The release of the 2015 NFL schedule buried what might have been the most important bit of Ravens news on Tuesday: the team signed cornerback Jimmy Smith to a contract extension.
Smith, the 27th overall pick in the NFL draft in 2011, agreed to a four-year, $48 million extension that keeps him under contract with the Ravens through the 2019 season.
After injury and ineffectiveness took a toll on the Ravens' secondary in 2014 -- and especially in the AFC divisional round loss to the New England Patriots -- locking up Smith, the team's best cornerback, before he hit free agency next year was applauded by many, despite his history of injuries.