Ravens Waive Injured Former First-Round Offensive Tackle

Getty Former Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi looks on during a September 2019 game.

The Baltimore Ravens have waived and reached an injury settlement with veteran offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi, per the NFL’s official transaction report for December 3.

His release came as a minor surprise to some observers, as Ogbuehi was listed as “out” on the Ravens’ official injury report posted less than 20 minutes before Baltimore announced his release. Ogbuehi hadn’t practiced since November 18, with a thigh injury sidelining him for the last two weeks.

Ogbuehi arrived in Baltimore on October 27, shortly after his release from the Seattle Seahawks, where he spent the 2020 season. He played almost immediately after arriving in Baltimore, making his first appearance against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9. He was also active for the Ravens’ Week 10 loss to the Miami Dolphins, but only managed a total of nine snaps on special teams across the two games.

After the former Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick did not participate in practice for a second consecutive week, the Ravens likely realized that Ogbuehi was unlikely to contribute to the team this season and decided to release him to free up space on the active roster.

Baltimore now only has 51 players on its active roster, giving it plenty of flexibility ahead of their Week 13 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. With all five of the team’s rostered cornerbacks listed as questionable, they’ll likely call up one of their practice squad defensive backs, two of whom were signed this week. 

But after the Steelers game, the Ravens will have to decide how they want to use their two open roster spots for the rest of the season, with a few players still due to return from injury later this year. They could also look to promote a player from their practice squad

Returns From Injury

While the Ravens have lost several players to season-ending injuries, they have a few players that are likely to return from short-term injured reserve. 

Outside linebackers Pernell McPhee, a veteran on his second stint in Baltimore, and Daelin Hayes, a fifth-round rookie out of Notre Dame, are both expected to return to the team this season. McPhee was moved to injured reserve on November 20, so he could rejoin the Ravens as soon as their December 12 matchup with the Cleveland Browns. Hayes is already eligible to be activated from the IR, but he’s still recovering from both a high ankle sprain and a cleanup procedure on his knee.

Veteran cornerback Kevon Seymour is still on the COVID-19 Reserve list, so one open spot is likely reserved for him, especially with injuries and illness running rampant through the Ravens’ secondary.

Veteran offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James has also been mentioned as a potential late-season reinforcement to Baltimore’s offensive line, which is especially thin at tackle after Ogbuehi’s release. There haven’t been any recent updates on his progress, but head coach John Harbaugh had previously indicated that James could return sometime in December.

Practice Squad Promotions

The Ravens could look to replace Ogbuehi with another veteran offensive tackle in the form of David Sharpe, who’s received one game-day elevation already this season. He’d be a more likely promotion than Jaryd Jones-Smith, who has yet to play a single regular-season offensive snap in the NFL.

Another potential signing is two-way lineman Kahlil McKenzie, who plays offensive guard as well as defensive tackle. Though he offers no additional depth at offensive tackle, the Ravens seem happy with his versatility to contribute on the defensive line while serving as Baltimore’s eighth game-day offensive lineman to provide emergency depth at guard.