Baltimore Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta has been busy on the transaction wire bringing in more offensive linemen. After the starting unit as a whole, especially at tackle, struggled mightily in their one and only loss that came in the season opener, DeCosta has focused on adding blockers.
On Monday, they continued the fortification efforts by being awarded offensive tackle Brandon Knight to the active roster as a result of a successful waiver claims offer.
We have claimed OT Brandon Knight off waivers.
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 18, 2021
Knight went undrafted out of Indiana in 2019 before signing with the Dallas Cowboys, where he spent the first two years of his career until he was waived over this past weekend. He only played three snaps this season but has appeared in 21 career games and made nine starts at left tackle last year filling in for injured seven-time Pro Bowler Tyron Smith.
Quality depth at tackle has been one of the Ravens’ most glaring needs even before they traded Orlando Brown Jr. to the Kansas City Chiefs. Given that All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley is still struggling with the ankle injury that ended his 2020 season prematurely, added more capable players at the pivotal position is a wise move.
Stanley has missed the last five games since playing in the opener and in his Monday press conference, Head Coach John Harbaugh said that the team is nearing a resolution on his status for the foreseeable future but does not have “anything to announce at this time”.
DeCosta didn’t stop there, it was reported by NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero that they also brought in veteran guard James Carpenter. Unlike Knight, the former first-round pick and 11-year vet was signed to the practice squad off the unrestricted free agent market.
Veteran guard James Carpenter is signing with the #Ravens, per his agent @DHendrickson41. The onetime #Seahawks first-round pick will start out on the practice squad.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 19, 2021
Carpenter has extensive starting experience with 121 career starts of a possible 127 games and he’s played on some teams that featured potent rushing attacks. The Ravens will be the third team he’s been with since leaving Seattle in free agency following the 2014 season. He most recently played for the Atlanta Falcons from 2019-20 where he started all 24 of the games he appeared in.
Including Carpenter, the Ravens now have a total of five offensive linemen on their practice squad, the other four are all tackles and half of them have starting experience at the NFL level. The list includes undrafted rookie Adrian Ealy, who’s currently suspended, second-year pro Jaryd Jones-Smith, and veterans David Sharpe and Andre Smith.
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