Ravens Sign Veteran Cornerback To Their Practice Squad
The Ravens suffered a major blow to their cornerback depth in last week’s victory over the New York Jets. With Kyle Fuller now out for the season, the team has signed a veteran corner to add depth to the practice squad.
Although the Ravens managed a Week One victory over the New York Jets, the win, unfortunately, came at a significant price. Free agent corner and Baltimore-native Kyle Fuller tore his ACL during Sunday’s game and is now on season-ending injured reserve. Additionally, backup left tackle Ja’Wuan James tore his Achilles again and is also done for the season. Whether Baltimore looks for another backup tackle is to be determined; however, they’ve already taken steps to replace Fuller.
On Wednesday, the Baltimore Ravens signed eight-year veteran T.J. Carrie to their practice squad. This is a part of the team’s efforts to add depth to their roster in spite of injuries. Carrie, 32, played in 11 games last year with the Indianapolis Colts after signing with them in 2020. Beforehand in 2018, Carrie signed a four-year, $31 million dollar deal with the Cleveland Browns but was later released by the team after the 2020 season. Carrie was originally a seventh-round draft pick by the Oakland Raiders in 2014 where he played for four seasons.
Carrie was a product of the University of Ohio and as a 24-year-old rookie had solid production during his first year. He notched an interception in a Week Four matchup with the Miami Dolphins while finishing the year with nine passes defended. Despite playing in 13 games and starting four, this promise carried over into the rest of his career.
Throughout his career, Carrie has amassed 386 tackles, seven interceptions and 52 passes defended. His best season in terms of takeaways came in 2020 when he had just two through fifteen games. Additionally, Carrie has only been a full-time starter twice, once in 2015 with the Oakland Raiders and again in 2017 with the Cleveland Browns. So don’t expect a full-time role from Carrie should he be called upon.
What Will Carrie’s Role Be With The Baltimore Ravens?
In regards to usage, Carrie may be a key player to have on rushing downs. Oddly enough, he’s had better run defense grades than coverage grades which for a defensive back is intriguing, to say the least. His best grades came in 2020 when he scored 90.0 in his run defense. His coverage grades however are not as stellar which could be troubling for Baltimore Ravens fans looking for a stable veteran.
According to PFF, Carrie’s best year was in 2017 when he scored a 75.0 coverage grade but it hasn’t looked great since then. Carrie struggles mightily with quick lateral moves and can fail to get underneath passes as a result. He can play a bit better in zone coverage when he’s asked to trigger downfield instead of playing in phase man-to-man. This doesn’t sound especially encouraging for fans, especially the receiver talent the Baltimore Ravens are expected to face going forward.
Harbaugh said that Armour-Davis and Damarion Williams will be ready to play and will get defensive and special teams snaps regardless of the health of others. — Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) September 16, 2022
The Baltimore Ravens seem to have confidence in their two 2022 rookies in Damarrion Williams and Jaylon Armour-Davis, who both may play in some significant snaps Sunday. Both played well in the preseason and seemed primed for larger roles as the season progressed. With two rookies with upside in the wings, Carrie may get to play a more reserved role where he doesn’t have to contend with covering swaths of the field.
With Marlon Humphrey struggling with a groin injury in recent practices, Carrie may be activated for the Baltimore Ravens Sunday versus the Miami Dolphins. He would join rookies Williams and Armor-Davis plus a potentially healthy Marcus Peters. He can play outside corner and cover the number two receiver on the field but may struggle with someone like Jaylen Waddle who likes to win with speed. If Humphrey is indeed healthy enough to play, Carrie will be a nice rotational player who can drop in on run-downs to provide extra run support.
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