The Baltimore Ravens surprised many by making defensive tackle Daylon Mack one of their early cuts as they work to get down to the 80-man roster limit for training camp. A fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, it was expected Mack would at least be given a chance to win a spot on the 53-man roster, if not the potential for a rotational role in certain packages in the regular season.
Mack’s early dismissal is a pretty big deal for several other guys on the roster bubble. It also might indicate what Baltimore wants to do on their defensive line moving forward.
For one, it gives UDFA defensive tackle Aaron Crawford a chance to finally breathe. With the Ravens needing to make quick cuts as training camp opens, the undrafted players were the ones with the biggest targets on their backs. UDFAs are developmental projects that likely won’t offer much impact this season, if ever. It also means the Ravens’ fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, Broderick Washington Jr., will have a better chance to make the final 53-man roster as well.
With the pandemic making training camp the first and only time the players will get on the field before the regular season begins, no one would blame Baltimore if it wanted to keep more experienced players over those that haven’t played a snap in the NFL yet. That’s especially the case with late-round and undrafted rookies on the depth chart.
Brandon Williams is set to be the starting defensive tackle this season, with Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe likely flanking him on the defensive line most of the time. That means the remaining players at defensive tackle are fighting to be Williams’ primary backup. It’s a role that should get a decent number of snaps this season and could effectively be an unofficial interview for a starting spot if the Ravens move on from Williams’ high cap number next season.
Mack being out of the picture would mean that battle is likely to be centered around Justin Ellis and rookie Justin Madubuike. Ellis has more experience, having started 42 games over his six-year career, which might give him the edge there. But as a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Madubuike is no slouch either. Though Mack was a fifth-round pick last year and only got nine defensive snaps before heading to injured reserve, he would have been somewhat of a middle ground in the competition to be Williams’ backup.
Perhaps, more importantly, is the future of the position. Williams is a potential cap casualty next offseason, with Baltimore set to get back $9.5 million on a potentially lowered 2021 NFL salary cap, according to Over The Cap. If that happens, Madubuike and Washington would be the only two defensive tackles currently on the team still under contract. While Baltimore could easily sign a free agent or draft another defensive tackle to bolster the group next offseason, it narrows down the Ravens’ options early and points to those two being in line for a significant role in 2021.
A lot of things can and probably will still happen in this unusual offseason. But Mack is the first truly interesting cut for Baltimore and it has wide-reaching implications.
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