Baltimore Ravens: Early 55-man roster predictions after the 2020 draft
By Samuel Teets
Specialists (3): Morgan Cox, Sam Koch, Justin Tucker
There are several young players in place to challenge Baltimore’s established specialists, but it seems unlikely that Baltimore will release any of their established specialists. The trio of Cox, Koch, and Tucker dates back to 2012, when Tucker joined the Ravens as an undrafted free agent. Since then, each one of the specialists has made at least one Pro Bowl appearance.
Currently, Nick Moore sits behind Cox on Baltimore’s depth chart while a pair of rookie undrafted free agents challenge Koch and Tucker. Wake Forest’s Dom Maggio sits behind Koch and UAB’s Nick Vogel slots in behind Tucker.
It seems guaranteed that Vogel, who only connected on 82.6 percent of his field goal attempts as a senior, will not make the roster. The chances of Moore sticking around are also slim. Moore entered the NFL last year as a free agent in the compensatory draft. Last year, the New Orleans Saints kept Moore around for a few months before waiving the Georgia product.
Of the young trio, Maggio has the best chance of unseating his veteran counterpart. As a senior, Maggio punted the ball 74 times and averaged 46.8 yards per punt, which ranked second in the ACC. In comparison, Koch punted the ball 40 times this past season and averaged 46.4 yards per punt. Koch is approaching his 38th birthday, but he recently signed a two-year, $4.95 million contract extension, which signals that he’s not going anywhere.
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If Koch sticks around, it’s hard to see Cox leaving either. The 34-year-old made his third Pro Bowl last season, and long snappers can play well into their late 30s. For instance, the Dallas Cowboys recently re-signed 39-year-old long snapper L.P. Ladouceur to a one-year deal. Tucker is also a lock to return in 2020. The 30-year-old recently earned his fourth career First-Team All-Pro selection.