OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- It takes less than 10 steps to get from Ray Rice's stall to Cedric Peerman's in the Ravens' practice facility locker room. The distance between their spots on Baltimore's depth chart looks substantially larger.
Rice, entering his second year out of Rutgers, suddenly looks like he might supplant Willis McGahee as the team's No. 1 running back option. He believes he's good enough to be Baltimore's starter, an idea that head coach John Harbaugh sounds like he's warming to.
Peerman, Baltimore's 2009 sixth-round pick from Virginia, just wants to get on the field. He doesn't care if he gets handed the ball -- ever.
"I'm happy playing special teams my whole career, if I never get a carry at running back," Peerman told FanHouse after Baltimore's OTA on Tuesday. "It's always been a dream just to play in this league, to be a part of it."
Despite that statement, though, the on-field gap may not be as large as it seems between Peerman and Rice -- who emphatically stated, "I want to take on a little more, I want to be an every-down back."
Just a year ago, the Ravens drafted Rice No. 55 overall, but did so knowing that Rice left college with questions about his size, his speed and his ability to become a featured back in the league. Those are similar to the criticisms levied at Peerman; the knocks on him being that he's not big, quick or durable enough to ever make a major impact.
But if Peerman's looking for motivation, he needs only glance over at Rice. In about 15 months, Rice has ascended from a nice role player to Baltimore's potential go-to guy.
"People see [Rice] as a third-down back because of the success he had last year," Harbaugh said, "but I don't think we have any questions that he can be an every-down back."
The door is open for Rice because of injuries to McGahee (not to mention rumblings that the current coaching staff is far from enamored with the seven-year veteran). Baltimore's leading rusher last year was actually Le'Ron McClain, who is taking on a full-time fullback role this season. His position shift leaves just Rice and McGahee, along with very seldom-used Jalen Parmele, returning at running back.
A year ago, McGahee would have been the unquestioned leader of that group. That's no longer the case, with even McGahee admitting Tuesday that Rice should be running with the first team right now. In 2008, Rice totaled 727 regular-season yards, but missed the last three games of the regular season, and almost all of Baltimore's playoff run, with a calf injury.
He's working hard now to make sure that scenario doesn't repeat itself.
"I feel strong, everything's going well," Rice said. "I'm definitely getting a lot of work done."
Effort is one spot where Rice will find it hard to outdo Peerman. The rookie has quickly developed a reputation as one of the hardest workers in camp -- going full throttle on every play, and putting in extra work after practices. According to Rice, that's a great way for Peerman to earn some snaps.
"If they see you work, [offensive coordinator Cam] Cameron's going to get the ball in your hands," Rice said.
Given McGahee's up-and-down Baltimore career, and Parmele's distinct inability to crack the lineup in 2008, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that the tail-busting Peerman might find himself eating a few carries.
"I don't know what the rotation will be," said Peerman, who is trying to carve out a role on the Ravens' special-teams units. "I'm just going to try and go out and do my part ... and make the team, first of all."
Assuming he accomplishes that goal, sneaking into the Ravens' lineup might not be that far behind -- even if it looks like it at first glance.
Peerman can ask Rice about that. He's only a few steps away.
