A few hours after the Ravens officially announced the signing of running back Bobby Rainey on Wednesday, coach John Harbaugh confirmed that running back Kenneth Dixon will sit out the entire 2017 season because of a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Harbaugh announced that the injury was a full tear and that the 5-foot-10, 212-pound Dixon suffered the injury while working out recently with strength and conditioning coaches from Louisiana Tech, where he played for four years.
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Dixon's absence leaves Terrance West (Towson University, Northwestern High), Danny Woodhead, Buck Allen, Rainey and undrafted rookie Taquan Mizzell atop the depth chart at running back. Lorenzo Taliaferro, who is making the transition to fullback, could also carry the ball.
Dixon, who has injured that left knee three times since he was selected in the fourth round of last year's NFL draft, joins tight end Dennis Pitta (third hip fracture) and cornerback Tavon Young (torn left ACL) as key players to suffer season-ending injuries. Tight end Darren Waller will serve a yearlong suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse rules.
The 23-year-old Dixon rushed for 382 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games last fall and caught one touchdown pass. He could serve a four-game suspension to start the regular season after he violated the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs if the team places him on injured reserve before the start of the regular season.
Rainey, 5-foot-8 and 205 pounds, spent one season with the team after being signed in 2012 as an undrafted rookie out of Western Kentucky, has gained 1,053 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 266 carries in five seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants. The 29 year old has caught 71 passes for 530 yards and two scores, and averaged 24.8 yards on kick returns and 9.2 yards on punt returns.
