2025 Baltimore Ravens

[Don Wassall]

Click the déjà vu theme music. Even given how rigid the Caste System is, it’s notable how mind-numbingly similar the Ravens are every season demographically.

Head coach John Harbaugh has his system and it works for him and the team. He’s beginning his 18th season as Baltimore’s head coach, behind only Mike “Never Had a Losing Season” Tomlin in longevity. Tomlin is in his 19th season as the all-time king of the Rooney Rule. Unlike Tomlin's mediocre Steelers of recent years, the Ravens under Harbaugh are perennially in the mix for the conference championship. It’s obvious the players still play hard for him so he sticks to the same formula every year.

2019: 5 White starters, 13 total on the roster
2022: 5/14 (no write-ups in ’20 and ’21)
2023: 4/11
2024: 5/13

For 2025 it’s once again 5 White starters, and just 12 on the 53 man roster. And the starter total is once again boosted by including “fullback” Patrick Ricard, who is used so little other than as an extra blocker in the backfield that sarcastic quotes are needed to even refer to him as a fullback. In 2024, Ricard had 0 rushing yards and 3 receptions for 22 yards.

There are three White starters on the line – LG Andrew Vorhees, center Tyler Linderbaum, and RT Roger Rosengarten. They are each very solid, as the few White starters on the Ravens always are, and usually are throughout the league for that matter.

Mark Andrews is an outstanding tight end, one of the best in the league, and needs to be as black backup Isaiah Likely is a genuine talent. Rumors of Andrews being traded to allow Likely to start have been floated in recent years but Andrews remains the incumbent and is a favorite target of QB Lamar Jackson, including in the red zone.

Charlie Kolar is the third string tight end. Guard Ben Cleveland is the only White backup on the o-line. Cooper Rush is the very competent backup to Jackson at QB.

On defense, WLB Jake Hummel is this year’s token White backup. He’s behind Trenton Simpson on the depth chart, but Simpson has been a bust through two seasons so maybe a miracle will happen and Hummel will start at some point. Nah.

Long-time White token Brent Urban is currently on the practice squad at the age of 34. He has starter ability, and has admittedly battled his share of injuries, but has become the Tom Kennedy of defensive linemen. If you want to see how the Ravens have jerked him around, here it is, with the Cowboys, Bears and Titans getting in on the act at times:

August 2, 2025: The Baltimore Ravens signed DL Brent Urban.
August 31, 2023: The Baltimore Ravens signed DE Brent Urban.
August 29, 2023: The Baltimore Ravens released DE Brent Urban.
September 1, 2022: The Baltimore Ravens re-signed DL Brent Urban.
August 30, 2022: The Baltimore Ravens waived DE Brent Urban.
May 23, 2022: The Baltimore Ravens signed DE Brent Urban.
October 26, 2021: The Dallas Cowboys placed DE Brent Urban on IR.
March 22, 2021: The Dallas Cowboys signed DE Brent Urban.
March 25, 2020: The Chicago Bears signed DE Brent Urban.
March 18, 2020: DE Brent Urban was declared a free agent.
March 18, 2020: DE Brent Urban contract expired.
October 30, 2019: The Chicago Bears activated DE Brent Urban.
October 22, 2019: The Chicago Bears signed DE Brent Urban.
October 22, 2019: Tryout
October 19, 2019: The Tennessee Titans released DE Brent Urban.
October 9, 2019: The Tennessee Titans activated DE Brent Urban.
September 18, 2019: The Tennessee Titans activated DE Brent Urban.
April 29, 2019: The Tennessee Titans signed DE Brent Urban.
April 16, 2019: Visit
March 13, 2019: DE Brent Urban was declared a free agent.
March 13, 2019: DE Brent Urban contract expired.
July 14, 2018: The Baltimore Ravens placed DE Brent Urban on the PUP list.
March 6, 2018: The Baltimore Ravens re-signed DE Brent Urban.
February 5, 2018: The Baltimore Ravens activated DE Brent Urban.
September 27, 2017: The Baltimore Ravens placed DE Brent Urban on IR.
September 8, 2015: The Baltimore Ravens placed DE Brent Urban on IR designated for return.
August 25, 2014: The Baltimore Ravens placed DE Brent Urban on IR.
May 19, 2014: The Baltimore Ravens signed DE Brent Urban.

With just 12 Whites on the roster, counting the kickers and long snapper of course, the Ravens richly deserve another F.

LG: Andrew Voorhees Ben Cleveland
C: Tyler Linderbaum
RT: Roger Rosengarten
TE: Mark Andrews Charlie Kolar
FB: Patrick Ricard
QB: Cooper Rush

WLB: Jake Hummel

P: Jordan Stout
K: Tyler Loop (the rookie replaces GOAT Justin Tucker)
LS: Nick Moore

Practice Squad: DE Brent Urban, OT Gerad Lichtenhan, G Jared Penning, C Nick Samac, FB Lucas Scott (played for Army; at 6' 3" and 290 the Ravens may be grooming him to replace Ricard)

Number of White starters: 5
Number of Whites on the 53: 12

Grade: F

 

[Freethinker]

The sad thing is that last year the Ravens were smack in the middle of the NFL demographics by my totals list. Give or take 13 or 14 teams were actually WORSE and more unfair towards White than this black-power institution. I have a feeling that their totals of 12/5 will again comfortably remain outside of "Ultra Black" category, though one could argue that they are in-fact ultra black.

 

[Don Wassall]

I see the Ravens as like the Browns of recent vintage except with a few more White backups. The White starters are always clustered on the o-line and tight end. During Harbaugh's 18 years they haven't had a White star or even starter anywhere else except at QB pre-Jackson. Maybe one or two I can't remember right this instant but his m.o. is clear and longstanding. I recall WR Michael Campanaro being on their roster for a few years but he caught just 31 passes spread over four seasons. So while technically the Ravens may fall in the middle with just 12 or 13 Whites, I still consider them ultra-black.

 

[Freethinker]

I see the Ravens as like the Browns of recent vintage except with a few more White backups. The White starters are always clustered on the o-line and tight end. During Harbaugh's 18 years they haven't had a White star or even starter anywhere else except at QB pre-Jackson. Maybe one or two I can't remember right this instant but his m.o. is clear and longstanding. I recall WR Michael Campanaro being on their roster for a few years but he caught just 31 passes spread over four seasons. So while technically the Ravens may fall in the middle with just 12 or 13 Whites, I still consider them ultra-black.

Yes, you make a good point because they are so rigidly Caste they feel so much worse.

Only other guys I can think of who "broke the mold" were Eric Weddle and Danny Woodhead. Weddle at the tail end of a HoF career, actually made the Pro-Bowl in his 3 seasons with them. Woodhead played his final season with them. Nothing stellar. 56 yards on the ground and 200 through the air. 2017 was the year where both of these Caste-busters paths crossed and wore the black and purple. Did hell freeze over that year...

 

[Don Wassall]

Weddle and Woodhead at the end of their outlier careers, given a sort of tribute by Harbaugh and the Ravens, so credit to them for that. Still doesn't excuse Johnny for the rest of it.