The Baltimore Ravens shocked quite a few people when they traded rookie cornerback Shaun Wade to the New England Patriots. In return Baltimore received a 2022 7th-round pick and a 2023 fifth-round selection, electing to get compensation back for a player that most likely would not have been on their roster in a few weeks.
The Ravens’ decision to part ways with Wade had a lot to do with how many other defensive backs have stepped up during training camp and the preseason. The rookie’s departure means that those players now have an increased chance to make Baltimore’s final 53-man roster.
Below we look at five of the biggest winners for the Ravens in the aftermath of the Wade trade.
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Trading away Wade is a vote of confidence in multiple players, but for Westry, the move makes it seem extremely likely that there’s a place on the roster for the 6-foot-4 cornerback. Westry has had a phenominal training camp, and while he hasn’t been perfect in the Ravens’ two preseason games, he still has done more than enough to garner serious consideration for a roster spot.
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Washington is another big winner from the Wade trade, as the versatile player saw his roster odds increase dramatically from the move. Washington has gotten a lot of time in the nickel during the preseason, mostly excelling in those snaps. He has consistently made plays throughout training camp as well as games, so if his performance somehow wasn’t enough to get him a place on the roster in Baltimore’s extremely deep secondary, the spot that Wade vacated only helps his chances.
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Despite being a safety coming out of college, Warrior has been playing almost exclusively at cornerback during his second training camp. He’s excelled in the role, as was evidenced by his performance in Week 2 of the preseason against the Carolina Panthers. With Wade being in New England, Warrior has a much easier path to making the Ravens’ roster, especially with the versatility that he’s shown.
(AP Photo/Gail Burton)
Stone had a phenomenal performance against the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 of the preseason, notching two interceptions as well as flying all over the field. While he was much quieter in Week 2, he has put together a solid training camp and in most other years would make the Baltimore roster. However with the team’s defensive back depth, multiple tough decisions will have to be made. Wade was one of those decisions, which bodes well for Stone, as another roster spot suddenly opens up.
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DeCosta has gotten plenty of mixed reviews when it comes to his trade of Wade. On one hand, he was able to get compensation for a player that wasn’t going to make their roster. On the other, Wade wasn’t given much of a chance to develop under some great coaches as well as a few of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. The rookie has sky high potential, but the Ravens’ talent evaluators didn’t see enough from the cornerback to keep on their final roster in 2021. With that being their decision, DeCosta did his job and got back two assets that can be used in a multitude of ways. That makes the move a win for the general manager for now, even if in a few years Wade develops into a star.
