Ravens Mini-camp observations

It was a bit strange yesterday not seeing the tall guy with the straw hat patrolling the middle of the practice field and barking out directions and words of encouragement like, “Take care of each other” and “We need a better tempo”. But those days are gone and a new regime has arrived.

Whereas Brian Billick would spend nearly all of his time with the offense behaving more like an offensive coordinator than a head coach, John Harbaugh observes both Cam Cameron and Rex Ryan in action and is far more prone to assisting special teams’ coordinator Jerry Rosburg.

The offensive players are clearly just beginning to grasp Cameron’s new offense as evidenced by the pre-snap adjustments made by the quarterbacks and receivers. If the first day of mandatory mini-camp is any indication, you will see the Ravens feature the shotgun more often even in the running game.

Other early hints of offensive changes to come…The offense appears more spread out with less bunching outside of the tackles. Todd Heap will be in the slot and flanked more frequently. The guards also appear to be busier and getting out in space a bit more…Yesterday the offense practiced a few plays with short swing passes out to the backs and receivers in motion, both escorted by pulling guards. That might help to explain why Jason Brown has shed some weight. He appears more nimble…It is tough to call which players make up the No. 1 offensive line unit, particularly with Adam Terry being limited due to a recovering left ankle that was heavily taped. The team appears committed to developing Jared Gaither as a left tackle. Marshal Yanda took some snaps at center but it was Brown who appeared to get the most snaps at center with Chris Chester in the mix. The team could be sending a message to Chester to step up his game. Clearly it’s time for the third year second round choice to take it up a few notches…Another message might be on its way to Mark Clayton. Again it’s early but Clayton was an observer on a few plays that featured what appeared to be the first team offense. The No. 2 receiver was Demetrius Williams…Marcus Smith is an impressive looking receiver in stature and moves well to the ball. He’s one to keep an eye on…Another to keep an eye on is Yamon Figurs. Figurs didn’t appear to be as thin in his torso area and he seems to be running a bit more confidently with the offense. Don’t be surprised to see Cameron employ that speed a bit in ’08…Ray Rice is very shifty and that was even apparent on a slippery surface…Kyle Boller is not a mudder. He has struggled in the past during inclement weather and yesterday was no exception. Granted it is only one practice but Boller continues to make the same kinds of mistakes that he’s made from day 1. I couldn’t help but think that his usefulness may be diminished as he adjusts to Cam Cameron’s playbook and terminology. Boller at least had mastered Brian Billick’s offense. Now one has to wonder with that part of his game taken away, how much he will struggle…Receivers had a tough time hanging on to the football. Several on target passes were dropped.

Other observations…Brendon Ayanbadejo is wearing No. 96. He shows good athleticism and it would not be surprising to see the team put that to use in some defensive situational sub packages. Tavares Gooden moved well and should contribute as he learns Ryan’s defense schemes…Antwan Barnes appeared more involved and that could be due in part to Terrell Suggs’ absence as he awaits a ruling on his grievance filed against the team. He has yet to sign his franchise tender offer…Haruki Nakamura supported the deep sideline route effectively rolling over in time when set up in a Cover 2…Fabian Washington ran with the first unit during 7 on 7 drills subbing for Samari Rolle who was for the most part and observer…Chris McAlister moved well and broke on the ball in time on a few plays to break up passes…During the Billick era the defense always had its way with the offense. Early on there will probably be little to no shift in that balance of power as the offense grows accustomed to Cameron’s teachings. For Ryan’s defense, it’s pretty much business as usual.

For other Day 1 observations click here

Differences under Harbaugh are immediately noticeable...Flacco impressive

The contrasting styles of John Harbaugh and Brian Billick were immediately apparent during the team’s first and only mandatory mini-camp of 2008. Despite the availability of a state of the art indoor facility less than 100 yards away, Harbaugh had his squad of 80 practicing outdoors in a steady rain.

Many have questioned the Ravens inability to play in inclement weather. Even members of the organization have quietly opined that the team’s subpar play in rain was directly linked to Brian Billick’s refusal to practice in such conditions.

