The impact of franchising Flacco...who could be lost

[jonboy79]

Q is gone, unless he takes a pay cut, Ray will probably be asked to take a pay cut, but I don't see him getting cut, especially with the way the DL played, Willis would have had trouble behind our DL. Birk is gone, Williams is gone, I think Jones stays, I think depends on what type of OC they bring in, if they go WC will a 4mil FB be worth it. I would like to see McClain gone, pending his injury, think the cap hit is to high unless they can get Ellerbe at a good price. Reed will Retire he will not put his pride down and he is just to banged up to go somewhere else. Be really surprised if he takes 3mil, can't see them offer him more than that.

Don't be surprised if some restructuring takes place (Ngata and Suggs) Ngata should take a pay cut based off of his performance the past 1.5 years at his price he should causing more Mendenhall type fumbles and blowing plays up.

Ngata's problems havent been Ngata, but everyone else. The first 4 games each of the past 2 years he's played at a DPOY level, and then he begins to break down. the problem is that he plays far too high a percentage of this teams snaps, commands double teams on every snap and simply wears down faster then we would like. Get him some help, and give him a bit more breather breaks and we will see that DPOY -type player for a longer period of time each year.

[Sua Sponte]

I know the supporting cast sucks, but a guy making 10mil a year finds a few plays ever game, Ngata has not been finding those plays and a few games a non-factor. I'm a huge Ngata fan and know he has been hurt, but he has disappeared as of late.

[JustaslowZ06]

Q is gone, unless he takes a pay cut, Ray will probably be asked to take a pay cut, but I don't see him getting cut, especially with the way the DL played, Willis would have had trouble behind our DL. Birk is gone, Williams is gone, I think Jones stays, I think depends on what type of OC they bring in, if they go WC will a 4mil FB be worth it. I would like to see McClain gone, pending his injury, think the cap hit is to high unless they can get Ellerbe at a good price. Reed will Retire he will not put his pride down and he is just to banged up to go somewhere else. Be really surprised if he takes 3mil, can't see them offer him more than that.

Don't be surprised if some restructuring takes place (Ngata and Suggs) Ngata should take a pay cut based off of his performance the past 1.5 years at his price he should causing more Mendenhall type fumbles and blowing plays up.

I seem to remembr Ngatas contract being severly front loaded because we had the space. He has a high cap number this year than the rest of the deal it goes down significantly. I doubt they mess with it. Suggs was also so not sure why he's counting so much towards the cap now.

[B-more Ravor]

This was 2011. Birk ended the year with a knee injury and wasn't even sure if he was going to retire or not. Next thing you know the Ravens are signing him to a 3 year deal with a big balloon payment starting year 2. That deal forces them to cut him and eat a lot of dead money. The way they structured it they had to know it was going to happen. It never made sense to me.

It's essentially a one-year, $3M deal. It's structured the way it is because, at the time, they didn't have $3M in Cap space to allocate to him, so he got the veteran minimum for his time of service $925K and a $2.1M bonus. That gave him to lowest possible 2012 Cap number, while still earning $3M.

So, yes, it's going to create dead money in 2013 - something they most certainly understood - but that was the only way to structure it and fit him in under the Cap in 2012.

[B-more Ravor]

Don't be surprised if some restructuring takes place (Ngata and Suggs) Ngata should take a pay cut based off of his performance the past 1.5 years at his price he should causing more Mendenhall type fumbles and blowing plays up.

They may well restructure some deals as a way of creating additional Cap space, but I highly doubt that they ask Ngata for a paycut. Rarely do players take paycuts, even when restructuring, and the team has no leverage to try and force him to do so. Most of the time a request for a paycut comes with an "or else" in the form of the threat of being released. The Ravens can't release him because that would actually cost them more against the Cap than he's going to cost to be on the team.

I seem to remembr Ngatas contract being severly front loaded because we had the space. He has a high cap number this year than the rest of the deal it goes down significantly. I doubt they mess with it. Suggs was also so not sure why he's counting so much towards the cap now.

Under his contract, Ngata's Cap numbers have been $7.1M (2011), $10.4M (2012), $11.5M (2013), $16M (2014) and $16M (2015). For cash purposes, the deal was heavily front-loaded in the form of a $25M signing bonus in Sept of 2011 and a $10M option bonus his past March, but for Cap purposes, it was back-loaded - as are most NFL contracts.

