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The Baltimore Ravens have just announced that they have agreed in principle to a three-year deal with seven year NFL veteran safety Michael Huff. Huff most recently played for the Oakland Raiders and was selected by them with the seventh overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft.
Huff will most likely be handed the starting free safety position opposite strong safety James Ihedigbo, giving the Ravens a seasoned pair of veterans to replace both Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard.
While no one will suggest that the Huff/Ihedigbo pair compares with the Reed/Pollard duo, they are a solid group and combined with the Ravens' improved pass rush through the recent signing of Elvis Dumervil, means that the Ravens defense is far from gone like so many thought after the mass exodus of six starters from the Super Bowl winning team.
More details to follow as they are released.
UPDATED: Here is the Ravens PR Department's official Press Release:
RAVENS AGREE IN PRINCIPLE WITH HUFF
The Baltimore Ravens have agreed in principle to a three-year deal with seven-year veteran S Michael Huff, general manager and executive vice president Ozzie Newsome announced Wednesday.
Huff, 29, has spent his entire career with the Oakland Raiders after being selected in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft.
Seeing action in 108 career games (93 starts), Huff has posted 453 tackles (370 solo), 11 interceptions (75 return yards) and 57 passes defensed. The 6-foot, 211-pounder has also added 5.5 sacks (-24.5 yards), four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery during his career.
During the 2012 campaign, Huff started all 16 games, including 14 at cornerback and two at free safety due to early season injuries. He played 945 snaps on defense, posting 71 tackles (46 solo), two interceptions and a career-high 15 passes defensed.
Drafted out of the University of Texas, in 2005 Huff became the first player in school history to win the Jim Thorpe Award, an honor given to the nation’s top defensive back. That season, he helped the Longhorns win the National Championship.