Ravens agree to deals to keep Wolfe, Bowser

Published Mar. 16, 2021 7:38 p.m. ET

Associated Press

The Baltimore Ravens agreed to a four-year contract with linebacker Tyus Bowser and a three-year deal with defensive lineman Derek Wolfe before they became free agents.

General manager Eric DeCosta announced both deals on Tuesday, one day before the start of the new league year when potential free agents can sign with other teams.

A person familiar with the deal said that Wolfe's new contract is worth $12 million. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because terms were not released.

Bowser's contract is worth a reported $22 million.

Keeping Bowser became a priority after Yannick Ngakoue and Matt Judon got big money from Las Vegas and New England, according to two people familiar with those deals who spoke on condition of anonymity because they can't be announced until Wednesday.

The 25-year-old Bowser is a versatile edge player capable of rushing the passer and dropping into coverage. He had two sacks, 14 quarterback hits and three interceptions last season for Baltimore.

Bowser, a second-round pick by the Ravens in 2017, had a career-high five sacks in 2019.

The 31-year-old Wolfe played 14 games with eight starts last season for the Ravens after signing a $3 million contract to join the team. He had one sack, six tackles for loss, 51 total tackles and four quarterback hits on the season.

He’s part of a defensive line rotation that also includes Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams and Justin Ellis for Baltimore.

Wolfe has 34 career sacks, 52 tackles for loss and 81 quarterback hits in nine NFL seasons. He had a career-high seven sacks in 12 games for Denver in 2019.

The Ravens also announced they had signed linebacker Pernell McPhee to a one-year contract extension before he became a free agent. The 32-year-old McPhee had three sacks and 15 quarterback hits in 15 games last season for Baltimore.

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AP Sports Writer Kyle Hightower contributed to this report

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