Despite losing two key defensive players on the first day of free agency, the Ravens addressed an area of concern from last season with the addition of veteran defensive lineman Chris Canty.
Formerly of the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, the 30-year-old Canty announced on his official Twitter account that he was signing a three-year contract to join the Ravens Tuesday evening. The deal is reportedly worth $8 million and includes $2.8 million guaranteed and was agreed upon after the veteran spent the day in Owings Mills visiting with the organization.
Canty has excellent size at 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds and will likely be asked to fill a role similar to the one previously held by Cory Redding, who signed with Indianapolis last offseason. Defensive coordinator Dean Pees struggled to find a consistent 5-lineman to take Redding’s place throughout the 2012 season as Pernell McPhee battled injuries and Arthur Jones proved more effective playing inside.
An eight-year pro, Canty was limited to only nine games with the Giants last season as offseason knee surgery forced him to begin the season on the physically unable to perform list and a sprained MCL plagued him in late December. He recorded 26 tackles and three sacks in nine starts.
He was released in early February after four seasons in New York.
The 2005 fourth-round pick has collected 272 tackles and 19 sacks in his NFL career.
Other teams showing interest in Canty included Tennessee, Green Bay, and Kansas City.
