Buffaloes in the NFL: Baltimore Ravens re-sign Jimmy Smith

The Baltimore Ravens secured a deal on Monday to keep veteran cornerback Jimmy Smith with the team through the 2020 season, making him the longest tenured player on the roster.

Smith, 31, enters his tenth NFL season with a 1-year contract worth up to $6 million. The move keeps the Ravens’ talented secondary intact alongside All-Pros Marcus Peters, Marlon Humphrey and Earl Thomas. A strong force behind Baltimore’s sixth-ranked pass defense (207.2 yards per game) and third-lowest points allowed in the league (17.6 point per game).

Many believed Smith would test the market in free agency, but he stayed in Baltimore. A first round pick 2011, Smith has an impressive 329 tackles, 14 interceptions, 70 pass deflections, along with three touchdowns in 107 career games. He has never made it to a Pro Bowl, but he’s considered one of the most consistent corners in the game when healthy.

Perhaps the most memorable part for the former Buffs standout came with an end zone pass breakup against Michael Crabtree on the final play of Super Bowl XLVII. Smith helped preserve a 34-31 win for the Ravens over the San Francisco 49ers.

Smith is one of 24 first-round picks in CU history and the last Buffs player to go in the opening round of the NFL Draft. Hopefully that mark of nearly a decade will be broken by wide receiver Laviska Shenualt later this year.