The Ravens trimmed their roster to 53 players on Aug. 29, and as expected, the team opted to keep just two quarterbacks. The cutdown lacked the drama of some previous years, though in a modest surprise, undrafted rookie and Baltimore native Malik Hamm (City College) made the team as the final outside linebacker, and the Ravens cut fifth-round rookie cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly. The team rarely jettisons mid-round draft picks so quickly.
General manager Eric DeCosta stresses that the roster is fluid, and indeed, more moves are likely in the next 48 hours. Cornerback Damarion “Pepe” Williams and a couple of other players are expected to move to injured reserve, but by being on the initial 53-man roster, they are eligible to return later in the season. Anyone placed on IR before the 53-man roster is set is out for the year.
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley’s hamstring injury, which has sidelined him for more than two weeks, raised speculation that the team might keep a third quarterback, especially given the rule that allows for a third “emergency” quarterback to be available on game day, provided he is on the 53-man roster.
Ultimately, though, the Ravens kept just two quarterbacks and allotted that roster spot elsewhere, though it would not be a surprise if Josh Johnson, who was cut, returns after some IR roster gymnastics take place.
Vested veterans (essentially 4+ years of experience) such as Johnson who were released become immediate free agents. Others are exposed to waivers through noon Aug. 30. After the waiver claims process concludes, teams can begin to sign unclaimed players to the 16-player practice squad.
Here is a quick breakdown of the Ravens’ initial 53-man roster:
QUARTERBACK (2): Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley
The Ravens opted against keeping a third quarterback who could be available in an emergency, instead sticking with Huntley and his gimpy hamstring as Jackson’s lone backup. Josh Johnson has an advocate in new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and Johnson put himself back into the conversation with strong play over the final two preseason games.
Johnson very well could be back in uniform for Week 1, given Huntley’s injury, either re-signed after IR moves take place or as a callup from the practice squad.
RUNNING BACK (4): J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell
Mitchell earns one of the final roster spots as an undrafted rookie, marking the 19th time in the past 20 years the Ravens have kept at least one undrafted rookie on the initial 53-man roster. He is also the second second-generation Raven in team history. (Orlando Brown Jr. was the first.) Mitchell’s father, Anthony, was a member of the Ravens’ first Super Bowl team.
Mitchell’s combination of explosiveness, speed and vision made him irresistible and a good long-term play in a room that could lose both Dobbins and Edwards as free agents after the season. That ultimately earned him a final spot over veteran Melvin Gordon.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Odell Beckham Jr., Rashod Bateman, Zay Flowers, Devin Duvernay, Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace
The first five in this group have been pretty well set since Day 1, provided they held up physically, which for the most part they have. (The Ravens have tread cautiously with Bateman and his surgically repaired foot, as he missed several camp practices.) Wallace is a proven special teams player who had the best training camp of his three-year career as a receiver, and that nudges him past players such as James Proche, Laquon Treadwell and Tarik Black.
Both Black and undrafted rookie Sean Ryan are good practice squad candidates, while Proche, who had landed on the right side of the roster bubble the past two years, would probably benefit from a new chance elsewhere.
TIGHT ENDS/FULLBACKS (4): Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard (FB)
Even without Greg Roman’s tight-end friendly offense, the Ravens are deep enough at the position that they couldn’t find room for promising undrafted rookie Travis Vokolek. The product of Rutgers and Nebraska capped a strong summer with a pair of touchdown catches at Washington in Week 2 of the preseason. It won’t be a surprise if he generates interest on the waiver wire, but his path to the roster was blocked by Likely and Kolar, two second-year tight ends backing up Andrews.
Ricard’s role in Todd Monken’s new offense has been the subject of much speculation, but Monken will have plenty of ways to utilize a 300-pound battering ram who can also catch a pass or two.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Ronnie Stanley, John Simpson, Tyler Linderbaum, Kevin Zeitler, Morgan Moses, Patrick Mekari, Daniel Faalele, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Ben Cleveland
The biggest question in this group was answered after the preseason finale when coach John Harbaugh announced that Simpson had won the left guard competition over Aumavae-Laulu, a rookie sixth-round pick. The other compelling question was whether the team would move on from third-year, third-round pick Ben Cleveland, who never really entered the left guard competition.
Cleveland worked at both guard and tackle this summer to enhance his versatility (and maybe trade value?), but ultimately the Ravens opted to hold on to their Day Two investment from 2021. Sam Mustipher, an Owings Mills native and the one true backup center in the mix, does not make the cut but could land back on the practice squad. Mekari again figures to be the super-utility sub who can be plugged in anywhere up front.
