Veteran Webb stays with Ravens, agrees to three-year contract
has long been intrigued by the idea of eventually retiring as a Raven.
“Everyone worked hard to make this happen,” said Dan Saffron, Webb’s Baltimore-based agent.
The Ravens wanted to add a known commodity to a reworked secondary. Webb, a 16-game starter last year, will slot in as the No. 3 safety behind Jefferson and Eric Weddle. The Ravens also could use Webb, a cornerback for the first seven years of his career, in the slot in certain defensive packages. Webb has punt-return experience as well and has long been considered one of the locker room leaders.
A Ravens third-round draft choice in 2009, Webb finished fourth on the team with 73 tackles last season. He also had one interception and one sack and played in all 16 games for just the second time since the 2011 season.
His release was more a result of his age and salary-cap number than performance. When the free agency period began last month, Webb’s $7.5 million salary cap charge was the seventh highest on the team and the ninth highest among NFL safeties. Before his release, he was set to enter the final season of the six-year contract extension he signed with the Ravens in 2012.
The signing of Jefferson, considered to be the top free-agent safety available, made Webb more of a luxury. Even after Newsome suggested the Ravens could re-sign the veteran later in the offseason, Webb bid goodbye to the organization in an Instagram post, thanking owner Steve Bisciotti, Newsome, coach John Harbaugh, teammates past and present and fans.
A few teams reached out to Webb after he became a free agent, but Webb wanted to remain patient and wait for better opportunities. Negotiations with the Ravens restarted this past week. Webb, who was mentored by Ed Reed earlier in his career, had spoken several times about how he’d love to play his whole career in Baltimore. Webb is active in charitable causes in the area and hosts an annual charity softball game with his teammates.
While much of the Ravens’ focus is on the draft, Newsome said Wednesday at the team’s annual draft luncheon the team was “working” on filling needs in free agency. He described it as a “high probability” the Ravens would add another free agent before the draft. It seems likely he had Webb in mind when making those comments, although the team remains in contact with free-agent center Nick Mangold.
The Ravens certainly have bigger needs along the offensive line and at wide receiver and pass rusher. However, they’ve been looking to add more veteran depth in the secondary after releasing Shareece Wright and Kendrick Lewis, and rescinding the restricted free-agent tenders to Marqueston Huff and Jumal Rolle. Defensive backs Jerraud Powers, Matt Elam and Chris Lewis-Harris are also free agents, and veteran cornerback Kyle Arrington still could be a salary-cap casualty.
In eight seasons, Webb has started 83 games for the Ravens and made 13 interceptions and three return scores (one via interception, one on a punt return and one on a kickoff return). Only four current Ravens — quarterback Joe Flacco, guard Marshal Yanda, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs and punter Sam Koch — joined the Ravens before Webb’s arrival.