HEADLINES

David Ojabo

Ravens Set Initial 53-Man Roster

August 26th, 2025 at 8:56pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Every year, the Ravens are one of the last teams to announce their roster moves to get down to 53 players. Finally, via a team press release, Baltimore’s initial 53-man roster is set with the following transactions:

Waived

  • CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
  • WR Jahmal Banks
  • S Beau Brade
  • WR Malik Cunningham
  • G Darrian Dalcourt
  • OL Garrett Dellinger
  • OLB Malik Hamm
  • S Desmond Igbinosun
  • S Keondre Jackson
  • DL Jayson Jones
  • QB Devin Leary
  • OT Gerad Lichtenhan
  • ILB Chandler Martin
  • TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden
  • DL Adedayo Odeleye
  • DL C.J. Okoye
  • G Jared Penning
  • DL C.J. Ravenell
  • CB Marquise Robinson
  • OLB Kaimon Rucker
  • C Nick Samac
  • FB Lucas Scott
  • TE Scotty Washington

Released

Waived with injury settlement

Placed on injured reserve (with return designation)

Placed on reserve/NFI

  • OT Emery Jones

Placed on reserve/PUP

The Ravens opted to keep tight end Isaiah Likely on the 53-man roster after his recent foot surgery, indicating that the team expects him back in the first four weeks of the regular season.

Armour-Davis is Baltimore’s most surprising cut. The 2022 fourth-round pick struggled with injuries across the first few years of his career, but had a solid training camp. Baltimore opted to keep undrafted rookie Keyon Martin instead after an impressive showing in the preseason.

Brade, who made the 53-man roster as a UDFA last year, was beaten out by undrafted rookie Reuben Lowery for the Ravens’ fourth safety spot. Brade, a former University of Maryland standout, is expected to return to the practice squad if he clears waivers, per KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson.

Baltimore is also hoping to bring Lichtenhan, a 6-f0ot-8, 328-pound offensive tackle, back on their practice squad if he sneaks through waivers, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Urban will likely re-sign to the Ravens practice squad on Wednesday in a handshake deal after being cut from the active roster.

Isaac and Wade suffered injuries late in training camp and will have to spend the first four weeks of the season on injured reserve. Isaac’s IR placement cleared a spot for David Ojabo to make the roster despite appearing to be on the bubble in the preseason.

Jones has been dealing with a mysterious shoulder injury that required surgery earlier this year. He has yet to hit the practice field as a Raven and will be sidelined for at least four more weeks to start the season.

Ravens Offer Injury Updates On Adisa Isaac, Emery Jones

August 18th, 2025 at 10:12pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic) that second-year edge rusher Adisa Isaac will start the season on injured reserve after undergoing elbow surgery.

Harbaugh previously disclosed that Isaac suffered a dislocated elbow in Saturday’s preseason matchup against the Cowboys, per Zrebiec. The Ravens were hoping that the 2024 third-round pick could contribute to their edge rotation after a hamstring injury as a rookie held him out of spring practices and limited him to four games and 78 total snaps.

Isaac is still expected to play this year and will likely be placed on IR with a designation to return during roster cut-downs next week. That will mandate a four-week absence before he can return to practice, though Harbaugh projected a post-midseason return.

Isaac’s injury could open a roster spot for 2022 second-round pick David Ojabo, who similarly struggled to stay on the field in his first two NFL seasons. Even when he did enjoy an extended stretch of good health in 2024, he only recorded 2.0 sacks and two tackles for loss across 13 games. Ojabo was thought to be on the roster bubble entering training camp, especially since his release would clear $1.8MM of cap space, but he’s now poised to stick around in Baltimore, at least for the start of the season.

Harbaugh also revealed that rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones will not be ready for the start of the regular season. He has been on the non-football injury list since the beginning of training camp after undergoing shoulder surgery earlier this year. Rather than a quick recovery to push for a starting guard job as a rookie, Jones is waiting until he is “fully right” before taking the field.

“That’s the way it should be,” added Harbaugh. “We respect that.” The Ravens can move Jones to the reserve/NFI list during cut-downs, which will sideline him for at least another four weeks.

Jones is the third Ravens draft pick to miss significant time as a rookie. Day 3 cornerback Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam have already landed on season-ending IR with major leg injuries. Kone tore both his ACL and his MCL, while Longerbeam sustained a torn patella tendon, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Harbaugh declined to confirm Schultz’s report on August 11, but confirmed that the rookie corner would undergo surgery.

