A day after cutting running back Trent Richardson, Ravens coach John Harbaugh explained the decision to release the former Alabama star while he was trying to rehab an injured knee.
"When we first brought him in, we were hopeful that he'd be able to work through it, but we just couldn't wait any longer," Harbaugh said after practice Wednesday in Owings Mills.
The Ravens were down to three healthy running backs for the first week of training camp.
Aside from Richardson, Lorenzo Taliaferro is on the physically unable to perform list with a foot injury and fourth-round draft choice Kenneth Dixon suffered a knee injury in practice last week.
Harbaugh didn't completely shut the door on the possibility of Richardson, whom he called a "good person and a hard worker" returning to the team once he is healthy.
"Ozzie [Newsome] had a conversation with him about him, I talked to him at length about a lot of things, about life, about his career, but about his potentially coming back," Harbaugh said. "He's definitely still on our radar."
Richardson has not played since the 2014 season.
The third overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2012, Richardson gained nearly 1,000 yards and scored 11 touchdowns as a rookie, but averaged only 3.6 yards a carry.
In three subsequent seasons, one with the Browns and his last two with the Indianapolis Colts, Richardson averaged a shade over three years and scored just six touchdowns.
Richardson was criticized, even mocked, by fans and those in the media after he made a comment after an OTA session with the Ravens that he thoped his career would end by making the Hall of Fame.
"It's amazing to me and I guess I'll get on my soapbox here, because I'm allowed to, it's amazing to me the vitriol and really the hate out there that people want to put out," Harbaugh said.
"All he's done is come in here, work as hard as he can. He's got a knee [and we have] a roster decision. He's done nothing wrong, he's still trying very hard. He's just a young guy who's trying his best to make it in this league."