The Ravens re-sign Shareece Wright according to multiple reports (including the Ravens’ site itself). The new deal is for three years and it fills an area of great need for Baltimore. The RSR writers react to the news.
I won't be going anywhere anytime soon. God is so good. #blessed
— Shareece Wright (@ShareeceWright) March 7, 2016
— Shareece Wright (@ShareeceWright) March 7, 2016
Brian McFarland
Will need more detail, but sounds like incentives/fluff. Based on $5M guar, expect a $1M base, so $2.33M 2016 Cap # https://t.co/wv4osPKDyN
— Brian McFarland (@RavensSalaryCap) March 7, 2016
We need to wait for the details of the deal before making any judgments about the contracts. Sounds like a lot of it’s face, but when a report says “up to” that indicates incentives and/or escalators are involved. So, expect the base deal to be lower – much lower, hopefully – than the maximum of $16M over 3 years. Hopefully, it’s more of a pay for performance type deal, where the base salaries are lower, but he can earn more through incentives and can see an increase in future base salaries via escalators.
Also, keep in mind that escalators are not guaranteed, so any escalator earned the prior year that jumps his salary for the following year only gets paid if he’s on the team that following year.
Tyler Lombardi
After an awful, awful, awful performance in San Francisco against his former team, Shareece Wright became one of the most reliable members of the Ravens’ troubled secondary. He was the unsung hero of the defense for the latter part of the year. He performed better than Jimmy Smith down the stretch. We don’t know the exact details of the deal yet, but I would expect them to be reasonable. Wright didn’t receive many looks when he was waived by the 49ers last season.
The Ravens still need to upgrade their secondary, but holding onto a solid depth option is a good start to the offseason.
Brian Bower
Decent move from a depth perspective given the fact he was their best player last season on a unit that is desperate for upgrade this offseason. If the Ravens don’t make other moves regarding the secondary, it will be another long year as quarterbacks will once again be licking their chops.
Tony Lombardi
When players leave the Ravens it’s almost as if it’s a Baltimorean’s birthright to wish misfortune upon the former Raven, particularly when said former Raven goes up against his old team. In the case of Torrey Smith, a player who was universally loved for his character more so than his on-field accomplishments, it was every fan’s wish that the Ravens would shut him out when the boys visited the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in October of 2015.
Unfortunately that didn’t happen and the main culprit was Shareece Wright who was awful in coverage on that day in the city by the bay.
The stench of that game carried forward but only in the minds of many Ravens fans. The true story is from that game forward there was NO member of Dean Pees’ secondary who played better than Wright in coverage and his return should be good news here in Baltimore.
Of course the final verdict hinges on the money the Ravens signed him for. My guess is that the 3-year deal looks more like a two-year deal from a cap perspective and it will be team friendly…I hope.
Ryan Jones
If retaining Wright is being done in an effort to improve depth it’s a good signing. But if the Ravens are banking on Wright starting opposite Jimmy Smith they’re likely to have one of the weaker secondaries in the NFL once again.
The defense needs more than one proven and competent corner to match up with the offenses in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Wright played well in the second half but the sample size is still too small. Corner remains a top priority for an upgrade.
Adam Bonaccorsi
Wright is a depth signing at corner, and a good one at that.
Though he still rubs many Ravens fans the wrong way after his debut in San Fran where he got burned (over, and over, and over, and over…) Wright did manage to eventually improve him game, and played well down the stretch for the team.
Couple Wright with the oft-forgotten (and returning from injury) Will Davis who played well in his abbreviated stint with the Ravens, and I think the depth at CB may be a sneaky good unit in ’16.
Drew Forrester
I can’t wait until the Ravens start signing some good players who can make a difference in 2016.
These bottom of the roster guys like Shareece Wright who only play when someone better gets hurt just don’t do it for me.
Bring on some quality!!!
Mark Weingram
I don’t think this is a purely depth move. And however uncomfortable for fans, I think we need to consider what a Wright-Smith starting tandem looks like.
This signing is a tacit acknowledgment that the combination of cap space, inability to find a corner of adequate value to pick in the early rounds of the past several drafts, and the number of question marks throughout the defense will force the Ravens to place bets at certain positions.
The limited stats from the end of last year (which should be considered in the context of a team out-of-contention and playing differently than a team trying to make the playoffs) suggest Wright enables the Ravens to prioritize pass rush over secondary in the draft. This is important insofar as defense is a team effort, and any player you ask will insist that the back-end and front-end go hand-in-hand. And honestly, Wright is a great move for the Ravens if the ’16 roster moves at DE and OLB can produce 40+ sacks and a high rate of QB pressures.
Count me as cautiously optimistic for Wright’s future play, but not for a more dramatic signing in the secondary.
Ken McKusick
Wright is purely an outside corner, which is typically the more difficult type to find. Like many outside corners, he has trouble on crossing receivers, but used the sideline well. He’s a good 3rd corner on the outside who outplayed a tentative Jimmy Smith for the 2nd half of last season. However, for the money involved, it sure looks like he’ll be starting.
The probability the Ravens will draft a LT or pass rusher in the first round just went wayyy up.
