Rock

Ya-Sin

Zeitler and the Ravens didn’t reach an agreement ahead of Monday’s deadline. Now set to hit free agency, the veteran guard, who started all 47 games he appeared in for the Ravens since 2021, should have a strong free agent market come next month. Zeitler turns 34 next month and earned a Pro Bowl nod for his 2023 efforts and earned a PFF blocking grade of 71.6. In addition to Zeitler, RB Gus Edwards, CB Rock Ya-Sin, and S Geno Stone are also set to hit free agency after failing to land new deals prior to the deadline. As a result, the Ravens will carry $8.308 million in dead cap into next season.

The Ravens remain at a state of relative health outside of the obvious absence of running back J.K. Dobbins and tight end Mark Andrews. A win against the Jaguars gives the Ravens a stranglehold on the top playoff seed in the AFC.

The Ravens enter a soggy matchup against the Rams with all of their key players upright. The weather could prevent challenges for both offenses, which could result in more ground-heavy attacks from both offenses.

Ya-Sin exited Wednesday’s practice and did not return, although head coach John Harbaugh did say the team didn’t believe it to be serious. While the MRI did not reveal any tears in Ya-Sin’s knee, the veteran corner is reportedly dealing with knee soreness and could be sidelined for some time. It wouldn’t be surprising to take extra precaution with Ya-Sin in the weeks leading up to Week 1’s matchup against the Texans.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ya-Sin underwent a physical today and is “expected” to reach an agreement with Baltimore. The deal is worth up to $6 million. Given that we know the length of the contract, an official announcement should hit the wire shortly. Ya-Sin ended the 2022 season on injured reserve because of a knee injury but seems to be back to full strength. Last year, he broke up seven passes and allowed just one touchdown in coverage while playing on 89 percent of the Raiders’ snaps through 11 games. Ya-Sin could compete for a starting role in Baltimore with a strong showing in training camp.

The 2019 second-round pick spent last season with the Raiders, starting 9-of-11 games before landing on IR. Ya-Sin is one of the better options remaining in free agency after the top corners all signed. The 26-year-old would give the Ravens a veteran to help offset the losses of CBs Kyle Fuller and Marcus Peters.

Ya-Sin ends the final year of his rookie contract with nine starts and seven passes defensed. He has not played a full healthy season since entering the league as a second-rounder in 2019. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and will probably be of interest as a passable outside starter with upside, assuming he’s healthy.

Ngakoue will follow former Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to Indy while Vegas acquires a starting-caliber outside corner. With the Raiders signing Chandler Jones on the same day, they no longer had a starting spot for Ngakoue, making him an expendable player. Outside corner was also a desperate need for them this offseason. Ya-Sin recorded eight pass defenses and allowed 4.8 yards per target across 13 appearances last year. He will slot into a starting role in Week 1.

Edge rusher Kemoko Turay joins Ya-Sin on the Colts’ COVID list. Ya-Sin is the Colts’ No. 3 corner, covering the boundary opposite Xavier Rhodes when Kenny Moore moves into the slot. Indianapolis faces the Cardinals on Saturday.

Indianapolis usually plays a lot of Cover 2 zone defense so Ya-Sin’s absence probably won’t benefit a particular Buffalo receiver. It’s all around bad new for a Colts’ defense that’s going to need all hands on deck against Josh Allen’s juggernaut offense. The matchup for Allen, Stefon Diggs, John Brown, and the rest of the Bills pass catchers just got that much better.