Baltimore Ravens Make First Roster Cuts, Release 9 Players

The Baltimore Ravens have made their first set of roster cuts of the 2012 season. 

With the team required to be at 75 players by Monday at 4 p.m., the team decided to make it easier and make most of the cuts today.

Veteran kicker Billy Cundiff was the most notable cut of the nine, but his release was no surprise to Ravens fans. Rookie Justin Tucker had out-kicked Cundiff in practice and in games, and it seemed inevitable that the team would ultimately release Cundiff.

Other than Cundiff, there were no other big names that were released. Per, BaltimoreRavens.com, the players that were released are, alphabetically, as follows: 

K Billy Cundiff

TE Davon Drew 

WR Devin Goda

OL Addison Lawrence

CB Jordan Mabin

C Cecil Newton

LS Patrick Scales

QB Chester Stewart

WR Patrick Williams 

Besides Cundiff, the other notable cuts were Drew and Newton. Drew is a veteran who was originally drafted by the Ravens in the fifth round in the 2009 draft.

Newton, who is the older brother of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, spent the end of the 2011 season on the team's practice squad.

Overall, the cuts for the most part went as expected. The biggest surprises will come when the team has to narrow down the roster to 53 players on August 31.