McAlister Moves to IR

The Ravens placed cornerback Chris McAlister on Injured Reserve today, making him the third Pro Bowler to join Baltimore's list this season.

A three-time All-Star, McAlister missed five games this season with a knee injury suffered in Week 6 against the St. Louis Rams. The eight-year veteran played Nov. 11 against the Cleveland Browns, and then sat out a week before re-injuring the knee versus the New England Patriots on Dec. 3.

McAlister's spot on the active roster will be filled by practice squad cornerback Willie Gaston, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Houston. Baltimore also signed 5-foot-10, 180-pound cornerback Jeff Shoate to the developmental team.

Injuries have taken their toll on key players throughout the Ravens' 4-9 campaign. Starters have missed a total of 54 full games, compared to only 12 at this point in last year's 13-3 showing.

The Ravens have seven players on IR, including a pair of Pro Bowlers, quarterback Steve McNair (shoulder) and defensive tackle Trevor Pryce (chest). Other regularly injured players have also made the trip to Hawaii before, such as tight end Todd Heap (thigh), cornerback Samari Rolle (illness and shoulder) and tackle Jonathan Ogden (toe).

Gaston saw action in Week 9, registering one tackle, when both Rolle and McAlister were not expected to face the Cincinnati Bengals. Shoate played all eight of his career games as a Denver Broncos rookie in 2004. He missed the entire 2005 campaign while on IR (knee), followed by a 2006 stint on the Broncos' practice squad.