Ravens' cut to 75 includes Shiancoe
OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens cut a dozen players Sunday to get down to 77 players in advance of Tuesday's NFL deadline to reduce the roster to 75 players.
The Ravens' roster cuts included veteran tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and offensive lineman Ramon Harewood, a former starter.
Shiancoe is a former Minnesota Vikings starter and Morgan State standout who was signed to a one-year, nonguaranteed $940,000 contract after tight end Dennis Pitta fractured and dislocated his right hip. However, the Ravens have since signed veteran Dallas Clark, and starting tight end Ed Dickson has returned to practice from a partially torn right hamstring.
Shiancoe caught five passes for 48 yards through three preseason games, but he was at a crowded position.
The Ravens are high on former University of Maryland tight end Matt Furstenburg, an undrafted rookie, and like the blocking of tight end Billy Bajema.
"Matt has done well," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "He's in the hunt, and he'll get a chance Thursday night to try to make an even stronger case.
Harewood has been dealing with knee issues throughout camp and wasn't competing for a starting job. He was signed to a one-year, $800,000 contract in March that included a $320,000 signing bonus.
The Ravens also placed outside linebacker Adrian Hamilton on injured reserve after he underwent wrist surgery Friday.
They signed quarterback Dayne Crist after backup Tyrod Taylor suffered concussion symptoms Thursday during the fourth quarter of a loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Ravens probably need Crist to get through their preseason finale Thursday night against the St. Louis Rams.
The Ravens also released wide receiver Tommy Streeter and inside linebacker Bryan Hall.
Streeter spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve with a foot injury after being drafted in the sixth round out of Miami. Big and fast at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, Streeter didn't have consistent hands and wasn't a polished route runner.
Hall converted from defensive tackle, dropping nearly 50 pounds to get down to 255 pounds to play his new position.
"It's going to be a little tough right here with the numbers, but we feel like he's got a chance to make it somewhere," Harbaugh said. "If we (make the move) this week as opposed to next week, maybe we give him an opportunity do that."
The other roster cuts included running back Damien Berry, wide receivers Rashaad Carter and Gerrard Sheppard, offensive linemen Jack Cornell and David Mims, cornerback Moe Lee, linebacker Meshak Williams and defensive lineman Will Pericak, who received the highest signing bonus ($13,500) of the Ravens' undrafted rookies.
--Team correspondents for The Sports Xchange contributed material for this story.
