Ronald

Darby

An abrupt retirement, to be sure, Darby hangs it up after signing a one-year contract with the Texans in March. Darby started his career as a second-round pick of the Bills, but was dealt to the Eagles ahead of his third season and won a Super Bowl with Philadelphia. From there, the oft-injured cornerback became a journeyman, playing one year each with the Commanders, Ravens, and Jaguars. He also played two years with the Broncos. When healthy, Darby was a steady outside cornerback in a league that always needed them.

Darby is now on his fourth team in four seasons after being one-and-done with the Jaguars. The 31-year-old corner started in 12 of the 13 games he appeared in last season, earning a PFF coverage grade of 59.3 while allowing opposing receivers to go for 44-605-5 against him. A reliable vet with plenty of starting experience to offer, Darby is likely best suited for a depth role in DeMeco Ryans’ defense, but he’s more than capable of making the occasional spot start when needed.

The 31-year-old veteran’s release clears $2.4 million in cap space and leaves behind slightly more in dead money. He was halfway into a two-year deal. Darby mostly struggled for the lottery-bound Jags last season and was made a healthy scratch for the final few games. Now officially a journeyman, Darby’s next squad will be his fourth in as many seasons. He could have a hard time landing guaranteed money this time around.

Darby is a healthy scratch for the Week 16 contest against Las Vegas. The 30-year-old agreed to a two-year deal with Jacksonville back in March, but it sounds like his time as a member of the Jaguars may end prematurely.

The veteran cornerback enters his age-30 season coming off a one-year stint with the Ravens, amassing 28 tackles and seven pass defenses across 16 appearances, seven of which were starts. The aging corner does not have the burst and quickness he once did earlier in his career and is unlikely to be a full-time corner at this stage of his career, but he retains the ability to contribute to various packages in the secondary and is getting paid as more than a backup player. The Jaguars had the fastest top-to-bottom defense in the league in 2023, which could be part of the reason the team brought in Darby and his 4.38 speed after also signing Darnell Savage and his 4.36 speed earlier in the day.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Darby’s deal is worth up to $3.2 million. The veteran corner visited with the Ravens shortly after it was announced Marlon Humphrey would be sidelined with a foot injury and is now set to join the team. Darby suffered a torn ACL in Week 5 of last season but appears ready to get back to work after making several free-agent visits over the last few weeks. He provides some much-needed depth to the Ravens’ secondary, even when Humphrey returns.

Darby’s meeting with the Ravens comes days after the team announced Marlon Humphrey would be sidelined with a foot injury. Darby has made the free agent rounds over the last few weeks, having also visited with the Texans and Titans. He started all five games he appeared in last season for the Broncos and earned a PFF coverage grade of 66.3. He would be an immediate upgrade for a Ravens cornerbacks group that is thin behind Humphrey.

The Titans are in search of help in the secondary and are interested in Darby’s services. Darby spent last season with the Broncos but saw his season come to an end when he suffered a torn ACL in Week 5. The 29-year-old vet started all five games he appeared in last season and earned a PFF coverage grade of 66.3 after allowing 10 receptions for 111 scoreless yards. In addition to the Titans, Darby also met with the Texans earlier this summer.

Darby was a cap casualty of the Broncos earlier this offseason, as the team opted to cut ties with him for $12.7 million in savings. A torn ACL in Week 5 ended his 2022 campaign, but the veteran cornerback was playing well prior to his injury. Entering his age-29 season, Darby should have plenty left in the tank to serve as added depth in Houston’s secondary but will need to show he’s near a full recovery from last year’s season-ending injury.

Denver recoups $12.7 million in cap space by cutting Darby. The veteran corner broke up five passes and forced one fumble before going down with a torn ACL in Week 5 last year. Pro Football Focus also had him with a strong defensive grade before the injury. Darby’s next contract and landing spot will depend on his recovery from the knee injury. If he is expected to ready by training camp, there should be a few suitors looking for a veteran presence and a potential starter at outside corner. A prolonged rehab time would obviously hurt his prospects.