’ backfield, pass-catching extraordinaire Buck Allen is also set up for increased usage and could become the Ravens back to own in PPR leagues. Impressive rookie Kenneth Dixon (MCL) will miss the next few weeks.

West has dropped 15 pounds since the end of last season, and it’s showed on the practice field. Per Hensley, West has been the “No. 1 playmaker” on offense through the first week of training camp. “He’s hitting holes, making cuts to elude tackles and producing big gains consistently,” writes Hensley. Coach John Harbaugh has declined to name a starter, and is letting Justin Forsett, Buck Allen, and West duke it out this preseason. West might finally be realizing his potential after being a wasted third-round pick of the Browns.

He’ll be fine. West saw some run with the first-team offense against the Colts, but he was the No. 3 back through the rotation behind Justin Forsett and Buck Allen. West managed nine yards on three carries with a 19-yard reception before exiting. He worked ahead of rookie Kenneth Dixon.

He added West has also “been the most impressive back so far.” It is high praise for West, but it does not come out of the blue. West reportedly shined all spring, and coach John Harbaugh said he did a “great job” during the offseason program. He still faces a tough climb to carries in a loaded backfield, but it sounds like he is well on his way to a roster spot.

Justin Forsett got the night off, and Buck Allen received the start. West was next man up and came on with the Ryan Mallett group. West took a pair of handoffs from the one-yard line early in the second quarter, getting stuffed on the first before converting the second for a score. He later scored again from two yards out in the third quarter, suggesting goal-line work could be his calling. West has been a training camp standout and carried it over to game action. As long as he keeps it up, West has a real chance at pushing Forsett and Allen for early-down carries.