The Baltimore Ravens have decisions to make, and they're running out of time. The NFL set Aug. 29 as the final day to trim the roster from its full summer size (90 players) to the final, regular-season 53-man squad that would be available for Week 1 next September.
After a summer in which the Flock solved some roster issues but suffered some injuries complicating the construction of their team, decisions must be made in order to fix some pending woes.
The Ravens have a weakened secondary and a slim-at-best pass rushing. Multiple veterans were signed through the summer to bolster both lines, but they're not going to move the needle enough by themselves.
Here are four players that could be cut in order to improve the lookout of the team entering the 2023 regular season, as well as creating cap space and opportunities for the franchise to land reinforcements from elsewhere.
Running Back - Melvin Gordon III
It's been a little over a month since the Ravens signed former Denver Bronco and Practice Squad Super Bowl champion MG3 to bolster the running back room ahead of training camp.
It's been a little over a day since Gordon appeared in his third preseason game of the summer and virtually sealed his fate with Baltimore: the Ravens are going to ruthlessly cut him ahead of Tuesday's deadline.
This is the easiest of decisions to be made by the Ravens in the next few hours. Gordon doesn't have any guaranteed money in his deal, so it would cost Baltimore nothing to cut him straight. He can always be added to the practice squad later, as it's hard to see any team signing him... for whatever reason.
With the sudden and impressive emergence of UDFA Keaton Mitchell through training camp and the preseason matchups and the Ravens stuffed backfield, Baltimore should send Gordon home and bet on the rookie for the 2023 season and beyond.
Melvin Gordon, it's time to move on.
Wide Receiver - Devin Duvernay
This decision, compared to the one affecting veteran rusher Melvin Gordon, falls on the total opposite side of the heartbreaking spectrum.
It's not that Duvernay is a key member of the Ravens offense, a steady contributor on a snap-by-snap basis, or anything of the like. That said, Duvernay has proved to be a rather important player for Baltimore on special teams and ancillary duties outside of playing wideout from the line of scrimmage.
However, Duvernay's salary makes zero sense considering the usage he's given by the Ravens. It's time to bring out the scissors, folks.
Duvernay is slatted to earn $4.3 million in 2023 with no guaranteed money at all in his deal. The only impact that cutting Duverney would have on Baltimore's accounts is his low-money prorated bonus of $221k.
In layman's terms, the Ravens can save more than $4 million by cutting Duvernay ahead of Tuesday's trimming deadline.
Not only that, but considering that Tylan Wallace has emerged as the clear-cut option to get the WR6 role if the Ravens decide to go with six wide receivers on their final 53-man roster, this should be an easier-than-thought-of decision.
Cut Duvernay (or trade him if you prefer), name Wallace as your WR5, give him a few snaps throughout the season on offense, and use his special team skill set in place of Duvernay's... only paying him $940k instead that a full $4-million dough. Easy peasy.
Full Back - Patrick Ricard
The position says it all: full back. In this the year 2023 of our Lord, and with new Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken leading the Ravens offense, there should be no place for a full-time FB whose usage is more than probably going to be hella limited in 2023 compared to prior seasons.
Ricard's salary for the 2023 campaign is set at $2.75 million, of which only $1.1 million would negatively impact the Ravens if they decide to cut the veteran. That's more than $1.7 million saved for someone that will offer little to nothing for Baltimore's new offense.
Instead of naming Ricard to the final 53-man roster, you can simply add another body to a position lacking depth such as the cornerback and/or linebacker rooms, or simply carry an extra offensive/defensive lineman.
To name Ricard in the regular-season roster, spend money on a borderline performer, and keep another player from making the cut and helping bolster another unit in the need of depth would be borderline malpractice by the Ravens' front office.
Kudos to Pat for his contributions under the guidance of Greg Roman, but his time in Baltimore should be over now that Monken is in tow and he's brought an entirely different and much-more-varied offensive playbook.
Quarterback - Tyler Huntley
The Ravens decided not to trade for a franchise quarterback, even to name him Lamar Jackson's backup, this past weekend. Opportunity missed.
Now, Baltimore will need to make a tough decision on paper but a very easy one all things considered and when looking at it from a broader angle. Will the Ravens pick veteran Josh Johnson or Tyler Huntley as the 2023 QB2?
For one, Tyler Huntley should be the more durable/better long-term option given his age. For two, Huntley had a great first preseason game when he outperformed fellow reserve Johnson. For three, he already led Baltimore through the regular- and post-season play last year.
That's great! What's not: Huntley will earn more than $2.5 million next season, can be cut without any impact, and is currently injured having missed the final two preseason games.
Even better for the Ravens in this situation, Josh Johnson has looked great in the last two mid-summer outings against the Commanders and the Buccaneers even in defeat.
Although 37 years old, Johnson is an experienced veteran who can make the odd cameo at some point if Lamar goes down for a week or two, earning barely $1.1 million in 2023.
This is the price Baltimore will have to pay for not trading a fourth-round pick for Trey Lance. It's not huge, but it's better to pay a won't-play quarterback a little over a million than north of two-and-half.