Safety Brynden Trawick surprised just outsiders last season when he made the Ravens' 53-man roster out of training camp as an undrafted free agent.
He could be on a similar path again this year.
Trawick is competing for one of the Ravens' final roster spots at safety, and he's quietly had another strong training camp, highlighted by Saturday's interception against Cowboys backup quarterback Brandon Weeden.
"It's real big to make an interception at any point of any game, so I'm just glad that it happened and it's in the books now," Trawick said after the 37-30 victory. "It's definitely a good thing. I got praise from the head coach, and I just have to keep making more of them."
The interception against Dallas was the first of Trawick's professional career, as he only saw action on special teams last season. The play also showed that Trawick has skills as a playmaker beyond his reputation as a hard hitter.
Baltimore's final safety spots area very much up for grabs and Trawick will likely need to continue making those kinds of plays to earn his way onto the 53-man squad.
Matt Elam, Darian Stewart and rookie Terrence Brooks are considered locks to make the roster, but there's stiff competition behind them. Trawick, Jeromy Miles, Omar Brown and Anthony Levine all spent time on the active roster last season, and they're competing for the final one or two safety jobs.
"I am just out there doing what I have to do to make plays, contribute to our wins and just be a good football player," Trawick said.
While Trawick did come up with the interception against Dallas, he also missed on a couple other opportunities. He let a second interception bounce off his hands, and missed a tackle on Cowboys tight end James Hanna to give up a touchdown.
"I let that slip up, but I'll capitalize next time," Trawick said.
The deciding factor on the safety jobs will likely come down to special teams, an area where Trawick has performed well. Trawick finished last season ranked third on the team with eight special teams tackles, even though he only played in eight games.
At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Trawick is built like a linebacker but can run like a defensive back. That combination makes him a good fit for the coverage units on kickoff and punt returns.
Trawick will likely need more strong performances in the Ravens' final two preseason games against the Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints to cement his roster spot, but he stressed that his focus for now is to take it one day at a time.
"I'm getting better every day," Trawick said. "I'm trying to get one percent better every day."
