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One of the more intriguing battles entering Thursday’s preseason finale was at wide receiver as Demetrius Williams, David Reed, Marcus Smith, Justin Harper and Eron Riley all battled for one or two roster spots.
But at the end of the night, there wasn’t much of an answer as to who will survive Saturday’s final roster cut.
“I thought some guys made some plays, and then some missed some plays,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “It seems like they all played fairly well.”
Of particular note was the return of Williams. A sprained ankle suffered during the second preseason game versus the Redskins sidelined the 6-foot-2 playmaker last week against the Giants. Williams was a question mark heading into the game.
He didn’t look hindered, however, when he made a leaping catch of 18 yards. Two plays before that, Williams made a snag of 20 yards, setting the Ravens up for a potential touchdown. Those were all the stats he recorded as he didn’t play the entire game.
“I wanted to play, so I went out there and did my best [playing through pain],” Williams said. “It was definitely a push. I didn’t want to miss this game. Missing any game is not a good thing. I was happy I got out there and got in a rhythm and caught a few balls.”
Williams said he wasn’t sure if he did enough to earn a roster spot, which suddenly became available with Donte’ Stallworth facing a two-month holdover. Williams’ teammates and competition also had some shining moments Thursday night.
Reed, a rookie fifth-round pick, finished with a game-high 65 yards receiving, including a long of 34 yards. He showed the speed to separate and solid run-after-catch abilities. Reed had a potential touchdown catch bounce off his fingertips, but he also returned a kickoff for 53 yards and averaged 34 yards on four attempts.
“We’ve got a lot of good receivers, so it’s going to be up to the coaches to sort it out,” Reed said. “It’s their job, and it’s a tough one. I went hard, and that’s all I can do.”
Justin Harper, who was on the outside looking in, caught four balls for 48 yards. Eron Riley made two snags for 33 yards and Marcus Smith did not record a catch. However, Smith’s main asset is on special teams.
