The longest current streak of starting assignments for an NFL defensive player seemed in jeopardy until Tuesday afternoon. Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Carr has started 160 straight games -- every contest of his 10-year NFL career -- but he faced the likely possibility of being replaced in the starting lineup this season by 2017 first-round draft choice Marlon Humphrey.

"Everything has to come to an end at some point," Carr said last week. "But my goal, my job, is to come out here and compete, battle for a starting job and to keep the streak alive as long as I can."

On Tuesday, the NFL suspended Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith for the first four games of the 2018 regular-season for violating the league's Personal Conduct Policy, creating a need for Humphrey on the opposite side of the field from Carr, or, if Baltimore already planned to start Humphrey, a spot for Carr to stay in the lineup.

A former Hoover High School and Alabama standout, Humphrey started five games as a rookie in 2017, including the final four when Smith was suspended for violating the NFL's Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances. The suspension coincided with Smith's torn Achilles tendon, which would have kept him off the field anyway.

Humphrey credited Carr with helping get him ready to play in the NFL by sharing the knowledge gained from a decade in the league.

"I used to just guard guys," Humphrey said. "But he showed me there are a lot of things you can think about when it goes down that will help your chances."

The Ravens issued a statement on Smith's suspension: "The Ravens fully support the NFL's decision. The NFL found evidence of threatening and emotionally abusive behaviors by Jimmy toward his former girlfriend that showed a pattern of improper conduct. Our player's behavior was inappropriate and wrong."

Scarred by the Ray Rice scandal five years ago, the Ravens vowed not to draft players connected to domestic violence. But Smith, who's started for Baltimore for the past five seasons, will be welcomed back when his four-game suspension ends.

"As an organization, we have carefully reviewed the matter to determine the appropriate course of action for our team to take as Jimmy's employer," the Ravens' statement read. "We consulted with relationship and domestic-violence experts for their perspectives. We convened a group of Ravens women and men executives not directly involved with our football operations to review the matter. We also engaged in conversations with Jimmy about his past behavior and his intention to change.

"Additionally, it is our understanding that following a long-running and difficult custody dispute with his former girlfriend and mother of his son, Jimmy has resolved his custody and support issues.

"As a result of this entire process, we will allow Jimmy to return to our team after his suspension. Jimmy has acknowledged his behaviors were wrong and accepts full responsibility for them. He has completed a clinical evaluation and has agreed to undertake any follow-up care or treatment that may be recommended. Through our conversations with Jimmy, we believe he is taking the proper steps to improve and that he can change. Jimmy has assured us that he is fully dedicated to making this change. He also understands the consequences if he does not."

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In addition to settling the Ravens' three-cornerbacks-for-two-starting-spots situation, Smith's suspension also might cause Baltimore to carry a cornerback into the regular season who might not have made the team otherwise.

The Ravens have 11 cornerbacks on their preseason roster, and they include Anthony Averett, a fourth-round draft choice from Alabama in April; Jaylen Hill, who made the team last year as an undrafted rookie from Jacksonville State; and Darious Williams, a rookie from UAB trying to do in 2018 what Hill did in 2017.

Smith will miss Baltimore's games against the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers before returning to the team on Oct. 1. That means the Ravens will face all-star receivers A.J. Green, Demaryius Thomas and Antonio Brown without him.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1