The Ravens elected to waive their undrafted rookie, tight end Jacob Breeland, but the reports state they’d like him back as a stash project.
Even if rookie tight end Jacob Breeland was healthy, he would have been a long shot to make the Baltimore Ravens‘ 53-man roster by the start of the 2020 season.
Breeland, an undrafted free-agent addition out of the University of Oregon, faced an uphill fight to compete with returning veterans Mark Andrews, Nick Boyle and Jerell Adams. Another rookie, Eli Wolf, is also in the mix.
So it shouldn’t be too shocking a development Baltimore informed Breeland he would be waived following a knee injury last season which required offseason surgery and was expected to keep him out of his rookie year.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the pending transaction on Tuesday:
The #Ravens informed rookie TE Jake Breeland they’re waiving him as injured, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 4, 2020
The former Oregon standout is 9½ months removed from ACL reconstruction. An intriguing stash-and-develop prospect who Baltimore wants to keep around for 2021, if he clears waivers.
Breeland’s injury likely prevented him from being drafted. Despite appearing in only six games last season for the Ducks, the 6-foot-5, 252-pound tight end still managed an impressive 405 yards and six touchdowns in an abbreviated year.
The Ravens tendency to use tight ends a lot in coordinator Greg Roman’s offense opens up the door for Breeland to have a future in Baltimore, particularly after the departure of Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons during the offseason.
If he clears waivers, of course.
Should that happen, it’s likely he’ll be placed on the reserve/non-football injury list and stashed for future development. Both Andrews and Boyle will be unrestricted free agents in 2022, so the idea of bringing along an intriguing prospect like Breeland in such a role would be enticing enough as a possible long-term replacement when that situation arises.
Particularly as a No. 3 tight end on the depth chart in 2021.
For now, Breeland will look to rehabilitate his recovering knee, while the Ravens hope he’ll be able to slip through waivers in order to be placed on the team’s reserve/NFI list for 2020.