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The Baltimore Ravens will be making several personnel moves in the next few days, starting with their final roster cuts ahead of the 53-man deadline on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Injuries to key players, including J.K. Dobbins, L.J. Fort, Jimmy Smith and Rashod Bateman, will impact the Ravens’ roster decisions, which could include trades, free agent signings and/or waiver claims.
Check back to this page for updates as roster cuts trickle in leading up to tomorrow’s deadline.
In the meantime, check out Heavy on Ravens’ 53-man roster predictions!
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Warrior, McCrary Claimed off Waivers
The Seattle Seahawks claimed second-year defensive back Nigel Warrior on Wednesday after he was waived by the Ravens on Thursday, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The former Tennessee Volunteer certainly proved he belonged on an NFL roster in the preseason, but the Ravens’ deep secondary prevented him from staying in Baltimore.
While the Ravens certainly would’ve wanted to sign Warrior to the practice squad, where he spent his rookie season, his solid preseason showings made it a long shot that he would clear waivers.
Ravens All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey responded to the news on Twitter:
Pelissero also reported that the Denver Broncos claimed undrafted rookie running back Nate McCrary, who signed with the Ravens in May after going undrafted out of Saginaw Valley State. He showed some promise in the preseason, but was outperformed by Ty’Son Williams.
To make room for McCrary on their roster, the Broncos cut running back Royce Freeman, who could become a target for the Ravens after J.K. Dobbins’ season-ending injury against the Washington Football Team.
The Ravens also placed wideout Miles Boykin on short-term injured reserve, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which will keep the Notre Dame product out until at least Week 4 of the regular season. The move opens up a spot on the Ravens’ roster, which will likely be filled by a wide receiver, with Rashod Bateman still out and Marquise Brown participating in his first practice since July on Monday.
Ravens Officially Announce Final Roster Cuts
The Ravens posted their final list of roster moves on Twitter, releasing a number of veterans that could be poised to return to the team within a few weeks.
Pernell McPhee, Anthony Levine Sr., Eric Tomlinson and Justin Ellis could all re-sign in Baltimore after the team finishes making its roster moves, which could include additions to the injured reserve or more trades.
The team already traded Ben Bredeson to the Giants today, sending the third-year guard, a 2022 fifth-round draft pick and a 2023 seventh-round pick to New York and receiving a fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This is the team’s third trade in the last week, following Thursday’s deal to send rookie cornerback Shaun Wade to the Patriots and Saturday’s exchange of Greg Mancz and a 2022 seventh-round pick for the Dolphins’ 2022 sixth-rounder.
Wideouts Binjimen Victor and Jaylon Moore round out the roster cuts, with linebacker Otaro Alaka, receiver Deon Cain and defensive lineman Aaron Crawford all being waived with an injury designation.
Victor and Moore had too much talent ahead of them at wide receiver after the Ravens spent six picks on receivers in last three drafts and added veteran Sammy Watkins this offseason.
Binjimen Victor made a strong case for himself on August 28 against the Washington Football team, gaining 85 yards on five catches, including a highlight touchdown reception from backup quarterback Tyler Huntley.
Jaylon Moore showed flashes of potential in the preseason, but ultimately couldn’t distinguish himself in the Ravens’ crowded wide receiver room. Both him and Victor are practice squad candidates if they pass through waivers as expected.
In addition, the Ravens put former Miami Dolphins starting right tackle Ja’Wuan James on the non-football injury list after he suffered an Achilles tear in the offseason that led to him being cut by the Denver Broncos in May.
Ravens Cut Three Rookies, Standout Defensive Back
The Ravens waived several rookies on Tuesday afternoon as they head towards their final 53-man roster.
2021 fifth-round pick Ben Mason highlighted the rookie cuts, which also included undrafted free agents Nate McCrary and Jake Verity.
According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the team also waived defensive back Nigel Warrior, a 2020 UDFA who played well this preseason with versatility in both pass coverage and run defense.
Warrior’s release has less to do with his on-field play than it does the logjam ahead of him in the secondary. If he clears waivers, the Ravens will look to sign him to the practice squad, but his preseason play may have gotten the attention of another team.
Ravens Thin TE Corps
Former Baltimore Sun reporter Aaron Wilson reported that the Ravens released tight end Eric Tomlinson on Monday evening, citing a league source.
Tomlinson’s departure from the team comes on the same day that head coach John Harbaugh announced that tight end Nick Boyle is unlikely to be ready for the Ravens’ regular season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Depending on Boyle’s remaining recovery time, Tomlinson could be a candidate for a handshake deal that would see him return to the team if Boyle is put on short-term injured reserve after Tuesday’s deadline.
The Athetic’s Jeff Zrebiec reported that the Ravens were making more cuts this morning, starting with tight end Tony Poljan, an undrafted rookie out of UVA.
Poljan began his college career as a quarterback at Central Michigan before fully converting to tight end his junior year, after which he joined the Cavaliers for one season.
Given the Ravens’ love of tight ends, Poljan is a definite candidate to join the Ravens practice squad later this week.
Ravens Cut Extra Receivers
The Ravens have cut wide receivers Devin Gray, Siaosi Mariner and Deon Cain, per Zrebiec of The Athletic.
Gray, a former Cincinnati Bearcat, signed with the Atlanta Falcons after going undrafted in 2018 and bounced between their practice squad and active roster for three seasons. He was a long shot to make the roster coming into camp and failed to separate himself from the pack during the preseason.
Mariner signed with the Ravens on August 9 after injuries to other Ravens’ receivers. He turned a few heads in his first practice, but made virtually no impact during three preseason games.
Deon Cain, a 2018 sixth-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts, started the preseason on the outside looking in on a roster spot, and two drops against Washington on Saturday likely sealed his fate. The former Clemson Tiger started three games for the rival Pittsburgh Steelers last season before signing with Baltimore in January.
None of the cuts will come as a surprise to observers, as the Ravens’ newfound depth at wide receiver was one of the team’s top offseason storylines. Injuries to Rashod Bateman, Miles Boykin and Marquise Brown did raise concern about the position, but Brown’s return to practice today signaled that the extra wideouts weren’t needed.
Ravens Cut Schofield, Place Dobbins on I.R.
The Ravens officially confirmed the releases of Gray and Mariner on their website and announced the termination of veteran offensive lineman Michael Schofield.
The team also placed J.K. Dobbins on season-ending injured reserve after his injury was confirmed by head coach John Harbaugh on Monday afternoon.
Schofield saw snaps at left tackle in the preseason and was thought to be in the mix for a roster spot as a swing tackle, according to Zrebiec. He started 16 games as an offensive guard three times in his career, once for the Denver Broncos and twice for the Los Angeles Chargers before signing with the Ravens in June. He didn’t perform well enough in the preseason to make a roster spot ahead of Baltimore’s younger offensive guard depth.
Dobbins’ addition to the IR likely means that Ty’Son Williams will make the team after a stellar preseason.
Harbaugh told media that the former BYU Cougar will be “out there playing,” saying, “obviously, he’s ready to go.”
Justice Hill‘s experience, special teams ability and versatility in the passing game will likely give him an edge over undrafted rookie Nate McCrary to make the 53-man roster, though Harbaugh didn’t rule out the possibility of adding a free agent RB, per Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun.
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