The Baltimore Ravens are taking measures to address their lack of depth in the secondary.
On Wednesday, the Ravens announced the addition of veteran cornerback Amani Oruwariye to their practice squad. His signing comes as Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Nate Wiggins (elbow) continue to deal with injuries.
Oruwariye, 29, is in his seventh NFL season and has 10 career interceptions.
Oruwariye Was a Preseason Cut by Titans
Oruwariye, a 2019 fifth-round pick out of Penn State, spent training camp and the preseason with the Tennessee Titans but was released on Aug. 26 as part of final roster cuts. The Titans re-signed him the next day to their practice squad but then released him again before the start of Week 1.
Oruwariye spent part of last season with the Dallas Cowboys, recording 29 tackles, one interception, and three passes defended in seven games (four starts).
But he may be best remembered for a game against the Cincinnati Bengals last December when he muffed a blocked punt in the fourth quarter, setting up the Bengals for the go-ahead score in their 27-20 win.
Of Oruwariyeâs career 10 interceptions, six came in 2021 with the Detroit Lions. He spent the final few weeks of that season on injured reserve with a thumb injury.
Oruwariye has also had stints with the New York Giants (2023) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2023) but did not record in any stats with either team.
Ravens’ Secondary Underperforming Amid Injuries
The Ravens are dealing with numerous injuries as they host the Houston Texans in Week 5 looking to avoid a 1-4 start. In the secondary alone, Wiggins, Humphrey and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday and are trending in the wrong direction. All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton (groin) was limited.
All-Pro defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and defensive end Broderick Washington (ankle) have already been lost to IR.
Add it all up, and the Ravensâ defense has been a shell of itself. Baltimore ranks last in the NFL in points allowed (33.3 per game), second-to-last in yards allowed (406.8 per game) and 25th in yards per play (5.7).
In spite of that, head coach John Harbaugh believes the issues will get fixed.
âI have confidence in all our guys, including (defensive coordinator) Zach (Orr), our players, our coaches,â Harbaugh said Monday, via the Baltimore Sun. âI watch how they work. I watch how well they coach. Iâm in meetings, I watch the meetings, I know the schemes that weâre running. I know the soundness of what weâre doing. I understand what weâre up against from week to week and play to play, even, in this game.â
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