Ravens place C Danny Pinter on injured reserve, add LB Michael Barrett

The Baltimore Ravens officially placed center Danny Pinter on injured reserve on Wednesday and, in the same personnel move, signed linebacker Michael Barrett. The transaction alters the team’s immediate depth chart in the middle of the field, where continuity and protection calls often hinge on the first-string center and the next reliable option behind him.

Pinter’s placement on IR means the Ravens can no longer use him during the active portion of the season under the team’s current roster rules. For an offense that relies on the center position to coordinate line communication, the loss is not just about snaps. It can affect how quickly the remaining interior options settle into the week-to-week rhythm of protections and adjustments.

The Ravens’ response was to bring in Barrett, a linebacker addition that indicates an emphasis on defensive front-level versatility and depth. Linebacker corps are routinely tested by roster attrition, special teams demands, and scheme matching across opponents, and a late-summer signing can reflect a need to keep roles covered as teams finalize their season plans.

While the report confirms the IR designation and the Barrett signing, it does not provide additional public detail here on the nature or timing of Pinter’s injury, nor does it specify what Barrett’s role will be immediately beyond the team’s intent to add him to the active roster framework. Without confirmed details, it would be premature to project how the Ravens will distribute snaps across their remaining interior line or how Barrett will fit into base and sub packages.

For Baltimore, the immediate storyline is depth management. The Ravens have to prepare for the possibility that the center position may require more reps from players who might otherwise be focused on backup availability. On defense, adding a linebacker helps stabilize the rotation across coverage and run-support responsibilities, especially as the Ravens move deeper into late preseason and prepare for Week 1 roster decisions.

What to watch next is how Baltimore populates the center role during practice, including whether the first-team workload stays steady or shifts to a different interior player, and whether Barrett sees early reps in base packages, nickel-and-dime groupings, or special teams. Those deployment choices typically reveal the team’s priorities for its season opener and its tolerance for risk at key positions.