The Baltimore Ravens made a number of roster moves prior to Monday night’s Week 5 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. And those moves point to both Ty’Son Williams and Alejandro Villanueva being active.
The Ravens announced on Monday that they had activated wide receiver Miles Boykin from the injured reserve. They also promoted offensive tackle Andre Smith and safety Jordan Richards from their practice squad.
Notably, rookie wide receiver Rashod Bateman remains on IR for at least another week while Le’Veon Bell, who was promoted last week, will not play in Week 5.
These moves have a direct impact on Williams and Villanueva and, while it hasn’t been officially announced yet, seem to suggest that both will play.
The Ravens will likely have Ty’Son Williams and Alejandro Villanueva in Week 5
Williams and Villanueva’s statuses for Week 5 were both in question for different reasons. Williams was a healthy scratch last week despite being the team’s leading rusher going into the game.
As for Villanueva, he injured his knee in last Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos and was sidelined for most of the week as a result. It wasn’t until Saturday that he returned to practice in a limited capacity.
However, despite doubt shrouding both of their statuses, it does appear as though both will play.
The Ravens chose to only promote one offensive tackle from their practice squad in Smith, who stepped in for Villanueva when he was injured last week.
The team also has the likes of David Sharpe, Adrian Ealy, and Jaryd Jones-Smith on their practice squad, but the decision not to elevate any of them indicates that Villanueva will be active and likely the starting left tackle.
Meanwhile, with Bell not active, the Ravens will have no choice but to have Williams active alongside veterans Latavius Murray and Devonta Freeman.
Now, it’s unclear what role Williams might have in the offense, especially after he was a healthy scratch a week ago. But for the sake of the Ravens running game, it’s probably best for him to have some sort of a role.
The Ravens will take on the Colts tonight starting at 8:15 pm ET.