Baltimore Ravens give Corey Graham, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Sean Considine & Jameel McClain fresh deals
The Baltimore Ravens, who already have National Football League’s (NFL) best defensive line-up, have signed a number of players to different positions to further consolidate the strength.
It was confirmed on Friday, March 23, 2012 that cornerback, Corey Graham, has negotiated a two-year deal with Ravens. The terms of the deal were not made available.
Graham, in one of his post-signing comments, is excited to have won the deal and said that he was looking forward to making an impression on the side when he joins the squad in the preseason.
He said:
"I definitely see myself making an impact. I study, I care about the way I play and I figure if I'm going to be doing special teams, I want to be the best special teams' player in the league."
Some media reports linked the player to visits to the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings a couple days prior to Ravens’ signing. It’s difficult to ascertain if any of the teams were interested in pursuit of the player.
His signing coincides with the re-joining of Brendon Ayanbadejo, who has been taken on board by Ravens on a three-year contract.
He has also been added to the special teams. None of the stakeholders have disclosed the terms of the new deal.
Ayanbadejo has been brought back off the free agency and according to his latest remarks, he was least interested to move anywhere else on the league. He finished second at Ravens with nine special teams tackles in the last NFL season.
He commented:
"I never really planned on going anywhere. I figured it would get done. I just didn't know exactly when. Now that it's here and done, it's kind of anticlimactic."
Former Arizona Cardinals’ safety, Sean Considine, is also reported to have reached a one-year deal with Ravens. The terms of this deal are also not disclosed.
Meanwhile, Ravens have brought back the starting inside linebacker, Jameel McClain, off the free agency. The player said that the re-signing was well within his wish of staying in Baltimore for more seasons.
McClain said:
"It's an honour to be back. It's a good time for me and my family right now. It's just another step and a part of my journey. I'm fortunate to be able to do some more years with the Ravens."
All these signings to the defensive positions has come after the appointment of a fulltime offensive coach, Jim Caldwell, which reflected on the much needed shift in Ravens’ focus to the offence.
According to the team management, it was trying to create a balance between the defence and offence by adding more strength to both positions.
Ravens’ attack is led by quarterback, Joe Flacco, who is said to be excited to train under Caldwell, who is credited for grooming players like Indianapolis Colts’ former quarterback, Peyton Manning.
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