The Baltimore Ravens narrowed down their practice squad to 15 players as they made their cuts and set their roster. The practice squad is about the long-term development of these players but also about keeping players who have the chance to make impacts this season.
With the new activation rules, we see practice squad players called up more frequently than ever. Who are the Ravens practice squad members, and which ones have the best chance to make the team?
15. Ben Mason is a depth fullback for the Baltimore Ravens
The former fifth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens stuck around since the 2021 NFL draft despite not taking a snap in the NFL. He has actually bounced around the NFL as well. Mason spent time with the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears in 2021 but wound up right back on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad for the 2022 season.
Now that he has cleared waivers and circled back to the practice squad again, it is hard to see him leaving this time around. The good news is that he may be staying because he could see the NFL roster in 2023. The Baltimore Ravens kept Patrick Ricard this season, but his roster status is in jeopardy. The team could save about $4M next year if they let Ricard go, which seems like an easy decision at this point. So, Mason will stay on the practice squad this year, and next year, finally, Ben Mason has a chance to make the team. This year, he would need a Patrick Ricard injury.
14. Anthony Brown is not even an emergency quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens
Anthony Brown wound up starting games last year for the Baltimore Ravens. That was a bit ahead of his schedule, and it showed when he did play. The Ravens now are going out of their way by ensuring that Josh Johnson sticks on the roster.
We do not know if Tyler Huntley is heading to the IR or if Josh Johnson will serve as the third quarterback on the roster, and the Ravens take advantage of the new rule. If that is the case, then they will have Anthony Brown as a fourth quarterback.
Not many teams have four quarterbacks on their roster, but at the same time, not many teams have had the quarterback injuries that the Ravens have suffered. By adding the third quarterback to push Brown back to fourth the Ravens ensured that Brown is back on his developmental track and will not see the field this year. This is good for Brown in the long haul but shows he will not do much in the immediate future.
13. Will the Baltimore Ravens need to call up Owen Wright?
The Baltimore Ravens decided to keep two running backs on the practice squad in addition to J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, and Keaton Mitchell. It is clear that just like the quarterback depth woes over the years have impacted the Ravens, the running back depth woes have also crushed this team, and they are prepared to have the talent ready in case any one gets injured.
When you have Dobbins and Edwards, who are so injury-prone, it makes sense to feel the need for this type of depth. Owen Wright fits what they need as well. First, he does bring return game value, which is a nice addition. However, his running style suggests that he is a power back who can pick up the tough yards straight ahead.
When you think of J.K. Dobbins you think of his speed and burst to knock off big runs. When you think of Gus Edwards it is a chain mover who can work straight ahead. Looking at Keaton Mitchell and Owen Wright it is easy to think that Mitchell is the Dobbins depth runner, and then Wright would get the call up if anything happened to Gus Edwards. The issue is that Justice Hill and Melvin Gordon are also in the mix, and the UDFA rookies may third in line at both respective spots.
12. The Baltimore Ravens see development coming from Sean Ryan
Sean Ryan is a rookie UDFA from Rutgers. He was a tough call to make the practice squad, and it appears he won't this spot over Dontay Demus. It is a small surprise mainly because Demus had a more productive career and a better prospect profile. Beyond that, Demus was healthy and played all three games, while Ryan played well in week one, missed week two, and got healthy in time to get a little work in week three.
Still, that, and his play during training camp, had him ahead of Demus on the Ravens' radar. Still, just like Demus, this is a long-term play and not something that will come about this season. Ryan is a rookie UDFA who was more unknown than Demus for a reason.
Beyond that, after the Baltimore Ravens kept six wide receivers on their 53-man roster, they added two to the practice squad as well. Laquon Treadwell immediately signed to the practice squad because he knows that he is an injury or anything happening to these wide receivers away from getting the call-up.
That shows that Ryan is set to spend the year on the development path and will not be in the plans to make the roster.
11. Tykeem Doss gives the Baltimore Ravens tackle depth
The Baltimore Ravens saw their depth tackle David Sharpe walk to another team's practice squad. So, they brought back the UDFA Tykeem Doss. Doss was easy to get back, as he cleared waivers and signed immediately. Doss was a UDFA from Southern Miss, and he played all over the offensive line.
He did not have a defined home until the Ravens added him, and they have started his developmental track. Beyond that, the team was giving tackle snaps to David Sharpe, Daniel Faalele, and Ben Cleveland ahead of Doss. Doss only played 38 snaps in the preseason and that includes 19 snaps in the preseason finale.
So, when you break it down, he put very minimal tape out there, and a lot of it was up and down with the fact that the Ravens have been working on him exclusively at one spot, and they started his path. There was little buzz about Tykeem Doss.
The Ravens not only have Patrick Mekari, who will be depth at tackle, but they also have Faalele and Cleveland, who can slide to tackle if needed. When you add that much depth, it is hard to see Doss making the team. That is why Sharpe looked for work elsewhere, and it is why Doss is on the developmental track.
