The Ravens 2013 draft class is now on the books.
First-round pick Matt Elam agreed in principle to a four-year contract on Thursday. The deal also includes a team option for a fifth year. The deal is reportedly worth $6.767 million, and includes a $3.301 million signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
Elam is expected to sign the contract when he reports for training camp on July 21.
He waited until now to agree to his contract because he did not have an agent. Elam ultimately decided not to hire representation, and negotiated the deal on his own. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, the rookie wage scale is relatively set, so there is not much leeway for an agent to even negotiate with the team.
Despite just reaching the deal, Elam still participated in the entire offseason program after the Ravens drafted him with the 32nd-overall pick.
The All-American out of Florida has impressed during his first couple of months in Baltimore, showing good speed, ball skills and awareness in practice. He's constantly around the football and has gotten the better of quarterback Joe Flacco on a few occasions.
"Matt Elam is what we expected and maybe a little bit more," Secondary Coach Teryl Austin said during minicamp. "[He's] going through the usual changes that a rookie goes through, but he's smart. He's tough, he's fast, he gets football, and I think he is going to be a fine player for us soon."
Elam is competing for a starting job along with veterans Michael Huff and James Ihedigbo. All three safeties have the versatility to play the free safety or strong safety spots, and Elam could make an immediate impact on the defense.
"My goal is to continue to get better and do whatever I can to help the team win," Elam said. "That's my first goal – to continue to improve and get better. I just want to do whatever I can to help this team win."
