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Ravens keep starting defense intact by bringing back Brent Urban

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens re-signed Brent Urban to a one-year deal on Tuesday, which means every defensive starter from last year's opener will be coming back in 2018.

Urban started the first three games before suffering a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury, which has been the unfortunate story of his career. The 2014 fourth-round pick has missed 39 games over the past four seasons.

He tore his ACL in his first training camp, which caused him to miss every game of his rookie season. Urban then tore his biceps in his second training camp before returning to play the final six games. After playing in every game in 2016, Urban became a starter for the first time last season before sustaining the foot injury in Baltimore's game in London.

The Ravens struggled to replace him, starting four players Urban's defensive end spot. Baltimore could never get the same pressure from that spot after Urban was placed on injured reserve.

Urban would've become an unrestricted free agent on March 14. The Ravens now have 11 players who are scheduled to be free agents: center Ryan Jensen; wide receivers Mike Wallace and Michael Campanaro; tight end Benjamin Watson; running back Terrance West; quarterback Ryan Mallett; tight end-turned-offensive lineman Crockett Gillmore; offensive linemen James Hurst and Luke Bowanko; linebacker Steven Johnson; and cornerback Brandon Boykin.