Players Under Contract
- Beau Brade
- Kyle Hamilton
- Sanoussi Kane
Pending Free Agents
- Ar'Darius Washington (restricted)
- Marcus Williams
Season in Review
After a tough start that put Baltimore at the bottom of the league rankings in pass defense, the Ravens shuffled their personnel at midseason with great results. Hamilton transitioned into a more traditional deeper safety role and Washington took over for Williams as the starter next to Hamilton. That combination thrived, cutting down dramatically on big plays allowed and helping the Ravens become the league's top defense from Week 11 on.
Hamilton's communication, smarts, and versatility helped stabilize the unit, proving that he can also thrive when taking on deep coverage duties. His spectacular diving interception in Houston was evidence enough.
After dealing with injuries early in his career, Washington showed that he can play at a high level when healthy. Despite being one of the smallest players on the field at 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Washington played with tremendous physicality and showed he has a knack for making plays with two interceptions, one sack, one forced fumble, and five tackles for loss in 10 starts.
Kane and Brade got valuable experience, mostly on special teams, as rookies that will serve them well headed into their sophomore seasons.
What to Watch This Offseason
Hamilton, who becomes eligible for a contract extension this offseason, has become one of the NFL's premier players and a cornerstone in Baltimore's defense. The Ravens are expected to retain Washington as a restricted free agent and he'll again be a key part of the safety mix, whether or not he's a starter.
General Manager Eric DeCosta made it clear at the season review press conference that he wants to add more talent to the group.
"If we can add another safety, obviously, it would be really good for us," DeCosta said. "It gives us that multiplicity on defense and the ability to do a lot of different things. Kyle becomes that sort of [Swiss Army] knife again."
DeCosta specifically said, "if the best guy is a free safety at that pick, then we'll take him and be very happy with it." Baltimore would like to add more playmakers to a defense that made great strides over the second half of the season but finished with 17 takeaways (tied for 20th in the league).
