The Ravens will get Brent Urban back this week, as the team will activate the 6-7, 295-lb defensive end from the injured-designated to return list.
Head coach John Harbaugh was non-committal on whether or not Urban will play on Monday night when the Ravens travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns but he will surely play in the weeks ahead.
“Brent is going to come up,” Harbaugh said at his morning press conference. “Whether he’ll be active or not, and play in the game, we’ll have to figure that out.”
Hampered by injuries since the Ravens selected him in the 4th round of the 2014 NFL draft, Urban has yet to play in an NFL game.
The former hockey player who was born and raised in Canada garnered a lot of attention throughout training camp over the summer prior to suffering his torn biceps injury.
On several occasions, the big-bodied player drew the ire of John Harbaugh for making contact with Joe Flacco during team drills and scrimmages.
Urban will likely be used in rotation on Clarence Brooks’ defensive line, which has been a bright spot on a Ravens defense that has struggled for much of the 2015 season. His true asset however is his ability to knock down passes at the line of scrimmage, something he exhibited daily throughout training camp.
“He’s done a really good job. He’s worked hard. He looks good,” Harbaugh said. “It’s going to be exciting to see him in real action at some point in time to see how he does because he hasn’t played that much. He’s practiced very well.”
While the 2015 season is a wash for any postseason opportunity, over the next six games, the Ravens should get a closer look at just how much Urban can add to the pass rush for 2016 and beyond.
Follow me on Twitter @sportguyRSR