Report: Injured tackle James signs 2-year deal with Ravens

Free-agent offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James is signing a two-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens worth up to $9 million, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

James, who ruptured his Achilles in early May, will make $500,000 in guaranteed money this year as he rehabs and more than $8 million in 2022, Schefter reports. He's expected to miss the entire 2021 campaign.

The 29-year-old opted out of last season due to COVID-19 concerns.

James signed a four-year, $51-million deal with the Denver Broncos in 2019 but the club released him shortly after he injured his Achilles. Denver deemed the incident a non-football injury since it occurred while he was working out away from the team facility.

In response, the veteran blocker filed a grievance against the Broncos on Monday. He's seeking to recover his $10-million salary for the 2021 season and $5 million (his guarantees) for 2022.

James was one of the league's better right tackles when healthy and could provide stability at the position in 2022 for a Ravens squad that dealt Orlando Brown to the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason.

Alejandro Villanueva, who was brought in after the Brown trade, is expected to start at right tackle in 2021.

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