Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed will miss the first six weeks of the 2010 season after being placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list Saturday.
To reach the 53-man roster limit, the Ravens also cut quarterback Troy Smith and kicker Shayne Graham, who competed against incumbent Billy Cundiff this summer.
Reed underwent offseason hip surgery and didn't practice during training camp or play in the preseason. The six-time Pro Bowl star missed four games last season because of hip problems after playing every game from 2006 to 2008.
Tom Zbikowski replaced the injured Reed in 2009 and performed well at the position this preseason. He is expected to start against the New York Jets in the Sept. 13 season opener.
Smith, the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, played in 14 games over three seasons with Baltimore. He served as the backup to Joe Flacco last season, but the Ravens' acquisition of veteran Marc Bulger during the offseason made Smith expendable.
"The competition to make our team was very heated, and we decided to keep a position player rather than a third quarterback," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a statement released by the team. "We have a number of young guys who made our team who have tremendous upside, plus they can help us win this year. We've gone with two quarterbacks before."
Smith told the Ravens' official Web site that he was "a little shocked" by his release.
"I had a couple of opportunities (in Baltimore), so now we'll just see what happens," Smith said. "If there is an opening somewhere else, we'll just take the bull by the horns at that time."
Cundiff prevailed in the duel with Graham, who was signed as a free agent in June after spending seven consecutive seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
"Congratulations to Billy. He won a great competition and he earned this spot," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in the team-issued statement. "Both Billy and Shayne rose to the occasion and performed at high levels. We know Shayne will kick in the league, but we feel very good about the decision to go with Billy."
Ravens season preview
Get fearless forecasts
from experts, pivotal games, players on the hot seat, fantasy analysis and
more with NFL.com's team-by-team,
season previews. **More ...**
The Ravens also traded outside linebacker Antwan Barnes to the Philadelphia Eagles for an undisclosed 2011 draft pick. The move should enable rookie Arthur Jones, a fifth-round pick out of Syracuse, to receive more playing time.
"I'm real excited. I'm more motivated than ever to prove myself," Jones said. "I can't wait to get to practice Monday. I want to show them they did the right thing by keeping me."
Another notable cut was wide receiver Demetrius Williams, a 2006 fourth-round pick who battled injuries for much of his four-year stay with the Ravens. He had 63 catches but just eight last season.
The Ravens put four players on injured reserve: offensive linemen David Hale (back), Ramon Harewood (knees) and Stefan Rodgers (ankle) and nose tackle Kelly Talavou (knee).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
