As the Ravens’ Rock Ya-Sin signing showed, a visit not producing an immediate agreement does not mean no interest exists on the team’s part. The Ravens kept in touch with Ya-Sin after a March meeting and signed him last week, shortly after the compensatory period expired.
The same timeline appears to be in place regarding Adrian Amos, who visited Baltimore in late March. Mutual interest exists between the Ravens and Amos, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Signing Amos would no longer count against the Ravens’ 2024 compensatory formula. Considering the Ravens’ long-held value of comp picks, the early-May deadline has always been an important date for the franchise.
A Baltimore native whom Zrebiec notes grew up idolizing Ed Reed, Amos is also on the radar for a second Packers deal. Green Bay would seem to have a greater need at the position compared to Baltimore, which gave Marcus Williams a $14MM-per-year deal in 2022 and drafted Kyle Hamilton in the first round soon after. Though, the Ravens traded longtime starter Chuck Clark to the Jets this offseason. Still, the Packers did not draft a safety until Round 7 and minimized ex-first-rounder Darnell Savage‘s role down the stretch last season. The Packers did sign Tarvarius Moore but cannot match the Ravens’ Williams-Hamilton duo.
Amos, 30, has 122 starts on his resume and has not missed a game since 2017. The Packers gave the ex-Bears draftee a four-year, $36MM deal in 2019, bringing him over during the same offseason in which they poached Za’Darius Smith from the Ravens. With Amos remaining unsigned until May, he likely does not have an offer in that ballpark. But the veteran starter will undoubtedly have a chance to play a ninth season.
Pro Football Focus did grade Amos as one of the NFL’s worst safety regulars last season, but he drew a top-30 mark at the position in every other year of his career. Amos also made a career-high 102 tackles in 2022, registering a career-most seven tackles for loss as well. Amos joins the likes of John Johnson, Logan Ryan, Lamarcus Joyner, Duron Harmon and Ronnie Harrison as veteran back-liners still available.
The Ravens’ Ya-Sin signing does look to be influencing their secondary makeup overall. They are planning to station Brandon Stephens at safety once they begin on-field work this offseason, John Harbaugh said. A third-year player, Stephens worked as an injury replacement for safety DeShon Elliott as a rookie but played only nine snaps at safety last season (as opposed to 330 as a boundary corner), Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter).
Valuing Stephens’ versatility, the Ravens appear prepared to see if the 215-pound defender — a college cornerback and running back — can become an in-house Clark replacement. Stephens’ status, then, could certainly affect Baltimore’s interest in adding Amos.