Ravens Safeties Look to Seize Opportunity

Last year, rookie safeties Sanoussi Kane, a seventh-round pick out of Purdue, and Beau Brade, an undrafted free agent out of Maryland, became the last two players to make the Baltimore Ravens' 53-man roster out of training camp. They mostly played on special teams as rookies, but making the roster was a major accomplishment on its own.

One year later, though, they have a chance to truly put themselves on the map.

After Ar'Darius Washington suffered a torn Achilles in May, it left a clear need for a No. 3 safety to complement Kyle Hamilton and rookie Malaki Starks. It's now one of the few positions still up for grabs heading into training camp, and both Kane and Brade are making strong cases for themselves.

"I got big shoes to fill in the safety room here, and the Ravens have always had good safeties, but I'm looking forward to it," Brade said, per the Ravens' website. "One thing that I always do is that I step up to the plate. I did that throughout high school, college, and here now."

Brade grew up in Maryland as a Ravens fan, so he knows what it takes to stand out for a team with such a rich defensive history. With more weight on his shoulders heading into Year 2, he says that he "is not going to rest" until he helps bring the Vince Lombardi Trophy back to Baltimore.

Kane, meanwhile, was a core special teams contributor in his rookie season. As he looks to take the next step as well, he has a mentor cheering him on every step of the way.

"A.D. is just telling me that I gotta lock in. Next man up," Kane said. "I'm doing it for him because he's an older guy that I looked up to, that helped me a lot when I was transitioning into my first year in the NFL. It's unfortunate what happened to him, but obviously it's an opportunity for me to show what I can do."

The Ravens are hopeful that Washington will return late in the season, but until then, he leaves some big shoes to fill. Fortunately, they're confident that Brade and Kane can help fill those shoes.

"I envision those guys stepping up," head coach John Harbaugh said. "They have to. … They're going to have to prove it. They're going to have to earn it, and there's always a possibility of bringing someone in. That's what we do. So, we'll see where that goes. But I think those guys are doing a great job."