The Ravens began the process of trimming their roster from 75 to the regular-season total of 53 by initially waiving five players on Friday afternoon.
Defensive tackles Levi Brown and Derrick Hopkins, linebacker D.J. Roberts, tight end Nathan Overbay, and center Reggie Stephens were the first players to be let go following Thursday’s preseason finale in New Orleans. None were considered serious possibilities to make the regular-season roster although Hopkins and Brown were part of a position group that’s been ravaged by injuries after defensive ends Brent Urban and Kapron Lewis-Moore were lost for the season during training camp.
These moves mean the Ravens will need to make 17 more transactions to get down to the league-mandated 53 by 4 p.m. Saturday. Baltimore will place running back Ray Rice and safety Will Hill on the reserve-suspended list with neither counting against the roster limit. Rice is suspended for the first two games of the regular season while Hill is banned for the first six contests.
Defensive tackle Terrence Cody can be placed on the reserve physically unable to perform list — and not count against the 53-man limit — after missing the entire summer rehabbing from offseason hip surgery. However, head coach John Harbaugh was noncommittal earlier in the week when asked about that possibility, meaning Cody could be ready to return sooner than the six-week minimum required to be on the list or he could just be waived and potentially awarded an injury settlement.
