Jimmy Smith extension is a wise move from Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have reportedly given Jimmy Smith a one-year contract extension. This is a smart move:

Jimmy Smith has been with the Baltimore Ravens since the team drafted him in 2011. Smith will have at least one more season in Baltimore, as the Ravens have signed him to a one-year extension. This makes a lot of sense.

You can never have enough defensive backs. The Ravens have learned that the hard way in the past. The 2014 season rings a bell here, but this season has shown that as well. When the Ravens decided to bring back Jimmy Smith this past offseason it was a good call. When Tavon Young was lost for the year against the Houston Texans, it became essential.

Think about what the Ravens know they have at cornerback. They have Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. Without Smith, that’s all they absolutely know they can count on. Tavon Young has essentially missed back to back years with injury.

Anthony Averett and Terrell Bonds are serviceable, yet Smith is by far the most trusted player outside the top two cornerbacks. The cornerback position is one where you always have to reload the back-end of the roster. If you go through a full draft without adding at least one defensive back it’s almost neglectful.

Here’s the thing though, Jimmy Smith isn’t part of the back-end of the Ravens roster. He’s an extra starting cornerback that can play safety and be used in multiple ways. He’s an experienced player with good man to man coverage skills and a mastery of Don Martindale’s established defense.

As with every season of his career, the Ravens have been much better off with Smith able to do his thing in the secondary. Smith missing time is always a big deal. There’s a reason it is always notable, because of what he does when he’s on the field.

Smith would have been a free agent at the end of the 2020 season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the extra year is worth up to five million dollars. That’s easy to work into the 2021 budget for the Ravens. If they didn’t keep Smith they’d have to add a player or two to make up for his departure. This extension is practical.

The bottom line:

There is a reason you’re hearing about this now. Of the players, the Ravens want to retain for the next season set to become free agents, Smith had the easiest deal to make with Eric DeCosta and company.

Smith gives the Ravens serviceable depth in the defensive backfield. He’s a player that can win battles with receivers and can play in any position in the secondary. He’s not a nickel cornerback, he’s got a more advanced skill-set than that.

A good player that helps the team still after a long tenure with the team got extended for a reasonable price. This would almost be more newsworthy if it didn’t happen.