Will Hill: Odd Man Out In Baltimore
By Joe Serpico
The Baltimore Ravens have announced that they will release safety Will Hill.
Update – 5:20 p.m.: Hill has reportedly been suspended for 10 games for violating league rules on the substance abuse policy. It’s his fourth suspension in as many years.
We knew someone would be the odd man out with the acquisition of Eric Weddle. No one would have guess that Will Hill would be the one on his way out of Baltimore.
The Ravens will release Hill after starting 14 games for them last season. It’s a stunning move considering he was the top safety on the roster last season. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 17th-best safety last season and he had favorable numbers across the board. Obviously, the front office had a different opinion on Hill.
Baltimore will create another $2.84 million in cap room with the move, but comes as a shocker after they just gave Hill a two-year, $7 million extension before the start of the season. He is still young at 26, and many thought was the ideal candidate to start alongside Weddle.
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The decision to part ways with Hill opens the door for Lardarius Webb to step in as the starting safety opposite their new defensive addition. Webb did start the final two games of the season at safety over Hill. Webb gives the Ravens a more rangy player, which the secondary desperately needs after finishing last in interceptions a season ago. What remains to be seen is if Webb is ready for a prominent role in the back end of the defense.
Most expected the Ravens to be quiet during free agency, but they have been very active at the start of the new NFL season. They have reworked several contracts, signed free agents that they feel will impact this team immediately and have let go off some key members of last year’s squad as well. Ozzie Newsome has attacked this team’s flaws aggressively this offseason.
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Will Hill was not a Raven for long, but had one of the more memorable plays in recent memory when he returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the win over the Cleveland Browns this season. It was one of the few turnovers we saw from the Ravens last season.