The Ravens are losing their first starter from last year's team as cornerback Anthony Averett will sign with the Las Vegas Raiders, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.
It's a reported one-year, $4.5 million deal that will give Averett another chance to prove himself in hopes of cashing in next offseason. In Vegas, Averett has the opportunity to be a full-time starter, which he wouldn't have been in Baltimore with Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters both healthy.
Averett started 14 games last season when pressed into action by Peters' season-ending injury, among others. It was his first time starting in his four-year stint with the Ravens after being a fourth-round pick in 2018.
He had an up-and-down season defined by some coverage breakdowns but also by standing tall against some of the game's top wide receivers as one of the league's most targeted cornerbacks. Averett ranked as the 165th-best cornerback in the league by Pro Football Focus.
With Averett gone and Tavon Young released, the Ravens are looking at a thin cornerbacks group as it stands now. Baltimore could still address the position in free agency or look to draft a cornerback early.
