Ravens cut Gerrard Sheppard and sign Marrio Norman

With training camp comes unexpected cuts and signings. Today is one of those days as the Ravens cut exciting wide receiver Gerrard Sheppard to make way for defensive back Marrio Norman.

Sheppard was an undrafted receiver out of Towson that had some fans excited. A larger receiver at 6-foot-2 and 211-pounds, he was a long shot to make the 53-man roster but had the size to be a good asset in the redzone. With the Ravens drafting Michael Campanaro this offseason, Sheppard was in the fight for the last open wide receiver spot on the team against the likes of LaQuan Williams, Deonte Thompson, Jeremy Butler and others.

Marrio Norman is a name that most fans won't recognize, but he represents a nice bit of depth at a position that could use it going further into the offseason. A defensive back for the Cleveland Gladiators in the AFL last season, he intercepted seven passes, clearly leading the Ravens to show interest in him. Norman played for Coastal Carolina in college, where he intercepted five passes as a junior but was severely limited in his senior year due to injuries.

With the Ravens in desperate need of depth at corner, the Ravens will probably take a look at a few other defensive backs going forward. The Ravens recently signed troubled safety Will Hill and with Aaron Ross going down with a torn Achilles tendon, the Ravens are looking to beef up the depth behind starting corners Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith as the young players beneath them on the depth chart haven't been impressing consistently during practice.