During the weekly periods when the Ravens' locker room is open to the media, safety Chuck Clark has frequently floated in and out or sat at his locker without a lot of fanfare. On Oct. 9, though, a throng crowded around the third-year safety, emblematic of his increased role as he prepares to take over a starting job in the wake of the season-ending injury to veteran safety Tony Jefferson.
"I feel really prepared," said Clark, a sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech in 2017. "I've been waiting for this for three years. Now it's here, it's time to take advantage."
Second-year safety DeShon Elliott also could figure more prominently with Jefferson sidelined, and head coach John Harbaugh said he expects "both of those guys to play quite a bit" when the Ravens (3-2) host the Cincinnati Bengals (0-5) Oct. 13.
Clark made two starts last year in place of the injured Jefferson and recorded his lone career interception in one of those games -- against the Kansas City Chiefs and reigning league Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes.
