Ravens Free Agency 2023: Ravens re-sign ILB Del’Shawn Phillips to one-year deal

On Sunday morning, the Baltimore Ravens reportedly agreed to terms to re-sign inside linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips on a one-year contract.

Phillips, 26, is entering his fourth career season. He joined the Ravens last season after previously playing for the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. Phillips appeared in 16 games and played only one defensive snap compared to 258 snaps on special teams.

In 2019, Phillips was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent after a standout senior season at Illinois. The Falcons released him prior to the regular season in August, though, before he joined the Bills.

Phillips has primarily been a special teams contributor through three seasons. In 2021, he saw his most extensive defensive action to-date for the Jets, playing 160 defensive snaps and starting one game. He finished that year with 31 combined tackles, one sack and a fumble recovery.

The Ravens value player’s special teams abilities more than most teams around the league, so the decision to re-sign Phillips is not overly surprising. Specifically at the inside linebacker position, the Ravens have a recent history of rostering at least one player who is almost exclusively a special teams contributor.