Ravens tight end Ben Watson has agreed to take a pay cut, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If Watson is healthy, the deal could improve his chances of making the final 53-man cut. 
Watson was previously slated to make $3MM in the coming season. Instead, he’ll now take in a base salary of $1.25MM with more than half of that sum ($750K) fully guaranteed. The deal also has incentive opportunities that can bring him back up to the original $3MM mark.
Watson could be key for the Ravens in the coming year now that Dennis Pitta is out of the picture. Last year, Pitta battled back from multiple hip injuries to turn in one of the best seasons of his career. Watson might not be able to match his production – Pitta caught 86 passes for 729 yards and two scores – but he could help to fill the void.
Watson, 36, signed a two-year, $7MM contract with Baltimore last spring, but never made it on the field after going down in August. In 2015, he had 74 receptions for 825 yards and six touchdowns for the Saints.