Baltimore Beatdown reacts to the Ravens first 53-man roster
The Baltimore Ravens completed the necessary moves to set their first 53-man roster. Below, you’ll find the reactions from the contributors on Baltimore Beatdown.
Among the many surprises on the roster, I didn’t expect tight end Josh Oliver to make the 53. During the post-practice press conference before cut-downs, tight end Mark Andrews was made available and was asked about each tight end save for Oliver.
I don’t suspect the Ravens will be carrying 11 offensive linemen for too long. Especially when they are only carrying two healthy outside linebackers after Daelin Hayes was waived/injured. Expect that to change when David Ojabo is placed on injured reserve and I assume Steven Means will return.
I think the release of rookie running back Tyler Badie is a calculated move. There are truly an abundance of running backs around the league and with the unofficial addition of Kenyan Drake, they believe he can be brought back onto their practice squad. — Kyle Barber
The decision to release Daelin Hayes with an injury waiver was the greatest surprise of the initial iteration of the Ravens 2022 regular season roster. It was also a questionable decision to retain special teams only inside linebacker Kristian Welsh instead of ascending defensive back Ar’Darius Washington. Conversely, cutting their losses on 2022 6th round draft pick Tyler Badie was probably a good use of roster space since ball carriers of his caliber are readily available.
Hopefully veteran edge defender Steven Means will be re-signed once injured reserve manipulations are processed. General manager Eric DeCosta has a week and a half to continue tweaking the roster before the Week 1 opener, and the depth chart would benefit from reinforcements at wideout and outside linebacker. — Vasilis Lericos
The Ravens initial 53-man roster comes with some notable surprises. The decision to keep players like Josh Oliver, Trystan Colon and Kristian Welch, while releasing Tyler Badie and Daelin Hayes, was a bit unexpected. Prioritizing an extra tight end and inside linebacker over a defensive back or edge rusher is questionable. Carrying both Welch and Josh Ross could mean we see some more snaps of Malik Harrison at SAM. I expect a veteran like Steven Means or Brent Urban to be re-signed following some IR moves. I can see a trade happening, too, given the imbalance at certain positions. — Frank Platko
The Ravens initially keep a whopping 11 offensive lineman, five linebackers and five tight ends. With Kolar slated to hit IR, it’s to be seen where Josh Oliver fits. Daelin Hayes was a personal favorite late round pick of mine who hasn’t been able to stay healthy enough and didn’t wow in preseason action. The Ravens also surprisingly waived Tyler Badie after reportedly agreeing to terms with Kenyan Drake. There are still quite a few moves to be made. Baltimore should be able to retain many of their roster cuts to the practice squad. Josh Ross makes the roster as a UDFA, who was, along with Isaiah Likely, the star of the Ravens preseason. Ross should push for playing time, as he seems mighty comfortable and confident in Mike Macdonald’s defense.
Brent Urban reportedly will return to the Ravens on a handshake deal after Ojabo/Kolar head to the PUP list. Whether Baltimore makes an outside addition, or returns a player like Steven Means, TBD. — Spencer Schultz
While we know change will be imminent in the next 24 hours or so, including the addition of running back Kenyan Drake, this initial roster is still a shocker. Instead of keeping a high value guy who probably won’t last through waivers like Ar’Darius Washington, they opted to keep guys like Josh Oliver, Trystan Colon and Kristian Welch.
The biggest surprises come in rookie running back Tyler Badie and second year player Daelin Hayes getting cut. It seems definite that the Ravens will bring back Means along with another contributor. I would also not be surprised to see an OL or two go on IR or get traded, as the Ravens kept 11 on the initial roster. The next 48 hours should hopefully show a bigger picture and we can see the true week one roster construction get under way. — Zach Canter
I, like many, came away a little baffled by the initial roster construction. Keeping tight end Josh Oliver over players such as rookie running back Tyler Badie or defensive back Ar’Darius Washington is quite puzzling. I expect outside linebacker Steven Means and defensive end Brent Urban to return after roster spots are freed up due to other players going to injured reserve soon. I am also perplexed by the decision to keep five inside linebackers on a team that should be doing everything they can to replace them on the field with safeties this season. It’s obvious that this is not the final roster by any means so I am a curious to see what moves will be made to shape the 53 before Week 1 rolls around. — Dustin Cox