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According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, the Ravens are expected to decline the contract option of veteran CB Brandon Carr sometime this week. In doing so, they’ll free up roughly $6 million in cap space.
Based on Ravens' cap situation, Baltimore is expected to decline DB Brandon Carr's option this week. That will free up $6M in cap space. Carr, 33, is one of the most respected players in that locker room. His 192 consecutive starts rank 2nd among active players (behind P.Rivers).
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) March 17, 2020
This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, especially after the slew of moves Baltimore made over the past few days. Franchise tagging Matthew Judon and adding both Calais Campbell and Michael Brockers ate up the majority of the team’s available cap space, so declining Carr’s contract option gives them some temporary relief in that department.
It’s certainly possible that Eric DeCosta could still look to bring Carr back at a cheaper price if both sides can work out an agreement, although the same can be said of Jimmy Smith - who is still looming as a free agent himself. At this point, it seems increasingly likely that only one of Carr and Smith will be back with the team next season - if not either.
Carr, 33, began to show signs of slowing down a bit last year but still offers some quality insurance and versatility in the secondary. Carr has been a cornerback for almost his entire career but was tasked with transitioning to more of a single-high safety role over the second half of the 2019 season.
He finished the season with 49 tackles, two sacks and seven QB hits, while grading out with a 66.2 mark from PFF.
Carr has been with the organization since 2017 and started all 16 games in three consecutive seasons. Since his rookie season in 2008, Carr has been as sturdy as they come not just at the cornerback position but across the entire NFL. He’s suited up and started in all 192 of his career games - a remarkable feat.
It would be nice if the Ravens can find a way to keep him in the fold for another year or two on a team-friendly deal but if not, Carr’s tenure in Baltimore will go down as a memorable one. He’s been a true professional and made a positive impact on and off the field.