The Ravens went heavy on the offensive line and kept just two quarterbacks as they trimmed their roster to 53 players on Aug. 27.
The cutdown from 90 to 53 players was largely devoid of surprises, as there were no 11th-hour trades or acquisitions as has happened in some recent years. Instead, the Ravens stayed within the organization in compiling their initial roster of 53.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be any moves soon.
Eric DeCosta, like his predecessor Ozzie Newsome, likes to say that the roster is always fluid, and it’s certainly possible that players who are on the Ravens initial 53-man roster will not be when the team travels to Kansas City for the season-opener next week. And someone not on the initial 53-man roster could be in uniform next week against the Chiefs.
At running back, for example, the Ravens kept rookie fifth-round pick Rasheen Ali, but he has been slowed by a concussion for the past three weeks, and coach John Harbaugh described him as “iffy” for Week 1. With Ali missing most of the past month, the Ravens might look to add a third running back in advance of the season opener.
The Ravens retained every 2024 draft pick except sixth-round quarterback Devin Leary.
And for the 20th time in the past 21 years, an undrafted rookie made the initial 53-man roster, as Beau Brade from Maryland beat the odds to claim one of the last spots in the secondary.
Cornerback Damarion “Pepe” Williams, a fourth-round pick two years ago, was one of the more noteworthy cuts, a victim of depth in a unit that was perhaps the strongest and most consistent position group in training camp.
Vested veterans (players with four or more years of service) who were released become immediate free agents, while others are subject to waivers until noon on Aug. 28. After that, teams can begin to fill out their 16-player practice squads, and the Ravens, like most teams, are expected to re-sign many of their own players who were released.
Here’s a quick analysis of the Ravens initial 53-man roster:
QUARTERBACK (2): Lamar Jackson, Josh Johnson
The NFL Players Association vetoed a rule that would have allowed teams to call up a third “emergency” quarterback from the practice squad. With that, any third quarterback must be on the 53-man roster. The Ravens, though, cut both rookie sixth-round pick Devin Leary and undrafted rookie Emory Jones, as neither did enough this summer to beat out the veteran Johnson as the primary backup to Jackson.
One of the rookies will probably land back on the practice squad and could even be called up to the 53-man roster at a later time. It’s also possible the Ravens will comb the waiver wire for a third quarterback for the 53-man roster.
RUNNING BACK (3): Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Rasheen Ali
With Henry and Hill established as the top two backs, the competition this summer was for the No. 3 back, whose role will primarily be special teams. Owen Wright had outperformed Ali, the fifth-round rookie draft pick, all summer, but Wright suffered a broken foot in the preseason finale and ends up on season-ending injured reserve. That’s a tough break for Wright, who had also shown promise in the new kick return format.
Ali hasn’t practiced in three weeks, so it seems unlikely he’ll be ramped up and ready to play at Kansas City in nine days. The Ravens might look outside the organization for a short-term alternative until Ali is back up to speed.
Keaton Mitchell, meanwhile, will begin the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list as he continues to recover from his torn ACL. He is expected to be out until the second half of the season.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Devontez Walker, Tylan Wallace, Deonte Harty
The Ravens are banking on Bateman to stay healthy, and Flowers, Bateman and Agholor are well established as the top three receivers.
Walker has been dealing with a rib injury and had an underwhelming summer, but the Ravens aren’t about to give up on a fourth-round rookie with his size and speed. Walker appears to be getting healthy again.
Wallace showed flashes of his receiver ability in the preseason, including a 48-yard touchdown in the preseason finale, and he and Harty make the team primarily for their special teams abilities.
The bubble bursts for veteran summer signings Keith Kirkwood, Russell Gage and Anthony Miller and undrafted rookie Dayton Wade, who had the team’s longest play from scrimmage this summer with a 56-yard touchdown against Atlanta. Expect to see a couple of these players return via the practice squad.
TIGHT END/FULLBACK (4): Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard (FB)
Not much suspense here. Andrews and Likely should be on the field a lot, and the Ravens are hoping Kolar can take a step forward as an inline blocker. The thought of Ricard paving the way for running back Derrick Henry is going to give defensive coordinators headaches.
