Board got his start with the Ravens as an undrafted linebacker in 2018 who made the 53-man roster.
He played in all but two games his first four years in Baltimore and quickly became a special teams standout, a reputation he has carried throughout his six NFL seasons.
During the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Board played 25% and 30% of the defensive snaps, respectively. He posted 2.5 sacks and 31 tackles in 2020 and had a career-high 41 tackles the following year.
Board left for Detroit in free agency in 2022, then spent last season in New England. The Ravens were in the hunt for another linebacker after the free-agent departure of Del’Shawn Phillips, another special teams standout, to Houston.
Baltimore already brought back Malik Harrison this offseason, so the Ravens would now have four inside linebackers already under contract for 2024 in Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Harrison, and Board.
It’s been a busy week at the Under Armour Performance Center, informally known as the Castle, where the Baltimore Ravens base their team operations as they added another free agent on Friday. According to Equity Sports and first reported by The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, fifth-year veteran cornerback Ka’Dar Hollman has agreed to terms to join the team.
Originally drafted in the sixth round in 2019 out of Toledo, Hollman spent the first two years of his career with the Green Bay Packers before being traded to the Houston Texans. He spent the 2022 season bouncing between the practice squads of the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins before returning to the Texans in 2023.
The 29-year-old appeared in every game for the Texans last season, primarily playing on special teams.
This move certainly won’t impact the Ravens’ strategy heading into the 2024 NFL Draft where cornerback will remain one of their top needs.
Hollman is the fourth player the Ravens have signed to a contract this week and the fourth outside free agent to join the team since the new league year officially opened. The others that signed on the dotted line earlier this week include inside linebacker Chris Board for a second stint with the team, offensive tackle Josh Jones who can play every spot but center, and slot cornerback Arthur Maulet who had the best year of his career in 2023. The Ravens also brought in veteran wide receivers Michael Gallup and Josh Reynolds for free-agent visits so there could still be more additions on the way before the draft.
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