BALTIMORE — After spending two days visiting the Ravens, former Texans wide receiver Jacoby Jones has agreed to a two-year contract.
Needing veteran depth at wide receiver and an experienced return specialist, the Ravens will reportedly pay Jones $7 million over the next two seasons. Jones visited with the Carolina Panthers last week before deciding to join Baltimore on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old gives the offense an established receiver behind starters Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith. The other receivers currently on the roster have combined for just four receptions in their respective NFL careers — all of them made by Maryland product LaQuan Williams.
“Adding Jacoby gives us another proven downfield weapon in our passing game and production with our returns,” Newsome said in an official statement. “His experience makes the offense better, and the competition he brings can help raise our levels at receiver and with punt and kickoff returns.”
Jones has made 127 receptions and caught 11 touchdowns in his five-year career. He is also a capable returner, scoring one touchdown on a kickoff and three punt return scores in his career. The addition of Jones will likely allow the Ravens to remove top cornerback Lardarius Webb as the regular punt returner, a move coach John Harbaugh expressed a desire to make earlier this off-season.
The Ravens also inked fifth-round pick Asa Jackson to a four-year deal on Tuesday afternoon. The Cal Poly cornerback is the first of the organization’s 2012 draft picks to sign a contract.
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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