Players slipped and passes sailed but overall the mood was very upbeat. The QB’s were dressed in red jerseys while the rest of the offense wore purple. The practice jerseys are much closer to the actual game jerseys than they’ve been in the past, each decorated with the player’s name, embroidered numbers and team logo. Perhaps Harbaugh subscribes to the dress for success philosophy.

Most eyes centered upon No. 5 – Joe Flacco. While it is still extremely early and he’s proven nothing as of yet, Flacco throws perhaps the best looking ball from a Ravens’ quarterback since Vinny Testaverde. Despite the wet conditions, the rookie’s passes had zip, they spiraled tightly and they were for the most part on the mark. His deep passes arched high and hit receivers in stride. During 7 on 7’s Flacco hit Mark Clayton down the left sideline for a 60 yard scoring strike.

Troy Smith was inconsistent and at times appeared a bit too mechanical. Several passes sailed high especially those thrown to his right. The Ravens have mentioned that they may incorporate plays specifically designed to maximize Smith’s skills and if today was any indication, that talk is hardly lip service. Smith worked on several designed rollouts and even faked a handoff to McGahee out of the shotgun and kept it while running around the right end. The play included a pitchout option to Smith’s right.

Kyle Boller has never been a mudder and today was no different. He was off the mark often. On the very first play during 7 on 7 drills, Boller locked in on his receiver running a curl out of the backfield. Ray Lewis read it and timed it perfectly, intercepting the short pass and taking it in for a score.

I’ll chime in with more observations tomorrow morning…

Ray Lewis' career could end somewhere other than Baltimore

According to Adam Schefter of NFL Network, talks regarding a contract extension between the Ravens and Ray Lewis are at a crossroads. That should surprise no one. In fact if Schefter said that talks were going smoothly I would be concerned because that would suggest that the Ravens were being far too accommodating to the two-time Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl XXXV MVP.

More than likely Ray Lewis’ representatives are asking the team for a staggering signing bonus, one that likely had the Ravens front office doubled over in laughter behind closed doors.

Some have criticized Ravens’ owner Steve Bisciotti for not so subtly suggesting a few weeks ago that if Lewis files for free agency after the 2008 season, that the Ravens would probably top any offers that Ray receives.

"If [Ray] becomes a free agent next year, I think the Ravens would probably outbid other teams. We know Ray's value more than the other teams. We know the leadership he brings to the team. We know the commitment and the effort he gives to winning."

On the surface such a suggestion deserves criticism and it could place Ozzie Newsome and Pat Moriarty in a tough spot.

Beneath the surface of that statement lays Bisciotti’s true intent – HOPEFULLY!

Could it be that Bisciotti is confident that other teams won’t be rolling out the red carpet for Ray? Lewis will be 34 years old entering the 2009 season. Mike Singletary’s career closely parallel Lewis’ (All-Pro eight times, All-NFC nine times, 10 Pro Bowl selections, 2 DPOY Awards) and he retired at the age of 34. Is it prudent to offer an aging veteran who has played only one complete season in the last six (2003) a lucrative signing bonus?

Of course not!

Sentimental fools have no business in the NFL. Just ask Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Emmitt Smith and Junior Seau. Do you think their fans ever expected them to dress in another uniform?

Perhaps Bisciotti realizes this and he’s willing to let other teams establish the market for Ray Lewis. Now there may be a former coach of Lewis’ who might fall in love with the idea of bringing Ray in to be a leader and a role model. And if such a team is willing to pay through the nose for Ray, the Ravens like the 49ers, Cowboys and Chargers before them, must be ready to say goodbye.

After all, it’s just business, nothing personal.

Photo by Sabina Moran

The buzz around Owings Mills and the NFL...might ticket prices soar?

