Ravens News: Lorenzo Taliaferro to PUP, Bronson Kaufusi on IR
By Joe Serpico
The Baltimore Ravens have made the final four moves to get down to 75 players before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline, placing Lorenzo Taliaferro on the PUP list and Bronson Kaufusi on IR.
We are one day closer to knowing which Ravens start the season on the roster, and so far, there are still no surprises. That could change by the end of the week when Ozzie Newsome, John Harbaugh and the rest of the staff has to get from 75 to 53 players.
Baltimore made its first round of roster moves yesterday and made its final four hours before the deadline. The two names that will draw the biggest interest are running back Lorenzo Taliaferro and rookie defensive end Bronson Kaufusi.
Taliaferro has been placed on the regular-season physically unable to perform (PUP) list and will miss the first six weeks of the season. After the six weeks, the Ravens will have three weeks to either add him to the active roster, place him on season-ending injured reserve or cut ties with the former fourth round pick.
Taliaferro has been battling foot issues throughout his career and was placed on IR in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons. With Justin Forsett, Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon on the roster, he was going to struggle to make the roster anyways. By placing Taliaferro on the PUP list, Taliaferro can be an insurance policy should Dixon’s injury more severe than initially thought or something should happen to one of the other backs.
Kaufusi’s move to IR comes as no surprise after he broke his ankle early in training camp and was ruled out for the season. Baltimore has high hopes for the BYU product, but he will basically be a medical redshirt during his first season in the NFL.
The other two moves made are two players who had little chance of making the roster. Offensive tackle Stephane Nembot was also placed on IR. The Ravens like his size at 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, but he is a project that will also be redshirted.
The Ravens also waived kicker Wil Lutz. They have the best kicker in the NFL in Justin Tucker and just gave him a hefty contract. Lutz could find a home elsewhere in the league, but he had no shot with this team.
This means that Matt Elam still has a spot with the team, despite reports he could be waived in the upcoming days. As we said in the latest episode of our podcast, Elam and Arthur Brown both need to be waived and the Ravens need to accept that the first two picks of the 2013 draft were a failure.
Next: No Surprise in First Round of Roster Moves
Speaking of first-round picks, Breshad Perriman will play on Thursday, the first time we will see him in a Ravens uniform. There is a lot of hope that he can be that superstar wide out the franchise has never drafted, and we will be sure to keep an eye on him throughout the final preseason game.