On Tuesday, July 30, the Baltimore Ravens and their supporters received some bad news about one of their young players. Malik Hamm, a 2023 undrafted free agent, will miss his second consecutive season due to a knee ailment.
The Ravens announced on their X account that DE Malik Hamm (knee) has been put on injured reserve.
The Ravens’ defense, which already has a thin pass rush, will take a hit when Hamm is placed on injured reserve before his sophomore campaign even begins.
It is a setback for both the young rookie and the Ravens pass-rush squad, as expectations were high that Hamm would make significant progress on this defense. On a team where there are a lot of unknowns and few answers, Hamm had the opportunity to establish himself.
As an undrafted free agent in 2023, Hamm was added to the club following a productive training camp. The Lafayette native managed to reach the first roster of 53 players, however he was sidelined for his first season due to an ankle injury.
To watch Hamm play in regular season games, fans will have to wait another season. He wowed coaches and supporters in 2023’s preseason, but in order to return for 2025, he will now need to undergo a second rehabilitation.
DE Malik Hamm Could Have Had a Significant Effect on Defense
The Ravens pass rush was among the most potent in the NFL a season ago, but rookie defensive coordinator Zach Orr has concerns going into 2024. There was a gap that needed to be addressed after important players like Patrick Queen and Jadeveon Clowney left.
When Hamm was placed on injured reserve, Glenn Erby of USA Today’s “The Ravens Wire” reported, “Hamm was competing for a role in the outside linebacker rotation.”
Hamm was up against Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo for the position. Although Oweh has the most experience and is most likely to start, there was probably fierce competition for rotational snaps.
Clowney contributed 9.5 sacks to the defensive unit, so his departure this offseason to join the Carolina Panthers creates a big void at the position.
“Under-the-radar candidate to lead the Ravens’ pass rush unit,” was how Erby put Hamm. Although coaches have only seen a tiny sample size from Hamm, they are optimistic about his potential.
Erby stated, “Hamm made his presence felt as a pass rusher this spring during OTAs and minicamps after spending his entire rookie season on injured reserve (ankle).”
Ravens React Swiftly to New Signing Following Move
The second-year player was placed on injured reserve by the Ravens as a reciprocal move. “We have signed LB Quincy Roche,” the organization said on X.
Roche is a fourth-year LB with some NFL game experience, which might help the youthful Ravens defense. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who are rivals in the division, selected Roche in the sixth round of the 2021 selection.
The LB was picked up by the New York Giants, where he split time between the active roster and practice squad, rather than breaking camp with the Steelers. Roche played in 17 games across his two seasons with the Giants, totaling 40 tackles and 2.5 sacks (with the majority of his output being in the first season).
Roche alternated between the practice squads of the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023 despite not playing.
Eric DeCosta, the general manager, could have to replicate his efforts from the previous season, when he added veterans Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, who contributed significantly to the team’s output.
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