The Baltimore Ravens can put roster cutdown day in the rearview mirror. They etched the final carvings into the 53-man roster, constructing what they hope will be a playoff contender in 2026.
Many moves were obvious, some were bold, and others were eye-opening for more than the sake of cuts. Several players felt the impact that Sunday brought.
Here are four winners and two losers from Baltimore’s tough roster decisions.
And for context, we’re not going to include players who were cut.
4 winners and 2 losers from Ravens’ roster cut-down frenzy
Winner: Undrafted free agents
The Ravens never fail to hit on undrafted free agents. No one can hold a candle to the work they do in that department. They made out like bandits again this year, bringing Joe Fagnano and Ethan Burke to the regular season.
These were spots that Fagnano and Burke had to have. They put on a show this preseason—Fagnano dicing up defenses through the air, and Burke tormenting opposing offenses. They were stars over the last three weeks.
Usually you can gamble on undrafted rookies clearing waivers and making it to the practice squad, but not when they played to the magnitude that Fagnano and Burke did. They proved to be roster-caliber players on seemingly every snap. You can’t afford to lose that.
Winner: Aeneas Peebles
Aeneas Peebles may be buried on the depth chart. Depending on how it pans out, Peebles could be listed as the sixth defensive lineman. He wins the task at hand, though: beating out the other young defensive linemen.
Peebles was one of three young defensive linemen duking it out to make the active roster. Between C.J. Okoye, Rayshaun Benny, and himself, only one had a real chance of making it. Peebles made sure it’d be him.
While Okoye was traded and Benny was stashed on the practice squad, Peebles earned the opportunity to make an impact in 2026. It’s looking like the added weight is helping push his game to the next level, and as a twitchy interior pass rusher, he has a value that Jesse Minter could maximize.
Loser: Tyler Loop
Tyler Loop wasn’t cut. At least not yet. He can breathe a bit easier after a very shaky preseason, but he’s playing on borrowed time.
The big issue? He has competition now. The Ravens signed Jake Moody to their practice squad.
Loop only has himself to blame for this. The coaching staff gave him every opportunity to seize the kicking duties, and he wasn’t up for the challenge. Now, he’ll have to battle Moody in the spotlight over the coming weeks.
Loser: Adam Randall
The Adam Randall situation is weird. He had his best outing of the preseason in the finale against the Washington Commanders. Then on Sunday, he was placed on IR.
Randall didn't have an injury labeled; he looked healthy during the game, and reports say he looked fine after the game. Jesse Minter said he was dealing with "something." Maybe it's stemming from Week 1 of the preseason, where he appeared to hurt his shoulder early on, and it's worth noting he also missed Week 2.
Regardless, Randall looks good and has a place in Baltimore. He just won’t see the field for at least four weeks.
Winner: Recovering starters
Unlike Randall, Nnamdi Madubuike and Teddye Buchanan avoided the dreaded IR stint. Both are making their way back from scary injuries, and both are recovering tremendously.
Madubuike has made a ton of encouraging progress over the past month, as he works his way back from a neck injury. Buchanan, on the other hand, is having what is being dubbed a “top 1%” rehab. That’s a major win.
With this news, Madubuike and Buchanan are likely to play within the first four weeks of the season. They may not be ready for the season opener, but they’ll practice and get the time needed to ramp up for in-game action.
Winner: Carson Vinson
Baltimore’s swing tackle in 2026 will be Carson Vinson. The second-year pro was viewed as a developmental pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and will continue to learn behind Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten in 2026.
Vinson is quietly a huge winner. He’s the only true offensive tackle along the backup offensive line. Emery Jones Jr. is the only other guy with the capability to play there, and he’s been viewed more as a guard up to this point in his NFL career. That would put Vinson in a big spot if there are any injuries.
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