Getty Andre Smith hugs Lamar Jackson after a game.
The Baltimore Ravens have lost another member of the team to an opt out to begin the 2020 season.
Offensive lineman Andre Smith was revealed to be on the reserve/voluntary opt out list. The team published a list that showed Smith as an opt out for this coming year.
Smith joins wideout De’Anthony Thomas as Ravens players to opt out this season and would be the next member of the team to do so. He joins a growing list of players across the league to make the decision to sit out the season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Teams across the league are losing players, and the Ravens will have to find a way to account for the loss of Smith. He provides the team some good depth up front, and has been a veteran that has played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals before as a former top draft pick.
Smith made the decision he felt was best for him and his family, which is to be commended in this current environment the league is dealing with.
De’Anthony Thomas Opted Out for Ravens
Thomas was revealed to be a player that would not opt in for this season for the Ravens, choosing instead to stay on the sidelines thanks to the dangers of the coronavirus.
News: #Ravens WR/Returner De’Anthony Thomas has decided to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season.
Currently, the league is planning to re-start with caution, and there will be no preseason as part of the agreement. That was something plenty of players were happy to see, but it’s clear not everybody is on board with the risk of playing this season. Thomas joins players like David Price from baseball and Avery Bradley, Spencer Dinwiddie and others in basketball who opted out of their re-starts this season.
Lamar Jackson Returned to Ravens Camp
Monday, quarterback Lamar Jackson entered the building and showed off some amazing swag along the way in the process. He featured a Ravens face mask while entering the building and sipping on a drink.
Here’s a look:
He’s baaaaaaaack. 🚨
Ravens players have been entering the facilities in the last few days reporting for duty, and the team had one of the approved restart plans from the NFLPA from the start. The team will now push through training camp and while there are no preseason games this season, they will try to stay healthy and keep momentum moving into the expected start of the new league year in September.
Getting Jackson back into the mix is huge for the Ravens, and he is the most important player to return on the roster for 2020. It’s nice to see him showing up and looking ready to dominate confidently to start training camp, no matter how different it might be this season.
Jackson will have to do it without a major weapon in Thomas and a player in Smith who protects him up front, and it will be fascinating to see how many other players join him in opting out.
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