Ebony Bird
FanSided

Baltimore Ravens: 3 roster bubble players to watch

By Joe Schiller

PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 01: Robert Griffin III #10 of the Cleveland Browns throws 12 yard touchdown pass to Seth DeValve #87 of the Cleveland Browns in the first quarter during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on January 1, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 01: Robert Griffin III #10 of the Cleveland Browns throws 12 yard touchdown pass to Seth DeValve #87 of the Cleveland Browns in the first quarter during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on January 1, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – AUGUST 31: John Fullington #77 of the New Orleans Saints blocks against Bronson Kaufusi #92 of the Baltimore Ravens at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on August 31, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Ravens defeated the Saints 14-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – AUGUST 31: John Fullington #77 of the New Orleans Saints blocks against Bronson Kaufusi #92 of the Baltimore Ravens at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on August 31, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Ravens defeated the Saints 14-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

2. Bronson Kaufusi

On paper, you’d expect Bronson Kaufusi to be a monster. His frame at 6-6, 285 pounds is the prototypical size for a defensive end at the professional level. But it’s been a frustrating start to his career since coming to Baltimore as a third-round pick in 2016. He missed his rookie season after suffering a broken ankle in training camp and failed to make much of an impact on the field last season. Now entering his third season, Kaufusi is in danger of missing out on the 53-man roster.

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Timmy Jernigan‘s departure last offseason provided the ideal opportunity for Kaufusi to win an important role in the defensive rotation but that never happened. He appeared in three games last season, totaling four tackles. Willie Henry and Carl Davis returned from injury and saw increased roles as Kaufusi’s diminished. He became a regular name on the inactives list and rarely saw the field.

The entire defensive line returns this season with the re-signing of Brent Urban and the addition of Zach Sieler. That puts Kaufusi’s roster spot in question. The Ravens took eight defensive linemen last season but there’s no guarantee that trend continues. Other positions could warrant a needed roster spot over the defensive line, which has plenty of depth already.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see Kaufusi cut before the start of the season. This will be a huge offseason for him.

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