The Ravens were awarded former Green Bay Packers tight end Ryan Taylor off waivers and cut tight end Phillip Supernaw on Tuesday.
However, it was their interest in another player that drew more attention as Baltimore worked out veteran cornerback Champ Bailey, according to an ESPN report. The future Hall of Fame defensive back spent the preseason with the New Orleans Saints, but no team has bit on the 36-year-old since he was cut at the end of the summer.
The Ravens lost cornerback Asa Jackson due to a severe toe injury that will keep him out for an extended period of time and veteran defensive back Lardarius Webb has been dealing with a nagging back injury for over two months, which explains why Baltimore reportedly intended to re-sign Dominique Franks on Tuesday.
It remained unclear as of Tuesday evening whether the Ravens would sign Bailey to a contract.
Taylor, 26, was drafted by the Packers in the seventh round of the 2011 draft. Playing in 50 games with Green Bay over the last four seasons, the University of North Carolina product has caught eight passes for 45 yards and a touchdown in his career.
With Dennis Pitta out for the season, Taylor provides more experience as a No. 3 option behind veteran Owen Daniels and rookie Crockett Gillmore. Supernaw missed Sunday’s game after suffering a thigh injury last week.
The Ravens also signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Steven Means to their practice squad to take the place of linebacker John Simon after he was signed by the Houston Texans earlier in the day. Means was a fifth-round pick in last year’s draft and appeared in 10 games for Tampa Bay as a rookie and one game this year before he was waived on Sept. 9.
Simon was a 2013 fourth-round selection from Ohio State, but the outside linebacker was cut at the end of the preseason before being signed to the practice squad.
Ravens claim former Packers tight end Taylor, try out veteran corner Bailey
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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