Ravens place QB Trace McSorley on injured reserve

The Baltimore Ravens put QB Trace McSorley on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury Monday against the Cleveland Browns in Week 14.

The Baltimore Ravens have been hit hard by injuries and an outbreak of COVID-19 this season. Once again, it’s time for the next man up as the Ravens place quarterback Trace McSorley on injured reserve Tuesday, according to the team’s Twitter account.

McSorley suffered a sprained knee in Monday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Playing for starter Lamar Jackson, who was in the locker room for treatment of cramps, McSorley was sacked after his right leg slipped on the turf and his left leg bent awkwardly underneath him. Jackson would come back the very next play, throwing a 44-yard touchdown to Marquise Brown to reclaim the lead and eventually lead Baltimore to victory.

The injury was expected to make him week-to-week, according to Pelissero, making the move to injured reserve a little shocking. But with just three games remaining, there might not have been enough time for McSorley to return in the regular season. Under the 2020 rules, players have to be on injured reserve for a minimum of three weeks but are eligible to return after that. That would put a potential return for McSorley in the playoffs if the Ravens get that far.

With Robert Griffin III also on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, Baltimore has Jackson and UDFA Tyler Huntley as the only two quarterbacks remaining on the team. While Huntley played well in training camp, he hasn’t seen a single snap of action this season as he’s been on the practice squad. With such limited time remaining this season to find a player, wait for them to clear COVID-19 protocols, and then learn the offense; the Ravens might just be forced to finish the season out with Jackson and Huntley as their only two quarterbacks.

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Ravens activate rookie Tyre Phillips from injured reserve

The Baltimore Ravens activated rookie guard Tyre Phillips from injured reserve as they desperately need the help on the offensive line.

The Baltimore Ravens made a bunch of moves to their roster on Monday, including adding four more players to the Reserve/COVID-19 list and activating four from it. In addition to all the COVID-19 related moves, the Ravens also announced they’re activating rookie guard Tyre Phillips from injured reserve.

Phillips initially went on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the injury wasn’t considered to be season-ending, the Ravens put Phillips on injured reserve to free up a roster spot with the ability for him to return to the 53-man roster after three weeks.

Though he didn’t play well in the starting lineup, the Ravens were looking at not having enough players to field a complete offensive and defensive line against the Steelers on Tuesday. With both injuries and COVID-19 ravaging Baltimore’s offensive line, Phillips will be a welcome addition to the team again, even if he doesn’t necessarily start immediately.

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Ravens make trio of roster moves after Week 5, including signing UDFA C Trystan Colon-Castillo

The Baltimore Ravens made a trio of moves after Week 5, putting Otaro Alaka on IR and signing Trystan Colon-Castillo to the 53-man roster

The Baltimore Ravens moved to 4-1 on the season, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 27-3 on Sunday. But the coaching staff and front office didn’t have much time to celebrate the win before having to get back to work.

According to the transaction report for Monday, the Ravens were busy. In addition to putting linebacker Otaro Alaka on injured reserve with a knee injury, Baltimore brought up center Trystan Colon-Castillo from the practice squad and signed defensive back Nate Hairston to fill his spot.

The trio of moves was somewhat expected. Alaka suffered what was feared to be a season-ending knee injury against the Bengals. As well, coach John Harbaugh noted Colon-Castillo had been garnering some attention on the practice squad, forcing the team to bring him up to the 53-man roster to keep him from getting poached.

Colon-Castillo was one of the Ravens’ undrafted free agents this offseason. Though Baltimore chose to not keep a single UDFA when creating their initial 53-man roster — breaking a 16-year record — the Ravens clearly feel the former Missouri center is someone they want to continue to develop for the future. With an offensive line that has had some subpar play this season following right guard Marshal Yanda’s retirement, keeping linemen they value is a pretty easy decision.

Hairston joins Baltimore’s practice squad with the veteran exception tag. A former fifth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, Hairston is in his fourth season in the NFL and on his third team. While it’s easy to think Hairston is simply an insurance policy for the Ravens, he brings quite a bit of experience at cornerback, an area Baltimore has been a little thin at this season.

Hairston has played in 40 games throughout his four-year career, starting 17. He’s notched two interceptions, nine passes defensed, two sacks, 95 combined tackles, and a safety.