[B-more Ravor]

Looking at this chart I think if Ray Lewis wants to come back he's going to come back. $3 million is just too much dead money. They're not going to push him out the door. He could still end up retiring which means the Ravens are forced to eat it but for that money it's going to be Ray's decision.

I don't know. At this point, I don't think the team - or any team - is going to be dissuaded by the dead money as long as the savings makes it worthwhile. While Ray is most definitely a unique player, thus making it a unique decision, the savings of $4.35M is substantial. In fact, just as an example, if they were to get Flacco signed to a reasonable long-term deal, that $4.35M would go a long toward covering Flacco's 2013 Cap number.

Teams would prefer to not carry a lot of dead money, but IMO, it's more about the savings, so that if the savings is substantial enough, they'll be willing to swallow the dead money.

The 5M in deadmoney pretty much assures that Ray and McClain will be back, unless Ray retires. Believe Ellerbe is a RFA same with McClellan. But thats a pretty big lock that Kruger is gone and we'll use the draft to replace Ayanbedego and Kruger's spots.

McClain, OTOH, I see a little differently. I don't think the savings versus dead money ratio is as appealing, so I wouldn't expect him to be cut. Especially with the possibility that Ray may not be back and Ellerbe being a UFA (he's a UFA, not an RFA).

Theres some much more interesting players that I'd like to see what they cost in dead money.

Name them, and I work up the numbers!

[Bawlamer]

Of all of those guys, the only ones that really should be back are Jones and Leach.

I was thinking the same.

[iggyman555]

I don't know. At this point, I don't think the team - or any team - is going to be dissuaded by the dead money as long as the savings makes it worthwhile. While Ray is most definitely a unique player, thus making it a unique decision, the savings of $4.35M is substantial. In fact, just as an example, if they were to get Flacco signed to a reasonable long-term deal, that $4.35M would go a long toward covering Flacco's 2013 Cap number.

Teams would prefer to not carry a lot of dead money, but IMO, it's more about the savings, so that if the savings is substantial enough, they'll be willing to swallow the dead money.



McClain, OTOH, I see a little differently. I don't think the savings versus dead money ratio is as appealing, so I wouldn't expect him to be cut. Especially with the possibility that Ray may not be back and Ellerbe being a UFA (he's a UFA, not an RFA).



Name them, and I work up the numbers!

you're awesome, you sure you dont work for the ravens FO? lol

[leachisabeast]

you're awesome, you sure you dont work for the ravens FO? lol

Maybe he should with the cap nightmare the Ravens have got them selves in now.

[iggyman555]

Maybe he should with the cap nightmare the Ravens have got them selves in now.

whos the guy that is in charge of the cap for the ravens?

[JustaslowZ06]

I don't know. At this point, I don't think the team - or any team - is going to be dissuaded by the dead money as long as the savings makes it worthwhile. While Ray is most definitely a unique player, thus making it a unique decision, the savings of $4.35M is substantial. In fact, just as an example, if they were to get Flacco signed to a reasonable long-term deal, that $4.35M would go a long toward covering Flacco's 2013 Cap number.

Teams would prefer to not carry a lot of dead money, but IMO, it's more about the savings, so that if the savings is substantial enough, they'll be willing to swallow the dead money.



McClain, OTOH, I see a little differently. I don't think the savings versus dead money ratio is as appealing, so I wouldn't expect him to be cut. Especially with the possibility that Ray may not be back and Ellerbe being a UFA (he's a UFA, not an RFA).



Name them, and I work up the numbers!

Hmm probably means Ellerbe will be gone also. Shame they went with McClain instead of him. Ah well hindsight and all that.

[bmorecareful]

Would it behoove this team to possibly extend a couple RFAs or under-contract players with big cap numbers in 2013?

Specifically I'm thinking of Dennis Pitta, Art Jones, and Michael Oher. I know the Ravens had opened extension talks with Oher at some point recently, he has a cap number north of 4m if his incentives kick in (and I assume they have). He isn't very good at LT, but perhaps his bad performance this year gives us leverage to buy low and extend him with the hopes of playing him at LG or RT? I'm sure they could get his number below 4m, even if it would only save a few million.

Pitta and Jones are unfortunately guys that the Ravens would be buying high on, but I assume both would get 1st round tenders, which aren't terribly cheap, and they KNOW they've got to lock those guys up (Pitta especially).

They extended Webb as an RFA and I thought that could have been a sign of Ozzie growing wise to the idea of re-signing guys early. Could they repeat that idea this year?