Baltimore Ravens Agree to Terms with James Ihedigbo

After signing veteran quarterback Dennis Dixon on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens made another notable move.

The team has reportedly signed veteran safety James Ihedigbo.

The 28-year-old was released by the New England Patriots on Friday, despite the fact that he started 12 games for the AFC champion Patriots in 2011. 

In 2011, Ihedigbo recorded 69 tackles and had one pass defended. He is not known for his cover skills, but rather his tackling ability, which is why he will likely be used on special teams.

The decision to sign Ihedigbo may be because of the slow recovery by safety Sean Considine, who has been struggling with concussion symptoms. The addition of Ihedigbo will help neutralize the loss of Emmanuel Cook, who suffered a broken leg in the third preseason game.

Cook's and Ihedgibo's styles of play are quite similar, as they are both primarily special team safeties who can also be used in the secondary in certain situations.

Signing Ihedigbo isn't a major improvement to the Baltimore secondary, but it helps to add more veteran leadership to an already experienced group of safeties.

Only time will tell if this signing is a good move for the Ravens. Prior to 2011, Ihedigbo had been rather ineffective, playing in just 37 games in his first three seasons in the NFL.

The fact that Ihedigbo was released by a team with a fairly poor secondary may be a sign that his 12 starts in 2011 don't necessarily mean he is a good safety. 

If the Ravens want to get the most out of Ihedigbo, he needs to be used primarily on special teams and have defense as an afterthought.