The Ravens made a linebacker swap on Wednesday, signing Michael Barrett to the roster while parting ways with Reid Williford through an injury settlement.
Barrett brings a built-in connection to Baltimore's new coaching staff. He played inside linebacker at Michigan under Jesse Minter, who was the Wolverines' defensive coordinator before taking over as the Ravens' head coach this year. Barrett entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2024, and was traded to the Seattle Seahawks before he ever appeared in a regular-season game for Carolina. He now gets a chance to compete for a depth role in a linebacker room he's at least somewhat familiar with, given the scheme ties to his college days.
Williford, a rookie, had been part of Baltimore's linebacker mix through camp and had appeared on the team's most recent depth chart as competition further down the position group. An injury settlement typically means a player and team agree to part ways rather than have the player occupy a roster spot while hurt, and it closes the book on his time with the Ravens this summer without him making the regular-season roster.
The move comes the same day Baltimore made a separate, more significant change up front — placing center Danny Pinter on injured reserve after he tore his patellar tendon during last week's joint practice with the Vikings, ending his season before it began. That transaction opened its own roster spot, distinct from the Williford move, but it's a reminder that Baltimore has been managing multiple roster spots simultaneously as final cuts approach. With one preseason game left before the regular season, moves like Barrett's signing are as much about churning through camp bodies and evaluating depth as they are about making a real push for a 53-man roster spot.