The Ravens are able to get cornerback Asa Jackson back in the lineup this week after he was suspended for the first eight games of the season.
The second-year cornerback is eligible to return to practice on Wednesday and could play in Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, but the Ravens would first have to activate him and give him a roster spot.
"We're going to take a good look at him this week and see where he's at," Head Coach John Harbaugh said Monday. "Asa says he's been working hard, that he's in great shape. He's been working with trainers in Arizona and Los Angeles, some football training work, so hopefully he's in the kind of shape where he can slide right in there and help us."
Jackson could provide some depth in the secondary and also help on special teams. The former fifth-round pick was active for three games his rookie season and did not record any statistics.
The Ravens may need the help in the secondary, especially if starting cornerback Jimmy Smith is unable to play with the strained groin that knocked him out of Sunday's game.
"We'll see if he can help us this week," Harbaugh said. "If he can, with the situation at cornerback, that could be a plus for us. So I'm not ruling that out as a possibility."
Smith* *left the game in the second half, and the Ravens turned to reserve Chykie Brown to join Lardarius Webb and Corey Graham in three wide receiver sets. Webb, Graham, Smith and Brown are currently the only cornerbacks on the roster.
Harbaugh indicated that Smith's injury did not appear serious.
"Jimmy came in feeling better today," Harbaugh said. "He had a little groin strain in there and we felt like it was better for Chykie to play during the game, the trainers did. He'll work on that through the course of the week and see how that develops and see how he practices Wednesday, Thursday and Friday."
If Jackson is going to provide additional depth in the secondary, then the Ravens have to make a move to get him on the 53-man squad. They are expected to have a roster spot open as Harbaugh said that left guard Kelechi Osemele is headed to injured reserve because of a back problem.
Osemele will undergo surgery on his back, and the Ravens expect him to be ready for next season.
"He's working with the doctors and with his representative to find what type of surgery he wants to do, what doctor is the best person to do it," Harbaugh said. "It's a three-four month recovery from what I've been told, so he should be back for the offseason program."
