I really thought Justin Harper (WR) would make the first cut…and maybe the final roster… I was wrong.
As reported by Ryan Mink of the Ravens website, the Ravens trimmed their roster Saturday morning, cutting nine players.
All NFL teams have to be down to 80 players by Tuesday. The Ravens now stand at 81.
Tackle Oniel Cousins and wide receiver Justin Harper are two of the more well-known names on the list, which also includes seven rookie free agents.
Justin Harper (6-3, 226, 3rd year out of Virginia Tech) will probably catch on with another NFL team desperate for receivers…
Cousins was a third-round compensatory pick by the Ravens in 2008 who played in 25 games for the Ravens over the past three seasons, including all 16 last year.
He was competing with rookie Jah Reid for the starting right tackle job this preseason, but had a tough preseason debut against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Ravens moved Cousins inside to guard after that, where he started against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, Baltimore slid new addition Mark LeVoir to guard to start against the Washington Redskins.
Head Coach John Harbaugh said Cousins, 27, was released from “both a numbers perspective and a salary perspective.”
“It’s a tough business. It’s a tough league,” he said. “There’s a lot of factors that go into it in terms of who we’re bringing in right now and the mix of the young guys and the veterans.”
Harper was in his final chance to make the Ravens’ roster. The former seventh-round draft choice out of Virginia Tech had exhausted his three-year practice squad eligibility.
Harper had four combined receptions for 35 yards this preseason. The 6-foot-3, 226-pound target couldn’t hang on to a potential game-winning pass at the goal line in the final minutes of Thursday night’s game.
Rookie free agent wide receiver LaQuan Williams may have affected Harper’s chances of making the team. Williams has flashed not only as a receiver but on special teams as well.
Tackle Brady Bond and tight end Jonathan Stupar are two other veteran players who were released. Bond spent some time with the Ravens’ practice squad last season. Stupar, a four-year veteran, was signed this preseason after Baltimore released Todd Heap.
Baltimore also waived five rookie free agents: DT Cornell Banks (Fresno State), C Ryan Bartholomew (Syracuse), WR Rodney Bradley (Hawaii), LB Anthony Leon (Arkansas), WR Terrell Zachery (Auburn).
On a happier note, big tackle Bryant McKinnie (whom I have fondly nicknamed Moby Grape) practiced for the first time on Hurricane Saturday at the Ravens training complex. I have it upon a reputed source that McKinnie weighs in at 370 right now… Okay, that’s a good start… Gonna have to get him down to at least 350, imo…
It’s wild to imagine, but the Ravens may actually be moving Michael Oher to RT and installing Moby Grape at LT…
Be safe out there… Irene is here.
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