The Ravens continue to secure key depth players before free agency opens, as they have officially signed defensive tackle Justin Ellis to a one-year deal.
Ellis, 30, was set to hit the open market when free agency opens in a couple weeks. Originally acquired midway through 2019, Ellis also signed a one-year deal with the Ravens last offseason.
Nicknamed "Jelly," the 6-foot-2, 350-pound veteran has played well in a reserve role, including in rotational duty and when called upon as a starter when Brandon Williams has been sidelined.
Ellis played in 13 games last season and started against Philadelphia, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh when Williams was on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and injured.
Even when Williams suited up and played most of the game, Ellis still saw an average of 27 percent of the defensive snaps (358 total) last season. He finished with 17 tackles.
A 2014 fourth-round pick of the Oakland Raiders, Ellis was out of NFL for a little more than a month in 2019 before the Ravens picked him up. Now he's about to enter his eighth season.
The Ravens have also reached one-year deals this offseason with pending free agent safety/special teams ace Jordan Richards and tight end Eric Tomlinson.
