Ravens: 4 most surprising roster moves on cut day
By Kristen Wong
1. The Ravens cutting Justin Ellis
The Ravens have decided to part ways with veteran defensive tackle Justin Ellis. Consider us surprised.
Ellis spent the past two seasons as a backup to Brandon Williams, playing in just four games in 2019 but 13 games in 2020.
As part of the Ravens’ defensive line rotation, Ellis performed whatever was asked of him but hasn’t gotten too many chances on the field. During his tenure in Baltimore, he’s recorded only 23 combined tackles and one pass defended.
Still, Ellis’ seven years of experience couldn’t save him from final cuts.
His release means the Ravens would only be carrying five defensive linemen, which definitely weighs on the thin side. Ellis was Baltimore’s best backup nose tackle, and after Aaron Crawford was waived, Baltimore doesn’t exactly have depth at that position anymore.
In the Ravens’ preseason finale against Washington, Ellis recorded three total tackles, but defensive linemen, in general, put in so much work that’s not credited by stat sheets or scoreboards.
Ellis is no exception, and after two fruitful years in Baltimore, his stats simply don’t tell the full story. Ellis was more than just a body in a line, and his veteran leadership will be sorely missed this season.
While there’s still a chance Baltimore re-signs him tomorrow, Ellis will most likely land on the practice squad in 2021 if the Ravens plan to keep him around.
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We hope Ellis can return to the active roster in some capacity, and we’re rooting for him on this one.