Patriots sign rookie wide receiver Raleigh Webb off Ravens’ practice squad

The New England Patriots entered Wednesday with an opening on the 53-man roster.

That opening will go to rookie wide receiver Raleigh Webb, who has officially been signed off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad, as first reported by ESPN’s Field Yates.

Webb, 24, went undrafted out of The Citadel after converting from defensive back to wideout and earning first-team All-Southern Conference honors during his 57-game stay. He finished his career with 102 receptions for 2,151 yards and 22 touchdowns, 37 carries for 433 yards and four touchdowns, as well as 22 kickoff returns for 412 yards and one touchdown.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 204 pounds, Webb joined Baltimore’s practice squad at its formation upon clearing waivers at the NFL’s roster deadline. He twice served as a standard elevation in September, including the Ravens’ 37-26 win at Gillette Stadium, totaling 34 snaps and one tackle in the kicking game.

New England placed veteran Cody Davis on injured reserve the afternoon prior. The 33-year-old defensive back will reportedly undergo season-ending knee surgery after leading the special teams in tackles this fall while ranking third on the unit in the snaps played.

“You lose that player on five different units,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said during his Wednesday video conference. “So each unit has its own dynamics. Each unit has its own responsibilities that come with what he does. I don’t think — no team has a player that can replace a player like that. So it would have to be some type of multiples. Nobody can just plug in a guy and get out of Cody Davis what he has given us.”

The Patriots also announced the signing of outside linebacker Ron’Dell Carter to the practice squad following the recent release of kicker Tristan Vizcaino.

Carter, 25, worked out for the organization last month. The former Rutgers transfer to James Madison has been a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers since going undrafted in 2020. Once an FCS All-American and the Colonial Athletic Association’s Defensive Player of the Year, the 6-foot-3, 269-pound Carter has appeared in four NFL games.