Ravens Upgrade Cornerback Depth By Signing Kyle Fuller

The Baltimore Ravens landed another household name to their secondary this week, signing veteran cornerback Kyle Fuller to a one-year contract.

The team announced the news on Tuesday.

Fuller, who turned 30 in February, joins a rebuilt Baltimore secondary that landed ball-hawking safety Marcus Williams in free agency and do-it-all Notre Dame product and safety Kyle Hamilton with the No. 14 pick in this year’s draft.

Baltimore’s usually stingy secondary finished last against the pass last season, though injuries can be cited as a key factor why. Marcus Peters (ACL tear) missed the entire season, and Marlon Humphrey missed the final five games after suffering a torn pectoral muscle.

The Ravens are one of the main betting favorites to win the Super Bowl in 2022. FanDuel has them at +2000, and DraftKings has their odds at +2200. Though the state hasn’t legalized sports betting yet, Maryland sports betting apps are expected to go live in the near future.

The state could launch sports betting as soon as the fall of this year. FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM and PointsBet are among the major sportsbooks that would likely launch in Maryland should mobile/online sports betting become legal. Fans would be able to bet on the Ravens and MLB’s Baltimore Orioles (along with all NFL and MLB teams) as well as all college sports, the NBA, NHL teams and much more.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Fuller is coming off a frustrating 2021 season with the Denver Broncos in which he notched zero picks and four pass defenses. But that’s in the past, and the longtime Chicago Bears’ standout will get every opportunity to revive his career on a star-studded secondary full of playmakers.

For his career, the former 2014 first-round pick has 19 interceptions, four forced fumbles and 86 pass defenses.

Brent Urban Returns to Baltimore On One-Year Deal

The Ravens officially announced that they have brought back veteran defensive end Brent Urban on a one-year contract.

Urban spent the first five years of his career (2014 to 2018) with the Ravens. He made stops in Tennessee (2019) and Chicago (2019 and 2020) before joining the Dallas Cowboys in free agency last year. Urban appeared in six games for the Cowboys last season, notching three tackles and one pass defense. For his career, he has six sacks in 76 games.

The 31-year-old will likely be used as a backup in Baltimore, but his familiarity with the team’s defensive schemes can only help as the Ravens try to bounce back from an uncharacteristically disappointing 2021 season from the defensive side of the ball.

Rashod Bateman Comments On Marquise Brown Trade

The Ravens stunned the football world at the draft when they sent top wideout Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown and the No. 100 selection in the draft to the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 23 pick.

Brown was coming off the best season of his career, recording 91 receptions for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. With the 2019 first-round pick no longer in the fold, second-year wideout Rashod Bateman will get every chance to step in as the new WR1.

The 22-year-old Bateman had one simple reaction when he immediately learned of the trade: It’s now his “time” to shine.

“All respect due to him, and I'm going to miss him because he's my brother, but it was like, it's my time," Bateman said to Humphrey on a recent edition of “Studio 44”, per the team’s official website.

"I feel like Baltimore drafted me for a reason. They drafted me to be in this position. For me, all I've been waiting on is the opportunity. I know what I'm capable of, I feel like the Ravens organization knows what I'm capable of. I'm just excited to go out and finally show it to the fans and especially to my teammates, for sure.”

The trade reunited Brown with former Oklahoma teammate and quarterback Kyler Murray.Brown will get the new opportunity to shine as Arizona’s WR1 with DeAndre Hopkins serving a six-game suspension to start the season.

The Ravens drafted Bateman with the No. 27 selection in 2021. He missed five games but was very productive on a Baltimore team that was hit hard by the injury bug, finishing with 46 receptions for 515 yards and one touchdown.

Baltimore also bid farewell to veteran Sammy Watkins, who joined the Green Bay Packers in free agency. With Watkins and Brown gone, Bateman and superstar tight end Mark Andrews will have the chance to form one of the league’s most explosive pass-catching duos in 2022 and beyond.

Only time will tell how this all plays out for