Ravens agree to one-year deal with edge rusher Justin Houston, per report, bolstering pass rush

BALTIMORE — Free-agent edge rusher Justin Houston has agreed to a one-year deal with the Ravens worth up to $4 million,

Houston turned down “significantly more money” from other teams, ESPN reported, to join the Ravens, who are considered Super Bowl contenders.

Houston, 32, was considered one of the top pass rushers still on the market, with four straight seasons of at least nine sacks. Last year, the four-time Pro Bowl selection had eight sacks, 12 quarterback hits and two safeties in 16 games with the Indianapolis Colts.

Houston’s arrival will help soften the blow of the offseason departures of Pro Bowl outside linebacker Matthew Judon and Yannick Ngakoue, who combined for nine sacks in 23 games in Baltimore last season. It could also push third-year outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson to the roster bubble.

In mid-June, coach John Harbaugh said he’d talked with Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta about bringing in another veteran, and Harbaugh said not to rule out the possibility.

“I’m not too worried about any spot on our team,” he said. “But if someone comes available for what we can afford and what makes sense for us, you always love to have more players, more talent, better players. If they’re the right kind of guys that fit into us and want to practice the way we practice, play like the way we play, then heck, yes. We’re always interested in improving ourselves any way we can.”