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The NFL’s trade deadline came and went Tuesday afternoon with the Ravens electing not to make their third in-season trade of the year and hoping their current roster will make the necessary adjustments to improve on a 3-4 start.
Only one deal was completed on Tuesday as the Philadelphia Eagles sent nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga and a 2014 sixth-round pick to New England in exchange for a fifth-round selection in next year’s draft. This year’s inactivity followed an annual pattern of the NFL’s trade deadline not living up to the activity seen in the other major professional sports.
It was considered unlikely that the Ravens would make another trade during the season after acquiring left tackle Eugene Monroe from Jacksonville in exchanged for fourth- and fifth-round choices in 2014 and sending veteran Bryant McKinnie to Miami for a late conditional pick earlier in the month. General manager Ozzie Newsome had never made an in-season trade prior to this season.
A few wide receivers had been rumored to be potentially available, but only Tennessee’s Kenny Britt appeared to be available for any kind of a reasonable asking price and his poor production and off-field baggage weren’t attractive for potential suitors.
The Ravens are also working with less than $2 million in salary cap space, and many teams profiling as sellers at the deadline are looking to clear salary for future seasons as well as to load up on future draft picks.
“We’re going to find a way to get better,” coach John Harbaugh said last week. “That’s the business we’re in. We’ve got the men for the job; I like our guys. That’s what we’ll go to work on and continue to work on.”
Trailing the division-leading Bengals by 2 1/2 games entering Week 9, the Ravens will play four of their next six games at home and hope to get starting tight end Dennis Pitta back from injury at some point next month. Sidelined since late July with a dislocated hip, Pitta would be a significant late-season addition for an offense that currently ranks 20th in total yards and 21st in points per game.
The Ravens signed former Bengals running back Bernard Scott to their 53-man roster on Monday to bolster their depth behind Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce as both have dealt with nagging injuries this season.
