For Super Bowl teams, turnover on active rosters just happens to be a byproduct of a successful team.
Even the most casual of football fans (even Steelers fans) will have parties to watch the NFL’s premier game of the year, which just so happens to have the Ravens playing in it for the second time in franchise history.
Fans aren’t the only ones watching with extra attention, as the Super Bowl is a perfect time for other franchises in the NFL to window shop for impending free agents who may bring a winning attitude into their locker room. It was already difficult for the salary cap-stricken Ravens to afford players like linebackers Dannell Ellerbe or Paul Kruger, but with a Super Bowl appearance, signing those players just got even more difficult.
On a smaller scale, the cherry-picking of the Ravens roster could already be underway with an unlikely candidate. According to CSNPhilly, Ravens practice squad quarterback Dennis Dixon could be on his way to Philadelphia after the Super Bowl. If he signed with the Eagles, Dixon would reunite with his former coach at the University of Oregon, Chip Kelly, who replaced Andy Reid as the head coach in Philadelphia. Under Kelly, Dixon was a Heisman Trophy candidate until tearing his ACL during the season.
Starting off his reign in Philadelphia wouldn’t go well for Kelly if he was accused of tampering though. Per NFL rules, Kelly may not contact Dixon about joining his team until after the Super Bowl.
Replacing a practice squad quarterback can easily be done but Dixon provides more value in that position than any other third-string quarterback in the NFL. As the Ravens prepare for 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his read-option offense, Dixon will be mimicking him in practice, something he also did when the Ravens faced Redskins’ mobile quarterback Robert Griffin III earlier in the season.
If Dixon does end up leaving Baltimore, backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor would likely assume those roles, given his mobility.
For Dixon, even though his impact on this game will be in practice, next season he’ll likely find himself with a spot on a 53-man roster and getting a bump in pay from the $5,700 per game he receives on the practice squad.
