The Ravens are losing a core special teams player and key reserve linebacker as Chris Board has reportedly agreed to terms on a deal with the Detroit Lions.
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec reports that the Ravens were trying to retain Board.
As he enters his fifth season, Board is expected to be a starter in Detroit. He started two games in four years in Baltimore after making the team as an undrafted rookie, so Board is looking for a bigger role.
Board is a standout special teams player and was a leader on the Ravens' elite unit, along with Anthony Levine Sr. and others. Board played 85% of Baltimore's special teams snaps last season.
He was also a strong defensive reserve. Board is coming off a career-high 41 tackles last season, in which he played a career-high 33% of the defensive snaps. He is an effective blitzer who notched 2.5 sacks in 2020 while playing 25% of the snaps.
The Ravens do have other up-and-coming young linebackers, such as Malik Harrison and Kristian Welch, who have played behind starter Patrick Queen. Veteran inside linebackers Josh Bynes and L.J. Fort are unrestricted free agents.
