MASNsports.com is your online home for the latest Orioles and Nationals news, features, and commentary. And now, you can connect with MASN on every digital level. From web and social media to our new mobile alert service, MASN has got all the bases covered.
Get the latest breaking news direct to your phone with our mobile texting service.
Over the weekend, the Ravens made a roster move which some had been expecting for a couple weeks, as they placed offensive tackle Jared Gaither on Injured Reserve with a back injury.
The move means that Gaither will miss the rest of the season. The Ravens had been holding out hope that the fourth-year tackle's injured thoracic disc would heal and allow him to return to the practice field, but that didn't prove to be the case.
With Ed Reed and Brendon Ayanbadejo coming back off the Physically Unable to Perform list, the Ravens needed roster spots, and Gaither was one of the casualties.
"I'm disappointed for Jared, and I'm disappointed for our team," Harbaugh said today. "It's just one of those things where we were just never able to solve the back issue, and he'd be the first to tell you that it's not right. The roster spots became necessary for us to make a change, and I just feel bad for Jared more than anything."
It would be surprising to see Gaither back with the Ravens next season. The Maryland product is a free agent at the end of this year, and given his injury history and some concerns over his work ethic, the Ravens and Gaither will probably cut ties this offseason.
Meanwhile, Harbaugh also addressed the status of cornerback Fabian Washington, who was benched in the fourth quarter of yesterday's win over the Bills after allowing three touchdowns to Buffalo wide receiver Lee Evans.
Harbaugh declined to say whether Washington will still be one of the Ravens' starting corners going forward, but he expressed confidence in the six-year vet.
"Fabian is going to play a lot of football," Harbaugh said. "We don't get quite as caught up in starter and non-starter labels as some people do. Obviously, that's part of it. We're always going to play the best guys the most. With that said, I have confidence in Fabian. He's a good football player. It's a very competitive sport. When you line up against really good players, sometimes it's not your day. And he said he had a tough day and he did. That was kind of the bottom line of the whole thing.
"We play the best player, and the best player is the guy who is playing the best. Not the guy who's had the most Pro Bowl appearances or the most starts or all that. It's who's playing this week, and that's the way it's gotta be. And that's the way it will always be here."
Asked what Washington needs to focus on to get back to his peak level, Harbaugh, a former secondary coach with the Eagles, pointed at the fundamentals.
"Corner probably more than any other position - you're out there on an island," Harbaugh said. "Fundamentals are important at every position, but when you're on an island, you've got to pay attention to fundamental technique. As soon as you get away from that, boy, you're really putting yourself at risk.
"And I think that's a little bit what happened in the game because of the way they were attacking him, and I know he'd get right back on that right away, but it will be our job as coaches to emphasize that and take him back through that. And that will be the same as all the players."
