If the Ravens 2007 season is going to amount to anything more than the 2006 season, they have to find a way to run the ball better. It’s that plain and simple.
But how?
If the Ravens look to the draft, they will be staring down a thin crop of talent that they can rely upon early in the 2007 season. Adrian Peterson would be a nice pick but long gone by No. 29. Same for Marshawn Lynch unless he has vapor lock on a Wonderlic Test or claims Pacman Jones as one of his boys and then slides down the board.
Next up according to most draft publications is Michael Bush and the opinions are mixed over Bush and his durability and toughness.
Say hello to my good friend free agency!
But what is there?
Dominic Rhodes needs Depends when occupying the front seat of a police car after a DUI. Chris Brown can’t stay healthy. Ahman Green is long in the tooth and Correll Buckhalter becomes a philanthropist deep inside the red zone where suddenly it becomes the season of giving.
And then there’s Michael Turner, the Chargers restricted free agent.
Chargers’ GM A.J. Smith pulled a shrewd move when he tendered the highest restricted free agent offer to Turner. The move assures the Chargers of first and third round draft picks from the team that agrees to a deal with Turner should the Chargers not match the qualifying offer.
Such an offer is unlikely to happen.
Turner has never been a starter in the NFL and he has had the luxury of sitting behind LaDainian Tomlinson and running behind a very good offensive line in limited action. Turner was a fifth round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft and at this point there’s no evidence that he can absorb the pounding of a starting running back in the NFL.
The price is too high given the uncertainty and Smith knows it.
So why did he tender the high offer when the team has so much invested in Tomlinson?
Let’s just say the move helps him to preserve his investment.
Suppose the Ravens come along and offer Turner acceptable money to play for a team that is Super Bowl ready and the Chargers can’t match the deal given the cap dollars already committed to Tomlinson. They are then left with the 29th pick in the draft courtesy of the Ravens. While some would argue that that is a good deal for the Chargers given their fifth round investment in Turner, it might not be market value for the Northern Illinois phenom.
So to protect his negotiating leverage, Smith invested in an insurance policy that amounts to the difference between the mid tender offer ($1.85 M) and the high tender offer ($2.35 M).
The move severely weakens the Ravens chances of acquiring Turner to help boost their running game.
So what else is out there?
A developing situation that might interest the Ravens involves the Buffalo Bills and Willis McGahee. McGahee wants out of Buffalo and the Bills appear to be willing to accommodate him if they get a first day pick in exchange. McGahee is 25 years old and carries a manageable number in 2007 ($2.155 M). If the Ravens can get McGahee for a third round pick even if they can’t get him to agree to a long term deal prior to the trade, why wouldn’t the Ravens make that deal?
Besides, what have they done with their third round picks recently? What have they ever done with a third round pick during the team’s history?
Well there’s David Pittman, Adam Terry, Devard Darling, Musa Smith, Casey Rabach, Chris Redman and Jay Graham.
So, the answer is, “Not much.â€
Look the Ravens gave up a fourth for a one year rental on “All World†receiver Kevin Johnson. If they can get McGahee now for a third before the bidding heats up, as Larry the Cable Guy would say, “GIT R DONE!â€
Otherwise it will probably be Jamal Lewis again (without the bone spurs and the excuses stemming from incarceration and the substandard yards per carry) coupled with the dynamic duo of Mike Anderson and P.J. Daniels.
And if that’s the case, maybe the Ravens should just spend their limited cap dollars and draft picks on the offensive line if they really want to improve the running game.
Maybe it’s just that simple.
