Ravens to reunite with defensive veteran, special teams ace

Chris Board is heading back to where he started his NFL career. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports that the free-agent linebacker is signing with the Ravens.

The 2018 UDFA out of North Dakota State got his NFL start with the Ravens. He only missed a pair of regular-season games during his first four years in Baltimore, transforming into one of the team’s top special teams aces. Board also got a look on defense during his final two seasons with the Ravens, compiling 72 tackles and 2.5 sacks between those two campaigns.

Board spent the 2022 season with the Lions, serving in a similar role to his final years in Baltimore. He reverted back to just a special teams role with the Patriots in 2023. In 17 games in New England, Board got into only a single defensive snap, although he did log a career-high 407 ST snaps.

As Ryan Mink of the Ravens website points out, Baltimore has been in the hunt for a player like Board since they lost Del’Shawn Phillips in free agency. Phillips got into 81 defensive snaps this past season but played on a career-high 375 special teams snaps. Board will likely see a similar role in 2024 as an inside linebackers option behind Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, and recent re-signee Malik Harrison.