Lardarius Webb Reportedly Agrees to Contract with Ravens After Offseason Release

The Baltimore Ravens and free-agent defensive back Lardarius Webb came to terms Saturday on a new contract, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and the Houston Chronicle's Aaron Wilson. 

Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reported the parties agreed to a three-year deal. The contract has a max value of $10.5 million, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

Webb was released by the Ravens after the team signed fellow safety Tony Jefferson early in free agency. The move appeared to end an eight-year run with the organization, which began when the Ravens selected him in the third round of the 2009 draft.       

The 31-year-old Nicholls State product spent much of that time as one of the NFL's best slot cornerbacks. His physical skills started to diminish once he hit 30, however, which led Baltimore to switch him to safety for the 2016 season.

He responded by tallying 73 combined tackles, five passes defended and an interception while playing all 16 games in the Ravens secondary.

Webb acknowledged in early December there was a substantiate learning curve following the switch, but he credited safety partner Eric Weddle for helping him adjust, per Garrett Downing of the Ravens' official website.

"Every day, I'm just learning from Weddle," Webb said. "He's teaching me different disguises, and just teaching me how to play safety. You can tell that I'm learning, and picking up on more and more stuff each week."

Those comments came after his only interception of the season against the Miami Dolphins. Fran Duffy of Eagle Eye in the Sky showcased the highlight-reel play:

Although Webb didn't totally complete the transformation from corner to safety during the course of the season, he looked far more comfortable in the latter stages of 2016.

It's a bit surprising the veteran defensive back is returning to the Ravens since there isn't a direct path to consistent playing time. That said, it's a nice addition for the squad as he understands the system and can provide depth at a more team-friendly price than his prior deal.

Webb could end up playing the role of a Swiss Army knife for Baltimore since Jefferson and Weddle are locked in as the starters at safety. He'll probably see some time as both a reserve safety and a slot corner, and he could step in as a starter should injuries arise.

 

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from Bleacher Report - Baltimore Ravens http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2697258-lardarius-webb-reportedly-agrees-to-contract-with-ravens-after-offseason-release