Ravens RB Ray Rice looks noticeably leaner and exhibits quickness and a burst, all good signs, but the big question with him is whether he can make defenders miss him again. It's a skill that eluded him in 2013, and I don't know that training camp or the preseason will provide an answer. We won't know until the fall, when defenders are bringing their "A" games.
At just 26 years old, it was surprising to see Rice's production fall off the way it did, but he was dealing with hip and quad injuries throughout the season. He was also coming off of a Super Bowl run the previous year, which likely wore him down. GM Ozzie Newsome said he expects Rice to return to Pro Bowl form, but HC John Harbaugh said after the season that the team could take more of a committee approach at running back, which would limit Rice's upside. Still, pending discipline from the league due to his off the field issues, he is a bounceback candidate in Gary Kubiak's offense.
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