OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens head coach John Harbaugh didn’t try to spin the narrative when asked about the unusual weekend that played out with running back Justin Forsett, who was cut and re-signed two days later.
Harbaugh said it was “self-explanatory” that the organization wanted to temporarily open roster spots for safety Matt Elam and defensive tackle Carl Davis before placing them on injured reserve and keeping them eligible to potentially return later in the season. But the move did not come without a real danger of losing Forsett if another team had been willing to make a superior offer to the $3 million salary he will still make with Baltimore in 2016.
“We understood that. You have to take risks,” Harbaugh said. “No guts, no glory. You can’t achieve anything unless you are willing to take some risks, but certainly you take calculated, smart risks. That is what we did there.”
According to NFL Network, the Ravens reinstated the exact terms of his previous deal that runs through next year, but the 30-year-old can now earn an additional $100,000 if he eclipses his 2015 rushing total (641 yards) this season.
All along, there was a trust between the two sides that facilitated such an unorthodox move that grabbed the attention of the football world. Harbaugh expressed his admiration for Forsett, who has been a valuable asset both on and off the field in the post-Ray Rice era.
“I thought Justin handled it exceptionally well,” Harbaugh said. “It was a team move on his part, and it didn’t hurt him in any way, financially or otherwise. We knew what the plan was all along. I thought it was well-executed. Hopefully, it helps us in the end. It is a small thing, but it is not a small thing to those two guys that have a chance to come back on the roster.”
Hester ready for Week 1
It remains to be seen how much four-time Pro Bowl return specialist Devin Hester has left after undergoing toe surgery in January, but the 33-year-old declared himself fully healthy on Tuesday.
Despite only hitting the practice field for the first time with the Ravens on Tuesday, Hester is expected to be the return man against Buffalo to open the season. How much he’ll be involved in the offense — if at all — remains to be seen.
“He seems like he is actually in very good shape,” Harbaugh said. “He looks like he is ready to play. I’m not worried about him being able to handle the job at all. We are excited about him, and we are anticipating him being out there handling kicks and punts for us — at least — on Sunday.”
Powers still in plans
Veteran cornerback Jerraud Powers has been absent since suffering an injury in the second preseason game on Aug. 20, but he remains in the Ravens’ plans despite outside speculation about his future.
“We respect his ability and what he brings to the table for us,” Harbaugh said. “As soon as he’s healthy, which is probably day-to-day right now with an ankle sprain, we’ll see where he goes from there. I’m excited to get him out there, too.”
Should Powers not be able to play against the Bills, rookie Tavon Young or fourth-year cornerback Will Davis could be asked to defend the slot in the nickel package.
Tough conversation
The decision to cut wide receiver Jeremy Butler was one of the more unpopular moves of the weekend after he led the team in receptions during the preseason.
Harbaugh said that Butler “deserved” to make the 53-man roster, but there was a big need to address that made the young wideout the odd man out in the end.
“We needed a returner,” Harbaugh said. “When you looked at who would have to go and stay and to make sure we had enough players at different positions, he was a guy that there wasn’t a chair left for him at the end. That was probably the most — one of the most — two or three [difficult conversations].”
Tampa Bay signed Butler to its practice squad on Sunday after he declined an invitation to be on Baltimore’s for a second straight year.
