Ravens Add Veteran Center Andre James, Promote K’Von Wallace Amid Roster Shuffle
By Brian Hradsky
The Baltimore Ravens made several roster moves Wednesday as they attempt to stabilize an offensive line hit hard by injuries while adding experience to their secondary. Baltimore signed veteran center Andre James and guard Kyle Hergel to the practice squad and signed safety K’Von Wallace from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
The moves come after the Ravens waived linebacker Carl Jones Jr. on Tuesday. Jones had been promoted from Baltimore’s practice squad earlier in September and appeared exclusively on special teams during his first two games, recording two tackles over 33 snaps.
James is the most intriguing addition because of Baltimore’s suddenly significant problems at center. The 29-year-old enters his eighth NFL season with 61 career starts and extensive experience as a starting center.
Ravens turn to James after injuries pile up
Baltimore’s need for another center became urgent following Sunday’s 34-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro.
Starting center Jovaughn Gwyn suffered a fractured fibula and is expected to miss approximately two to three months, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Ethan Pocic also suffered a knee injury against Dallas that is expected to keep him out for an extended period.
Those injuries came after Danny Pinter, who entered training camp as the projected Week 1 starter at center, suffered a season-ending knee injury during joint practices. Baltimore has therefore lost three potential centers to significant injuries before reaching Week 4.
The Ravens were forced to improvise against Dallas. First-round rookie Vega Ioane, who had been playing guard, moved to center and finished the game there.
Baltimore currently plans to prepare Ioane to start at center Sunday against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium. James now gives the Ravens an experienced alternative while he learns the offense.
James brings legitimate starting experience
This is not simply a developmental practice-squad addition.
James spent his first six NFL seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders and became their full-time starting center from 2021 through 2024. He has accumulated 61 career starts, giving Baltimore a player who has already handled the responsibilities of an NFL starting center for multiple seasons.
James spent last season with the Los Angeles Chargers and made one start. He was most recently with Tennessee before being released Sept. 1 after being placed on injured reserve. The timing creates an interesting situation because Baltimore hosts the Titans on Sunday.
At 6-foot-4, James gives Baltimore an experienced interior offensive lineman at a position where experience has disappeared quickly because of injuries.
The Ravens signing James to the practice squad rather than immediately putting him on the 53-man roster also gives the coaching staff time to get him comfortable with the offense. Center requires communication with the quarterback and the rest of the offensive line, making an immediate transition difficult for a player joining a new system during the season.
However, James’ starting experience could make him an important piece of Baltimore’s offensive line sooner rather than later.
Kyle Hergel also joins Baltimore
James was not Baltimore’s only offensive-line addition Wednesday.
The Ravens also signed guard Kyle Hergel to their practice squad. Hergel spent last season with the Chicago Bears’ practice squad, where he worked with current Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
That familiarity could help Hergel adjust more quickly to Baltimore’s offensive terminology and concepts.
Hergel originally entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the New Orleans Saints. He has appeared in eight NFL games but has yet to make a start. The 6-foot-2 interior lineman provides another option as Baltimore attempts to rebuild its depth following the injuries along the offensive line.
Adding James and Hergel gives the Ravens two more interior linemen without immediately committing an active-roster position to either player.
K’Von Wallace earns spot on 53-man roster
Baltimore also made a notable move on defense, signing veteran safety K’Von Wallace to the active roster.
Wallace had been on the Ravens’ practice squad after being among Baltimore’s final roster cuts in August. The Ravens elevated him for Sunday’s game against Dallas, giving him his first opportunity to play this season.
Now his promotion is permanent rather than another standard game-day elevation.
Wallace entered the NFL as a fourth-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2020 NFL Draft. The 29-year-old has appeared in 74 NFL games and has played for five organizations during his career. He has recorded 177 tackles, eight passes defensed and one interception.
His most extensive starting opportunity came with Tennessee during the 2023 season, when he made a career-high seven starts. Wallace appeared in three games for the Houston Texans last season before joining Baltimore this year.
The Ravens can use Wallace both defensively and on special teams. Baltimore’s official announcement noted that the veteran adds experience to a secondary looking to rebound after a difficult performance against Dallas.
Carl Jones Jr. waived
Wallace’s addition to the active roster comes after Baltimore waived Jones on Tuesday.
Jones began the season on the Ravens’ practice squad before receiving game-day elevations and eventually being signed to the 53-man roster on Sept. 19. He played exclusively on special teams during his first two games and recorded two tackles.
Baltimore’s roster has undergone several changes during the opening weeks of the season as injuries have forced General Manager Eric DeCosta and the front office to continually adjust the depth chart.
The latest round is particularly important because it addresses two areas that suddenly need help.
Ravens trying to solve center crisis
The biggest concern remains center.
Baltimore entered the season believing it had multiple options at the position. In a matter of weeks, Pinter, Gwyn and Pocic have all suffered significant injuries. That forced Ioane into the position against Dallas despite the rookie beginning his NFL career at guard.
Ioane performed well enough down the stretch for Baltimore to escape Brazil with the victory, and the Ravens are preparing him to start against Tennessee. Still, moving a rookie to center creates another adjustment along an offensive line that needs continuity.
James changes the equation.
The Ravens now have a veteran who spent four consecutive seasons as Las Vegas’ primary starting center. He will need time to learn Baltimore’s terminology and develop chemistry with the offense, but 61 NFL starts make him considerably more experienced than most players available in late September.
Baltimore does not necessarily have to rush him into the lineup Sunday. If Ioane handles the position well, James can provide experienced insurance while the Ravens determine their best five-man offensive-line combination.
If Baltimore needs another answer, James has the résumé to potentially step into the lineup.
MSB Take
Signing Andre James is a logical response to a position that has been hit unusually hard by injuries. Losing one starting center is difficult. Losing three players capable of handling the position before Week 4 forces a team to search outside the organization, and Baltimore found one of the more experienced options available.
The biggest question will be how quickly James can learn the offense. Ioane appears set to get the first opportunity against Tennessee, but having a veteran with 61 career starts behind him gives the Ravens significantly more flexibility than they had coming out of the Dallas game.
Wallace’s promotion is also worth watching. Baltimore’s secondary has not performed consistently, and Wallace provides experience at safety along with special-teams value. His 74 games of NFL experience give the Ravens another veteran option as the coaching staff searches for the right combination on the back end.
Baltimore survived its injury problems long enough to beat Dallas 34-31, but the Ravens cannot continue patching together the offensive line indefinitely. James may ultimately prove to be much more than a practice-squad signing if the injuries at center continue to linger.
Sources: | | Reuters injury report
