Raven Country

Ravens Make Surprising Roster Move vs. Browns

The Baltimore Ravens' inactive list for Week 8 includes a major surprise.

Jon Alfano

Sep 17, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) is tackled after a catch by Baltimore Ravens safety Geno Stone (26) and Baltimore Ravens linebacker David Ojabo (90) in the third quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Albert Cesare-Imagn Images
Sep 17, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) is tackled after a catch by Baltimore Ravens safety Geno Stone (26) and Baltimore Ravens linebacker David Ojabo (90) in the third quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Albert Cesare-Imagn Images / Albert Cesare-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Ravens remained patient with edge rusher David Ojabo through two injury-riddled seasons, expecting that patience to pay off once he was finally healthy.

Before the season, the Ravens showed a good deal of faith in the former Michigan star, with many outright predicting him to have a breakout season. He also started the season well, scoring a sack on Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes back in Week 1.

Since then, though, Ojabo has failed to make much of an impact at all. In the Ravens' past six games, he's recorded just four total tackles, two quarterback hits and no tackles for loss or sacks. His snap count also decreased steadily, as he played just 14 snaps in Week 5 and 12 in Week 6. He played 31 snaps in Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, probably because the Ravens built a massive lead in the second half.

Now, it seems the Ravens have had enough as Ojabo is officially inactive for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns. He didn't appear on the injury report all week, which means he's a healthy scratch at a position Baltimore isn't especially deep at.

It's not just Ojabo's play that landed him as a healthy scratch, though. Veteran Yannick Ngakoue, who signed to the practice squad early in the season and later worked his way up to the active roster, has been playing well in a limited role, as has second-year pro Tavius Robinson.

Still, it speaks volumes that a former practice squad player and a younger player with less draft capital invested passed Ojabo for playing time.

It's not like Ojabo doesn't have talent. He had 11 sacks in his final season at Michigan and still went in the second round despite suffering a torn Achilles at his pro day. However, after two devastating injuries and his underwhelming performance this season, it's fair to wonder if he'll ever reach his potential in Baltimore.

On that note, it's also possible that there's something going on behind the scenes. It's not uncommon for teams to hold out players in advancce of a trade, so maybe the Ravens have something in the works, as they normally do at the trade deadline. Doesn't seem particularly likely, but still a possibility worth mentioning.

Either way, the Ravens hope that this benching can be a wake-up call for Ojabo going forward.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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