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After adding wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor earlier this offseason, the Baltimore Ravens entered the NFL draft with cornerback as their most glaring need.
They addressed that need May 3 by signing veteran Rock Ya-Sin, the team announced.
The one-year deal is worth $6 million, ESPN’s Adam Schefter, which is well below the $10.8 million average annual salary projected by Spotrac.com
Ya-Sin was a second-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2019. He was traded to Las Vegas Raiders in March 2022 to play out the remainder of his rookie contract.
In 52 games (38 starts), he has 183 total tackles, including two for a loss, 27 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.
At 26 years old, he is expected to replace Marcus Peters, who spent the past three and half seasons with the Ravens and remains unsigned.
Ravens Protect Projected Comp Pick for Departed Starter
Ya-Sin’s signing did not affect the Ravens’ compensatory picks. They are slated to get a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft for losing starting left guard Ben Powers in free agency. He signed a four-year deal with the Denver Broncos to make him one of the highest-paid players at his position, with an average annual salary of $12.8 million, according to Spotrac.com.
Since the inception of the compensatory pick formula in 1994, no team has been awarded more comp picks than the Ravens (55). They didn’t have one this year after last year’s signings of starting free safety Marcus Williams to a near-top-of-the-market deal worth $70 million over five years and starting right tackle Morgan Moses to a three-year deal worth $15 million.
Moses started in every game and was the team’s third-highest graded player, according to Pro Football Focus, in 2022 while Williams led the team in pass deflections (8) and interceptions (4) despite being limited to just 10 games as a result of a dislocated wrist.
If Ya-Sin balls out on his one-year deal with the Ravens and signs a lucrative deal elsewhere in free agency next year, there’s a strong possibility that he could net them a nice comp pick in 2025.
After signing quarterback Lamar Jackson to a record-setting extension, they likely won’t be able or be willing to pay two corners hefty salaries so the odds of Ya-Sin returning if he plays well would be low.
Newest Addition Says Ravens Are “Primed to Win Now”
In his first four years in the league, Ya-Sin has been part of one postseason team, and that came in his second season with the Colts, but he missed the team’s final game of the regular season and wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills.
He finished his lone season with the Raiders on injured reserve.
One of the biggest factors that went into Ya-Sin’s decision to join the Ravens — aside from the “great players” they possess on both sides of the ball — is that he believes the team is “primed to win now.”
“The right kind of culture, the right fit for me, the right playing style – aggressive,” he said. “The kind of division (AFC North) I want to play in, the kind of football I want to play. This is a great fit for me. I want to be a part of this great legacy.”
While he’s already dubbed and penciled in as the Ravens’ No. 2 corner that will start opposite of Humphrey, he looks forward to competing with the team’s other young defensive backs.
The group includes third-year pro Brandon Stephens, second-year pros Jalyn Armour-Davis and Damrion “Pepe” Williams, rookie Kyu Blu Kelly, Trayvon Mullen and veterans Kevon Seymour and Daryl Worley.
“That’s a great opportunity for me,” Ya-Sin said. “All the guys competing for that spot, we’re all going to fight tooth-and-nail to get that spot, play next to a guy like that – All-Pro, Pro Bowl caliber player that he is.”
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