Ebony Bird
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The Baltimore Ravens made quite the exception this week

By Karl Nelson II

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Aug 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh on the sidelines during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Ravens, 40-17. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

How often do we see a player record a 103-yard kickoff return and a 53-yard punt return and then get placed on a teams practice squad?

Not often, right?

Well, that’s unless your name is Asa Jackson. Jackson is being forced to get acquainted with that reality as he’s had quite the roller coaster ride this week. Jackson was released by the Ravens Saturday and after he was claimed off waivers by the New York Giants, he was then cut by them on Tuesday before even putting on a jersey.

Ironically enough, the Ravens decided to re-sign the four-year NFL cornerback, but this time it was to the practice squad, which for Jackson isn’t a good thing, but for Baltimore it could be. Signing Jackson to the practice squad gives Baltimore more depth as he is the most experienced player on the squad next to wide receiver Jeremy Ross.

Jackson was already on the bubble entering into preseason play and while he had a lot of reps and was even in the conversation, at one point, as a potential starting kickoff or punt returner, he experienced way too many ups and downs for the Ravens to put him on the 53-man roster when it was all said and done.

And the fact that Jackson seemed to fall off in the secondary unit as the Ravens were able to acquire veteran talent in Kendrick Lewis and Kyle Arrington in the offseason, didn’t help his case at all. Unlike wide receiver Michael Campanaro , who fell to the waste side in the receiver department, at least he was able to solidify a starting role as a returner, filling a tremendous void.

Sep 3, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Asa Jackson (27) falls while returning a punt against the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Jackson failed to do that in both the secondary and special teams units and while his 103-yard kickoff return and his 53-yard punt return look great on paper, it was what happened during those returns that placed Jackson in a negative light.

While Jackson’s 103-yard return looked special in the beginning, it ended with him getting caught at the two-yard line. As for his 53-yard return, that one was even more embarrassing as this time he literally tripped over his own feet with only the punter left to get past for the touchdown.

It’s no question that Jackson is equipped to make an impact as a Raven, but he’ll have to stay away from the bonehead plays if he plans on getting moved to the in-game roster this season.

Next: Ravens roster breakdown, depth chart

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