Ravens' Biggest Roster Move Is One They Didn't Make
Head Coach Jesse Minter acknowledged after the Ravens' 41-3 rout of the Washington Commanders on Friday night that the organization was going to have a challenging, yet rewarding couple of days, as the Ravens had some tough decisions to make to finalize their 53-man roster by Sunday's deadline.
"[Executive Vice President and General Manager] Eric [DeCosta] and the personnel staff have done a great job putting together a really good group of players," Minter said. "Our coaches have done a great job developing guys and putting them in position. So, it makes it really hard and challenging, and that is the way you want it."
Here's a look at pundits' takeaways from the Ravens’ initial 53-man roster:
The biggest move was one the Ravens didn't make.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: "Baltimore didn't place Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike on injured reserve, which means he is eligible for the first four games of the regular season. Madubuike is coming back from a neck injury that sidelined him for the last 15 games of last season and led to a surgery in April. He has suited up for every practice in training camp, but he hasn't participated in team drills, which created uncertainty about his status to start the season. If Madubuike can return in September, it would be a huge boost for a Ravens defense that totaled 30 sacks last season. From the start of 2023 until he was placed on injured reserve Sept. 27, Madubuike's 21.5 sacks were the most by a defensive tackle."
Two undrafted rookies beat the odds and made the team: quarterback Joe Fagnano and outside linebacker Ethan Burke.
**The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec:** "Baltimore's decision-makers have rarely believed keeping three quarterbacks to start the season was a good use of roster space. They had done it just once over the previous five years. On Sunday, ex-Maine and UConn undrafted quarterback Joe Fagnano became arguably the most unlikely member of the 53-man roster as he earned a spot behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley, thanks to a preseason in which he completed nearly 75 percent of his attempts, threw for 509 yards and had three touchdown passes. Fagnano wasn't initially part of the Ravens' undrafted class. He was planning to attend their rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, but the Ravens officially signed him and Heisman finalist Diego Pavia on the eve of the workout. Fagnano outlasted Pavia and then was one of the top-performing passers in the preseason despite getting limited practice reps."
The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker: "Burke's inclusion was one of the Ravens' more notable decisions as they finalized their initial 53-man roster. It came at the expense of fellow outside linebacker Adisa Isaac, a 2024 third-round pick whose career has been derailed by injuries to this point. … Both played well in the preseason finale, but the undrafted Burke was more consistent over the course of the summer and, perhaps more importantly, doesn't have the injury history of Isaac. Though Isaac flashed in both run and pass defense down the stretch in training camp and preseason, he'll get a fresh start elsewhere."
Zrebiec: "He turned two players who weren't expected to make the team, nose tackle C.J. Okoye and undrafted rookie offensive tackle Diego Pounds, into draft picks. Okoye secured a 2028 seventh-round pick from John Harbaugh's New York Giants, and Pounds went to the Kansas City Chiefs for a conditional 2028 sixth-rounder."
The competition for the No. 3 running back spot between Rasheen Ali and Adam Randall takes an unexpected turn.
The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer: "Ali earned his spot with his special teams value; he could again lead the team in kickoff returns and rank among the leading tacklers. Randall, a fifth-round pick, flashed his potential during the preseason but, in a surprise, landed on injured reserve. He'll miss at least the Ravens' first four games."
Do the Ravens have enough cornerback depth?
Wacker: "Bilhal Kone will start the season on injured reserve, so he'll be out for the first four weeks of the season and won't count against a roster spot. That means Baltimore will go with just six cornerbacks on the active roster for the time being. T.J. Tampa, Keyon Martin and Chandler Rivers, a fifth-round rookie, have all impressed this summer, which helps. But Chidobe Awuzie has a history of injuries, while Nate Wiggins suffered what ended up being a minor knee injury during practice earlier this month. Minter likes to use a lot of defensive backs, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out."
Burke Celebrates Making Team With Brunch at Local Diner
Not only was Burke making the 53-man roster a feel-good story because he was an undrafted free agent, but also because he has local ties.
Burke grew up in Pasadena, Md., and was offered a partial lacrosse scholarship to Maryland before eventually choosing football and playing at Texas.
Wacker reported that DeCosta delivered the good news to Burke on Saturday.
"The news was enough to warrant a celebration Sunday, when Burke, his father and some friends met for brunch at the Double T Diner in White Marsh after what had been a whirlwind two days," Wacker wrote.
Burke revealed in a call to his father, Zack, on Saturday that DeCosta had a little fun with him before informing him that he made the team.
Zack Burke recounted the story to Wacker: "[Ethan] just said he got in there and I think someone told him he'd made it, then they sent him to Eric DeCosta and he was acting like he didn't make it. [Ethan] was real nervous. Once they told him he was good, he grabbed his stuff and got out of there as quick as possible."
Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios for Ravens' Top Draft Picks
With training camp in the books, The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han looked at the best- and worst-case scenarios for each of the Ravens' draft picks in the regular season.
Here's Han's outlook for the Ravens' first two picks:
Round 1 (No. 14): G Vega Ioane
Best case: "Teammates and coaches have raved over Ioane's maturity, saying he already seems like a vet. He's extremely strong, in addition to being an intelligent player, so there's a chance he adjusts to NFL competition quickly. He was given a lot of reps in joint practices and a handful in the preseason games, and he looked impressive even if the PFF grades didn't reflect that. And, if Ioane is surrounded by experience and talent on the offensive line, that will smooth over any rookie mistakes. He's going to be a starter, but he could be an immediate impact player and get this offense moving."
Worst case: "The biggest question mark on this roster is right next to Ioane. If the Ravens don't find an answer at center, that could exacerbate any hiccups Ioane has, especially if he isn't as ready as the Ravens make him out to be. The worst case would be Ioane having a longer adjustment period and a bad line, but he would likely still be on track to be an important part of the franchise's future."
Round 2 (No. 45): OLB Zion Young
Best case: "Young had a relatively quiet training camp but played well in the second preseason game. However, he returned to Baltimore with an injury and sat out. The best case would be for him to recover quickly but to have the older pass rushers taking most of the game reps. If things go right, Trey Hendrickson, Tavius Robinson and Mike Green would contribute enough that the Ravens don't need to rely heavily on the rookie. This would allow Young to get stronger and faster without the pressure, and it would mean he was developing in a healthy environment."
Worst case: "Other than the obvious possibility of injury limiting him, the worst case for Young would be to be called on too early. He has a lot of inner juice that drives him, but getting thrown out against NFL tackles before he's expanded his pass rush options and perfected his technique could be defeating."
On a related note, analysts' best- and worst-case scenarios for third-round wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane were covered in Late for Work last week.
Quick Hits
- The Ravens are No. 8 in ESPN’s latest power rankings.
