After losing a pair of key defensive players to free agency Tuesday, the Ravens added some reinforcements.
The team signed Chris Canty to a deal after having him in for a visit, the veteran defensive end announced on Instagram with a photo of the signed contract. The Ravens officially announced the signing Wednesday afternoon.
The contract is a reported three-year deal worth $8 million, including $2.8 million guaranteed, according to the NFL Network’s Albert Breer.
"Chris is a good player and an upgrade for our defense," General Manager Ozzie Newsome said. "We've seen that in our study, and he has also played very well against us."
The news comes after the Ravens already lost linebackers Dannell Ellerbe (Miami Dolphins) and Paul Kruger (Cleveland Browns) to other teams.
Canty, 30, has spent the last four seasons with the New York Giants. He was released in February as part of a salary-cap purge.
"We like the fact that he is coming from a winning franchise that recently won the Super Bowl with his help," Newsome said. "Plus, he can help us at both end and tackle."
The 6-foot-7, 317-pound lineman can help the Ravens in both run and pass defense. He was a starter the last four years for the Giants, but missed seven games last season with a knee injury. He finished the season with 26 tackles and three sacks.
A priority for the Ravens was to strengthen their defensive line, and Canty can help in that department. He has 8.5 sacks over the last three seasons and has been a productive player against the run.
Canty can play on the interior of the line and on the edge. The Ravens could use him to in the middle of the defense to challenge Terrence Cody for playing time, or he could also slide out to the end and compete with Arthur Jones and Pernell McPhee.
"John [Harbaugh] and I met with him for a while last night, and we especially liked the enthusiasm he showed to be a Raven," Newsome said. "It's good to add a quality player and person like Chris to our roster."
