Former first-round picks Floyd and Ray join Ravens

As the second stage of free agency rolls around, two former first-round picks have found a new home in Baltimore.

Former first-round picks Michael Floyd, a wide receiver, and Shane Ray, a defensive end, have joined the Baltimore Ravens, Floyd officially signed and Ray has agreed to terms pending a physical.

Floyd, a first-round pick in 2012 by Arizona, has become a journeyman in recent years. He caught 10 passes for 100 yards and one touchdown last year with Washington. Floyd has twice been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and was convicted of DUI after the second incident. He spent 24 days in jail and was suspended by the NFL for four games.

After four seasons with the Denver Broncos, Ray will begin the second stage of his career with the Baltimore Ravens. Some might forget that Ray was drafted 23rd overall back in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Ray’s career never took off, and it ended with him barely getting any playing time on a team that was loaded with pass rushers. In his first two seasons with the Broncos, Ray played pretty well. He racked up 12 sacks in 30 games. Unfortunately for him, Ray injured his wrist twice, which led to him missing time on the field. In his last two seasons, he had only two sacks.

The Baltimore Ravens will now attempt to revive Ray’s career. This move to sign Ray is good for both the Ravens and Ray himself. On a team that lost a couple key pass rushers in Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith to free agency, Ray could find himself in a featured role on the defense.

Ray chose the Ravens after also visiting the Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, and Oakland Raiders. All of those teams needed pass rushing help, but with the Ravens, Ray already joins a defense known for its physicality and toughness.

Once a first-round draft pick, Ray has turned into a player on a one-year tryout. If he is able to live up to the potential that he had coming out of college, the Ravens will have gotten a steal. If he continues to struggle and deal with injuries, there will really be no major consequences for the Ravens. Hopefully for Ray, he will be able to turn around his career.