10. Melvin Gordon found his way back to the Baltimore Ravens practice squad
As we noted, the Baltimore Ravens kept six running backs when things were all said and done. We thought that Melvin Gordon could be back on the practice squad, but it is a bit surprising that they kept two running backs on the practice squad, including Owen Wright.
Still, as we mentioned, the Ravens have had to go to guys off of the street and waiver wire before, and it almost never goes well. Now, the team has options at both spots and plenty of depth in case anything happens.
Dobbins is the speedback, and Justice Hill is his backup. Keaton Mitchell is the third speed back and may end up on the short-term IR. Then, the Baltimore Ravens have Gus Edwards as their power back. Behind him is Melvin Gordon, and then Owen Wright is the third back.
This is good for Wright because Edwards has an injury track record, and Gordon is up there in age. Neither are in the long-term plans, but both hold it down for now. It buys Wright time to adjust to the NFL, and it also keeps him on the roster while he develops. Still, if something happens to Edwards, the Ravens will call on Gordon.
9. Will the Baltimore Ravens need Rayshad Nichols?
This will be the second straight year that Rayshad Nichols has made the practice squad. Nichols was a UDFA from Stephen F. Austin last year and made the roster towards the end of the season. This year, the Ravens added Trey Botts and Kai Caesar as rookie UDFAs, but both of them performed poorly in the preseason.
The combination of Rayshad Nichols legitimately looking as though he took a step and Botts and Caesar struggling led to the Ravens having an easy call and signing Nichols back to the practice squad. Things also broke the way of Nichols when the Ravens saw Angelo Blackson not only get cut but not circle back to the practice squad.
The thought was that Blackson would be the sixth defensive lineman and would circle back to the roster on a handshake deal. However, the Ravens' plan appears to be to keep just five active linemen, with the four on the current roster plus Brent Urban. Urban has not signed back yet but plans to when the Ravens make a corresponding move.
So, Nichols could have made the practice squad as the seventh defensive line option, but instead, he made it as the sixth. That is a small win.
8. Jeremy Lucien could improve on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad
Jeremy Lucien has to be an intriguing player in the eyes on the Baltimore Ravens. He was a cornerback from Vanderbilt, but the Ravens have him on track to play safety in the NFL. So far, he has made some strides.
Lucien played 139 in the preseason, some of the most of any Ravens defensive option. He also played well, arguably better than DeAndre Houston-Carson, who was released and not brought back to the practice squad. That may be why DHC wants to find a role on an active roster while Lucien is a rookie UDFA, but it still speaks to the Ravens trusting in Lucien.
The Ravens surprised some when they only kept three safeties. They had to keep eight cornerbacks, and they could technically move Brandon Stephens back to safety if they needed to. Still, they are rather thin at safety. Daryl Worley circled back to the practice squad, so this should be a redshirt year for Lucien. Still, he is not that far away, and next year, he could be much closer to making the roster as that fourth safety.
7. Will the Baltimore Ravens need Laquon Treadwell
One of the first names to get reported as a member of the practice squad was Laquon Treadwell. That was mainly because Treadwell is a vested veteran who did not have to clear waivers. It is also because Treadwell did not take long to look around at his options before coming back to the team.
That has to be because he was right on the edge of making the Baltimore Ravens roster from the jump. He was in a competition with Tylan Wallace, and if Treadwell did not miss week two of the preseason with an injury, he may feel as though he could have pushed Wallace or even made the roster.
Beyond that, the Ravens do have some players with injury histories on the roster. Zay Flowers is a rookie, which comes with its own questions. Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham are coming off of serious injuries, and Nelson Agholor and Wallace have missed some time in recent years. Wallace hurt the Ravens by getting hurt last year.
If Wallace gets hurt again, the team has the insurance, not only with the depth of six wide receivers, but also with Treadwell on the practice squad. Something tells me he gets called up at some point.
6. Josh Ross is a perfect practice squad option for the Baltimore Ravens
Josh Ross is the deal practice squad candidate for the Baltimore Ravens. Ross was a UDFA last year from Michigan. His ties to Mike MacDonald not only helped him sign with the Ravens as a UDFA, he made the 53-man roster as a rookie. An injury set him back last season, and he is now recovered, but it was not in time to make the team this year.
The Ravens added Roquan Smith and Trenton Simpson since his injury, and this summer, he was able to beat out Del'Shawn Phillips. Still, he always has the ties to Mike MacDonald, and he only played 29 snaps in the preseason finale, so some of that may have been the Ravens ensuring him he has a place with the team but also hiding him so that no team claims him.
The Ravens likely still have him in their long-term plans, and he could get a roster spot next year or as the year goes on. Still, the best bet for him is to stay with MacDonald and spend this year getting back to his old self and then coming into a thinner depth chart in 2024 with a better physical and mental condition.
