Ravens Maintain Interest In Champ Bailey

Defensive back Champ Bailey worked out for the Ravens last week, and while Baltimore chose not to sign Bailey at that point, the team hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing aboard the veteran free agent. A league source tells Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun that the Ravens still have interest in Bailey, and have maintained contact with him since last week’s meeting.

Jimmy Smith has played very well at right cornerback this year for the Ravens, and Lardarius Webb has held his own on the other side since returning to regular action in Week 5. However, with Asa Jackson having been placed on injured reserve with the designation to return, Baltimore doesn’t necessarily have regular, reliable third and fourth corners at the moment. As Preston writes, a veteran presence in a secondary that “lacks communication” at times could be useful, even if Bailey isn’t the same sort of difference-maker he once was.

Bailey, 36, had been expected to contribute in New Orleans after signing with the Saints in the offseason, but he was a surprise roster casualty in the preseason, with the team eating some guaranteed money to let him go. Since then, Bailey has worked out for the Lions and Ravens, and has been linked to a handful of other teams in need of secondary help, though most of those connections have been merely speculation.

According to Preston, the Ravens continue to keep an eye on several free agent defensive backs that could help the team at some point this season, but Bailey is “high on the list.”

View Comments (0)