Lardarius Webb, safety, Baltimore Ravens
Webb performed extremely well in his first season as a safety. The eight-year pro recorded 73 tackles, five passes defended and an interception while starting every game for the Ravens this past year. Despite his tremendous performance, Webb was released to make room for free-agent signing Tony Jefferson. This gives other teams a potential stop-gap option at free safety moving forward.
We’ve seen cornerbacks move to what is called the center-field position in the past. Two prime examples of this would be Charles Woodson and Rod Woodson, both of whom extended their careers after proving unable to handle cornerback duties. Look for the 31-year-old Webb to continue this trend.
It will surely be interesting to see where Webb lands. He’ll likely be targeted by a contender in need of an upgrade in the back end. That’s where a team like the Indianapolis Colts come into play. They could surely stand to add a cover guy after moving on from Pro Bowler Mike Adams. Depending on what happens with Reggie Nelson, the Oakland Raiders could make some sense as well.
As it is, Webb’s market will be defined by what other free safeties have received in the recent past. He’s no longer going to receive the near $10 million per season he played under with Baltimore. Instead, Webb is looking more at the $5 million range. This would make him an extremely solid value add for any team in need of an upgrade at free safety.