The Ravens have tendered restricted free agent defensive end Arthur Jones at the second-round level, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reported Monday.
Selected in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Jones has become a key contributor on the Ravens’ defensive line. His impact increased down the stretch in 2012, and he notched a sack and recovered a fumble in the Ravens’ Super Bowl XLVII victory. Arthur Jones is the older brother of Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones and UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
In addition to giving Arthur Jones a second-round tender, the Ravens did the same for tight end Dennis Pitta, a fourth-rounder in 2010.
Wilson and NFL Network’s Albert Breer also reported that the Ravens gave third-year tight end Ed Dickson an original-round RFA tender. Dickson was a third-round pick in 2010, meaning Baltimore would get a corresponding pick in 2013 if he signed an offer sheet that the club declined to match.
The success of Arthur Jones, Dickson and Pitta is illustrative to understanding how the Ravens have been consistently competitive for more than a decade. The Ravens didn’t ace the 2010 draft; second-round pick Terrence Cody has been just serviceable, and fellow second-rounder Sergio Kindle is no longer with the club (though an accident Kindle endured as a rookie can’t be overlooked in his case). However, Dickson and Pitta -- selected with two of the three picks acquired from the Broncos in Denver’s trade to secure Tim Tebow -- are the Ravens’ top two tight ends, and Jones looks like a player on the rise.