Wide receiver Darnerien McCants came to the Ravens hoping for a successful homecoming.
Instead, he got evicted.
The Ravens waived McCants, 30, an Odenton native and Arundel High graduate, who was trying to catch on with his hometown team after stints with the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Ravens also waived tight end Aaron Walker and placed defensive tackle Dwan Edwards (back), linebacker Terrence Melton (hand) and nose tackle Kelly Talavou (shoulder) on injured reserve to get to the NFL-mandated 75-man roster by Tuesday.
“It’s not the first time for me,” said McCants, who made one catch for 30 yards in three preseason games. “Hopefully, it won’t be the last. I can’t control the things the coaches want to do. All I can control are my actions.”
For Ravens coach Jim Harbaugh, it marked the first time he had final say regarding which players were released. Harbaugh spent the past nine years as an assistant coach in Philadelphia, where Coach Andy Reid had autonomy.
“It’s going to be hard because we have a bunch of guys that really worked hard and can play in the NFL,” Harbaugh said. “But there are going to be some guys who are going to be here. It’s not going to be hard in the sense that we are going to pick the guys that give us the best chance at being successful, our strongest 53-man roster.”
The Ravens’ final preseason game against Atlanta on Thursday gives players a final chance to prove why they should be included on the final roster the Ravens submit to the league on Saturday.
For many players, the slightest mistake against the Falcons at M&T Bank Stadium could be the difference between earning an NFL paycheck and being out of a job.
“You can never feel like you’ve done enough,” rookie receiver Justin Harper said. “I just have to continue to work and do better. I got to show them I can play big and that I deserve to be a part of this organization.”
Among the Ravens who are fighting for a roster spot: wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright, running back Alex Haynes and kicker Piotr Czech. And even veterans like running back Cory Ross, linebacker Gary Stills and cornerback David Pittman could be looking for jobs this weekend.
“There is a sense of urgency on some guys’ part, but they do a good job of just going out and playing football,” Stills said. “[Getting waived] is always in the back of your mind, but that’s where it needs to be.”
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