Undrafted rookie Qadir Ismail shifted from wide receiver to tight end early in training camp and was probably the team’s most improved player over the summer. The Ravens will hope he goes unclaimed via waivers and lands back on the practice squad.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10): Ronnie Stanley, Andrew Vorhees, Tyler Linderbaum, Daniel Faalele, Roger Rosengarten, Patrick Mekari, Ben Cleveland, Josh Jones, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Nick Samac
Given the uncertainty with three new starters up front, the Ravens opt to keep 10 linemen, which cost them at another spot but gives them flexibility. Linderbaum is practicing again after missing three weeks with a neck injury, and the Ravens expect him to be ready for Week 1.
Mekari could start at right tackle or again could be the team’s super-sub who can fill in at any position up front. Cleveland is a top interior reserve, and Samac, the rookie seventh-round pick, has been coming on strong. Jones and Aumavae-Laulu are among the last two to squeak onto the roster with the ability to play both guard and tackle.
DEFENSIVE LINE (5): Justin Madubuike, Michael Pierce, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, Brent Urban
Not much suspense here, as the Ravens return their five top defensive linemen from a year ago. Urban has been involved in past roster gymnastics — released in the initial roster cutdown with a wink-wink agreement to be re-signed a few days later after IR moves are sorted out — but this year, he sticks on the initial 53-man roster.
Veterans Deadrin Senat and Josh Tupou were waived with injury settlements. Undrafted rookie C.J. Ravenell is a developmental defensive end who might end up back on the practice squad.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5): Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo, Tavius Robinson, Adisa Isaac
The Ravens still have depth questions here, especially considering Isaac has hardly played this summer and is again dealing with a hamstring injury. The Ravens will want to ration the snaps of Van Noy at age 33, so they are counting on a big year from former high school teammates Oweh and Ojabo. In the last two preseason games, Ojabo showed promise after missing 29 of 34 games over the past two regular seasons with injuries.
INSIDE LINEBACKER (4): Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Malik Harrison, Chris Board
The Ravens are thin here as well, especially since Harrison at times will line up on the outside in their base defense.
Simpson, in line to succeed Patrick Queen as the weak-side linebacker, led the Ravens in tackles in the preseason and played far more than most other projected starters.
Board is back for his second stint with the team as a core special teamer, but Josh Ross, who has been sidelined by a concussion after a traffic accident, did not make the cut.
The Ravens have a long history of finding undrafted gems at inside linebacker, but neither Yvandy Rigby or Deion Jennings did enough to win a spot this summer. Jennings, who was shaken up in the preseason finale at Green Bay, was placed on season-ending injured reserve.
This could be a position the Ravens look to bolster via the waiver wire.
CORNERBACK (5): Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Nate Wiggins, Jalyn Armour-Davis, T.J. Tampa
The Ravens keep five cornerbacks, fewer than some previous years, but understandable given how safeties Kyle Hamilton or Ar’Darius Washington will frequently slide up and play in the slot.
Arthur Maulet, one of the team’s top slot corners, begins the season on injured reserve but has already been designated to return. He’ll have to miss at least the first four weeks, though that was always the timeline after an arthroscopic knee procedure earlier this month.
Wiggins has been as advertised as the Ravens top draft pick, and Armour-Davis is coming off a strong summer in which he finally stayed healthy. Either of them can play outside if the Ravens move Humphrey inside to play in the slot. Stephens, entering a contract year, might have been the most consistent of all the corners in training camp.
Tampa is still ramping up after sports hernia surgery that sidelined him much of the summer. He did not play in any preseason games, so it’s unclear how soon he’ll be ready.
Damarion “Pepe” Williams and special teams veteran Ka’dar Hollman are among those landing on the wrong side of the roster bubble.
SAFETY (6): Kyle Hamilton, Marcus Williams, Eddie Jackson, Ar’Darius Washington, Beau Brade, Sanoussi Kane
Washington put together a strong summer to win one of the final jobs in the secondary, as did Brade, the River Hill High School and University of Maryland product who becomes the only undrafted rookie to make the initial 53-man roster.
Sanoussi Kane, the Ravens’ last draft pick this year, has been slowed this month by a stinger injury but survives the cutdown as well. Not so for veteran Daryl Worley, a vested veteran who the Ravens might like to re-sign to the practice squad.
SPECIALISTS (3): Justin Tucker, Jordan Stout, Nick Moore
Once again, no drama here. Moore is back after missing all of last season, Stout is coming off an improved second season and Tucker rolls on toward Canton.
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