The Ravens addressed a nagging weakness by reaching an agreement yesterday with Pro Bowl special teams player Brendon Ayanbadejo.
It's probably not a coincidence that the first free-agent addition of the John Harbaugh era comes with an expertise on special teams, where the Ravens new coach spent most of his career as an NFL assistant.
Ayanbadejo, 31, is considered one of the top special teams players in the game, going to the Pro Bowl the past two seasons for the Chicago Bears.
He will sign his four-year, $4.9 million contract with the Ravens on Monday.
It is believed his $1.9 million signing bonus is among the highest ever given to a special teams player. He is scheduled to earn $3.3 million in the first two years of the deal.
"There are various ways to improve a team, and getting one of the best special teams players in the league is one way," general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a statement. "Brendon plays like a Raven. He has the toughness, intellect and leadership we look for in our players, and we had to throw Coach Harbaugh - a former special teams coach - a little bone with our first free agent."
Ayanbadejo, 6 feet 1, 228 pounds, is expected to boost the Ravens' kickoff and punt coverage teams, both of which ranked in the bottom half of the NFL and continually lost the field-position battle.
The Ravens also project him to be a primary backup at inside linebacker.
One of the reasons Ayanbadejo wanted to leave the Bears was the lack of opportunities on defense.
The Ravens are strong at inside linebacker with Ray Lewis and Bart Scott, but they didn't have a proven backup until they added Ayanbadejo. He also had an offer from the New York Jets.
Ayanbadejo was sent to NFL Europe by the Ravens in 2001 before being cut days before training camp began. His older brother, Obafemi, won a Super Bowl with the Ravens.
"His style of play and demeanor is great for the Ravens," Harbaugh said in a statement. "Teams will have to scheme to try and handle Brendon."
Note -- The Ravens were among eight teams that watched Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco throw at his school's Pro Day yesterday. According to observers, he had good timing on his throws and was accurate. Flacco is expected to go anywhere from late in the first round to the middle of the second.jamison.hensley@baltsun.com
