The Baltimore Ravens showed off a highly emotional video of quarterback Joe Fagnano and linebacker Ethan Burke making the roster as UDFAs.
There might be nothing more special for players who go undrafted to make rosters, and that was the case for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Fagnano and linebacker Ethan Burke.
Both Fagnano and Burke played very well during training camp, leading to both being named to the 53-man roster. The Ravens revealed a video that showcased the moment in which both players found out.
The video shows general manager Eric DeCosta bringing both Fagnano into the office to tell them they have made the roster.
Initially, a player might think they are being called into the office to be told they are being cut or waived, considering the deadline was on Sunday. Instead, both Burke and Fagnano are hit with the opposite.
DeCosta may have tried to make things seem a bit unlike they truly were, as he tells Burke that his job is difficult, meaning being a general manager and having to tell players they are cut.
"I mean, this this is like probably honestly like the hardest, you know, part of my job. Yeah. Right. There's a lot that goes into it," DeCosta tells Burke.
Following the initial thought that the linebacker may have assumed he was cut, DeCosta changes course and says he has made the team.
Burke is all smiles when he gets the news that he has made the 53-man roster, while Fagnano asks, "Are you serious?"
Following the video being released, the Ravens held practice where both Fagnano and Burke got to speak more in-depth about their feelings on making the 53-man roster.
"Pretty surreal," Fagnano said. "You know, obviously all the emot emotions were going uh pretty fast. Um didn't really know what to expect when I was called into the office. So, I mean, when he told me the first time, I was still kind of, you know, I knew I had confidence in myself and, you know, the way I played, but you just never know how things are going to shake out."
Fagnano was one of the top performers in preseason football and put together three games of 506 yards, three touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and one interception. The 506 passing yards led the league.
The Ravens are also not ones to hold three quarterbacks usually, but the UDFA performed so well that he received praise from head coach Jesse Minter who constantly spoke about the quarterback simply putting it on tape.
Now, Fagnano will get to sit behind both Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley to learn the ins and outs of the game.
Burke was also a very strong competitor throughout training camp and preseason, often showcasing his versatility and physicality on big plays.
Burke secured six tackles, two forced fumbles, two passes defended, two quarterback hits, and one sack during his three games.
"Happy to be a Raven right now ... You don't know what to expect, and you just gotta hope for the best. Know that you put in the work, and whatever happens, happens," Burke said.
Burke also spoke about his longtime fandom of Baltimore, including his mother sharing pictures of him as a child wearing a Ray Lewis jersey.
Despite the addition to the 53-man roster, now Fagnano and Burke have a lot more work to do to not only carve out more opportunity but also to maintain their roster spots as the regular season progresses.
