Ravens trade for Rams cornerback Marcus Peters as AFC playoff race heats up

The Baltimore Ravens bolstered the talent and depth of their secondary Tuesday by trading for Los Angeles Rams cornerback Marcus Peters.

The two teams announced the deal Tuesday afternoon. The Ravens are sending linebacker Kenny Young and an undisclosed 2020 draft pick to the Rams in exchange for Peters.

The Ravens enter Week 7 atop the AFC North division with a 4-2 record -- two games ahead of the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers in second place. They have established themselves as legitimate contenders in the AFC, and upgrading the secondary was a smart move given the possibility of playoff matchups against the high-powered offenses of the New England Patriots, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs in January. Peters has two games of playoff experience against the Patriots, including a Super Bowl LIII loss in February.

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Pro Football Focus has graded Peters as the 13th-best cornerback in the NFL (minimum 150-plus snaps played) through six weeks. He joins a Baltimore defense that ranks 25th in passing yards allowed per game. The Ravens pass defense also has given up six passing touchdowns and tallied five interceptions over six games.

Peters is a two-time Pro Bowler (2015-16) and earned an All-Pro first team selection in 2016.

The 2019 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. ET.