DEFENSIVE LINE (4): Justin Madubuike, Broderick Washington, Michael Pierce, Travis Jones
On the surface, veteran Brent Urban would seem to be a surprise cut, but the veteran defensive end isn’t going anywhere. The vested veteran probably made a handshake agreement with the team that he will be re-signed as soon as the procedural hurdles involving short-term IR take place.
The Ravens often break camp with six defensive linemen, but that’s a luxury that they can’t afford this year, so Angelo Blackson is among those who land on the wrong side of the roster bubble. The Ravens will fortify this group on the practice squad.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5): Odafe Oweh, Jadeveon Clowney, David Ojabo, Tavius Robinson, Malik Hamm
Tyus Bowser will begin the season on the Non-Football Injury list as he continues to rehab his injured knee, so he does not count against the 53-man roster initially but cannot return to action until Week 5 at the earliest.
The surprise here is the inclusion of Hamm, the undrafted rookie from Baltimore (City College) who played collegiately at Lafayette. Hamm has been sidelined for the past week by an injury and is a candidate for short-term IR, which would give the Ravens a rotation of four linebackers led by Oweh, Clowney and Ojabo, who had a quiet summer.
INSIDE LINEBACKER (5): Roquan Smith, Patrick Queen, Malik Harrison, Del’Shawn Phillips, Trenton Simpson
The suspense here involved how many of the Ravens inside linebackers who are special teams stalwarts would stick given new kickoff rules that could diminish the need for such players. Ultimately, Phillips proved to be the only one, and Kristian Welch and Josh Ross see their bubbles burst for now.
Phillips was a special teams standout last year, and in training camp he consistently showed more defensive upside than others competing for a final spot in this group. Simpson, a rookie third-round pick, missed extensive time this summer but his speed will translate on special teams. That’s probably his role this year regardless, given that Smith and Queen are not likely to be off the field very often.
CORNERBACK (7): Marlon Humphrey, Rock Ya-Sin, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Ronald Darby, Damarion “Pepe” Williams, Ar’Darius Washington, Arthur Maulet
Humphrey’s foot injury was one of the team’s most significant developments of training camp, and injuries hobbled several others over the past few weeks. That has already had DeCosta scouring the waiver wire, where he managed to bring on Darby, a former starter coming off a torn ACL who could end up starting Week 1, and Maulet, who snags one of the final rosters spots.
Humphrey’s absence is not expected to linger far into the season, but Williams, who underwent ankle surgery, is likely out until mid-October and headed to short-term IR. Ya-Sin, Armour-Davis and Maulet all have been slowed by injuries at various points this summer but are trending healthier as Week 1 approaches. Washington, who has spent most of his two-year career on the roster bubble, makes the team and could be the Week 1 starting slot corner.
The release of fifth-round rookie Kyu Blu Kelly is a modest surprise given that the Ravens are reluctant to give up early on their own picks. The last fifth-rounder cut as a rookie was Robert Myers in 2015. (Shaun Wade, also a fifth-rounder, was traded at the end of his rookie training camp in 2021.)
Kevon Seymour had a strong summer at cornerback and is a proven special teams player. He was released in the final cutdown but the vested veteran could return shortly.
SAFETY (4): Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton, Geno Stone, Brandon Stephens
The Ravens could have one of the best starting duos in the league in Williams and Hamilton, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald use Hamilton in the slot with Stone setting up at safety alongside Williams. Stephens was projected as a safety when the Ravens drafted him, but he has spent much of the summer as a starting cornerback because that group was short-handed. He gives Macdonald flexibility throughout the secondary.
Daryl Worley, an eight-year veteran, spent the summer transitioning from cornerback to safety and was a workhorse in preseason action. He’s one of the final cuts but could be back via the practice squad.
SPECIALISTS (3): Justin Tucker, Jordan Stout, Tyler Ott
The only intrigue here came early, with incumbent long snapper Nick Moore suffering a season-ending torn Achilles before training camp began. The Ravens were able to sign Ott, a former Pro Bowl player with the Seattle Seahawks who has fit in seamlessly with Tucker and Stout.
UPDATE: The Ravens have signed quarterback Josh Johnson, defensive end Brent Urban and cornerback Kevon Seymour to the 53-man roster and have moved Malik Hamm, Keaton Mitchell and Pepe Williams to injured reserve. Hamm, Mitchell and Williams will miss at least the first four weeks of the regular season.
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