Report suggests the Baltimore Ravens are paying the bittersweet price for consistently drafting well and drafting often
Having a loaded roster is great — but there’s some bittersweet downsides, too.
The Baltimore Ravens are paying the bittersweet price for being well-stocked with talent. After a challenging 53-man roster cut earlier this summer, the Ravens had settled into a roster that should be considered among the league’s best. The opportunity to collect talent back onto the practice squad saw the Ravens seize back a number of those difficult cuts to stay in the building. For one such player, the accommodations appear to be temporary.
As attrition across the NFL lands heavy blows to rosters across the league, practice squads for talented teams suddenly become breeding grounds for active roster signings elsewhere. Per a report from Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer, the Carolina Panthers are planning to pluck offensive lineman Nick Samac from the Ravens’ practice squad.
Report indicates Ravens practice squad OL Nick Samac will sign to Panthers’ active roster amid injuries
The Panthers watched Pro Bowl guard Robert Hunt go down with a biceps tear in Week 2, as well as fellow interior lineman Austin Corbett. Hunt’s season is perceived to be over, whereas Corbett was not ruled out from a late-season return by Panthers head coach Dave Canales.
Samac goes to Carolina after joining the Ravens as a seventh-round draft choice in 2024 out of Michigan State. Samac made the team in 2024 as a depth offensive lineman before being beat out for a roster spot in 2025 by Corey Bullock. The Ravens also have third-round rookie Emery Jones Jr. on the Non-Football Injury reserve list.
Look for Samac to potentially push for playing time amid the multiple injuries to what was supposed to be Carolina’s biggest roster strength on offense. The Panthers have paid handsomely for an interior trio to protect quarterback Bryce Young and an interruption to that group could offer urgency and competition. The Panthers were wise to come calling here — as Samac likely would have been an active roster addition to many offensive lines across the league.
Such is the price you pay when you draft well and draft often.
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