Ronald

Darby

The veteran cornerback enters his age-30 season coming off a one-year stint with the Ravens, amassing 28 tackles and seven pass defenses across 16 appearances, seven of which were starts. The aging corner does not have the burst and quickness he once did earlier in his career and is unlikely to be a full-time corner at this stage of his career, but he retains the ability to contribute to various packages in the secondary and is getting paid as more than a backup player. The Jaguars had the fastest top-to-bottom defense in the league in 2023, which could be part of the reason the team brought in Darby and his 4.38 speed after also signing Darnell Savage and his 4.36 speed earlier in the day.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Darby’s deal is worth up to $3.2 million. The veteran corner visited with the Ravens shortly after it was announced Marlon Humphrey would be sidelined with a foot injury and is now set to join the team. Darby suffered a torn ACL in Week 5 of last season but appears ready to get back to work after making several free-agent visits over the last few weeks. He provides some much-needed depth to the Ravens’ secondary, even when Humphrey returns.

Darby’s meeting with the Ravens comes days after the team announced Marlon Humphrey would be sidelined with a foot injury. Darby has made the free agent rounds over the last few weeks, having also visited with the Texans and Titans. He started all five games he appeared in last season for the Broncos and earned a PFF coverage grade of 66.3. He would be an immediate upgrade for a Ravens cornerbacks group that is thin behind Humphrey.

The Titans are in search of help in the secondary and are interested in Darby’s services. Darby spent last season with the Broncos but saw his season come to an end when he suffered a torn ACL in Week 5. The 29-year-old vet started all five games he appeared in last season and earned a PFF coverage grade of 66.3 after allowing 10 receptions for 111 scoreless yards. In addition to the Titans, Darby also met with the Texans earlier this summer.

Darby was a cap casualty of the Broncos earlier this offseason, as the team opted to cut ties with him for $12.7 million in savings. A torn ACL in Week 5 ended his 2022 campaign, but the veteran cornerback was playing well prior to his injury. Entering his age-29 season, Darby should have plenty left in the tank to serve as added depth in Houston’s secondary but will need to show he’s near a full recovery from last year’s season-ending injury.

Denver recoups $12.7 million in cap space by cutting Darby. The veteran corner broke up five passes and forced one fumble before going down with a torn ACL in Week 5 last year. Pro Football Focus also had him with a strong defensive grade before the injury. Darby’s next contract and landing spot will depend on his recovery from the knee injury. If he is expected to ready by training camp, there should be a few suitors looking for a veteran presence and a potential starter at outside corner. A prolonged rehab time would obviously hurt his prospects.

It’s a torn ACL, and the corner will likely be placed on injured reserve shortly. The corner suffered the injury in the second quarter while breaking up a Matt Ryan floater. Darby will turn 29 in January and, at a $13 million cap figure for 2023, is probably a release candidate after this news. Darby had a 66.3 PFF coverage grade in 280 snaps this season.

Darby broke up a pass in the second quarter of Thursday night’s game against the Colts and headed for the sideline after the play. He left under his own power and was seen on the sideline speaking with trainers. Darby has started all four games for the Broncos this season and has yet to allow a touchdown on 17 targets.

Fangio said the same of cornerback Ronald Darby, who is dealing with a shoulder issue. Neither payer practiced on Wednesday. The Broncos have nothing to play for so it would be surprising to see either player rushed back for Denver’s game versus the Cheifs on Saturday. Assuming both players are out, Kansas City’s Week 18 matchup just got significantly easier.

There are no surprises here. It is possible Bridgewater (concussion) is done for the year.