Cornerback Kyle Arrington agreed to take a pay cut to stay with the Ravens this season, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun.
The move comes before the new league year opens Wednesday afternoon, giving General Manger Ozzie Newsome more flexibility going into free agency. The exact terms of the pay cut and amount of cap room it created were not announced. Arrington was reportedly due a $2.1 million base salary this year, with a $2.77 million cap hit.
Arrington was rumored to be a potential cap casualty this offseason, but this move allows him remain with the team.
Arrington, 29, signed a three-year deal with the Ravens reportedly worth $7 million before last season. He ended up starting four games last year, and finished the season with 28 tackles, a forced fumble and three passes defensed.
Playing time for the eight-year veteran bounced up and down throughout the season. He opened the season as the team's nickel cornerback, but he became the fourth corner after the Ravens signed Shareece Wright in Week 6. His playing time did get a bump late in the year when the Ravens moved Lardarius Webb to safety.
While Arrington struggled in his first season with the Ravens, he is a veteran slot cornerback with plenty of big-game experience in his career. Keeping him in Baltimore gives the Ravens a familiar option in the slot, and it allows them to retain all of the key pieces from last year's secondary.
Working out the pay cut with Arrington is just one of the moves the Ravens have made before free agency to clear cap space. The team also re-signed Wright, worked out a restructure/extension with quarterback Joe Flacco and a restructure with right guard Marshal Yanda.
