The Ravens added their "safety" net on defense by agreeing to a one-year deal with Ken Hamlin on Thursday.
Hamlin, 29, provides injury insurance for Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed, who isn't expected to be ready for training camp after having a hip procedure last month.
Known as a hard hitter and "a quarterback in the secondary," Hamlin impressed the Ravens in his tryout last week, which came two months after he was released by the Dallas Cowboys. A Ravens official couldn't confirm the agreement because it has yet to be signed.
"It's definitely a good opportunity for me to go to an organization and a defense and a team that Baltimore has," Hamlin told The Baltimore Sun. "I'm blessed to be a part of it. I'm glad that the organization looked at me as an option to play on the team. I'm just happy."
Before Hamlin, the Ravens' only option to replace Reed was Tom Zbikowski, who looked solid in four starts last season. But one of Hamlin's greatest assets is leadership in the secondary. According to The Dallas Morning News, Cowboys coaches liked his ability to communicate and line up everybody in the defensive backfield.
The addition of Hamlin also gives experienced depth to a safety position that is banged up with Reed and backup Haruki Nakamura (ankle). Reed, who is recovering in Colorado, is expected to miss the start of training camp at the very least. The only healthy veterans there are Zbikowski and Dawan Landry.
A seven-year starter with the Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks, Hamlin said the Ravens haven't told him about his role on the team.
"Right now, my role is to learn as much as possible," he said. "We'll see where they want me and how they're going to use me from there. I've got a lot of catching up to do because a lot of those guys have been on that defense for a while. They're comfortable with it, and I have to make sure I'm comfortable with it as well."
Hamlin spent his first four seasons with Seattle before joining Dallas in 2007, when he earned his first Pro Bowl invitation. He set career highs in tackles (102) and interceptions (five), and the Cowboys rewarded him with a six-year, $39 million contract ($15 million guaranteed).
His statistics decreased the next two seasons, when he managed to intercept one pass and break up three others. Hamlin was scheduled to make $5.5 million this season, and the Cowboys released him April 2. Dallas, which wanted more plays out of the free safety position, still has to pay Hamlin a little over $1 million in guarantees.
"He is a smart player who was valuable to us in playing the role of the quarterback in the secondary," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after cutting Hamlin. "We appreciate what he brought to this team -- and this defense -- as a solid player and a competitor."
Hamlin visited the Cincinnati Bengals in April before receiving a two-day tryout with the Ravens last week.
"I don't have anything to prove," he said. "I play at a high level. You're never going to get the numbers that you want stat-wise. I know what I bring to a team. I know the type of player that I am."
Hamlin's biggest challenge came off the field in 2005. He suffered serious injuries to the head when he was hit in the head with a street sign during an altercation outside a Seattle nightclub.
He was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition with a fractured skull, a small blood clot and bruising of the brain tissue.
Hamlin was released three days later, but he didn't play the rest of the season.
Not only did Hamlin return to football in 2006, but he also remains among the hardest-hitting safeties in the league.
"It's just about wanting to go out and get the job done," Hamlin said. "I want to be relied upon, whether it's the pass or the run that I can be relied upon to make the play."
Notes: Free-agent cornerback Walt Harris surprised the Ravens by turning down the team's one-year deal, according to a team source. It is believed Harris didn't want to play for the veteran minimum at this stage of his career. Harris, a 14-year veteran, turns 36 during training camp and could decide to retire. ÃÂÃÂ Ravens left tackle Michael Oher will be among 252 recipients of the Congressional Award Gold Medal in Washington on Wednesday. Oher will receive the Horizon Award for his commitment to serving America's youth. ÃÂÃÂ The Ravens waived five young players Thursday: four undrafted rookies (defensive lineman John Fletcher, cornerback Courtney Smith, safety Brad Jones and safety Ashton Hall) and center Daniel Sanders, who was an undrafted rookie a year ago.