The Baltimore Ravens had their first known run-in with COVID-19 as they opened the Under Armour Performance Center for training camp. According to Sunday’s transaction wire, the Ravens placed undrafted free agent safety Nigel Warrior on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Warrior was one of six players to get the designation on Sunday.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Warrior actually tested positive himself, however. The list can be used for a player who needs to quarantine after being in contact with someone who has tested positive. With players coming into town from all around the country for training camp, it’s likely there are going to be some players around the league that test positive for the virus or have been around those that have.
While training camps are opening around the league, with the rookies the first to report, not every team is on the same footing right now. All 32 teams need to submit an Infectious Disease Emergency Response (IDER) plan and have it approved by both the NFL and NFLPA before allowing more than 20 players into their training facility. Though every team has had their plans approved by the NFL, the Ravens are one of a handful of teams to have their IDER plan approved by the NFLPA thus far.
This is just one of the changes this offseason as the league tries to safely work around the coronavirus pandemic. Among the things ironed out between the NFL and NFLPA were more frequent testing at the start of training camp, no preseason games, reduced training camp rosters, and a minimum 2021 salary cap of $175 million.
Warrior is one of 21 UDFAs Baltimore brought on this offseason. Though Baltimore is well situated at safety, signing Chuck Clark to a three-year extension and adding Geno Stone in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Warrior is expected to push for a spot on the Ravens’ 53-man roster this year. Warrior proved to be a talented and productive safety at Tennessee, contributing 60 total tackles and coming down with four interceptions for 102 return yards last year.
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