I guess we all saw it coming after Tandon Doss blew a route pattern and cost his team an INT in the preseason, but it's still difficult to witness the guy being cut after he had just won a Super Bowl ring.
At his young age, Doss probably thought he had it made in the NFL. Reality can be a rude awakening…
Doss was a 4th round draft pick by the Ravens out of Indiana in 2011.
Tandon Doss, Bobby Rainey, Omar Brown and Matt Furstenburg were among the final cuts.
With the Week 1 opener in Denver just five days away, the Ravens cut eight players to get to the 53-man limit by Saturday’s 6 p.m. deadline.
The cut down came with a few surprises, as the Ravens parted ways with wide receiver Tandon Doss, running back Bobby Rainey and safety Omar Brown.
Rookie wide receiver Marlon Brown and Aaron Mellette both made the team, as well as undrafted safety Bryndon Trawick. All three of those players finished the preseason on a high note with strong performances in the finale against St. Louis.
Here’s a full list of the players who were cut Saturday:
Tandon Doss, WR, Indiana
Omar Brown, S, Marshall
Bobby Rainey, RB, Western Kentucky
Billy Bajema, TE, Oklahoma State
Matt Furstenburg, TE, Maryland
Cody Larsen, DT, Southern Utah
Joe Unga, T, Midwestern State
Antoine McClain, OL, Clemson
Doss was the biggest-name departure, as the former fourth-round pick came into this season competing for the No. 2 wide receiver spot. He ended up getting pushed down the depth chart when the Ravens signed veteran Brandon Stokley to work out of the slot, and the emergence of Brown and Mellette ultimately led to Doss’ release.
Brown and Mellette shined in the preseason. They started training camp at the bottom of the depth chart, but they worked up to reps with the first-team unit and both ended up catching two touchdowns in the preseason.
“They have played really well, especially as rookies,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “They don’t feel like rookies. Marlon has the advantage of having played in a big program in the SEC, and I think that shows, and Aaron has the advantage of having caught hundreds of balls in his college career (at Elon). Both of those things are showing up.”
The Ravens also kept wide receivers Deonte Thompson and LaQuan Williams on the roster. Thompson was expected to have a big role at the start of the preseason, but he went down with a foot injury in the preseason opener and missed the next three games. Once he is able to get back on the field, the Ravens will look to use his speed to stretch defenses and also work the middle of the field.
Williams, a Baltimore native and University of Maryland graduate, is a valuable special teams player. He was used as a gunner on punt coverage units, and he will likely see more action on special teams than offense.
In addition to the receivers, Trawick was another long-shot to make the team. At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, the safety out of Troy is the biggest defensive back on the team and he got the nod over Omar Brown. The Ravens also kept safety Anthony Levine, giving them five safeties on the roster.
At running back, the Ravens now have just Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce on the roster after cutting Rainey and Anthony Allen over the weekend.
The Ravens also have just two viable tight ends on the team with Ed Dickson and Dallas Clark. Dennis Pitta is still currently on the roster, but he is likely headed to injured reserve because of his fractured hip. When Pitta goes to IR, the Ravens could then look to bring back Furstenburg or Bajema. Furstenburg could also be a candidate for the practice squad.
Now Ravens fans can hope for some waiver wire help, I guess… But with opening night only 5 days away, don't expect any major roster changes.
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