Kinda saw the Cundiff cut coming based upon two recent observations: (1) rookie Justin Tucker got all the reps at K in Thursday night’s preseason Game 3, and (2) John Harbaugh tipped his hand a little bit in a WBAL interview on Friday when he mentioned how valuable it would be for the organization to have a young kicker who would solidify the position for the next ten years…
So I wasn’t surprised at all when the Ravens waived veteran Billy Cundiff on Saturday.
Justin Tucker is a great talent at K and had a great camp…signed as an UDFA, Tucker set all kinds of conference kicking records at Texas.
Cundiff made the Pro Bowl in 2010, and earned a five-year, $14.7 million contract extension the next offseason. Then came a slight dip in accuracy, and the costly miss vs. New England. The Baltimore Sun calculate the Ravens saved $1.2 million in cap space by cutting Cundiff.
Tucker, an undrafted rookie out of Texas, made all six extra point attempts and both of his field goals last Thursday vs. Jacksonville — a 33- and a 53-yarder.
“Billy had a great camp, the best he has had with us,” said coach John Harbaugh in a statement released by the team. “He showed, like he always has, a toughness and an ability to come back and be a top-flight NFL kicker. These decisions are never easy, and this one was difficult for all of us – Ozzie (Newsome), Jerry (Rosburg) and me.
“Of course, that says something about Justin, the way he has kicked and our belief in him. But, that does not say something less about Billy. Billy was ready in every way to be our kicker. He’ll kick in the NFL. He’s a very good kicker and an even better person.”
The rest of the first nine cuts:
Tight end Davon Drew
The former fifth-round draft pick was hoping to earn a spot on the active roster after spending the last two years on the practice squad. Drew had one catch for five yards in the three preseason games.
Wide receiver Devin Goda
The undrafted receiver out of Slippery Rock was at the back of the receiver rotation throughout training camp. He did not have a catch in any of the Ravens first three preseason games, and also dealt with a minor undisclosed injury that slowed his progress during camp.
Offensive lineman Addison Lawrence
The Mississippi State product was listed as the third-string left tackle on the depth chart and he had limited playing time during the preseason. The Ravens will likely only keep about eight offensive linemen on the roster
Cornerback Jordan Mabin
The undrafted cornerback out of Northwestern earned a spot on the 90-man roster with a strong showing at rookie minicamp in May. But the Ravens have a crowded secondary, and Mabin was not able to separate himself in that group.
Center Cecil Newton
The Ravens added Cecil, the brother of Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, to their practice squad midway through last season, and he was competing with Justin Boren and Gini Gradkowski for the backup center job behind Matt Birk. Both Boren and Gradkowski were ahead of Newton on the depth chart throughout training camp. If he clears waivers, Newton could be a candidate to end up on the Ravens practice squad.
Long snapper Patrick Scales
The Ravens only planned on keeping one long snapper on the roster, which created a slim opportunity for Scales. Morgan Cox has been the Ravens long snapper for the last two seasons, and he did nothing during camp or the preseason to cost himself the job.
Quarterback Chester Stewart
The Ravens are only planning to keep two or three quarterbacks on the roster, making the prospects grim for the undrafted quarterback out of Temple. Stewart’s only preseason action came in Atlanta, where his one pass of the game was intercepted. Stewart also could be a candidate for the practice squad.
Wide receiver Patrick Williams
Williams was also at the back of the rotation among the wide receivers during training camp. He dealt with a minor undisclosed injury during camp and finished the preseason with one catch for seven yards against Detroit.
UPDATE August 28, 2012:
To get down to 75 active roster spots, the Ravens made the following moves:
Linebacker Terrell Suggs (Achilles tendon) and wide receiver David Reed (knee) were both placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Linebackers Steve Baggs (leg) and Darryl Blackstock (leg), safety Emanuel Cook (leg) and defensive tackle Ryan McBean (ankle) have all been placed on injured reserve, ending their 2012 seasons.
By being designated to the PUP list, Suggs and Reed will have to miss at least the first six games of the regular season. They can begin practicing after the sixth week of the season and can practice for up to three weeks before being designated to the active roster, IR or waived.
And BREAKING NEWS— The Redskins have signed kicker Billy Cundiff to a contract. This ought to make December 9 at Washington a whole lot more interesting!
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