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The Ravens have agreed to terms on a one-year deal, pending a physical, with tight end Owen Daniels.
He will likely come to Baltimore for his physical Friday. The deal is worth $1 million with another $1 million in incentives, according to The Baltimore Sun.
Daniels, 31, has spent his entire eight-year career with new Ravens Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak in Houston and the two will now reunite.
"I've been with Kubiak and [Tight Ends Coach Brian] Pariani the longest, and so obviously I have tons of respect for them in giving me my first opportunity to play and now giving me another one here," Kubiak said.
Daniels is a two-time Pro Bowler (2008 and 2012) and a refined pass catcher. He caught 70 passes for 862 yards and two touchdowns in 2008 and 62 passes for 716 yards and six scores in 2012.
He is adept at finding openings within coverage and making tough catches.
He'll also help other tight ends transition to Kubiak's offensive system. Daniels will also reunite with Tight Ends Coach Brian Pariani, who came to Baltimore with Kubiak from Houston.
In Texans franchise history, Daniels ranks second in career receptions (385), receiving yards (4,617) and receiving touchdowns (29). He has seen action in more than 100 games with 96 starts.
Daniels joins fellow tight end Dennis Pitta to create a formidable pass-catching duo. Kubiak is known for using his tight ends extensively in his aerial attack, and now has the weapons to do so.
The Ravens have now made three additions to the offense, which ranked 29th in the NFL last season. They have added Daniels, wide receiver Steve Smith and center Jeremy Zuttah. They also re-signed left tackle Eugene Monroe and Pitta. More help could come via the draft.
Daniels does come with some injury concerns, however.
The former fourth-round pick was limited to just five games last year due to a leg injury. He was released by the Texans on March 11 with the "failed physical" designation. His pending physical with the Ravens will help the team determine his ability to return in 2014.
Daniels reportedly visited the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins earlier in free agency. Daniels was going through free agency for the first time in his career and said he didn't want to rush finding the best fit.
"I've got a ton of respect for the organization and the players here just because the Ravens and the Texans had so many battles over the years back and forth with it," he said. "I've been on the wrong side of things here in Baltimore, but with all that, the respect factor and knowing what the organization was about was a huge factor for me."
Daniels was asked whether it's going to be weird leaving Houston behind, considering he'd been there for so long. He answered as if he was a little irked about his release.
"I let go of where I was the last eight years when they let me go. I wasn't good enough for them anymore, but I'm excited to be a part of this organization," he said.
Then Daniels made a reference to wide receiver Steve Smith's comments about "blood and guts" expected when he battles his former team.
"When you're with a franchise that long, and then all of a sudden they decide you're not good enough for them anymore, and they want to go in a different direction, yeah that definitely gives you a big chip, and it gets you motivated. I think we're playing down there this year, so what Steve Smith said about playing in Carolina."
