Ravens sign Tight End... but he's not the one you think

The Baltimore Ravens re-signed tight end Ben Mason, who can also take on fullback duties, to their practice squad on Wednesday, the franchise announced. Mason is familiar with the Ravens' organization and was with the team as recently as this summer before getting waived.

This move comes as the Ravens had to fill a roster hole open by the departure of fellow practice-squad tight end and rookie Travis Vokolek, who was signed by the Arizona Cardinals off the Ravens' PS to their 53-man roster after they released Zach Ertz a couple of weeks ago.

The Ravens drafted Mason in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and signed him to a four-year, $3.7 million contract. Despite this large and bulky deal, he was waived by the Ravens at the end of the preseason. Mason has yet to play in an NFL game.

Following his time with the Ravens, Mason joined the New England Patriots practice squad but was released after a couple of months. He later signed with the Chicago Bears before returning to the Ravens in January 2022.

With Mark Andrews out for the remainder of the regular season and probably into the playoffs, the Ravens' current depth chart at the tight end position features Patrick Ricard as the utility man (FB/TE hybrid) along with new first-string tight end Isaiah Likely and TE2 Charlie Kolar.

Mason finished his NCAA career at the University of Michigan logging 37 carries for 87 yards and nine touchdowns, along with three receptions for 32 yards and an additional touchdown across 22 career games.

Mason projects more as a warm body and a rep-dummy for the Ravens to use in practice rather than an actual in-game contributor for the rest of the season, including both the next three weeks and the full postseason. That said, this is another chance for him to prove his worth and secure another long-term deal with the Ravens

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