Baltimore Ravens, security Marcus Williams comply with 5-year, $70M deal

The Baltimore Ravens and security Marcus Williams have reached settlement on a five-year, $70 million deal, a supply advised ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

This deal contains $37 million assured, together with $31 million in subsequent 12 months, a supply advised ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Williams, a full-time starter at free security for the New Orleans Saints since he was chosen within the second spherical of the 2017 draft, performed underneath the franchise tag final season ($10.612 million) after the 2 sides have been unable to work out a long-term deal.

Williams, who turns 26 in September, has been an enormous a part of the defensive turnaround in New Orleans, a unit that ranks sixth within the NFL in each yards and factors allowed since he arrived. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder has 15 profession interceptions within the common season, together with one returned for a landing in 2019, and one interception within the playoffs. He additionally has three compelled fumbles, 38 go defenses and 321 tackles.

Though he has by no means been chosen to a Professional Bowl or an All-Professional workforce, Williams is broadly thought to be one of many NFL’s high safeties. Professional Soccer Focus has graded him among the many league’s high seven safeties in every of the previous three seasons.

Williams’ most notorious play was his missed sort out towards then-Minnesota Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs within the “Minneapolis Miracle” playoff loss on the finish of his rookie 12 months. However he has improved as a tackler all through his profession, and he recorded a career-high 74 tackles in 2021.

By including Williams, the Ravens wish to bolster a go protection that struggled mightily final season.

With Professional Bowl cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters injured, Baltimore allowed essentially the most passing yards (4,986), yards per reception (12.6) and common yards after the catch (6.4) within the NFL final season. The Ravens go protection additionally gave up a franchise-worst 31 landing passes and solely intercepted 9 passes.

This continues Baltimore’s robust funding in its secondary. Over the previous three years, the Ravens have invested $71 million in assured cash within the defensive backfield: Humphrey ($40 million), Peters ($21 million) and security Chuck Clark ($10 million).

The Ravens haven’t made many splashes in free company, however once they do it is usually for a security — with blended outcomes. Baltimore signed Eric Weddle in 2016 and Earl Thomas in 2019. Weddle turned one of many Ravens’ finest free-agent additions, and Thomas lasted just one full season, getting lower after an altercation with a teammate at coaching camp.

ESPN’s Mike Triplett and Jamison Hensley contributed to this report.