The Baltimore Ravens continue to take care of their own guys this offseason in the lead-up to free agency. After giving safety Chuck Clark a three-year extension, the Ravens kept with the theme by re-signing defensive back Jordan Richards to a one-year deal, according to the team’s Twitter account.
Though Richards is technically a defensive back, his real role for the Ravens is on special teams. Richards registered 40% of the total special-teams snaps for the entire season in spite of only being active in nine games for Baltimore.
Baltimore had originally signed Richards last season after he was cut from the New England Patriots, with his first game for Baltimore coming against New England in Week 9. The move effectively ended up being a trade between the Ravens and Patriots, with Baltimore cutting special-teams ace Justin Bethel to hopefully help their compensatory pick formula this offseason and New England cutting Richards to make room for Bethel.
The Ravens struggled at times last season on special teams, having trouble finding consistency in just about every area. But Richards was one of the highlights for the unit, recovering a fumble and returning it for a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Keeping a major contributor they know well will hopefully help Baltimore improve on special teams next season.
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