With their cornerback depth taking a hit in training camp, the Ravens hosted eight-year veteran Kyle Fuller for a workout on Sunday, per KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson. Fuller hasn’t played since 2022, when he earned a starting job in Baltimore’s defense but tore his ACL in Week 1.

Harbaugh was less forthcoming when asked about Isaiah Likely. The fourth-year tight end is coming off minor foot surgery with a tight recovery window before the Ravens’ regular-season opener against the Bills. Accordingly, Harbaugh offered a vague answer when asked about Likely’s Week 1 availability, saying (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley) that he “might want to keep [Buffalo] guessing a little bit.”

Andrew Vorhees Favorite To Be Ravens LG

August 13th, 2025 at 6:58pm CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens don’t have much lineup uncertainty at the moment, meaning the lone positional battle has been thrust into the limelight. With Patrick Mekari departing this offseason, there remains an opening at left guard, with coach John Harbaugh recently stating that he’d like to settle on a starter as soon as possible.

Harbaugh also provided some insight into which way he’s leaning, as the coach revealed that Andrew Vorhees remains the front-runner for the starting LG job over Ben Cleveland.

“Andrew Vorhees is in the lead. Something would have to change,” Harbaugh said (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). “I will say, with Ben, he’ll tell you, the first, three or four days didn’t look too good. Then, the next three or four days looked really good. … Andrew has looked good all the way through, so he’s in the lead at this point.”

Vorhees was penciled in as the starter to begin the 2024 campaign. However, an ankle injury temporarily knocked him out of the lineup, and by the time he was ready to return, Mekari had already run away with the job. Vorhees, a 2023 seventh-round pick, will now have another clear shot at sticking in the starting lineup, although Cleveland does provide some competition should things go off the rails. Per Zrebiec, Cleveland will likely be slotted in as the team’s top reserve OG to begin the season, with Joseph Noteboom likely the favorite to be the top OT reserve and former UDFA Corey Bullock the favorite to be the backup center.

While there aren’t many starting spots up for grabs in Baltimore, there are plenty of roster battles. One of those competitions is believed to be at outside linebacker, where the Ravens appear to have one too many players. Zrebiec writes that Adisa Isaac is expected to win the final positional spot, meaning David Ojabo is likely going to be the odd man out. A former second-round pick, Ojabo has struggled to carve out a role during his three years in Baltimore, and with only a year remaining on his rookie pact, the organization may finally be willing to move on.

Release Candidate: David Ojabo

July 8th, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

David Ojabo entered the NFL with high expectations despite the Achilles tear he suffered shortly before being drafted. The Ravens edge rusher has not developed as hoped, however, and his ability to retain a roster spot this summer will be worth watching.

During Michigan’s Pro Day, Ojabo suffered his torn Achilles. That injury hurt his draft stock, but Baltimore selected him in the second round in 2022. His recovery process resulted in just three combined regular and postseason contests as a rookie, a span which included only one sack. Hopes were high from team and player for a step forward in Year 2, but a knee/ankle injury shut Ojabo down after three games.

This past season saw the 25-year-old appear in 13 games as he managed a much healthier campaign than his first two. Ojabo only handled a 33% snap share, however, and that rotational role resulted in limited production. Two sacks and nine pressures were a reflection of his workload but also an inability to move up the depth chart (which was led by Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh). With one year remaining on his rookie contract, this summer will be critical for Ojabo.

As The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec writes (subscription required), Van Noy and Oweh remain in position as starters for 2025. Baltimore’s pass rush group also includes returnees Tavius Robinson and Adisa Isaac, along with second-round rookie Mike Green. Those five can be considered roster locks, whereas Ojabo enters training camp on the bubble. Per Zrebiec, Ojabo could “very easily” find himself on a new team in 2025.

As things stand, Ojabo is set to carry a cap charge of $2.52MM for the final year of his pact. Cutting or trading him would create $1.78MM in savings while generating a dead money charge of only $733K. It would come as a surprise to see a notable trade market in this case, given Ojabo’s missed time and limited production when on the field. In the event he were to be waived, though, teams looking for a depth addition with upside based on age could show interest in a modest deal following roster cuts.

Van Noy is entering the final season of his pact while Oweh is slated to play on his fifth-year option as things stand. Keeping one or both in the fold beyond 2025 would be an understandable goal for the Ravens after each member of that tandem produced double-digit sacks last season. Robinson, Isaac and Green will each be on their rookie deals for at least two more years, so they can be expected to remain in place for that time. Ojabo, on the other hand, could find himself on the move in the near future.

