OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Veteran linebacker Kyle Van Noy called the trade of Odafe Oweh a “wake-up call.” Wide receiver Zay Flowers described it as “a shock.”
And while players around the Ravens locker room processed the early-season trade and shuffling in the locker room, they also vowed to move past their stunning 1-4 start and focus on turning around the season, an effort that will begin Sunday, Oct. 12, when the Ravens host the Los Angeles Rams (3-2) before a badly needed Week 7 bye.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson, who missed the Ravens 44-10 blowout loss to the Houston Texans, did not practice on Oct. 8, leaving his status for the Rams game very much up in the air. At this point, it would be a surprise to see him play.
Safety Kyle Hamilton, who missed the game against Houston with a groin injury, was back on the field Oct. 8, and he was joined by Alohi Gilman, the safety acquired from the Los Angeles Chargers in the Oweh deal, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, a free agent signed to the Ravens’ practice squad.
Gilman had started all five games for the Chargers this year, so he already comes to the Ravens in shape, and Harbaugh said there is a good chance he will be on the field Sunday.
“He’s going to give us a lot,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a veteran safety. He was in a very similar system. He’s a proven player. He had a really good practice today. I think he’s a good fit for us right now in what we’re looking for. So, it’s a piece that we’ve kind of been looking for … really, throughout the season so far.”
Gilman, who began his career at Navy before transferring to Notre Dame after one season, played alongside Hamilton for one season with the Fighting Irish.
“[We’ll] get that Notre Dame connection going again,” he said.
Gilman said he landed in Baltimore at 6 a.m. on Oct. 8 after being traded the day before and headed directly to the facility, where he quickly dived into the Ravens’ playbook.
“In 24 hours, I’ve been awake for about 21 of them,” he said. “It’s been a long day. I’m still processing everything.”
Gilman said being traded is “something you can’t really prepare for,” and noted that with a young daughter at home and a pregnant wife due in January, “It has been tough on my and my family. … You’re in one facility one day, and you get pulled out, and you’re on a plane in three hours. Throw a bunch of stuff in your bag, say goodbye and hit the road. So it’s a whirlwind of emotions.”
Gilman, 28, had spent his entire six-year career with the Chargers, and he called the departure “bittersweet,” but noted that he appreciated being traded to “a great organization.” He added that Chargers and former Ravens safety Tony Jefferson “was always repping the Ravens. I used to get on him for it, and now I’m here.”
Gilman started all five games this year for the Chargers, with 22 tackles and three passes defensed. In 2023, he set career highs with 73 tackles and two interceptions, and he has started every game when healthy over the past three years.
With the addition of Gilman, and assuming Hamilton is healthy — he returned to practice Wednesday after missing the Texans debacle with a groin injury — the Ravens could opt for three-safety looks with Gilman, Hamilton and Malaki Starks on the field together. Hamilton in that alignment could play in the slot or as a dime linebacker closer to the line of scrimmage, where he can have a more dramatic impact than as a deep safety.
Losing Oweh, though, costs the Ravens one of their most proven pass rushers, although he had yet to record a sack this season. He set a career high with 10 last season.
The Ravens through five games have totaled just six sacks, tied for the second-fewest in the league, and their sack rate is lowest in the league.
Van Noy said the pass rush is “not where I want it to be at all. … We have a standard of being one of the best [over] the last two years, and it’s not close to that.”
With Oweh gone, the pressure rises on rookie Mike Green, along with Tavius Robinson and David Ojabo, to contribute alongside Van Noy in the Ravens edge group.
“Their reps will ramp up,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see how they handle it and see if they can get to the quarterback.”
Harbaugh suggested the team will continue to explore more moves leading up to the trade deadline, saying “those are conversations that will be had,” presumably by general manager Eric DeCosta.
But if the Ravens lose to the Rame and continue their stunning slide, they figure to be sellers, not buyers, at the league trade deadline, which is Nov. 4.
NOTEBOOK
SMITH, HUMPHREY, AWUZIE REMAIN SIDELINED: In addition to Lamar Jackson, linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf) and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) all missed practice Oct. 8. Fullback Patrick Ricard (calf), who has been out all season, did as well. All those players also missed the Texans game this past week.
THREE TACKLES ON INJURY REPORT: Left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who missed the Texans game with an ankle injury, was back at practice but was limited, and two other tackles joined him on the injury list. Joseph Noteboom, who replaced Stanley in the starting lineup, was listed as limited with an ankle injury, and starting right tackle Roger Rosengarten was limited with a knee injury.
Others on the Ravens lengthy injury list for Wednesday’s workout included Hamilton (limited, groin), Flowers (limited, shoulder), and wide receiver Devontez Walker (limited, oblique).
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