Marcus Spears explains why Teddy Bridgewater and his faith in the Broncos will win against the Ravens. (1:02).
DENVER -- Sunday's Pro Bowl backfield will be the Baltimore Ravens, but it won't be the one from six seasons ago.
Le'Veon Bell, running back, was promoted from Saturday's practice squad just before Saturday's Ravens' match at the unbeaten Denver Broncos. Bell, who is 29 years old, joins a backfield already featuring Devonta Freeman and Latavius Murray, all of whom made the Pro Bowl in some way between 2014 and 2017.
Bell is playing his first game since the Kansas City Chiefs' AFC Divisional playoff win against the Cleveland Browns. After being signed by Baltimore in September 7, Bell spent the first four weeks on the practice squad.
Because Bell wasn't at a training camp this season, the Ravens wanted him to be able to train properly. Bell will now be part of a team still trying to figure its backfield pecking order.
Greg Roman, Ravens' offensive coordinator, said this week that he believes he has a great enthusiasm. He's smart and will be a great asset to our team. He's been a great guy so far. It's easy to see why he has been so successful. We hope he can add some value to our team at some point in the year. I've only seen positives.
Bell, who gained over 1,000 yards running in his three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers has not been the same player since 2018. Bell rushed for 328 yards and scored two touchdowns last season with the New York Jets.
Over the last month, the Ravens' backfield has seen major changes. Baltimore's top running backs, J.K. Dobbins (Gus Edwards), were both injured in knee surgeries that ended their season. This happened just weeks before the regular season began.
The Ravens haven't featured a running back in the first three games and instead have split the carries between Ty'Son Williams (who could play a larger role against the Broncos) and Murray (who could play a greater role). Baltimore is the NFL's leader in rushing but its most productive runner is Lamar Jackson.
Roman stated that "We're just beginning to get a sense for our running backs, really." I think you'll also see this evolve over the next year. They all seem to have been learning our system. We like what they see and want them to continue learning.
Bell, Murray, and Freeman were all considered to be among the best running backs in the NFL just a few years ago when they combined for six Pro Bowls. This impressive collection of backs from big names has been noticed.
"If you think back to a few years ago and consider what it would look like if all of us were in the same place, then there would be a problem. Murray spoke earlier in the month.
Ravens promoted cornerback Kevon Smythour and offensive tackle Andre Smith from the practice squad. Baltimore also placed defensive end Derek Wolfe, hip/back, on injured reserve.
