The Baltimore Ravens escaped Philadelphia with a win over the Eagles on Sunday but they added a few new injuries to the list. Both running back Mark Ingram and cornerback Anthony Averett left the game with their respective injuries. However, Averett’s prognosis is a little more grim come Monday.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Averett suffered a shoulder fracture in Week 6’s game against the Eagles and will miss around five to six weeks because of the injury. For an already thin secondary following the season-ending injury to slot cornerback Tavon Young, Averett’s injury is one Baltimore can’t really afford.
The Ravens entered the 2020 regular season with just five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster. With Young’s injury, more was already being asked of elder statesman Jimmy Smith. Now with Averett’s injury added to the mix, it’ll be interesting to see how defensive coordinator Don Martindale fills that void. Baltimore had already brought up cornerback Khalil Dorsey from the practice squad and could look to do the same with veteran Nate Hairston to help round out the unit over the next few weeks.
Of course, the Ravens could be even bolder and look to pull off a trade. The NFL’s Nov. 3 trade deadline is quickly approaching and Baltimore has been far more aggressive at remedying their issues under new general manager Eric DeCosta. While a trade seems unlikely, the Ravens clearly value depth in the secondary and could look to upgrade their third cornerback spot.
While Averett’s injury is a concern for Baltimore moving forward, their other injuries are far more minor according to Harbaugh. It appears guys like Ingram, Derek Wolfe, and Tyre Phillips could all be back following the Ravens’ Week 7 bye in order to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8.
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