The hometown professional football dream has officially come true for a former Maryland star.
Safety Beau Brade has made the Baltimore Ravens' initial 53-man roster, it was announced on Tuesday – cut day for teams across the league. After going undrafted in April's NFL Draft, Brade quickly signed with the Ravens on May 3 as an undrafted free agent. A strong preseason solidified the Clarksville native's spot heading into the season.
"Man, since as long as I was born, I was a Ravens fan," Brade said, according to a Ravens.com article published last Tuesday.
He finished the preseason with 19 tackles (14 solo) and clearly made enough of an impression during the Ravens' three games.
Brade was expected to be drafted and was invited to both the Reese's Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine. Brade told Glenn Clark Radio in April that he was expected to be drafted between the second and fifth round. When the NFL Draft concluded and his name was not called, Brade was in a tough spot. More from the Ravens.com article:
"My head was just spinning. I didn't know where to go," Brade said. "But being from Maryland, I was always a Ravens fan. They have the best organization in the world here, best owner, best GM, best coaches. I just feel like this is the best spot for me, a place where I feel like I could make myself better, and I could surround myself with guys around me to make me better. And I just really felt like I could help the team too."
As the Maryland football X account noted, Brade grew up playing flag football with the Columbia Ravens. Now, he is a Baltimore Raven.
Cut day does have a dark side to it, though, with hundreds of players' hopes of being on an NFL roster to start the season coming to an end. Another Terp-turned-Raven was not as fortunate. Despite being PFF's highest-graded rookie offensive lineman this preseason, Baltimore waived offensive tackle Corey Bullock. The Minnesota Vikings also waived rookie wide receiver Jeshaun Jones, who had five catches for 90 yards and a touchdown in the preseason.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not cut second-year wide receiver Rakim Jarrett, but he was placed on the injured reserve. He will be eligible to return after four games, though it is unclear whether he will be out longer. Cleveland Browns guard Michael Dunn was also placed on the reserve/non-football illness list with a "(designated to return)" description.
Rookie fifth-round pick Tarheeb Still made the Los Angeles Chargers' roster. Rookie third-rounder DJ Glaze made the Las Vegas Raiders' roster, as did second-year cornerback Jakorian Bennett; cornerback Ja'Quan Sheppard was not as fortunate, getting cut by Las Vegas.
Defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu, who made a sack in the preseason, made the San Francisco 49ers' roster. Running back Ty Johnson made the Buffalo Bills' roster. A pair of second-year offensive linemen also made their respective rosters: Tennessee Titans 2023 sixth-round pick Jaelyn Duncan and Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 seventh-rounder Spencer Anderson.
The Miami Dolphins waived Anthony McFarland Jr. The Seattle Seahawks cut Tyler Mabry.
Key Terps Links
-- Get your Maryland men's basketball season tickets and football season tickets and save money with limited-time promos!
-- Want the latest Terps news delivered to your inbox FREE? Sign up for our email newsletter here and stay informed on Maryland basketball, football, recruiting and every other Terps storyline. And make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok and Instagram!
-- Don't miss any of our new video Terps content: Subscribe to InsideMDSports on YouTube and hit the notification bell so you know when new videos drop.
-- Need a go-to Terps podcast? Listen to IMS Radio here, watch earlier episodes here and don't forget to subscribe to IMS Radio on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon Music | TuneIn | Apple Podcasts