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Ravens injuries: LB Otaro Alaka suffers expected season-ending knee injury

The Baltimore Ravens got some bad news in Week 5 as reserve linebacker Otaro Alaka suffered what is feared to be a season-ending injury

The Baltimore Ravens picked up their fourth win of the 2020 NFL season on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. But the win comes with a bit of a down note as 24-year-old linebacker Otaro Alaka suffered a knee injury.

According to coach John Harbaugh following the game, Alaka’s injury is expected to be season-ending. If that prognosis holds true, he’ll join the likes of cornerback Tavon Young on injured reserve, opening up a spot on the Ravens’ 53-man roster.

Alaka has primarily been used on special teams, sitting in third on Baltimore’s depth chart on defense at inside linebacker. L.J Fort is the most experienced linebacker on the roster currently, with Baltimore leaning more on rookie Patrick Queen to man the center of the defense. While this might not have any immediate impact, it does shrink the depth at linebacker for the Ravens — a unit that was already filled with inexperienced players.

This will be the second time Alaka has made his way to injured reserve in his very young career. The Ravens placed Alaka on injured reserve last year after suffering a hamstring injury that kept him from playing any games in 2019.

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Ravens cut 3 players, place DeAndrew White on IR ahead of 53-man roster deadline

With less than a week before the Baltimore Ravens roster needs to be trimmed to 53 players, the team made some early moves

The Baltimore Ravens are entering regular-season mode this week as they transition out of training camp and turn their focus on their Week 1 opponent, the Cleveland Browns. Part of that transition is trimming down their roster from 80 players to 53 ahead of Saturday’s deadline. Though there will be some really tough decisions that will likely come down to the wire, some are going to be far easier. That’s the case as Baltimore has already begun trimming their roster well ahead of the deadline, making three cuts on Monday.

According to the Ravens, they’ve waived outside linebacker John Daka, wide receiver Michael Dereus, and center Sean Pollard. The team also placed wide receiver DeAndrew White on injured reserve. The moves take Baltimore down to 76 players on the roster, with another 23 left to make over the next five days.

All three cuts were expected considering they were undrafted free agents who signed with the Ravens following the 2020 NFL Draft. Dereus and Pollard had an uphill battle to make the team with Baltimore selecting two wide receivers and two offensive linemen in April’s draft on top of the already impressive depth on the roster.

Daka was one of three UDFA outside linebackers the Ravens brought in this offseason. With limited depth behind Matthew Judon and the team not using one of their 10 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft to address the position, the UDFAs were expected to have a better than average chance of making Baltimore’s 53-man roster. While Daka is among the first cuts, this could be a case where the Ravens are hoping to sneak him through to their practice squad where they can continue his development this season for another shot next year.

White was signed just last week following a workout that also included wide receiver Dez Bryant. White quickly impressed Harbaugh, earning a positive review of his first day in a Ravens uniform.

“He looked good out there today, didn’t he? He came out about halfway through practice – maybe before that – and jumped out and made a couple catches,” Harbaugh said following White’s first practice. “So, he looked good. I had a chance to chat with him briefly after practice. He’s in great spirits. He’s appreciative of the opportunity.”

White joins cornerback Iman Marshall and wide receiver Antoine Wesley on Baltimore’s injured reserve list.

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Ravens C Matt Skura not sure if he’ll be ready for training camp

Baltimore Ravens C Matt Skura suffered a devastating knee injury that put him on injured reserve and leaves him unsure when he’ll return

The Baltimore Ravens had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL last season. But a key member of the unit isn’t sure if he’ll be healthy enough for training camp next season.

Center Matt Skura suffered a devastating knee injury in Week 12 that saw him tear his ACL, PCL and MCL while also dislocating his kneecap and sent him to injured reserve. While the team cleaned out their lockers, Skura told reporters there is no timetable for his return and that his status for training camp is still in doubt.

Skura was replaced well by undrafted rookie free agent Patrick Mekari but was a key figure on Baltimore’s offensive line prior to the injury. The unit helped keep quarterback Lamar Jackson upright while paving the way for an NFL-record rushing attack.

Earlier this month, Skura posted on Twitter that he was finally walking without crutches. While a step in the right direction, the lack of firm timetable leaves the Ravens in the lurch heading into the offseason.

