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Lardarius Webb’s Contract Analysis: How Does it Stack Up Against Other Cornerback Deals?

By Brett Foote

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Oct 26, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb (21) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Bengals defeated the Ravens 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Lardarius Webb was pretty open about his concerns following Haloti Ngata’s trade to the Lions recently, which seems to have served as a bit of a wake up call for the veteran corner.  Webb agreed to what appears to be a straight pay cut for 2015, one that will actually save the team a little more money than they would have had he been outright released ($2.5 million vs. $2 million).

The move is certainly a win for the Ravens, who gain precious cap space, but is it a win for Webb?  If his intentions are simply to remain with the team he has spent his entire career with, absolutely.  Loyalty is a rare animal this offseason in the NFL as players have been more open than ever about chasing top dollar.

The NFL is a pay for play league, and teams evaluate performance vs. salary every offseason.  Going simply off the “what have you done for me lately” mentality, Lardarius Webb’s play in 2014 did not justify his scheduled salary for 2015.  Webb graded out as the 78th best corner out of 108 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus’ rankings and largely struggled in coverage.

Webb’s play did improve down the stretch last season, so you can’t blame the Ravens for giving him what is essentially one more chance.  But how does his $6 million dollar salary for 2015 stack up against what some corners have received in free agency so far?  Here’s a look at some corners who got similar deals by annual average and their respective PFF ranking from 2014.

Tramon Williams: 3 years, $21 million ($7 million avg.), ranked 34th
Antonio Cromartie: 4 years, $32 million ($8 million avg.), ranked 45th
Buster Skrine: 4 years, $25 million ($6.25 million avg.), ranked 82nd
Davon House: 4 years, $25 million ($6.25 million avg.), ranked 43rd
Perish Cox: 3 years, $15 million ($5 million avg.), ranked 35th
Cary Williams: 3 years, $18 million ($6 million avg.), ranked 49th

Going off these deals, it’s pretty obvious that Webb still got the better end of the deal, unless he bounces back to shutdown corner status in 2015.  Corners have found some big money on the open market this year, but it’s highly doubtful another team would have paid Webb $6 million had the Ravens cut him.

Still, it’s a bit of a win/win.  The Ravens retain depth at a position that’s very thin in free agency at this point, and it gives them a year to find out if Webb can bounce back and stay healthy.  If he does, he’s still under contract for 2016.  If he isn’t, they can cut Webb and save themselves $6 million in cap space next offseason.

Next: Have the Ravens cornered themselves defensively?

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