Thursday, August 7, 2014

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On Thursday night, the San Francisco 49ers will visit the Baltimore Ravens in each team's preseason opener.

The San Francisco 49ers will open up the preseason knowing who most of their starters for the 2014 season will be. The one role that will probably be determined by performances during the preseason is backup running back. Marcus Lattimore will be out of the running for the backup job at the start of the season, so it is going to come down to Kendall Hunter and Carlos Hyde to battle it out for the position.

One 49ers rookie who could burst into the starting lineup sooner rather than later is defensive back Jimmie Ward. The first round pick has been working at the nickel back position and at safety in camp, and all reports have been positive about the youngster.

The Baltimore Ravens and their fans have gotten used to Ray Rice carrying the load at the running back position the last five years, but that is expected to change this season. Rice will still get his fair share of carries, but new Raven Justin Forsett and second-year running back Bernard Pierce are expected to battle it out during the preseason to see who will share the responsibilities with Rice this season.

The key Ravens rookie to watch during the preseason will be linebacker C.J. Mosley. He was one of the most impressive defensive players in college last season, and it would be no surprise if he slots right into the Ravens' middle linebacker position.

Tony's Pick: Take San Francisco

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