Ravens Put Veteran DB On IR, Release Another for 3rd Time

Getty Ravens safety Marcus Williams celebrates recovering a forced fumble on October 22.

The Baltimore Ravens officially placed starting free safety Marcus Williams on injured reserve on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, after the veteran defensive back suffered a dislocated wrist in the team’s 19-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5.

Immediately following the game, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that the team’s prized free agent acquisition from this past offseason would miss “significant” time as a result of the injury. Harbaugh didn’t give a definitive timeline for Williams’ return, but he will miss a mandatory minimum of at least four games because he’s on injured reserve.

“I don’t really want to get into the dates and times and stuff like that, but it will be a significant amount of time,” Harbaugh said at his October 10 press conference. “It won’t be a season-ender, though.”

It appears Williams was hurt early in the game, but there was no telling the exact play or drive in which the injury occurred.

“I don’t know exactly which play it was, but it was on the first or second series because I just remember being on the sideline, and it was really bothering him early in the game,” Harbaugh said. “He gutted it out. He didn’t really say too much about it, so I don’t think anyone realized how serious it was until they got inside and took a look at it.”

Replacing Williams Will Be a Team Effort

Geno Stone took over for Williams in the game, but filling the void left by Williams won’t fall on just one player’s shoulder, Harbaugh said.

“We’ll be moving guys around in there a lot,” he said. “I’m looking forward to all of those guys kind of as a team, as a group, kind of filling in for Marcus and not losing a step on that.”

In his first season as a Ravens, Williams was off to a fantastic start with 33 total tackles, five pass deflections, one fumble recovery and three interceptions. His ball-hawking presence and range will be sorely missed.

Kyle Hamilton, the Ravens’ first pick in the draft, played well in 14 defensive snaps, Harbaugh said, even though he didn’t register any stats and was flagged for defensive pass interference once. He also said defensive back Chuck Clark (who is listed as the starting strong safety) was a candidate to step up in a “safety/nickel spot.”

“Geno is Geno; Kyle is Kyle; Marcus is Marcus,” Harbaugh said. “They have their strengths, and we’ll try to put them in position to make the most of their strengths if we can.”

Daryl Worley Released Again

For the third time since Daryl Worley signed with the team off the street in 2021, when they were desperate for bodies at cornerback down the stretch, the Ravens released the seven-year veteran cornerback on the same day they placed Williams on injured reserve.

Worley appeared in two games with the Ravens this year, played nine special teams snaps to just five on defense, and recorded one assisted tackle. He made one appearance last season, recording five solo tackles on 63 defensive snaps. This marks his third time being signed and released from the team’s practice squad this season alone and leaves the Ravens’ active roster at 51.

Andy Isabella Addition Officially Announced

Nearly a week after the transaction was initially reported, the Ravens are formally signing the former second-round wide receiver to their practice squad. He was originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019 out of the University of Massachusetts and was waived by the team on October 4.

Isabella is a shifty slot receiver who possesses blazing speed and could add quality depth to the Ravens’ wide receiver group. He was buried on the Cardinals during his first three years in the league by more notable and higher-drafted players at his position, but his former head coach believes that he can and will have a future in the league.

“Andy, we bring him in and he’s behind Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald, where we wanted to play him, so he didn’t probably get the talent test that could have really helped him,” Arizona’s Kliff Kingsbury said after his release last Wednesday. “Then we bring in DeAndre Hopkins and so you have those three guys, and it’s just hard to get on the field. But he can definitely play in this league, he’ll find a place.”