OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens have shown they can make productive additions late in the offseason.
No wonder hopes are so high for Eddie Jackson, the veteran safety they signed in the past few days.
“We seem to do this all the time, just get these vets that come here and do so much for us during the season,” All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton said Tuesday. “It’s going to be so big for us to have him as part of the team.”
Last year the Ravens added Jadeveon Clowney in August and Kyle Van Noy in late September, and those two combined for 18 1/2 sacks. In 2021, Baltimore signed Justin Houston around the start of training camp, and he gave the Ravens 14 sacks over the next two seasons. Now the 30-year-old Jackson arrives after seven years with the Chicago Bears.
“It just felt like a perfect fit,” Jackson said. “Just knowing what they have in this building and the tradition of things, I just knew it (was) a perfect fit for me to come in and compete and do what I (have) to do to help the team get better and hopefully win the Super Bowl.”
Jackson was an All-Pro in 2018 and made the Pro Bowl that season and the following one. He’s one of three defensive backs to produce double-digit interceptions (15) and forced fumbles (10) since 2017, the year he entered the league. The other two are current Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey and ex-Baltimore cornerback Marcus Peters.
Jackson and Humphrey played together at Alabama. And Jackson is from South Florida and said he grew up about 15 minutes from Baltimore’s other Jackson — star quarterback Lamar.
“Basically call him my cousin because (we’re) both Jacksons,” Eddie Jackson said. “To be on the same team as him is like one of those type of feelings. Just seeing what he brings to this game, to this league. Just how he (is) himself all of the time. And just how everyone rallies around him is special.”
Eddie Jackson has also played with Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith when they were in Chicago. He knows running back Derrick Henry from college, as well as receiver Zay Flowers and cornerback Trayvon Mullen, who are from Florida.
“It seems like we’ve got a really Florida team, so he’ll really fit right in,” Humphrey said. “I loved Eddie when I played with him at Bama. Obviously he’s a ball hawk — already had a pick-6 I think yesterday.”
Lamar Jackson (illness) has been absent from practice this week, but the Ravens are otherwise pretty healthy. Jackson joins the defensive backfield after the offseason departure of Geno Stone, who had a team-high seven interceptions last season.
“I’m very excited to bring in Eddie Jackson,” coach John Harbaugh said. “I remember him running to the ball for Alabama when we’re looking at the draft and having all of these good years in Chicago (and) playing against him.”
NOTES: Humphrey said he slimmed down a bit for this season. He’s around 190 pounds after playing the past couple seasons around 200. … Harbaugh said T Daniel Faalele will get a look at guard. The Ravens lost three starters on their offensive line and there’s now competition for those spots. … Harbaugh on Lamar Jackson’s return: “It’s just a matter of when the doctors are going to clear him.”
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