The Ravens close out their preseason Friday night at M&T Bank Stadium against the Washington Commanders, but for most of Baltimore's actual starters, the meaningful work is already done.
Head coach Jesse Minter made that clear after this week's joint practices with Washington wrapped up Wednesday. "We got three really good days of — you can practice good on good, and I love the way our guys compete in practice. We practice at a high level and are physical and things like that," Minter said. "But when you get a chance just to go against somebody else, it just sort of gives your mind a little bit of that game mentality, getting ready to defend something, being able to look at tape and look at things. So I think we got a lot out of it." With that work banked, Minter said the roster is basically the next order of business. "Now, it is on to obviously wrapping up this preseason, figuring out the very best 53 players for this particular team at this particular time, and then all eyes forward to Indy."
That framing sets up exactly what Friday's game actually is: less a tune-up for the regulars, more a live audition for a roster that has to be trimmed to 53 by Sunday. Minter confirmed as much when asked what he's watching for. "There are potentially a few more guys — not a lot, but a couple more guys — that may be added to the not-play list," he said. "But I see this as there being a bunch of spots that guys are fighting for. It is a great eval opportunity to not only figure out the latter part of the 53-man roster, but also the practice squad. So it is an unbelievable eval opportunity for us."
The most closely watched competition remains at center, where Jovaughn Gwyn has taken the bulk of the first-team reps since Danny Pinter's season-ending knee injury narrowed the race to him and Ethan Pocic. Friday is likely the last extended look either player gets before Baltimore has to commit to a starter for the opener in Indianapolis.
Elsewhere, the roster bubble is crowded. Rasheen Ali and Adam Randall each sat out last week's game with minor injuries but have since rejoined practice; if both play meaningful snaps Friday, it could effectively function as a tryout for whichever of them ends up as the third running back. On the defensive interior, rookie Rayshaun Benny sacked the quarterback in his strongest showing of camp, putting real pressure on Aeneas Peebles as the two sort out who claims the last depth spot at the position. Cornerbacks Robert Longerbeam and Bilhal Kone, both 2025 draftees, could realistically find themselves outside the 53 when cuts come. So could Adisa Isaac, a 2024 third-round pick whose injury history has kept him from ever fully cashing in on that draft slot — pedigree alone won't save a spot this year. Rookie lineman Evan Beerntsen is fighting long odds of his own to stick around.
There's also the annual undrafted free agent question. Almost every recent Ravens roster has kept at least one player nobody drafted, and camp has its usual crop of hopefuls trying to be this year's version. Baltimore's front office has less flexibility to work with than normal after bringing in 11 draft picks in each of the last two classes, meaning a strong Friday from an undrafted player could genuinely be the difference between making the team and not — not just a nice line in a box score nobody remembers by October.
Washington will be without its own top names Friday. Quarterback Jayden Daniels and receiver Terry McLaurin aren't expected to play after getting their work in during Wednesday's joint session, capped by a highlight that turned heads on both sidelines — with the Ravens sending pressure on the final snap, Daniels calmly delivered a deep touchdown throw that rookie receiver Antonio Williams ran under untouched. The Commanders, like Baltimore, will use Friday almost entirely to sort out their own bottom-of-the-roster decisions before both teams cut down to 53 players over the weekend.
There's a local angle buried in Washington's own bubble battle, too. Tight end Lawrence Cager, a Calvert Hall graduate from Baltimore, is fighting to lock down a roster spot after years bouncing between four different NFL organizations and practice squad stints. He got a rep in against Ravens cornerback Silas Walters during this week's joint sessions, the kind of matchup that could matter plenty for a player still trying to make a 53-man roster stick.
Kickoff is set for the annual "Battle of the Beltway" matchup, a preseason series the two teams have played in eight of the last nine years. For most fans, Friday won't look like a typical Ravens game — the box score will matter far less than who's still on the field in the fourth quarter, and why. Roster cuts are due by Sunday, and whatever happens Friday night will shape a real chunk of those decisions. By early next week, Baltimore's attention shifts entirely to the regular-season opener against the Colts in Indianapolis, and the players who make the most of their final preseason snaps Friday will be the ones actually on the plane.