Safety Jim Leonhard needed to tryout just to get a contract.
Cornerback Fabian Washington, a former first-round draft pick, was deemed expendable by the woeful Oakland Raiders.
Fullback Lorenzo Neal was considered washed up by the San Diego Chargers, who fired him after he made the Pro Bowl last season.
Now, all three are considered keys contributors in helping the Ravens bounce back from a 5-11 season to advance to the AFC divisional round of the playoffs, where they will play the Tennessee Titans on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 at LP Field in Nashville.
“That’s what a team does,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We’ve got 53 guys on this roster that are very, very valuable to our football team. In the locker room, on the field, everybody is a star or nobody’s a star. That’s what our guys have been talking about all year. Different guys rise up at different times. That’s what it takes to be successful, in really, any sport, but football for sure.”
The Ravens’ depth has been a key to their success because they’ve placed 18 players on injured reserve, meaning they are ineligible to play for the rest of the year. Just look at the secondary: Leonhard took over for Dawan Landry (spinal concussion) and Washington stepped in for Chris McAlister (knee).
“They learned after last year that they needed depth,” said Leonhard, who spent the previous three seasons with the Buffalo Bills. “The guys they have brought in have all done well and have played big in critical times of the year. That was something they knew they needed this year and went out and got it done.”
The Ravens’ pass defense finished the regular season ranked second in the NFL, allowing an average of 179.7 yards per game.
Leonhard, who had a career-high 85 tackles, also has taken over as the team’s primary punt returner, averaging 11.6 yards a return in the regular season. Washington, acquired in a trade during the draft trade, led the Ravens with a team-best 19 pass break-ups.
“We thought [Washington] could fit in to what we do on defense and he has done that,” said Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens’ general manager. Maybe because [Leonhard] doesn’t have the size of a lot of NFL safeties, he doesn’t get the credit he deserves for being a good athlete.”
The Ravens also bolstered their defensive line by trading with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for tackle Marques Douglas on Aug. 27. Douglas had 43 tackles this season and forced a fumble in the playoff win over the Dolphins
The Ravens signed Neal, 37, in August to block for Le’Ron McClain, who has rushed for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns on 232 careers to earn his first invitation to the Pro Bowl.
“It’s been good, the versatility of our offense,” McClain said. “We’re showing a lot. Everybody is doing good and having a great time.”
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