OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The NFL trade deadline arrived Tuesday with the Ravens adding another former Pro Bowl talent to the mix.
It just didn’t come at a position perceived to be one of Baltimore’s greatest needs.
Rather than adding a pass rusher or even a safety, general manager Eric DeCosta acquired two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Tre’Davious White and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round selection. It marked the second trade that the Ravens made over the last eight days after DeCosta sent a 2025 fifth-round pick to Carolina for wide receiver Diontae Johnson and a 2025 sixth-round pick last week.
The meager cost for White reflected the devastating impact of injuries on his career. The 29-year-old was once regarded as one of the NFL’s top corners and made Pro Bowls in 2019 and 2020 before an ACL injury (2021) and a torn Achilles tendon (2023) contributed to Buffalo releasing him last March. The Rams signed White to a one-year, $4.25 million contract this offseason, but poor play over their first four games led to him being a healthy scratch for the last four contests and Los Angeles granting him permission to begin seeking a trade late last month. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus has graded White 103rd out of 110 qualified cornerbacks this season.
How the Ravens plan to use the 5-foot-9, 196-pound White remains to be seen, but the 4-4 Rams are just a half-game behind Arizona for first place in the NFC West and don’t have a particularly strong pass defense themselves, which speaks to how much he struggled. White has been almost exclusively an outside corner over his eight-year career, so this addition may amount to no more than a depth move with hopes that Baltimore could prove to be a better fit and additional time removed from the Achilles injury suffered 13 months ago might help his performance.
The 2017 first-round pick out of LSU registered a league-high six interceptions in 2019, but he missed 30 regular-season games from 2021-23.
The Ravens enter Week 10 ranked last in passing yards allowed per game and 23rd in pass defense DVOA. Baltimore ranks fifth in the league in sacks (28), but Next Gen Stats ranks the Ravens 26th in pressure rate this season, speaking to the inconsistency of the pass rush. Teams have also attempted an NFL-high 342 passes against Zach Orr’s defense, meaning there’s been no shortage of opportunities to get to the quarterback.
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“We just have to keep chasing the details. Itโs bad when what youโre being coached, if you donโt have it to the T, thatโs whatโs kind of hurting us,” said three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey about the play of the secondary. “In our room, weโve realized as players, we have to do it exactly how weโre coached and exactly how weโre doing it in practice to get it to [work] in the game. We canโt practice it all week this way, coach this way, and then get in the game and itโs not exactly how you just practiced it. Thatโs been the biggest thing.”
While some pass-rush options such as New York Giants edge defender Azeez Ojulari and Miami defensive lineman and ex-Raven Calais Campbell ultimately stayed with their current teams, Cleveland traded Za’Darius Smith to Detroit and Green Bay dealt Preston Smith to Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Lamar Jackson still dealing with knee issue
For the second straight week, star quarterback Lamar Jackson has missed practice time due to a lingering knee issue.
After not being listed on the injury report for Monday’s walk-through, Jackson was absent from the field on Tuesday afternoon. Head coach John Harbaugh wasn’t interested in discussing the reason for Jackson’s absence, but he removed any doubt about his status for Thursday’s prime-time tilt with Cincinnati.
“Nothing I really want to talk about and comment on. He’ll be playing Thursday night,” Harbaugh said. “Thatโs probably the main thing that youโre asking? He will be playing Thursday night.”
Even as Jackson threw three touchdowns and finished with the fourth perfect passer rating of his career in Sunday’s 41-10 win over Denver, it’s worth noting his three rushing attempts were his fewest in a game in which he didn’t depart due to injury since the 2020 season.
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Tight end Isaiah Likely sat out a second straight day with a hamstring injury, making his status unclear for Thursday night.
“Itโs something heโs dealing with,” Harbaugh said Monday. “With the short week, weโll just have to see how it works out here in the next couple of days.”
The Bengals could be without wide receiver Tee Higgins for a third consecutive game as he still hasn’t practiced since hurting his quadricep in an Oct. 25 practice. However, Cincinnati left tackle and ex-Raven Orlando Brown Jr. (knee/fibula) was listed as a limited participant after missing last Sunday’s win over Las Vegas.
Below is Tuesday’s injury report:
BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: QB Lamar Jackson (knee), TE Isaiah Likely (hamstring), DE Brent Urban (concussion)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis (knee), OLB Adisa Isaac (illness), DT Travis Jones (ankle)
FULL PARTICIPATION: RB Rasheen Ali (ankle), G Patrick Mekari (shoulder), RB Keaton Mitchell (knee), WR Tylan Wallace (foot), DT Broderick Washington (knee)
CINCINNATI
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: WR Tee Higgins (quadricep), DT B.J. Hill (rib), WR Charlie Jones (groin)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: OT Orlando Brown Jr. (knee/fibula), S Geno Stone (shin)
FULL PARTICIPATION: S Jordan Battle (ankle), RB Chase Brown (rib), QB Joe Burrow (right wrist), DE Sam Hubbard (hamstring)
Brandon Williams retires as a Raven
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Having not played with Baltimore since 2021 or any team since winning a Super Bowl with Kansas City in 2022, Brandon Williams made his NFL retirement official on Tuesday.
The 2013 third-round pick out of Missouri Southern played nine seasons with the Ravens and received a Pro Bowl nod as an alternate in 2018. He was regarded as one of the league’s best run-stopping nose tackles at the peak of his career.
“I just wanted to come back and bring it full circle. This is where I started. This is what gave me my livelihood,” Williams said. “Coach [Clarence Brooks] teaching me everything. Blossoming into the player I became. I just wanted to come back here and be in Baltimore. It seems like it went so quick, but I’m thankful. I’m blessed.”