AFC Injury Updates: Ojabo, Fautanu, Wallow, Smith

August 10th, 2024 at 2:31pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens saw their leading edge rusher depart in free agency this offseason when Jadeveon Clowney signed with the Panthers. While the team did work to retain other top sack-getters in Justin Madubuike and Kyle Van Noy, it decided to depend on recent draft picks to replace the production lost in Clowney’s departure. Unfortunately, one of those recent draft picks is still working to get healthy as head coach John Harbaugh announced that outside linebacker David Ojabo was not cleared to play in last night’s preseason game, per Jamison Hensley of EPSN.

A second-round pick in 2022, Ojabo was a draft selection that Baltimore knew would take some time to see the field after suffering a torn Achilles at his Michigan pro day. Starting his rookie season on injured reserve, Ojabo didn’t make his NFL debut until Week 15. He only played five snaps and didn’t appear again until the season finale, which saw him collect his first NFL sack.

In 2023, Ojabo got a sack in the season opener and earned his first start in Week 3. Unfortunately, Ojabo would suffer a season ending knee/ankle injury in that first start, ending his sophomore campaign after only three games. It’s hard to say whether or not Baltimore has a grasp on Ojabo’s status. They expressed hope he would come back last season and, after he failed to do so, they expressed hope that he would be cleared in time for training camp. Neither happened, and now the Ravens find themselves continuing to wait for a healthy Ojabo.

In the meantime, the Ravens will look to a pair of Penn State-products to make up for Ojabo’s lost snaps. Former first-round pick Odafe Oweh has yet to see his season-sack total eclipse five in a season, but his ability to consistently create pressure has hopes high for a breakout season. Rookie third-rounder Adisa Isaac will try to follow his fellow Nittany Lion’s example. After spending a good amount of training camp on the non-football injury list dealing with a hamstring injury, Isaac was activated in time for the team’s first preseason game.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the AFC:

  • The Steelers preseason plans hit a slight setback when first-round rookie tackle Troy Fautanu suffered an MCL sprain in last night’s preseason opener, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The injury is a minor one, and Pittsburgh does not consider it serious, but with Fautanu competing with Dan Moore for the team’s starting right tackle job, any missed time is going to be crucial in the rookie’s preseason. Moore has plenty of experience, starting at left tackle for the past three years, but if Fautanu wanted to start in his rookie year, any missed time in the preseason is detrimental to that goal.
  • The Titans received some unfortunate news this week when it was announced that linebacker Garret Wallow will miss the 2024 NFL season with a torn pectoral muscle, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. A former fifth-round pick for the Texans, Wallow made five starts during his first two seasons in Houston before getting signed off the team’s practice squad to play in Tennessee.
  • Another season-ending injury unfortunately occurred in last night’s preseason contests when Dolphins backup offensive lineman Kion Smith suffered a torn ACL, per Wilson. An undrafted free agent out of Fayetteville State in 2021, Smith appeared in nine games for Miami last year. He will now be forced to sit out the 2024 campaign.

Ravens Hope OLB David Ojabo Will Be Cleared By Training Camp

June 2nd, 2024 at 11:55am CST by Rory Parks

The Ravens allowed Jadeveon Clowney, who recorded 9.5 sacks in 2023, to depart in free agency, and they have not added a veteran replacement. Additionally, Baltimore did not select a pass rusher until the third round of this year’s draft (Adisa Isaac), so the club will be counting on several young, internal options to step up as it seeks to replicate its league-leading sack production (60 total sacks) from last season.

One such youngster is David Ojabo. The Ravens selected Ojabo in the second round of the 2022 draft, taking a chance on a player with first-round talent whose stock fell because of an Achilles tear he suffered during Michigan’s pro day that year. Since the Ravens knew beforehand that Ojabo would essentially have to redshirt his rookie year, the fact that he appeared in only two games that season did not set off any alarm bells.

Unfortunately, he sustained what was originally described as a knee/ankle injury in the club’s Week 3 loss to the Colts in 2023, and he was later diagnosed with a partially-torn ACL.The four snaps he tooks in that Week 3 contest would be his last action of the 2023 campaign.

In March of this year, head coach John Harbaugh said that Ojabo is healthy and predicted a breakout season for the 24-year-old defender. That may well be the case, but as Matt Ryan of the team’s official website writes, Ojabo has been limited in Baltimore’s offseason work and will not be a full participant in the upcoming mandatory minicamp.

“His timeline, I believe, is somewhere in training camp,” Harbaugh said. “It won’t be minicamp, but it’s at some point in time once we get back for training camp.”

