Darian Stewart Contract: Will the Ravens keep the safety?
Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens free safety
Darian Stewart(24) celebrates with Ravens head coach John Harbaugh (R) after intercepting a pass in the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. The Ravens won 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
After a season marred by injuries and depletion, the Baltimore Ravens have another member of their secondary who will be hitting the free agency market this offseason. The Ravens acquired strong safety Darian Stewart this past summer after he spent his first four seasons with the St. Louis Rams.
Stewart, just like the rest of Baltimore’s secondary, struggled early in the season. However, he really came on strong towards the end of the year. The South Carolina product finished the season with 53 tackles, along with an interception and a forced fumble.
According to ESPN.com‘s Jamison Hensley, there are people within the Ravens organization who believe Stewart is one of the more underrated players on this team. But did he show them enough to warrant a new contract?
Quite honestly, there is not one player in the Ravens’ secondary who should feel comfortable about their roster spot on this team. The secondary unit is one of the paramount reasons why Baltimore will be watching the rest of the playoffs from their couches. Despite Stewart’s improvement over the course of the season, there are certainly some upgrades available at the position, including teammate Will Hill, who is a restricted free agent, as well as Antrel Rolle of the Giants.
There are three questions that need to be answered: How much does he deserve? How much will he ultimately get paid? Where will he sign?
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Answering the first question is somewhat tough. By no means is Stewart the safety of the future in Baltimore. The initial contract Stewart signed with the Ravens was for one year and worth $1.3 million, with a $300,000 signing bonus. His numbers improved from his last season in St. Louis, but he also played three more games this year.
Based on his play this season, there is no way he deserves more than what he was paid for 2014, especially considering the Ravens have just under $6 million in cap space at their disposal.
I believe the priority at the safety position should be to get Will Hill re-signed. He was the most impressive player in the secondary, despite playing only ten games during the regular season.
When breaking down the rest of the free agent safeties, a number of players stand out who made similar pay in 2014, including Jimmy Wilson of the Dolphins, Rahim Moore of the Broncos, and Sergio Brown of the Colts, all of which could be potential upgrades. Based on what’s out there, a fair deal for Stewart would be a two-year, $3 million contract at best.
With the crop of players that are on the market, Stewart is likely to fly under the radar, so if the Ravens were to keep him, he could most likely be had for a bargain.
So where will Stewart end up? He has a 50-50 chance of returning to Baltimore in my opinion. There’s no question which players are at the top of the Ravens’ priority list this offseason, and Stewart isn’t one of them. If by some chance the Ravens can’t afford any of the other safeties in free agency, Stewart could be a cheap, yet solid fall-back option.
There are plenty of teams out there who need secondary help and may be able to outbid the Ravens, including the Buccaneers, Redskins, and Falcons. One of the only reasons I could see Stewart staying put is Secondary/Assistant Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo, who coached the safety in St. Louis. However, considering the Ravens have two young safeties in Matt Elam and Terrence Brooks, whom they’re hoping will pan out, Stewart may be the odd man out.