What Ravens’ Roster Moves Mean for Week 11 Browns Matchup

Neither transaction comes as a surprise, as the Ravens used Bryan's third and final standard elevation from the practice squad in their Week 10 road win over the Minnesota Vikings and needed to sign him to the 53-man roster to play moving forward. That was also the same game Higgins suffered a knee injury, which head coach John Harbaugh said would keep him out "few weeks" but wasn't of season-ending severity.

Bryan has appeared in each of the Ravens’ last three games during their win streak and incredible turnaround on the defensive side of the ball, during which he recorded one quarterback hit and has averaged just over 22 defensive snaps per game. At his most recent press conference, Harbaugh revealed that the team was considering signing the former first-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 to the roster full-time and commended him for his contributions.

"He's played well in all three games [that] he's been out there [for]," Harbaugh said. "He brings a lot of energy. He's a fast-switch kind of defensive lineman. He had a couple quarterback hits in the last game. I think he's really been a blessing for us to have him. I'm really glad we have him."

While Higgins has yet to play a defensive snap during the regular season, he was one of the Ravens' core special teams contributors. The former All American at the University of Iowa didn't let the fact that he plays in the third phase of the game exclusively keep him from standing out. Prior to his injury, Higgins had recorded 6 total tackles, including 3 solos, and a forced fumble. In the game in which he got hurt, he led the Ravens with a single-game career-high 2 special teams tackles.

Raven call up reinforcements for Browns matchup

In addition to making those two 53-man roster transactions, the team also announced a pair of standard practice squad elevations for their road trip to Cleveland, promoting rookie inside linebacker Chandler Martin and veteran cornerback Amani Oruwariye to the active roster.

Martin went undrafted out of Memphis and, like Higgins, made a strong case for himself to make the initial 53-man roster after standing out during the preseason. This will mark his regular-season NFL debut, and he will be expected to step in and fill the same predominantly special-teams role.

As for Oruwariye, the seventh-year veteran will be making his Ravens debut after signing with the team a month and a half ago on Oct. 1. With four-time Pro Bowl starter Marlon Humphrey ruled out for this game after electing to undergo surgery to repair a finger injury earlier in the week, he'll provide experienced and quality depth at the position in addition to playing on special teams.