Like Clowney, Kyle Van Noy was a late signing who enjoyed unexpected success in Baltimore’s Mike Macdonald-coordinated defense in 2023, and he was rewarded with a new two-year accord in April. He is now the unquestioned veteran leader of an edge rush group that has plenty of promise in the form of Ojabo, Isaac, and 2021 first-rounder Odafe Oweh, but little by way of proven production. Of course, the pressure that Justin Madubuike can generate from the interior of the D-line helps to ease the burden of the edge defenders to some degree, though a quality third professional season from Ojabo would obviously be a major boost to the team’s 2024 fortunes and the player’s future earning power.

Baltimore did get a little creative with Ojabo’s roster spot this year, designating the Nigerian-born ‘backer as an international player who qualifies for a roster exemption. That move gives the Ravens the right to carry one more player than they would otherwise be allowed to have.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/2/24

May 2nd, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Deemed international roster exemption: LB David Ojabo

Minnesota Vikings

The Ravens carved out an extra roster spot after having been granted an international roster exemption for linebacker David Ojabo. The NFL allows teams to carry an extra international player on their roster as long as the individual “is a person whose citizenship and principal place of residence are outside the United States and Canada” and has “a maximum of two years of United States high school experience.”

Normally, this is reserved for undrafted players, with many of those players entering the league via the NFL International Pathway Program. However, the Ravens got creative with Ojabo, who is a former second-round pick. The linebacker was born in Nigeria and grew up in the United Kingdom, and he only came to the United States when he was 17. The Michigan product’s NFL career has been highlighted by injuries, with Ojabo being limited to only five appearances through two seasons in Baltimore.

The move allows the Ravens to now carry 91 players on their offseason roster.

Ravens Rumors: OLBs, Mitchell, Dobbins

March 26th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens defense saw a number of surprise contributors in 2023. From backup safety Geno Stone leading the AFC in interceptions to Justin Madubuike, Jadeveon Clowney, and Kyle Van Noy exploding to help the team lead the NFL in sacks, Baltimore excelled thanks to contributions from players other than All-Pros like Roquan Smith, Kyle Hamilton, and Patrick Queen.

All four of the surprise contributors mentioned above had expiring contracts when the Ravens fell short of their Super Bowl aspirations. Madubuike received the franchise tag before ultimately signing a massive four-year, $98MM extension after his 13.0 sack-season. Stone earned a nice deal of his own, branching out to the division-rival Bengals as he searched for an opportunity to start full-time, instead of sharing the stage with Hamilton and Marcus Williams.

Clowney and Van Noy, on the other hand, remain free agents on the open market. Clowney saw a bounce-back season following a disappointing exit from Cleveland. Despite joining the roster in the middle of the preseason, Clowney would start 15 games for the Ravens, matching his career-high in sacks (9.5) while tallying nine tackles for loss, 19 quarterback hits, five passes defensed, and two forced fumbles. Despite early reports that both sides were interested in a new deal, the Panthers and Jets have swept in as teams with massive interest in signing Clowney.

Van Noy exploded for the rare career-year at 32 years old. Despite only starting three games as a rotation player, Van Noy finished third on the team with a career-high nine sacks. Van Noy hasn’t been nearly as active in free agency visits, but his stellar 2023 season all but ensures that he will earn at least one more NFL contract.

Head coach John Harbaugh recently claimed to be optimistic about the prospects of bringing one or both of Clowney and/or Van Noy back in 2024, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. If they aren’t able to do so, though, the Ravens continue to have faith in former first-round pick Odafe Oweh and former second-round pick David Ojabo. According to Harbaugh, Ojabo, who has only appeared in five games over his first two seasons, is healthy. The long-time head coach predicted a breakout season for the 23-year-old in 2024.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of Baltimore, where our thoughts and condolences are after the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge:

  • The Ravens certainly lost a massive offensive chess piece when J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in Baltimore’s season opener. Their losses compounded late in the season when, in the midst of a run towards the No. 1 seed in the AFC, Keaton Mitchell, an explosive undrafted rookie who was helping to replace Dobbins’ lost production, suffered an ACL tear in Week 15. General manager Eric DeCosta spoke on his recovery recently, saying that the team feels Mitchell is on track “to come back this season,” per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
  • Speaking of Dobbins, though he’s not currently a Raven after the team allowed his rookie contract to expire, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network informs us that the 25-year-old rusher has been cleared for football activities. His surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, said in a letter to select teams today that Dobbins looks “outstanding” coming off his torn Achilles. Dobbins is expected to begin taking visits soon, though the Ravens have not been mentioned much as a candidate to land his continued services.

