ExtremeRavens Posted 14 hours ago Posted 14 hours ago Safety Ar’Darius Washington is staying with the Ravens. Washington has signed a one-year restricted free agent tender, the team announced Monday. The move means he will remain with the Ravens through at least the 2025 season. It was also not a surprise. Washington’s return became all but certain when he did not sign an offer sheet from another team by Friday’s deadline, clearing the way for him to remain with Baltimore on a one-year deal worth $3.3 million. He received a right-of-first-refusal tender from the Ravens last month. But that tender offer was a minor gamble, too. Had Washington signed an offer sheet with another team and the Ravens chose not to match it, they would get nothing in return. But if they used a second-round tender, it would have limited interest from other teams in the former undrafted free agent because the Ravens would have received a second-round draft pick in return. It also would have been costlier to Baltimore at $5.3 million. Now, Washington will look to build on what was a breakout season. After playing only eight games his first three years in Baltimore, Washington took over for Marcus Williams after Williams was benched halfway through the season and helped stabilize a struggling pass defense. In 17 games (10 starts), Washington had two interceptions, 64 tackles, a forced fumble and a sack while playing alongside safety Kyle Hamilton and helping Baltimore become one of the NFL’s best defenses in the second half of the season. “Ar’Darius is a great example of a guy who got a chance and ran with it,” general manager Eric DeCosta said in January. “This year, he stayed healthy, and he became that guy that we saw in college. He’s tough, physical, a playmaker, instinctive, smart, a leader. “He’s a great story. Just another one of these undrafted guys over the years that we’ve had that has developed into being a really good football player.” Washington rejoins a group that includes Hamilton and second-year players Sanoussi Kane and Beau Brade, but the Ravens are expected to add to the position during this year’s draft, which begins Thursday night. “This is a really nice pool of players to pick from,” DeCosta said of the safeties in this year’s class. “I think we definitely will look at that.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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