Ravens waive 2013 draft pick Mellette, Hamilton at start of minicamp

On the same day they started their three-day mandatory minicamp, the Ravens announced they’ve waived wide receiver Aaron Mellette and linebacker Adrian Hamilton.
Both players failed their physicals prior to the start of camp.
“We’ll continue to monitor those guys in the next six weeks,” coach John Harbaugh said after Tuesday’s practice, “and see where they’re at.”
Mellette was a seventh-round in last year’s draft and initially made the 53-man roster at the end of the 2013 preseason before eventually being placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. Head coach John Harbaugh acknowledged earlier this spring that the Elon product was still dealing with soreness that had limited him at different times during the offseason work out program.
The Ravens signed Hamilton to their practice squad in 2012 after he collected an incredible 22 sacks for Prairie View A&M in his senior season. He was promoted to the active roster and appeared in two games at the end of that regular season, but a wrist injury landed Hamilton on IR late in the 2013 preseason.
Neither Mellette nor Hamilton was considered a future star by any means, but the Ravens had spoken highly of each player’s upside at various points over the last couple years, making their departure at this stage of the summer at least mildly surprising.
With the Ravens trying out veteran cornerbacks Drayton Florence, Aaron Ross, Marquice Cole, and Dominique Franks during this week’s minicamp, they now have two open spots on their 90-man roster to add a veteran or two to the mix.