It appears that Lardarius Webb's move to safety is imminent.
During the season, Webb indicated that he could still very much play cornerback. After it was finished, Webb definitely said, "I’m going to make that move."
Now new Ravens Secondary Coach Leslie Frazier is on board too, and is encouraged by positive phone conversations with Webb about making the switch.
"I think it starts with the desire he has," Frazier said Thursday in his first interview since being hired about a month ago. "He has the desire to be, as good of a corner as he was, even better at safety."
The move makes a lot of sense for Webb.
After two ACL knee surgeries, he doesn't have quite the same movement that he did previously in his career. Cornerback is an extremely demanding position, physically.
However, Webb has good instincts that have been sharpened by his mentor, Ed Reed. Webb also has perhaps the best set of hands among the team's defensive backs. For a unit looking for more interceptions, allowing Webb to roam should put him in more positions to make plays.
Webb played safety in college at Nicholls State, so he has experience.
Frazier said Webb conveyed that, "This is a chance for me to really extend my career and take my career to another level."
That was music to Frazier's ears.
"Well now you're ahead of the game because of that attitude," he said.
"As long as he has that mindset, with his athletic ability and his instincts, he has a chance to be as good or better at safety than he was at corner. But a lot of it starts with his attitude and approach. And right now, his attitude and approach are right on."
As of now, it's unknown how the Ravens plan to employ what is becoming a crowded safety room.
Webb joins Kendrick Lewis, Will Hill, Matt Elam, Terrence Brooks, Anthony Levine, Brynden Trawick and Nick Perry. Lewis, Hill and Elam all have starting experience and Brooks is a third-round pick who the Ravens would like to get more action.
"I think the thing that gets me excited is the fact that there is some talent here," Frazier said. "There are some guys that are really hungry to rebound from a season ago and have a great desire to be what Jimmy [Smith] wants to be. They want to be great."
