Following the aftermath of the Baltimore Ravens dreadful ‘07 campaign, the organization will have many decisions to make in regards to how it will improve the team roster. Issues abound about whether the Ravens should overhaul the quarterback position, upgrade the pass rush and add youth to the cornerback spot are among the chief concerns.
However, there are only so many ways to handle plugging the holes. Here are five moves the front office should make in the coming months to address certain hot button off-season issues:
1) Re-negotiate Ray Lewis’ contract: Lewis is in the final year of a seven-year, $49 million deal he signed back in 2002. His base salary alone will account for $6.5 million of the Ravens’ cap total. There are a couple of ways for the Ravens to handle Lewis’ hefty contract.
The team can bite the bullet and absorb Lewis’ full cap total. Given the fact that the Ravens already have close to $5 million in space with Lewis’ total accounted for, and they will gain more room after trimming their roster, it is feasible for the team to keep Lewis’ number as is and have him play out the ‘08 season.
However, what makes more sense is for the front office to restructure the franchise defender’s contract. There were rumors swirling at the beginning of the season that the club was hesitant to work out a new deal with Lewis given his age and the cap ramifications that could occur down the road if Lewis is unable to play through the deal.
But Lewis has played at an elite level this season. In fact, one would be hard pressed to name a handful of inside linebackers who played at a higher level.
At the age of 32, Lewis plays as if he were in his late 20s. He should be able to be a reliable starter for at least two more seasons.
By restructuring Lewis’ deal and extending his contract, the team will gain some cap room and keep their franchise player in place until he is ready to retire.
2) Let Suggs go: What the Ravens do with Terrell Suggs could be the most significant move of the off-season. It is a decision that will have a domino effect on what they do with their cap funds and how they attack the draft in April.
I know I am in the minority, but I think the team should resist re-signing Suggs to a blockbuster extension.
First and foremost, Suggs simply does not deserve to be one of the top three highest paid defensive ends in the league. What Suggs deserves is top 10 money, somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million guaranteed.
Will Suggs settle for less? Certainly, his performance this season does not warrant Dwight Freeney type money. Considering that his agent Gary Wichard is the same person who brokered Freeney’s deal, there will be a serious negotiating struggle during the off-season.
The Ravens could still keep Suggs in the fold by franchising him. That move will cost the team a pretty penny.
Again, as is the case with Lewis, the team will have a hard time paying that much money to a single player without having to cut some corners.
Ultimately, is it the best idea to commit another huge bonus to another defensive player when the team has so many holes?
The team is set to land the eighth pick in the draft. Assuming they stay at the spot, along with Suggs’ new proposed deal, the club could be looking at investing a little less than $40 million in guaranteed money on just two players, while still having a number of others on the roster who eat up so much of the team’s cap total.
The team would be better served using the money it may invest in Suggs on four or five average-to-good players from the free-agent market.
3) Sign a veteran center: One way or another, it appears that Mike Flynn’s days as a Raven are number. The grizzled vet may retire. If he doesn’t call it quits, the team will probably release him, as Flynn is set to earn $2 million in base salary in the final year of his contract.
For two seasons, Chris Chester has been brought along slowly to take over for Flynn. However, Chester has yet to prove he is capable of handling the starting role. In fact, whenever Chester has played, he has been awful. At this point, it seems that he lacks the technique and power to maintain leverage.
There have been some proponents for moving Jason Brown from left guard to center. Brown was an excellent center prospect coming of college and may have the wherewithal to handle playing well at the hub.
But at guard, Brown has developed into one of the best young players in the league. It may not be such a smart move to tinker with a proven formula.
What could work best is to bring in a serviceable free agent. On the surface, the list of players available to sign is not overwhelming. Unrestricted centers like Alex Stepanovich, Casey Wiegmann, and Jeremy Newberry are average at best.
But centers Jeff Faine and John Wade have voidable clauses in their contracts that will allow them to become free agents. Both players are solid. In addition, there will be a number of cap casualties hitting the market in March.
The key for the team is to find a center who won’t demand more than a mid-level deal and would be an upgrade over Flynn.
4) Add a vertical threat: Unlike a number of critics of the Ravens’ wideouts, I do believe there is enough talent on the depth chart for a skillful offensive coordinator to work with.
Due to injuries, observers were not able to see how the trio of Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams would play together in ‘07. Clayton was dogged by a nagging toe, hamstring and ankle injuries since the beginning of the season; Williams missed the entire second half of the season after spraining his ankle against the Bengals.
Obviously, Mason had an inspiring season, despite not getting much help from the other wideouts and Todd Heap, who was also down for the count for much of the season.
This group still has the potential to be special if it can stay healthy and is used the right way.
That said, the team could stand to add more juice to the receiver position. What is missing the most is the presence of a big body who can get down the field.
Williams is the best deep threat on the team and with the right quarterback throwing him the football, he could break out in ‘08. However, it appears that he is not strong enough to throw his body around and be the go-to target in the middle of the field. Mason is an outstanding receiver over the middle, but he is not a downfield presence.
That is why the team needs to bring in a player who can take a hit and keep on going, either through the draft or free agency.
5) Find a tackle combination and stick with it: With the looming departure of Jonathan Ogden set to take place over the next month or so, the team has to figure out how it is going to secure its tackle spots.
Obviously, the best case scenario is that Ogden returns, and that may happen now that Brian Billick is out as the head coach. Ogden has stated that he will keep a close eye on what the new coaching staff of the Ravens looks like before he makes a definitive decision.
Still, even if Ogden returns, the team has to figure out who will fill in at right tackle.
Marshall Yanda handled most of the snaps on the right side and for the most part, he fared well in his rookie season. He is feisty, tough and a solid technician. He also pulls well and drives hard in run blocking situations.
However, he has questionable pass blocking skills. He has almost no ability to redirect an edge rusher once he’s been beaten off the snap. And given that he’s not the biggest guy, it is easier for ends to get around him.
Outside of him, the other intriguing option is Jared Gaither. Gaither is built to play on the left side, but he has played at right tackle in college, so it would not be a drastic switch for him to make. Gaither’s footwork can get sloppy at times, but as a right tackle, he would not need to be as polished. He could get away with being a step behind and still uses his hands to push the defender past the quarterback.
If neither player is viewed as a capable fit, the organization will need to sign a veteran. Drafting another green tackle would be a mistake.
On the left side, Adam Terry would be serviceable enough for a year or so until Gaither proves that he is ready to take over.
Photo by Sabina Moran
