Shareece Wright Re-Signs with Ravens: Latest Contract Details and Reaction

Cornerback Shareece Wright appeared to be a lost cause early on in the 2015 season as he slipped down the San Francisco 49ers depth chart. However, he salvaged his campaign after he signed with the Baltimore Ravens, and the team rewarded him for his efforts on Monday. 

The Ravens inked the USC product to a new three-year deal, per Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the deal is worth "up to $16 million with a $4 million signing bonus and $5 million guaranteed."

This is not particularly surprising considering Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reported on March 6 the Ravens and Wright were “making progress on a deal.” Zrebiec even added that Wright was “expected in Baltimore this week to take a physical and likely finalize the deal.”

It looked all but official when Wright took to Twitter to provide an update:

Alas, he will be lacing it up in a Baltimore uniform once again in 2016 and will look to provide much of the same consistent play that made him an important factor in the secondary in the stretch run last year.

He signed with the 49ers before the 2015 campaign after playing four seasons for the San Diego Chargers but found himself behind players such as Tramaine Brock, Kenneth Acker and Keith Reaser on the cornerback depth chart. He asked for his release and was granted it without playing a single regular-season snap in a San Francisco uniform. 

Baltimore picked him up in October after Will Davis was lost to a torn ACL, and he proceeded to play 11 games for the Ravens and post solid numbers:

Season	Team	Games	Combined Tackles	Interceptions	Passes Defended
2011	San Diego Chargers	7	4	0	0
2012	San Diego Chargers	10	17	0	2
2013	San Diego Chargers	13	56	1	9
2014	San Diego Chargers	14	60	0	10
2015	Baltimore Ravens	11	40	0	5

Wright, who will turn 29 on April 8, may be approaching an age where he is no longer in his prime, but he settled into the Baltimore starting lineup alongside Jimmy Smith and quickly bounced back after allowing a touchdown to the San Francisco 49ers’ Torrey Smith in his first game with the Ravens.

Wright has never been someone who creates turnovers from the cornerback position and only has one interception in his career. However, he gives Baltimore an experienced option in the secondary who battled through some adversity in 2015 and still managed to be a contributor. He also provides continuity at the position heading into a new season.

Zrebiec pointed out the Ravens saw Wright as a primary reason they had the league’s top-ranked pass defense in the final eight games of the 2015 campaign, even though they finished a disappointing 5-11.

Zrebiec also noted Lardarius Webb is moving to safety, which leaves Baltimore thin at the cornerback spot. Keeping Wright gives the team another option outside, which will allow Kyle Arrington to man the slot.

At 5’11” and 182 pounds, Wright adds decent size and enough speed on the outside to keep up with plenty of pass-catchers at the NFL level for Baltimore’s secondary. What’s more, he will likely be looking to prove himself long term after he was in the headlines as a result of asking for his release during the 2015 season.

If he plays the way he did for the Ravens in the second half of last year, Baltimore’s decision to re-sign him will be an important step in its quest to return to the postseason after missing out in 2015 for just the second time since 2008.