The Baltimore Ravens are working to trim their roster down to 80 players ahead of officially opening training camp on Tuesday. One such move was placing undrafted free agent tight end Jacob Breeland on the non-football injury (NFI) list, according to the team’s Twitter account.
Breeland had been primed for a big 2019 at Oregon ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft. He set career highs in all major receiving categories in spite of playing just six games due to a torn ACL, catching 26 passes for 405 yards and six receiving touchdowns. Breeland went undrafted, signing with the Ravens this offseason as a UDFA.
It was hoped Breeland would be ready for the start of training camp. After Baltimore traded tight end Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, there was at least one open roster spot on the depth chart. Both Breeland and fellow UDFA Eli Wolf are expected to compete for the Ravens’ third tight end spot behind Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle, with the potential for a meaningful role in Baltimore’s tight-end-heavy scheme this season.
Breeland’s placement on the NFI list keeps him with the Ravens as he continues to recover from his injury. However, it also means he can’t practice with the team until he’s taken off the list and put back on the 80-man roster. It’s a good opportunity for Baltimore to keep Breeland around while maximizing their already reduced roster space due to the COVID-19 restrictions the NFL and NFLPA agreed to this offseason.
[vertical-gallery id=50943]