5. Travis Vokolek needs a year on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad
Travis Vokolek was a player that some fans worried could have been claimed on waivers. However, to get claimed on waivers, you have to then join the active roster of the team that claims you. Vokole has some potential, and he showed it in the preseason. Still, he only had six catches for 63 yards overall, and he struggled as a blocker.
More than that, he does not play special teams. He has potential as a pass catcher, but no team can carry a potential pass catcher who needs to improve as a blocker and does not play special teams. You cannot waste a roster spot on that.
So, it was easy to see Vokolek make it back to the practice squad. In a perfect world, he spends the year developing all of those skills that kept him off of the roster. The Ravens have some young talent on the roster, so it is hard to find a clear path. However, Charlie Kolar is coming off of a lost season due to injury, and if anything happened to Kolar, Isaiah Likely, or Mark Andrews, they would have a direct replacement in Travis Vokolek. That is why it was so important to keep him.
4. Tashawn Manning could be in the Baltimore Ravens plans
Tashawn Manning was one of the most notable rookie UDFAs that the Baltimore Ravens added after the 2023 NFL draft. He followed that up by having a solid preseason and getting the most snaps of any of the rookie UDFAs.
Manning also finished with the most right guard snaps, mainly because Ben Cleveland split his time between guard and tackle. Still, the Ravens were giving Manning plenty of work, and he was playing well in that time. That is why it is no surprise that he was a strong candidate to be brought back to the practice squad.
Considering the need for offensive line help in the NFL, the Ravens may have feared losing Manning to a waiver claim the most. Still, they kept him and now have a chance to watch him grow into someone who could be in the mix in 2024.
He played primarily at right guard, and Kevin Zeitler is likely to be gone after this season. So, the Ravens have Manning, Andrew Vorhees, and Ben Cleveland in the mix to take that job. All three have chances, and if Manning plays well, he could be that guy. However, for this season, Cleveland and Sala Aumavae-Laulu are the first names up when the starters get banged up.
3. Daryl Worley almost made the Baltimore Ravens active roster
Daryl Worley did about all that you can do to make the Baltimore Ravens roster. He played cornerback for the majority of his career, but this summer, he switched to safety because the Ravens wanted him to. He played the entire game on defense in the first preseason game and took special teams snaps. It was a complete performance that should have locked his job down.
However, it did not, and the team cut him. He was one of the last players to sign back, so you wonder if he looked around at his options and wound up choosing the Ravens. One reason could be because he was slated to be the Ravens' fourth safety, and he was not beaten out by anyone. The Ravens simply kept three safeties.
We saw him as someone who could circle back to the active roster, but they chose to use that spot on Kevon Seymour instead. Still, the Ravens are walking a thin line as far as depth is concerned, so it may not take much for the Ravens to see Worley back on the active roster.
2. The Baltimore Ravens may call up Jeremiah Moon soon
Jeremiah Moon is another player who was very close to the active roster. The Ravens gave him plenty of chances, as he got more playing time than rookie UDFA Malik Hamm. Still, it was Hamm who made the active roster, and not Moon.
Hamm definitely played better than Moon in the first preseason game, but after that, the Ravens kind of started to hide Hamm and let Moon get more snaps. Perhaps the lack of a winning moment from Moon is what caused the team to default to Hamm, who was ahead from week one on.
Still, there are reports that Hamm is injured and may be a candidate for the IR. Moon is not the first name who will come into replace him, but you have to think that he will be close to the roster now. Tyus Bowser is on the PUP and will miss time. Moon and Hamm were the two who played his SAM role this preseason. Jadeveon Clowney could fill that role, but they really do not have anyone else. If Hamm does end up on IR, and they want some help in the SAME role, they will use an activation on Jeremiah Moon.
1. Sam Mustipher will be here if the Baltimore Ravens need him
The Baltimore Ravens have to be thankful that Sam Mustipher came back to the practice squad. Now, when you look at the starting vie, they technically have a backup for every position. At left tackle, it is Patrick Mekari, left guard is Sala Aumavae-Laulu, the right guard is Ben Cleveland, right tackle is Daniel Faaelele, and now center is Sam Mustipher.
Mustipher is the only one who did not make the active roster and had to circle to the practice squad. At the same time, he is the only one who really has just one defined position. The Ravens only played Mustipher at center. While they have said that Aumavae-Laulu will stick to guard, he is moving from tackle. Cleveland and Faalele played both this preseason, and Mekar is the known Swiss army knife.
So, the team took their chances with Mustiphe,r knowing that a Linderbaum injury is really the only thing that would have impacted is roster status. Mustipher cleared waivers and came back. Now, he can spend time on the practice squad, and if Linderbaum does get hurt, he is not only in line to get called up, he may be the starter. So, he is a valuable add back to the practice squad.