After an agreement with Michael Brockers fell through, the Ravens pivoted to get another top-flight defensive end.
Baltimore has officially signed former Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe to a one-year deal. He has passed his physical.
"Derek is the type of veteran player who fits our defense perfectly," General Manager Eric DeCosta stated. "He's been on great teams, he's versatile, smart, talented, a tough guy. We are so happy that he's joining our organization."
Brockers had a reported three-year, $30 million deal in principle. ESPN's Adam Schefter and others report that the Ravens secured Wolfe for up to $6 million, with $3 million base salary.
Wolfe, 30, is coming off a season with a career-high seven sacks. Wolfe did it in just 12 games, as his season ended with a dislocated elbow. He appeared to answer questions about his health, however, with this video of him in the weight room.
Standing in at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, Wolfe is a physical presence. He's about 20 pounds lighter than Brockers but has had more pass rush production. Wolfe has 33 sacks over eight seasons while Brockers has notched 23 in the same time frame. Wolfe is also a strong force against the run and has 299 career tackles.
Wolfe was a second-round pick out of Cincinnati who has started every game he's played in as a huge part of a tough Denver defense. He anchored a defensive line that dominated en route to victory in Super Bowl 50 and was a fan favorite in Denver. Wolfe wanted to stay in Denver, but they moved on and signed five-time Pro Bowler Jurrell Casey.
"It's a chance to compete for a Super Bowl. The Ravens] have a great defense," [Wolfe told Denver7’s Troy Renck Saturday.
"It is a make-good deal, but I feel like I have plenty of good football left. I am coming off one of my best seasons. I was on pace for 10-plus sacks. That's my goal to get that every year. … It's going to be weird (not seeing Von Miller and other teammates). And it will be weird being in a different locker room. But I am super stoked."
Wolfe has dealt with a handful of injuries during his career, including a scary spinal cord injury in 2013. He missed five games in 2017 because of a neck injury and had surgery on a pinched nerve. Then came last year's elbow injury. He's played in all 16 games three times in his eight seasons.
Wolfe, next to Brandon Williams and opposite fellow free-agent addition Calais Campbell, will once again give Baltimore one of the best defensive lines in the NFL entering 2020.
