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Free agent safety Matt Elam arrested on drug charges

By Brad Berreman

Jan 1, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens strong safety Matt Elam (33) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens strong safety Matt Elam (33) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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 Matt Elam will be a free agent when the NFL league year starts, and his arrest Sunday morning won’t help his cause.

It’s been said that nothing good happens after midnight, and former Baltimore Ravens safety Matt Elam apparently found that out on Sunday. According to Pro Football Talk, Elam was arrested in the Miami area on various drug charges and booked in jail at 3:45 a.m. Sunday morning.

Elam was originally pulled over for reckless driving, but a subsequent search found 126 grams of marijuana and three grams of oxycodone. He was charged with one count of cannabis possession, one count of possession of cannabis with intent to sell or deliver, one count of possession of a controlled substance and one count of reckless driving. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reported Elam is being held on $15,500 bond.

The Ravens drafted Elam in the first round (32nd overall) in 2013, but he quickly fell out of favor after starting 15 games as a rookie. He was benched during the 2014 season due to especially poor play, then he missed the entire 2015 season with a torn bicep. Elam was also suspended for one game during the 2015 campaign for what Ravens’ team officials cited as a self-reported violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, which he served while injured.

Elam started the 2016 season on injured reserve-designated to return after knee surgery in August, then played on special teams for the Ravens in nine games of action when he returned.

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Baltimore, unsurprisingly, did not pick up Elam’s 2017 fifth-year contract option last offseason. So he will be a free agent next month, and an already limited market for his services is sure to completely go away until his situation is resolved. Given the serious nature of the charges related to intent to sell or deliver drugs, Elam’s NFL career may just be over at 25 years old.

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