The Baltimore Ravens will be no different from the other 31 NFL teams in the league in that they will have some very tough decisions to make when roster sizes are lowered as the regular season gets closer and closer. There are three main dates that teams must adhere to when forming their rosters up until the start of the regular season.
The Ravens currently have 90 players in camp, and the first cut-down date is Monday, August 27th, when teams must reduce their roster to 75 players. Fifteen cuts will probably not surprise too many people, as prior to this summer, the maximum roster size was 80 players.
Friday, August 31, teams must make the biggest cuts to get down to the 53-man size for the regular season. This will result in significant surprises around the league and then teams will pore over each other's transactions to see if there is anyone they want to add to their own roster. That is how the Ravens ended up with both LT Bryant McKinnie and safety Bernard Pollard, both of whom have made significant contributions to the team since then.
Once all players cut clear waivers, teams will be able to put together their eight-man Practice Squads starting at noon, Sunday, September 2nd. The first NFL regular season game is on Wednesday, September 5th although the Ravens do not play until September 10th, when they host the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football.