Ravens elevate WR Dez Bryant to active roster; S Geno Stone designated as COVID-19 replacement
The Ravens have elevated wide receiver Dez Bryant to the game-week roster, 11 days after signing the 32-year-old to the practice squad.
Bryant, if active for Sunday’s road game against the Indianapolis Colts, could play in his first NFL game in almost three years. He last played in a game on Dec. 31, 2017. The Ravens will announce their active game players 90 minutes before kickoff.
The Ravens signed Bryant to the practice squad on Oct. 27, after a second workout, in hopes of boosting a passing offense that ranks 31st in the league. Coach John Harbaugh didn’t set a timeline on when Bryant could be added to the active roster but on Friday indicated that a call-up was imminent.
“When we feel like he’s ready to come up, in shape, knows the offense well enough, has enough compatibility with [quarterback] Lamar [Jackson] on enough plays, then we’ll bring him up,” Harbaugh said during a video conference call. “So when it happens — I think it’ll happen. I don’t think it’s something you want to force-feed in there. So we’ll just have to see as we go.”
Bryant spent his first week of practice on the scout team, imitating Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool. Both Harbaugh and Jackson were complimentary of Bryant’s assimilation into the organization.
“I just can’t wait until he gets out there with us on Sundays and fully practices with us,” Jackson said Thursday.
Under NFL rules, Bryant will revert to the practice squad after Sunday’s game without having to first clear waivers. Bryant will be allotted one more such call-up.
The Ravens have also designated rookie safety Geno Stone as the roster replacement for cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who is on the reserve/COVID-19 list after testing positive for COVID-19.
Stone, the team’s seventh-round pick in the 2020 draft, was waived and signed to the practice squad in October in a move designed to sign cornerback Khalil Dorsey to the 53-man roster. Stone has yet to play in an NFL game.
Stone’s addition to the game-week roster will not count as one of the two allotted call-ups for practice squad players. He will revert to the practice squad without having to first clear waivers.
After a slew of moves Saturday, including activating six players from the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Ravens have one remaining spot on the 53-man roster.
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