The Ravens weren’t finished tinkering with their 53-man roster the day before their 2014 season opener in releasing veteran cornerback Derek Cox and promoting undrafted rookie running back Fitz Toussaint on Saturday afternoon.
Cox was re-signed earlier this week after initially being cut last weekend when the Ravens trimmed their roster to the league-mandated 53 players. The move can certainly be viewed as a sign that the Ravens are confident in the health of cornerbacks Lardarius Webb, Jimmy Smith, and Asa Jackson, who all participated fully in practices this week. However, an NFL Network report Saturday afternoon seemed to contradict that notion as Aditi Kinkhabwala reported Webb was unlikely to play barring a surprise.
The transaction means the Ravens will not have to guarantee Cox’s contract should they decide to re-sign him after Week 1. The sixth-year defensive back’s departure leaves Baltimore with only four true cornerbacks on the 53-man roster entering the opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, but safety Anthony Levine also saw time at the cornerback spot during the summer.
Toussaint was signed to the practice squad after being waived last weekend and provides extra depth at running back while starter Ray Rice serves his two-game suspension to begin the 2014 season. Though he didn’t stand out early in training camp, Toussaint turned in a 103-yard rushing performance in the preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints to solidify his standing as a practice-squad candidate.
