Ravens stand pat on trade deadline day, but quiet roster move could pay off big
Much to the dismay of fans, the Baltimore Ravens stood pat on Tuesday. The day had its fair share of blockbuster deals, mostly thanks to the New York Jets, who dealt two of their biggest stars in cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Williams was a player who was a dream target for Baltimore. After losing two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike for the year, the Ravens lack a difference maker on the interior defensive line. However, it was the Dallas Cowboys who struck a trade for Williams.
Baltimore will be rolling with their current squad. The acquisition of safety Alohi Gilman is already paying off, and Monday’s trade for outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones should pay dividends.
Tuesday was not all quiet in Charm City, though. While no deals were made, they signed safety Keondre Jackson off the practice squad to their 53-man roster, waiving second-year safety Sanoussi Kane in the process.
This move is official, and so is Keondre Jackson joining the 53-man roster.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) November 4, 2025
The Ravens also signed TE Scotty Washington to the practice squad https://t.co/ZA1Zo6ks0Y
He is not really a game-changing addition, as he was already a key contributor on special teams in recent weeks, but he was out of practice squad elevations. This move sets his name in stone on the active roster moving forward, and he is just scratching the surface of what he could become.
Keondre Jackson set to be key difference maker in the second half
Of course, in terms of defensive help, safety was the last position of need. The interior offensive and defensive lines were the two areas many were hoping to see General Manager Eric DeCosta target on Tuesday. Instead, he improves the roster by giving Kane’s spot to Jackson, which will pay off in a big way on special teams.
The writing was already on the wall for this move to occur. Kane quickly became an afterthought and was a healthy scratch for the past two games. That allowed Jackson to get his moment to shine, and in three games in 2025, the 23-year-old is making his presence known in kick and punt coverages.
Jackson has been a playmaker anytime a kick or punt goes in the air. While he was flagged twice in Baltimore’s Week 9 win over the Miami Dolphins, he has played a huge role in punter Jordan Stout’s breakout and the unit’s ability to pin opposing teams deep. He is up to five tackles through three contests, becoming the go-to playmaker on the special teams front.
Jackson is also earning his respect in Pro Football Focus’ grading system. He has registered an 82.6 specialist grade through 48 snaps.
The Ravens might regret not making a trade for another effective contributor on the offensive or defensive sides ahead of the deadline. However, Jackson is going to make an impact, and it is a move fans should not ignore.
Colorado Avalanche showed Championship-level grit against the Lightning
The Colorado Avalanche fended off the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night, with a final score of 3-2. It was a hard-fought battle between the two 2021-22 Stanley Cup Final teams. If one thing has been evident in the world of hockey—especially with this year’s Avalanche—it’s that you have to battle through the final whistle and faceoff. If you lay back, it can come back and bite you.
Thankfully, that’s not what happened in this game, as the Lightning had to pull goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, forcing them into a 6-on-5 man-advantage to try and get that tying goal. Thankfully, that wasn’t in the cards for the Lightning, as Colorado was able to keep them from scoring.
Cale Makar was a huge part of the game, and especially the final minutes, as he blocked a shot which hit his hand. He was in a lot of pain, as his reaction on the bench clearly showed. On one hand (no pun intended), that’s the type of
Jared Bednar on Cale Makar after blocking the puck late in last night's win over TBL via @AltitudeSR:
He said that Cale is okay!
"It says a lot. Those three minutes, regardless of how you played the whole night... I love what our guys did on that 6-on-5."#GoAvsGo |… — Adrian Hernandez (@AdoHernandez27) November 5, 2025
You know what? That honestly feels like a Championship-quality move. Now, it’s easy to talk about an obvious playoff team being a Stanley Cup contender in November. I also understand the hesitation to do so. But if the Avalanche fight like they did against Tampa Bay on a regular basis, the sky is the limit for them. They finally have quality goaltending, and we have guys who will go out to battle for each other.
Gabriel Landeskog’s fight is also one to note, as he’s been one of the more physical players on this year’s team, which is surprising given his three-year absence from regular season hockey, but it’s a welcome sight. He showed a lot of guts against the Lightning, too. Landeskog continues to show that he is doing quite well in his long recovery from knee surgey, and we might not even have to be talking about it any longer.
The Avalanche have a three-day break before a tilt with the Edmonton Oilers in Western Canada. We’ll get to see the battle between Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid, two guys who are often linked together. That should be a lot of fun. Who knows? Maybe we will get to see Mackenzie Blackwood back in action.
