After this past weekend’s rookie minicamp, the Ravens have signed three veteran free agents while waving goodbye to three former members of their practice squad.
Baltimore announced the signings of fullback Shaun Chapas, guard Will Rackley, and tight end Phillip Supernaw and the releases of former Maryland tight end Matt Furstenburg, defensive lineman Cody Larsen, and outside linebacker and Randallstown product D.J. Bryant.
Of the three veterans to sign with Baltimore on Monday, Rackley presents the most intrigue after he started 25 of the 26 games he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2011 through 2013. A third-round pick of the 2011 draft, the 24-year-old guard missed the entire 2012 season due to an ankle injury.
It will be interesting to see if Rackley’s starting experience would prompt the Ravens to open up more of a competition at the left guard spot with Kelechi Osemele then moving to right tackle, a position the Ravens surprisingly didn’t address during this year’s draft.
Chapas has spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and Jacksonville Jaguars in his career and has appeared in six games, making two receptions for 15 yards.
Supernaw was with the Houston Texans the last two years, appearing in one game last season and spending most of his time on the practice squad. Of course, his familiarity with new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s system made him a player of interest as he was invited to try out for the Ravens over the weekend.
Furstenburg and Larsen spent the 2013 season on the Ravens’ practice squad while Bryant was sidelined with a season-ending leg injury suffered in the final preseason game. Despite being a well-regarded free-agent signing from the University of Maryland last spring, Furstenburg could not crack the 53-man roster and saw his fortunes dim with the signing of veteran Owen Daniels and third-round selection of Colorado State tight end Crockett Gillmore earlier this offseason.
Larsen and Furstenburg took part in this weekend’s rookie camp. Bryant’s release was listed as being due to a failed physical.
Luke Jones
Luke Jones is the Ravens and Orioles beat reporter for WNST BaltimorePositive.com and is a PFWA member. His mind is consumed with useless sports knowledge, pro wrestling promos, and movie quotes, but he often forgets where he put his phone. Luke's favorite sports memories include being one of the thousands of kids who waited for Cal Ripken's autograph after Orioles games in the summer of 1995, attending the Super Bowl XXXV victory parade with his dad in the pouring rain, and watching the Terps advance to the Final Four at the Carrier Dome in 2002. Follow him on social media @BaltimoreLuke or email him at Luke@wnst.net.
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