Lardarius Webb just received a lucrative six-year contract extension with the Baltimore Ravens. Now he's out to prove the $50-million deal was a bargain.
“There are plenty of things that I can do better,” Webb told The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday. “I can be an All-Pro. I can make the Pro Bowl. I can get nine (interceptions). There are a lot of things that I can do to improve my game. Money doesn’t change what I want to be in life. I want to go to Canton. I want to be the best to ever play cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens.”
Lofty goals for the 26-year-old, who enjoyed the best season of his three-year career in 2011. He had five interceptions, didn't allow a touchdown pass, and was the only player in football to return both a punt and interception for a score. Fully recovered from the anterior cruciate ligament tear suffered in his rookie season, he's become a standout player on a premier secondary.
“Last year was Jimmy Smith and Cary Williams‘ first year playing,” Webb said. “I think the secondary changed completely. This year, they’ll be a year older and a year better. They can do nothing but get better. These guys are growing and understanding the game. We’re getting used to playing next to each other. With me, Jimmy Smith, Cary Williams and then Bernard Pollard and Ed Reed, there are not five guys better. We have the best secondary in football.”
Reed and Ray Lewis represent the face of the Ravens' defense, but the unit has remained dominant for a long stretch because it continues to supplement its veteran core with finds like Webb, a third-round pick in the 2009 Draft.