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Brandon Carr: The case for and against the Ravens keeping him

By Chris Schisler

BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 31: Wide receiver Tyler Boyd #83 of the Cincinnati Bengals rushes with the ball after making a catch in front of cornerback Brandon Carr #24 and free safety Eric Weddle #32 of the Baltimore Ravens to score the game winning touchdown at M&T Bank Stadium on December 31, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 31: Wide receiver Tyler Boyd #83 of the Cincinnati Bengals rushes with the ball after making a catch in front of cornerback Brandon Carr #24 and free safety Eric Weddle #32 of the Baltimore Ravens to score the game winning touchdown at M&T Bank Stadium on December 31, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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GREEN BAY, WI – NOVEMBER 19: Brandon Carr #24 and Tim Williams #56 of the Baltimore Ravens combine for a tackle against Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers in the second quarter at Lambeau Field on November 19, 2017 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, WI – NOVEMBER 19: Brandon Carr #24 and Tim Williams #56 of the Baltimore Ravens combine for a tackle against Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers in the second quarter at Lambeau Field on November 19, 2017 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

The Case for keeping Brandon Carr:

Keeping Carr makes sense because the Ravens cornerback situation hinges on the injury prone Jimmy Smith. If Smith stays healthy, the Ravens have two elite cornerbacks in Smith and Marlon Humphrey going forward. The problem is that Smith playing a full 16 game season is like going to the playoffs; it can happen but it hasn’t happened in a while. Carr may not be elite, but the Ravens know that they can rely on him in most cases.

The Ravens have a lot of youth at the cornerback position. Tavon Young, Maurice Canady and Jaylen Hill are all players with little experience. Life in the NFL dictates that three cornerbacks are often needed at the same time. This means that cornerback depth has never been so important. Carr is a solid contributor, with a history of staying healthy. That’s valuable, especially when the Ravens’ best cornerback is as injury prone as he is.

If money wasn’t tight, this decision wouldn’t have to be made. To be honest, Carr is a luxury. The Ravens aren’t better without him and keeping him makes sense from an on the field standpoint. The case for keeping Carr is fear that the Ravens don’t have enough at the cornerback position. From a financial standpoint, it’s a whole new story. That’s what we need to get into next.

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