Ravens sign veteran Derek Cox to boost secondary depth

The Ravens attempted to boost depth in the secondary with the signing of veteran cornerback Derek Cox on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old was cut by the Minnesota Vikings earlier this week and is expected to play in the preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints Thursday night. The Ravens parted ways with rookie wide receiver Jace Davis to make room on their 75-man roster.
Cox began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being selected in the third round of the 2009 draft out of William & Mary. He started 45 games for the Jaguars over his first four seasons before signing a four-year, $20 million contract with the San Diego Chargers prior to the 2013 campaign.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound cornerback began last season as a starter for San Diego before being benched for poor play and losing his starting job in Week 13. He finished with 38 tackles, one interception, and seven pass breakups in 16 games, 11 of them starts. According to Pro Football Focus, Cox graded out 106th out of 110 cornerbacks to play at least 25 percent of his team’s snaps during the 2013 season.
Cox was released by the Chargers in March and signed a one-year contract with the Vikings later that month.
With injury concerns and a lack of experience beyond starters Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb, the Ravens have been looking for cornerback help for quite some time, but it remains unclear whether Cox will make the final roster, let alone be trusted to potentially leapfrog Asa Jackson and Chykie Brown on the depth chart. He is now joining his fourth team in just over two years, which doesn’t speak well for his recent play.
In five NFL seasons, Cox has 241 tackles, 13 interceptions, 39 pass breakups, and a forced fumble.