The Ravens didn’t wait long to address their depth at slot cornerback following the season-ending knee injury to Tavon Young last week.
Veteran Brandon Boykin agreed to a deal with Baltimore on Monday. The 26-year-old missed the entire 2016 season after suffering a pectoral injury early in training camp and is now with his fifth team in the last two calendar years, but he was regarded as one of the better slot corners in the NFL only a couple years ago.
The Ravens also announced the release of injured veteran cornerback Kyle Arrington and the signing of young cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz. Arrington’s contract was terminated with a failed physical designation as he continues to recover from a concussion last August that landed him on injured reserve. The 30-year-old appeared in 15 games for Baltimore in 2015 after spending the previous six seasons with New England.
With Young suffering a torn ACL in last Thursday’s voluntary workout, the Ravens suddenly found their depth at the inside corner position dangerously thin as 2016 sixth-round pick Maurice Canady was working with the first-team defense after Young was helped off the field. General manager Ozzie Newsome signed veteran Brandon Carr and drafted Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey in the first round of the draft this offseason, but both are outside cornerbacks.
A fourth-round pick out of Georgia in 2012, Boykin performed well in the nickel package for Philadelphia in his first three seasons before being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015. After a brief time with Carolina last spring, Boykin signed with Chicago last July and was injured several days later.
The 5-foot-10, 182-pound cornerback did not miss a game over his first four seasons, collecting eight interceptions and 145 tackles. He will now compete with the likes of Canady and veteran safety Lardarius Webb for playing time in the nickel package.
Shabazz, 24, was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by Indianapolis in 2015 and appeared in eight games with Pittsburgh and Houston last year.
Ravens sign veteran cornerback Boykin, cut injured Arrington
Luke Jones
Luke Jones is the Ravens and Orioles beat reporter for WNST BaltimorePositive.com and is a PFWA member. His mind is consumed with useless sports knowledge, pro wrestling promos, and movie quotes, but he often forgets where he put his phone. Luke's favorite sports memories include being one of the thousands of kids who waited for Cal Ripken's autograph after Orioles games in the summer of 1995, attending the Super Bowl XXXV victory parade with his dad in the pouring rain, and watching the Terps advance to the Final Four at the Carrier Dome in 2002. Follow him on social media @BaltimoreLuke or email him at Luke@wnst.net.
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