HOT TAKES: The New 95

Through the years the Ravens have had players come through the building with impressive skill sets yet for some reason they just couldn’t stay healthy. Just off the top of my head, guys like Michael Campanero, Dan Cody and J.K. Dobbins come to mind. And now I’m beginning to wonder if Adisa Isaac is going to be another player added to this dubious list.

“There was some ligament damage in there with [Adisa Isaac’s] dislocated elbow. If it had been a dislocated elbow, clean, it would’ve been about three weeks. But since it’s not, it’s going to have to undergo surgery. It’s not a season-ender, though. Maybe midway in the season, sometime, he’ll have a chance to come back.” ~ John Harbaugh

Isaac’s injury opens the door for David Ojabo who most observers believe is sitting firmly on the bubble of the Ravens final 53-man roster. But is Ojabo enough? A team that is so close to being a complete defense just might need a little more juice on the edge than Ojabo can provide. And then there’s this former Raven sitting out there, just waiting for his number to be called.

Jadeveon. Clowney.

Most teams can use added help at edge. The fact that Clowney hasn’t already been signed could suggest that Ravens GM Eric DeCosta and Jadeveon may have a wink-wink side deal that becomes a reality sometime after the third and final preseason game at Washington this Saturday.

Moving on Up

As observers of the team, we tend to see players as static. In other words, what we saw last season is what we expect from the player(s) in 2025. And that’s understandable. But that’s not reality. Some players are no longer capable of doing what they did the prior season for the entirety of a new season. Some are capable of much more. Enter Tavius Robinson and Travis Jones.

Tavius is a grinder. He’s willing to do the dirty work so that others can make splash plays. He takes on blockers and sets the edge to enable his mates to finish plays and accumulate the accolades.

Besides the dirty work, Robinson puts in the work off the field. He’s doing all he can to refine his craft, not only to set up others for success, but to also shine a light on himself and earn his own notoriety. We caught a glimpse of that during the Divisional Round in Buffalo last January.

Awesome surf on the option by Tavius Robinson and slams Josh Allen to the ground on third and short. Glass eater and an athlete.

Robinson’s development this offseason will be critical. pic.twitter.com/gNCGO4pwVs

— Spencer Schultz (@ravens4dummies) January 22, 2025

Robinson’s ascent is reminiscent of a Ravens fan-favorite from the past – Jarret Johnson. And it’s no surprise that Tavius models his game after the team’s Legend of the Game.

Jarret Johnson working with Tavius Robinson after practice. pic.twitter.com/T1po7QaWUv

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) August 19, 2025

Robinson has a way to go before he reaches the steady bar set by the former No. 95. Perhaps he will punctuate the 2025 season with a signature play of his own. This week, John Harbaugh threw down the gauntlet, perhaps as a challenge for the new No. 95.

“‘T-Rob’ [Tavius Robinson] still has a lot to prove. He’s not there yet. That’s true.” (laughter) “When he hits one of those inside shovel pass screens like ‘Double J’ [Jarret Johnson] did against Pittsburgh, against Hines Ward – do you remember that one – then, we’ll put him in that category at that point.” ~ John Harbaugh

Travis Jones is another player who many expect to deliver big things in 2025. Playing for his second contract which is typically a player’s most lucrative, Jones is healthy (knock on wood) and primed, battle-tested and ready to capitalize on a career-defining opportunity.

When asked about Jones’ development, Ravens defensive line coach Dennis Johnson did not hold back.

“I expect Travis [Jones] to be the best player on the field whenever he’s on the field in general, and I think that Travis expects that for himself, just to be more dominant and [to] be more consistent with being dominant. Last year, he had some injuries up and down, but I’m really looking, for this year, for him just to really go out there from the start to the finish and just be the powerful, run-stopping, pass-rushing nose tackle that he is.”

It could be argued that players know players best and when asked about Jones, Ravens Pro Bowler Kyle Van Noy didn’t hold back.

“If you go watch the first couple games (last year) when Trav was healthy, you could argue he was just as dominant as Dexter Lawrence out there. If you really watched the film, he was that dominant.”

If Jones has the season that insiders expect, he’ll be costly to keep around beyond 2025. With Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum, Isaiah Likely and Jones due for new deals, it seems unlikely that the Ravens can keep all four. And if they can only keep three, the guess here is that Linderbaum will be the odd man out.

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