Ravens interested in safety addition

The Ravens have Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton in place as projected safety starters for 2024. The team lost Geno Stone in free agency this offseason, however, and finding a replacement late in free agency appears to be a priority.

Baltimore used three-safety looks regularly in 2023, and doing so allowed Hamilton to wear a number of hats for the team’s defense during his breakout campaign. The 2022 first-rounder has seen considerable usage in the slot, but the departure of Stone (along with the re-signing of slot corner Arthur Maulet) should allow him to play primarily as a safety moving forward.

The same is true for Williams, but his Ravens tenure has been marred by injuries to date. The former Saint inked a five-year, $70M deal in free agency, but he has been limited to 24 combined regular and postseason games in two Baltimore campaigns. Williams, 27, does not have guaranteed salaries remaining on his contract, but he will be counted on as a first-team contributor for the foreseeable future barring a major injury.

The Ravens are among the teams looking to bring in a third safety, Ryan Mink of the team’s website writes. New defensive coordinator Zach Orr named 2021 UDFA Ar’Darius Washington as a candidate to fill that role, but he has just 10 regular season and playoff games under his belt. 

The team selected Sanoussi Kane in the seventh round of the draft, but he should not be expected to play a notable defensive role as a rookie. Of course, a number of veterans are still on the market deep into an offseason in which several safeties were let go or not retained by their former teams.

One of those — Jamal Adams — visited Baltimore earlier this week. Adams was cut by the Seahawks in a cost-shedding move, one which seemed to bring his injury-plagued Seattle tenure to an end. He has been in discussion with the team, but the Ravens could represent an alternative destination depending on the level of interest shown in that case. 

Justin Simmons, Quandre Diggs, Eddie Jackson and Marcus Maye are among the other veteran safeties still unsigned.

Baltimore currently sits near the bottom of the league in terms of cap space with $5.7M in available funds. Only a low-cost addition is feasible as a result, but the depth of free agent options should allow for an inexpensive move.