Russell Street Report Street Talk Webb Confident in Ravens’ Third CB Options

OWINGS MILLS — The Baltimore Ravens wanted to keep Corey Graham.

If they could have, they would have gone into this season with their depth chart at cornerback intact, including the top three spots with Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith as the starters and Graham as the trusted nickel back.

Graham ended up signing with the Bills as a free agent, but the Ravens are voicing confidence that Chykie Brown or Asa Jackson can step into that nickel role and help to replace Graham.

“They’re going to be big for us coming up this year,” Webb said after an organized team activity practice last week.

Ravens officials have talked about adding competition for that third corner job throughout the offseason, but Baltimore did not take any cornerbacks in the NFL draft and has not signed any free agent cornerbacks aside from the four undrafted rookies it signed after the draft.

“[General manager Ozzie Newsome] knows he has two great, young guys that are coming up,” Webb said.

Brown was a fifth-round pick of Baltimore in 2011.

He didn’t see much time on defense as a rookie, but he saw time as the Ravens’ nickel back in 2012 due to injury and got in in some sub-packages last year.

Defensive coordinator Dean Pees said during training camp last year that Brown has improved as much as anyone on Baltimore’s roster since he was drafted in 2011.

He is the early favorite to win the third corner job.

“Chykie Brown has been playing good,” Webb said. “He’s had his chance to get out on the field and [gain] experience. But now, he gets thrown in and it’s his. He’s going to get to show you all what he’s capable of.”

But Jackson is in the mix, too.

Read more of Webb’s thoughts on replacing Corey Graham at The Carroll County Times…