Brown is expected to sign a blockbuster deal in free agency as soon as today, perhaps shortly after 12:01 a.m. this morning when he was scheduled to officially become an unrestricted free agent.
The Washington Redskins were initially regarded as the frontrunner to land Brown, ranking ahead of the St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. Brown could command an annual salary averaging as much as $8 million or $9 million.
However, the Rams are going to get the first visit from Brown today. He was schedule to board a flight to St. Louis this morning.
"I’ve invested my heart and soul into the Ravens, so I have to believe and have faith that I’m respected by them as much I’m respected, as though it’s reciprocated, but yet it’s tough to swallow because there’s a business aspect to this," Brown said in a telephone interview. "I would love for there to be some way to slot me in and say, ‘This is what Jason is worth,’ but it’s a lot more complicated than that. I have to feel as though my stock is good enough for them to say that we definitely want to keep a guy of this quality and caliber around to win a championship.
"But I know there’s not enough money to keep Ray Lewis, Bart Scott and myself after franchising Terrell Suggs. Somebody has to be the odd man out, and that’s me. I still want to be a Raven, but I understand why this is happening. So, I’m going to put on my business suit, carry a briefcase, have one of those pocket organizers that the nerds have and a blue ink pen handy so that I’m ready for whatever paperwork is about to come in front of my face to sign."
For Brown, it ultimately came down to the Ravens wanting to pay him like a center and his pursuit of top offensive guard money. Over the course of a five-year deal, that could spell as big a difference as $2 million to $3 million annually for a total of $10 million to $12 million higher over the course of the deal based on recent high-end contracts for guards and centers.
There’s also the Ravens’ tradition of reserving top dollar for defensive players to consider.
"Historically, the Ravens have always been a strong defensive team and they’ve always spent their money on defense," Brown said. "I understand that, and that’s the reason why the Ravens have always been a defensive team. With how they’ve approached talks with me, I think they’ll probably always be a defensive team that isn’t as good as it could be offensively."
The Ravens are expected to replace Brown with former second-round draft pick Chris Chester, who filled in capably at right guard last season when Marshal Yanda tore three knee ligaments.
A fourth-round draft pick out of North Carolina, Brown started every game at center last season after starting 28 games at left guard the previous two seasons.
With the Redskins, Brown could up starting at guard in place of Pete Kendall.
"There would be a lot of advantages to playing for the Redskins football-wise, and it’s also close to my home state," said Brown, a native of Henderson, N.C whose wife is about to graduate from a North Carolina dental school. "It’s another reason to consider them. You could say, my ears are open."
It’s believed that the Dolphins, who recently signed offensive tackle Vernon Carey to a $42 million contract with $18.9 million paid out in the first two years, may not be willing to spend as much as the Redskins to acquire Brown.
If the Dolphins make a competitive offer, then Brown would be interested.
"Bill Parcells definitely knows football, he’s doing all the fundamental things to build a football team," Brown said. "He just retained a very good offensive lineman and he drafted Jake Long. Parcells turned that around so fast so you ask yourself, ‘My gosh, what can they do in the future with all those improvements?’
"They’re a rising team. Plus, you can’t beat that Florida sun. It’s a beautiful place to be. As laidback as my wife and I am and as many retirement communities as there are down there, we would fit right in."
Nonetheless, Brown is disappointed that he won’t be a part of the Ravens’ future.
With first-year head coach John Harbaugh and rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, the Ravens engineered a massive turnaround from finishing 5-11 two years ago to earn a berth in the AFC title game this past season.
"It was extremely special, even more so because of the adversity we overcame," Brown said. "We grew close as a team and as brothers. I started my career in Baltimore, and a part of me will always be a Raven. [Friday] is going to be a very tough day for me because I love the Baltimore Ravens.
"But I love my family even more and my loyalty and my life goals beyond football are with them first. That’s the higher priority. I need to be able to provide for my family as best as I can because our careers as football players are so short. You hate to say, ‘It’s business, not personal,’ but that’s how it has to be. It’s time to say goodbye."
NOTES: It’s believed the Ravens assigned a second-round tender of $1.545 million to punter Sam Koch. … The Ravens assigned a $1.01 million low tender to restricted free agent safety Dawan Landry and didn’t tender restricted free agent running back P.J. Daniels, officially making him an unrestricted free agent today. … The Ravens signed cornerback Derrick Martin to a one-year contract for the veteran minimum after not tendering him as a restricted free agent. … In addition to a one-year, $1 million base salary for 2009, defensive lineman Dwan Edwards received a $400,000 signing bonus.
Aaron Wilson covers the Baltimore Ravens for the Carroll County Times and the Annapolis Capital.
