The Ravens will be without outside linebacker Tyus Bowser for at least the first four games of the season after the 2017 second-round draft pick wasn’t activated from the non-football injury list when the team cut its roster to 53 players Tuesday.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday that he was hopeful Bowser, who has been dealing with a knee injury and wasn’t a participant in training camp, would be back by Week 3, but that the decision was in the hands of the medical staff and Bowser.
Bowser, 28, was at practice Monday with a sleeve on his right leg and worked out for 20 minutes but was not seen during the portion of practice open to the media Tuesday.
It’s the second straight year Bowser will miss the start of the regular season. Last year, he was out the first eight weeks of the season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered at the end of the 2021 season. Without Bowser, the Ravens will have to lean harder on young outside linebackers David Ojabo and Odafe Oweh and newly acquired veteran Jadeveon Clowney.
Meanwhile, the Ravens made a flurry of moves Tuesday to shape their initial roster, most of which were expected.
Melvin Gordon had the most accomplished resume of any player in the Ravens’ backfield this summer, but he was also expendable.
The 30-year-old two-time Pro Bowl selection was one of 26 cuts the Ravens made before the NFL’s 4 p.m. deadline for teams to trim their rosters. Baltimore was one of the last teams in the league to announce its moves, however, doing so just before 8 p.m.
Gordon, who has 6,462 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns in eight seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos, was the biggest name let go by Baltimore, which began the day with 79 players on the active roster.
With a deep backfield of J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill as well as the emergence of undrafted rookie free agent Keaton Mitchell, Gordon was the odd man out. Gordon, who signed with Baltimore in July, had 17 carries for 59 yards in three preseason games but was outperformed by the speedy Mitchell, who had seven carries for 42 yards along with two catches for 15 yards in two preseason contests. Perhaps most importantly, Mitchell also had four kickoff returns for 101 yards.
Outside linebacker Malik Hamm, a Baltimore native and City College graduate who stood out during training camp and the preseason, joined Mitchell as undrafted rookies to make the team.
Others cut by the Ravens on Tuesday included veteran quarterback Josh Johnson; cornerbacks Kevon Seymour and Daryl Worley; defensive tackle Angelo Blackson; center Sam Mustipher; offensive tackle David Sharpe; wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and defensive end Brent Urban. Johnson, 37, had been in a battle for the No. 2 quarterback job with incumbent Tyler Huntley and former undrafted rookie Anthony Brown, who was also waived.
Players waived by the Ravens included fifth-round draft pick Kyu Kelly along with fellow cornerbacks Tae Hayes and Jeremy Lucien; receivers Tarik Black and Sean Ryan; guards TyKeem Doss and Tashawn Manning; fullback Ben Mason; outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon; defensive tackle Rayshad Nichols; inside linebacker Josh Ross; offensive lineman Jaylon Thomas; tight end Travis Vokolek; linebacker Kristian Welch; and running back Owen Wright.
Proche had 25 catches for 278 yards in 43 games across three seasons after being drafted in the sixth round in 2020 but struggled to develop and find a role, particularly after the Ravens added receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Nelson Agholor and rookie Zay Flowers this offseason. He also dissapointed during the preseason, most notably getting stripped on a punt return inside his own 20-yard line against the Philadelphia Eagles.
He joined seven players who were released Monday: former Maryland wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr., guard Jake Guidone, outside linebacker Kelle Sanders, defensive backs Corey Mayfield Jr. and DeAndre Houston-Carson and defensive tackles Kaieem Caesar and Trey Botts III.
Some of the players cut this week, however, will undoubtedly be back with the deadline for practice squad designations set for Wednesday. As vested veterans with more than four years of service, Gordon, Johnson, Seymour, Treadwell, Urban, Mustipher, Blackson, Sharpe and Worley immediately become free agents and are not subject to waivers.
Urban, who was brought back after being released on cut day last year, Johnson and Seymour are the most likely candidiates to return this week. Cornerback Damarion “Pepe” Williams (ankle), Mitchell (shoulder) and Hamm could be headed to IR, while Treadwell will reportedly sign with the practice squad.
Here is a look at the Ravens’ initial 53-man roster:
Quarterback (2)
Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley
Running back (4)
J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell
Wide receiver (6)
Odell Beckham Jr., Rashod Bateman, Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor, Devin Duvernay, Tylan Wallace
Tight end/fullback (4)
Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard
Offensive line (9)
Ronnie Stanley, Morgan Moses, Tyler Linderbaum, Kevin Zeitler, John Simpson, Patrick Mekari, Daniel Faalele, Ben Cleveland, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu
Specialists (3)
Justin Tucker, Jordan Stout, Tyler Ott
Defensive line (4)
Justin Madubuike, Travis Jones, Michael Pierce, Broderick Washington
Inside linebacker (5)
Roquan Smith, Patrick Queen, Trenton Simpson, Malik Harrison, Del’Shawn Phillips
Outside linebacker (5)
David Ojabo, Odafe Oweh, Jadeveon Clowney, Tavius Robinson, Malik Hamm
Cornerback (7)
Marlon Humphrey, Rock Ya-Sin, Ronald Darby, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Brandon Stephens, Damarion Williams, Arthur Maulet
Safety (4)
Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton, Geno Stone, Ar’Darius Washington
Reserve/non-football injury list
OLB Tyus Bowser, LS Nick Moore, OL Andrew Vorhees
