The Ravens are sticking with Brandon Carr and maintaining stability at the cornerback position, according to The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec.
Baltimore could have saved $4 million by parting ways with the veteran, but instead will pick up the second year of the four-year contract he signed last offseason.
Carr will have a $7 million cap hit this year with a base salary of $4.5 million in 2018, per Spotrac. That cap hit is the 21st highest among cornerbacks in the NFL. It was reportedly a $1.5 million option.
After being burned by not having enough cornerback depth in past years, Baltimore didn't want to leave itself thin at the cornerback position again.
The Ravens have some question marks with Jimmy Smith (Achilles) and Tavon Young (ACL) coming back from season-ending injuries. Cornerback Jaylen Hill tore his ACL in late December and Maurice Canady is a promising but young corner that's played in just 12 games in two seasons.
Last year's first-round pick, Marlon Humphrey, proved he's ready for a starting role. But if Smith isn't healthy enough at the start of the season, Carr could likely be the other starter. Regardless, Carr expects to be a big factor in the Ravens' backfield.
Signed last offseason, Carr delivered on exactly what the Ravens envisioned. He was durable (started all 16 games), dependable on the field and a leader. His 160-consecutive career starts mark the third-longest streak among all active NFL players.
Carr made 56 tackles, broke up 12 passes and grabbed four interceptions. He had some trouble containing Houston's DeAndre Hopkins and Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown late in the season, but Carr is hardly the first cornerback the Pro Bowl wide receivers have beaten.
The 31-year-old veteran is also highly respected in Baltimore's locker room and in the organization for all the work he does to better the community.
