OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens completed the process of trimming their preseason roster to 75 a day prior to Tuesday’s deadline by cutting a number of players headlined by wide receiver LaQuan Williams and safety Omar Brown on Monday.
Linebackers Austin Spitler and Nick DiMarco, offensive tackle David Mims, cornerbacks Deji Olatoye and Marrio Norman, running back Cierre Wood, wide receiver Mike Willie, and punter Richie Leone were also released.
Baltimore waived offensive lineman Brett Van Sloten (knee) and fullback Shaun Chapas, who were both dealing with injuries.
To complete their transformation from 90 to 75 players on the current roster, the Ravens placed defensive linemen Kapron Lewis-Moore (Achilles tendon) and Brent Urban (knee) as well as offensive lineman Will Rackley (head) on season-ending injured reserve. Lewis-Moore and Urban had already undergone season-ending surgeries while Rackley continues to recover from a concussion sustained at the start of training camp.
“There is a feeling when you have fewer guys,” said head coach John Harbaugh about trimming his roster for the first time this summer. “It starts in the meeting. We came in the meeting, I walked in and I waited a little bit, and my first thought was, ‘Everybody is not here. Do we have everybody?’ We did have everybody, but we didn’t.
A Poly grad and University of Maryland product, Williams was re-signed by the Ravens in the offseason after being cut last year but was unable to distinguish himself in a deep group of wide receivers. A feel-good story as an undrafted free agent who made the Ravens’ 53-man roster in 2011, Williams hadn’t recorded a reception in three preseason games and failed to make his mark on special teams as he had in previous seasons.
Brown had spent the last two seasons bouncing back and forth between Baltimore’s practice squad and active roster, but his future appeared clear when he didn’t take any defensive snaps and was only on the field for two special-teams plays in Saturday’s 23-17 win over Washington.
“Omar and LaQuan are just two guys who have been here for a long time,” Harbaugh said. “[They] have been Ravens for a number of years and have contributed so much to us. That’s the toughest thing. They’re going to go play for other teams — I don’t doubt that at all. But those guys have contributed so much, and we’re so appreciative of what they’ve done.
“All of those guys will get opportunities elsewhere or back here again in the future. That was a tough day. Some tears, some hugs, and you come back out and you go back to work.”
General manager Ozzie Newsome and Harbaugh must trim the roster to 53 by 4 p.m. Saturday.
