The Baltimore Ravens continued their new tradition of re-signing their high priority free agents early with the three-year contract extension given to cornerback Marcus Peters. Peters is now one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the league with quite a lot of guaranteed money on his deal. Though the 2019 season hasn’t even ended yet, Peters’ signing has pretty big implications on what the Ravens will end up doing in the offseason.
Peters will join Marlon Humphrey as the two top cornerbacks on the team with Tavon Young returning to his typical slot role after ending this season on injured reserve. While the Ravens have loved having a wealth of top cornerbacks this season, they’ll have quite a bit of money invested in the position after giving Young a three-year, $25.8 million deal in February. That will likely jeopardize the standing of both Jimmy Smith and Brandon Carr this offseason.
Smith is set to hit free agency this offseason after yet another down year in which he missed a bunch of games due to injury. Smith went down in Week 1 with a knee sprain after just six snaps, sitting out until Week 9. His 10 games played this season are his fewest since 2014 and make 19 games missed in the last four seasons. Though it’s possible Smith could return on a short-term deal with a low cap hit, it seems far more likely he’ll find bigger money elsewhere if another team is willing to bet he can remain healthy for 16 games.
Carr is still signed through the 2020 season but has a $1.5 million roster bonus due on March 10, according to Over The Cap. With only $1 million in dead money for next season, Baltimore would effectively save $6 million by cutting Carr before his roster bonus is due.
Much like Smith, it’s possible Carr could return to Baltimore, especially if the Ravens want to retain some experienced depth. Carr has played both inside and outside coverages and has even bounced back to safety this season in a floater role that allows him to still see plenty of snaps in spite of being the fourth cornerback on the depth chart. Given the injuries the Ravens have had at cornerback over the last few years and Carr’s age (he’ll be 34 next season), he could be a low-cost option to be cut and re-sign for Baltimore.
More importantly, Peters’ signing gives the Ravens a little more flexibility with regards to Humphrey in a few years. As a first-round pick, Humphrey has a fifth-year option available that would keep him signed through 2021. Baltimore would then have a clearer picture of their salary cap at that time and which cornerback they’d want to retain long-term.
Peters’ signing effectively makes him the Ravens’ No. 2 cornerback next season and continues Baltimore’s infatuation with having the league’s most talented and deep secondary. It also ensures the defense won’t change too much, continuing their Super Bowl window a little further.
[vertical-gallery id=39981]