As a restricted free agent this offseason, the Ravens have some leverage to retain Skura if they want. They can place one of four tenders on him that have varying cap hits — right of first refusal, original round, second round, or first round. But with Mekari’s emergence in Skura’s stead and his potentially prolonged recovery time, it’ll be interesting to see how Baltimore approaches his status this offseason.

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Ravens sign former Bengals T Andre Smith, put G Parker Ehinger on IR

The Ravens needed to add some depth to their OL with Parker Ehinger going to IR. They added a familiar face in Bengals T Andre Smith

The Baltimore Ravens might have been great enough to not only make the playoffs but be the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but that doesn’t mean they think they’re perfect. With the Tennessee Titans coming to town this weekend for the divisional round, the Ravens are changing up their offensive line depth a bit.

Guard Parker Ehinger has been dealing with a shoulder injury, listed as not practicing on the injury report for this week. The injury was apparently bad enough to end his season, with Baltimore putting him on injured reserve. To fill the spot, the Ravens have signed former Cincinnati Bengals tackle Andre Smith, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and confirmed by Jamison Hensley.

Smith didn’t play much for Cincinnati this season, getting waived following their Week 10 loss to the Ravens. Smith started five games this season, seeing 254 snaps on offense. While Smith is far from his prime, he brings a great deal of experience to the team. He’s been in the league for 11 seasons now.

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Ravens put C Matt Skura on injured reserve; needs knee surgery

The worst fears were confirmed as the Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura will need surgery on his knee, heading to injured reserve

The Baltimore Ravens continued their winning streak by beating the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12 but came out of the game a little weaker. After center Matt Skura was carted off the field with a knee injury, the worst fears came true with further testing. The Ravens announced they’ve placed Skura on injured reserve, ending his 2019 campaign early.

Skura had his leg rolled on during a pile-up on fourth down in the first quarter. The team initially announced it as a knee sprain, giving some hope Skura would be able to return at some point this season. However, once they got back to Baltimore and further testing could be done, it was determined surgery was needed.

It’s expected undrafted rookie Patrick Mekari will continue as Skura’s replacement after playing well for the remainder of the game against the Rams. Baltimore could also decide to move left guard Bradley Bozeman further inside to center and replace him with someone like James Hurst. However, that would mess with the continuity on the offensive line quite a bit — a unit that has started the same five guys at their respective positions for all 11 games this season.

This was Skura’s second season as Baltimore’s starting center. He’d really come into his how as the season wore on and was playing at a high level when he went down.

Skura posted a touching message to his Instagram thanking the fans and his teammates.

View this post on Instagram

I am honored to have shared the field with this group of men. We truly have something special going on here in Baltimore. These guys are more than teammates, they are my brothers. We fight and battle for each other every week, putting everything we have on the line. My season has ended, but there’s much more to be accomplished. We have a clear vision and aren’t wavering for anyone until the mission is complete. Thank you to all the family, coaches, friends and fans that have sent encouraging, thoughtful messages. It means more than many of you will ever know seeing the support I’ve received. I’m ready to attack this adversity and get back to the field stronger and better than ever! #RavensFlock #BigTruss

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Ravens place rookie DT Daylon Mack on injured reserve

The Baltimore Ravens placed rookie defensive tackle Daylon Mack on injured reserve after signing two veteran defensive tackles this week.

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The Baltimore Ravens made a whole host of roster moves over the last few days. In addition to activating rookie cornerback Iman Marshall from injured reserve, the Ravens signed two defensive tackles in Justin Ellis and Domata Peko. To help make room for the roster additions, Baltimore placed rookie defensive tackle Daylon Mack on injured reserve.

Mack was listed as “questionable” for Week 10’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, after being limited in Friday’s practice with a knee injury. Mack played in just one game this season — being a healthy scratch through seven others. With the signings of Ellis and Peko, the move to injured reserve was to be expected.

It will allow Baltimore to get more experienced defensive linemen on the field, especially with Michael Pierce’s ankle injury potentially keeping him out of the lineup. But it still allows the Ravens to continue developing Mack for the future. As a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, there were no expectations that Mack would become an immediate contributor but could hopefully grow into a solid depth player or potential heir for guys like Pierce and Brandon Williams down the line.

According to the team’s site, Mack becomes the 10th Ravens player to head to injured reserve this season — all on defense.