Key Players The Ravens Want To Stash On Their Practice Squad

The practice squad isn’t the sexiest aspect of summer in the NFL by far.

But proper construction of the unit is paramount, a lot of these guys are a single injury away from the active roster and with eligibility for this unit expanded in recent years the competition to land the best and deepest squad is quite intense. For tanking/rebuilding teams, the squad is about stashing as many potential future NFL bodies as possible, and while that goal remain for teams in Super Bowl mode like the Ravens, they also need to have a strong veteran presence at vital positions as well, who already have NFL experience for if/when they make the 53-man active unit.

This is the first time rookie head coach Jesse Minter and 30-year-old offensive coordinator Declan Doyle have been in these roles, and the reality is the Ravens personnel department has as much jam as ever in all matters of rosters and cuts and contracts. The coaches have enough going on just figuring out how to do their jobs, which was a core element in why team president Sashi Brown and general manager Eric DeCosta were always going to hire first-time guys. This is their building in ways it never could have been with a coach like John Harbaugh still around.

Despite having a large draft class -11 players – the Ravens continue to have undrafted rookies and players who were on the practice squad last year without seeing real NFL action making a case for staying in Owings Mills in some capacity. How many do, and how many perhaps see a path to quickly playing time on someone else’s practice squad, or even their active roster, is a challenging calculus that will make next weekend an absolute whirlwind.

We continue to anticipate the Ravens making at least one trade given their glut of interesting and capable cornerbacks, and they will look to upgrade on some youngsters who would be pegged for the PS today if they had to make cuts right now.

These are some interesting cases of youngsters I believe they will want to keep on the PS:

DL Kaimon Rucker

It’s been a minute since the Ravens have had a guy stashed on their practice squad come through and flash even a little bit as a situational pass rusher. And for as many resources as they have invested in EDGE this offseason, Trey Hendrickson’s age and health must be monitored and Zion Young, second-round pick or not, is going to need time to develop.

This roster is just too deep and too healthy on the defensive side for him to crack it.

LB Dominic DeLuca/Ethan Burke

Would seem a little redundant for both of them to end up sticking here. DeLuca is a undrafted kid out of Penn State, who was a former walk-on, and has ended up playing 74 snaps thus far, more than anyone on defense. Doesn’t mean much in the end and sometimes the guys who play the most are the ones most likely gone.

Burke, undrafted from Texas, was all over the place Saturday and had the kind of motor they love. These are both the kind of stories they love. Friday night against the Commanders I figure is a huge night for them. The Ravens are on the prowl for veteran understudies to Roquan Smith on other rosters.

CB Amani Oruwariye

The Ravens depth corners have made a steady buzz all summer. This name hasn’t really been mentioned anywhere. The front office probably loves it that way. Everything about his frame and body screams out a DB who could excel in quarters coverage and the things Minter loves to do.

I don’t really care about him scooping up a fumble Saturday. Him getting on the field after being banged up earlier is big. He has legit NFL experience and size and length you don’t find everywhere.

OT Gerad Lichtenhan

The fact I can now spell his name correctly the first time I go to type it tells you quite a bit. Did not expect to be watching him this much and writing about him this much. But they clearly view him as a developmental tackle, and you have to be constantly churning for them, and the way they looked at a Carson Vinson in the past might be a portal into what they think they can do with this undrafted kid out of Oregon State.

I’d make the case that OT is an area they should be looking to scoop up a veteran, bigtime, when roster cuts start flying around the league. But giving Lichtenhan 121 reps through two games – he’s played 23 more snaps than anyone else on the roster, and all but like six of their overall snaps on offense – isn’t a fluke.

Did I mention this kid is 6-foot-8, 330 pounds? We know Ronnie Stanley has been an injury risk for years and Roger Rosengarten might be another guy who the market wants to reward in ways the Ravens just won’t meet (we’ve seen this with offensive linemen here over and over with Tyler Linderbaum the latest example).

They should be hording raw tackles with upside if possible.

QB Joe Fagnano

With so many veteran QBs about to be cut, it would be pretty surprising if the Ravens weren’t able to usher him right back to their practice squad. But you never totally know, and I wonder if they opt to play him a ton Friday or, just give that game to Austin Reed thinking no reason to put any more quality film from Fagnano out there to whet someone’s whistle.

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