The Ravens are in an interesting situation when it comes to the safety position. Despite recent high draft picks and some modest investments in free agency, this group enters 2016 with a lot of question marks, and only a couple of certainties. Will Hill will be the Ravens starting strong safety next season, and something will have to give when it comes to the current logjam everywhere else.
Lardarius Webb seems resigned to the fact that his cornerback days are behind him. “We’re trying to become a more athletic secondary,” Webb said according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “Me at free safety, I think that will help out a lot with me roaming the middle of the field and just being able to have more control of the defense.”
The prospect of Webb playing safety is an interesting one, but it would be an expensive investment given his current salary. With a cap hit of $9.5 million in 2016 he would be the third-highest paid safety in the NFL. That’s quite a cost for a player whose sample size at safety is so small. Will Webb take a pay cut for a second straight year? He may have to if he wants to be in Baltimore in 2016.
If Webb does take a pay cut and makes the transition, what does that mean for Kendrick Lewis? Lewis started beside Hill for most of 2015 but his play was generally disappointing. If the Ravens can work out the financial side of things with Webb there’s a good chance that Lewis’ stay in Baltimore will be a short one. Considering his play it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Ravens move on. If the Ravens do say goodbye to Lewis, they will save $933,332 according to our resident cap doctor Brian McFarland.
Terrence Brooks is a player the Ravens had high hopes for when they drafted him in the third round of the 2014 draft. No one has questioned Brooks’ athletic ability, but he’s a player that has had a difficult time grasping the mental aspect of the game. After being a healthy scratch in several games in 2015, the upcoming season will be an important one for the former Seminole. With Lewis’ return far from certain, and Webb’s frequent injury issues, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Brooks could have the opportunity to play a considerable amount of snaps next season. He will first have to prove to John Harbaugh and the coaching staff that he has grown in respect to his knowledge and mental aspect of the game.
Then there’s Matt Elam. Elam is arguably the most disappointing first-round pick in Ravens history. After being called out by Ozzie Newsome in last year’s season ending press conference, Elam appeared to be responding well. Defensive coordinator Dean Pees had frequent praise for Elam last offseason. “Best camp he’s had, bar none,” said Pees. However a torn biceps cost him all of 2015. This upcoming season will likely be his last opportunity to prove to the Ravens that he’s worthy of a roster spot beyond next season, as his rookie deal expires.
The Ravens have invested a lot recently in the safety position, but quantity has frequently not resulted in quality play. High draft picks and free agent acquisitions haven’t paid the dividends that the Ravens initially expected, but potential remains. The logjam that currently exists, however, will require some fine tuning before next season begins. How the Ravens address it will be an interesting storyline to follow this offseason.