Ravens OLB David Ojabo Out For Season; Tyus Bowser’s Status Remains Uncertain

November 28th, 2023 at 9:53am CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens had been holding out hope that at least one of David Ojabo or Tyus Bowser would be able to suit up late in the season. The former is now out for the campaign, though, and the latter’s availability remains in the air at this point.

Ojabo was diagnosed with a partially torn ACL, head coach John Harbaugh said (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec). As a result, the second-year edge rusher underwent surgery last week. Harbaugh added that he expects Ojabo to be healthy by training camp, but the procedure confirms he will not play again in 2023. The 23-year-old was in danger of missing the rest of the campaign dating back to last month after after playing the first three weeks of the season.

Ojabo suffered an Achilles tear during his Pro Day in 2022, an injury which hurt his draft stock and forced him to miss much of his rookie campaign. The Michigan alum played just three combined regular and postseason games last year, but expectations were high for him entering the summer. A path to increased playing time was in place, and he did see an uptick in usage during his brief time on the field this September. He will now turn his attention to rehab, though, as the Ravens hope to see Bowser suit up for the first time in 2023.

The latter has been dealing with a knee injury since the summer, when a setback landed him on the NFI list. That threatened to delay Bowser’s 2023 debut, but the team has remained hopeful he will be able to play at some point down the stretch. On that point, Harbaugh said the 28-year-old’s knee will need to “calm down” before he is able to play, likely a reference to swelling which needs to be reduced.

If Bowser is able to play this year, his addition would be welcomed on a Baltimore defensive front which has relied heavily on veteran additions Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy along the edge so far. That pair has combined to post 13.5 of the team’s league-leading 45 sacks, but added depth would be beneficial. The Ravens have Odafe Oweh – who has himself dealt with an injury-induced absence earlier this season – and fourth-round rookie Tavius Robinson in place as their other main edge rushing options.

Bowser is attached to a four-year, $22MM deal signed in 2021. That pact marked an understandable commitment on the team’s part for his development early in his career into a starter, but injuries have hindered his ability to live up to the pact. He is set to carry a reasonable cap hit of $7.5MM next season, but none of his $5.5MM base salary is guaranteed. Managing to play some role late in the current campaign could thus be highly beneficial for both team and player in Bowser’s case.

Ravens Hoping For 2023 Return By OLBs Tyus Bowser, David Ojabo

November 3rd, 2023 at 8:55am CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens lead the NFL in sacks entering Week 9, despite the team’s edge rushing group being less than full strength throughout the season. It appears likely that will remain the case for the rest of the campaign, but the team has not closed the door on one or two notable reinforcements arriving.

Baltimore is “holding out hope” that Tyus Bowser and David Ojabo could return later in the 2023 season, as noted by Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (subscription required). The former has yet to play this year, as he continues to rehab a knee injury. A setback encountered on that front during the summer led to Bowser starting the year on the NFI list, but head coach John Harbaugh has since admitted the 28-year-old’s availability for 2023 could be in doubt.

Bowser saw a signficant jump in playing time each season from 2019-21, and he recorded 14 sacks across that span. That increased production from his first two years, along with his versatility as a run defender and in coverage, seemed to make his four-year, $22MM extension inked in March 2021 a wise investment. The former second-rounder suffered an Achilles tear at the end of the 2021 campaign, however, and he was limited to nine games last season. Being able to have Bowser in the fold in any capacity this year would be a welcomed development for the Ravens, a team which counted on signficant production from its young edge rushers ahead of 2023.

That included big expectations for Ojabo. The 2022 second-rounder only made two appearances as a rookie after rehabbing the Achilles tear he suffered during his Pro Day. At full health by the start of this campaign, the 23-year-old had a clear path to an increased workload and he logged a 38% snap share in his three games in 2023. Ojabo is now dealing with knee and ankle injuries, however, which have landed him on IR. Harbaugh said one month ago that the Michigan alum is in danger of missing the rest of the campaign, so a late recovery and return to the field would come as a surprise at this point.

With Bowser and Ojabo out of the picture for now, Baltimore will continue to relay on Odafe Oweh, Jadeveon Clowney, Kyle Van Noy and Tavius Robinson along the edge. The Ravens showed some interest in trading for Chase Young ahead of this week’s deadline, but their inaction on that front marked a show of confidence in their incumbent options. Getting back even one of Bowser or Ojabo would nevertheless represent a considerable boost to the team’s already impressive defense.

Load More Posts