The Ravens have signed accomplished veteran cornerback Ronald Darby to a one-year deal, fortifying a secondary that has been hit by injuries during training camp.
The move comes the day after top cornerback Marlon Humphrey underwent foot surgery, putting his early-season availability in question.
Darby, 29, is entering his ninth NFL season. He spent the past two years with the Broncos but was limited to five games last season after suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Week 5.
Before the injury, Darby was playing well. He finished the year as the 38th-highest graded cornerback in the league from Pro Football Focus and specifically had the fifth-highest grade in run defense. He has played the vast majority of his snaps as an outside corner.
A second-round pick out of Florida State in 2015, Darby spent his first two NFL seasons with the Bills before being traded to the Eagles. He won a Super Bowl during his first season there and spent two more years in Philadelphia. Darby then spent one season in Washington before inking a reported three-year, $30 million contract with the Broncos. He was released in March.
For his career, Darby has 373 tackles, eight interceptions and 90 passes defensed, playing 89 career games with 88 starts.
It's also a homecoming for Darby, as he's an Oxon Hill, Md. native who played at Potomac High School.
The Ravens have been hit hard by injuries at cornerback in addition to Humphrey. Rock Ya-Sin, the Ravens' projected starting cornerback opposite Humphrey, has been sidelined with a reported knee injury. Jalyn Armour-Davis, who has also been competing for a starting job, returned to practice Thursday after missing nearly a week of practice. Pepe Williams will be sidelined until October following ankle surgery, and Trayvon Mullen may miss the entire season following toe surgery. Arthur Maulet (hamstring) has missed more than a week.
The Ravens' cornerbacks for Wednesday's joint practice with the Commanders were Kevon Seymour, Brandon Stephens, Tae Hayes (claimed this week), and rookies Kyu Kelly, Corey Mayfield Jr., Jordan Swann, and Jeremy Lucien.
