Ravens announce release of veteran offensive lineman, former 1st-round pick out of Alabama
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
The approach of the 2021 NFL season means that teams are moving to round out their rosters, with Tuesday marking the deadline for teams to trim their roster to 80 players.
One of those cuts involved offensive tackle Andre Smith, who was let go by the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, the team announced.
Smith, a 2-time 1st-team All-SEC selection at Alabama, was awarded the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman for the 2008 season. He then declared for the 2009 NFL Draft as a junior and was taken 6th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals despite a disappointing combine showing.
He spent 7 seasons with Cincinnati before signing a 1-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the 2016 season but suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4. Smith then returned to the Bengals on a 1-year contract, signing a 2-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals prior to the 2018 season but was released that November, only to sign with the Bengals a 3rd time.
In January 2020, Smith inked another 1-year deal—this time with the Ravens—which was extended to a 2-year deal a month later. But he never played a down, choosing to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