Something to think about as the Ravens prepare for a series of upcoming mini-camps…

Fans of Musa Smith and Gerome Sapp are in mourning. The Ravens’ activity on draft day (acquiring two RB’s and two safeties) has all but ended their careers in purple and black…Terrell Suggs has the same agent as Dwight Freeney. His name is Gary Wichard. Wichard will push for Freeney-type money for his client but a more interesting and perhaps a more appropriate measuring stick for the costs to sign Terrell Suggs is the new deal that Jared Allen recently struck with the Minnesota Vikings. Allen’s new contract is for 6 years and $73.26 million according to NFL.com. The deal is said to include $31 million in guaranteed money and is structured like a four year deal for all intents and purposes. Allen’s scheduled salaries for 2012 and 2013 ($11.6 million, $14.3 million) scream for restructuring. Expect Wichard to spin this in Suggs’ favor by pointing to Allen’s off the field issues. Allen is one .08 on the breathalyzer away from a one year suspension. Comparatively speaking on the field, the 26 year old Allen has 43 career sacks over 4 seasons while Suggs has 45 over 5…

The 2008 NFL Draft was relatively short on blue chip prospects yet most NFL execs would suggest that it was a rather deep draft and that in part explains the Ravens trading activity this past weekend. The philosophy is rather simple – more picks in a deep draft equates to more hits at the NFL level…One hit Ravens’ fans hope Ozzie & Co. made exists in the form of QB Joe Flacco. While most in the Ravens war room favored Matt Ryan over Flacco, the same cannot be said about the team’s new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. SI’s Peter King would have you believe that the Ravens offered the Rams 2008’s first, second and fourth picks along with next year’s No. 3 to move up 6 spots. That deal seems so unlike anything the Ravens would consider particularly when Flacco was very available and favored by an established developer of quarterbacks in Cameron. By the end of the day Sunday, Matt Ryan v. Joe Flacco-Ray Rice-Tavares Gooden-Fabian Washington looks like a win for the Ravens. Time will tell. But back to Peter King, you have to wonder where he gets his info and something tells me this tale may have been that of Matt Ryan’s agent trying to create leverage for his client. Moving him up one spot in the draft means more money for Ryan and of course more Benjamins for his agent Tom Condon.

“Measurables” is a term often used to describe the stats of NFL draft eligible prospects. Ravens’ new RB Ray Rice has been timed at roughly 4.4 seconds in the 40 yard dash. And while that may seem impressive even more impressive is his ability to accelerate rapidly from the moment he accepts a handoff. Rice’s ability to quickly get into gear coupled with his listed 5’8” frame while standing behind behemoths averaging 6’5” will be a challenge for opposing linebackers looking to take down the diminutive ball carrier. Rice also brings an outstanding work ethic and a passion for football all suggesting that he could become a hometown favorite.

Sooner or later the NFL will have to address the out of control upward spiraling of rookie salaries and the solution won’t be simple. Jamarcus Russell has already earned over $30 million yet he’s done absolutely nothing in the NFL. Those dollars make it more difficult for clubs to extend healthier contracts to valuable veteran reserves – players who have paid their dues. Look for the owners to try and emulate what the NBA does with their drafted players and expect Gene Upshaw and his collection of incompetent yes men to push back. It’s going to get ugly…Negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement will get even uglier after the 2010 season. Upshaw has warned that if the owners can’t get it together and the league enters any season without a cap, that the cap will be gone forever. Some small market owners may not care if the cap goes away. If increases in the cap approach or exceed the increases in team revenues, small market teams will resist and the cap will fall apart. The collateral damage of a fallen cap will leave an NFL that resembles Major League Baseball – a system that rewards the rich. You can then look for the Cowboys and Redskins to become the Yankees and Red Sox of the NFL.

Locally the Ravens really have nowhere else to go to expand their market. With an ocean to the east, the Steelers to the west, the Eagles to the north and the Redskins to the south, there’s little room for growth for the Ravens. Given that they don’t have a deep and rich history Steve Bisciotti is boxed in a bit. Reaching outside of the region is difficult and would probably require a QB on par with the Peyton Mannings and Tom Bradys of the world. That might help with the sale of merchandise and when you think about it, it might explain the business side of why the Ravens owner fancies a stud QB. But other than that and milking local radio stations for all they’ve got, perhaps the only way for the Ravens to increase revenues is by increasing ticket prices.

Enjoy the hold on 2008 ticket prices while it lasts…

2008 NFL Draft Grades are useless

It absolutely cracks me up how the average fan or average talking head for that matter, can sit back and grade a draft less than 24 hours after it is completed. Most who follow the game even semi-casually would agree that a draft truly can’t be measured until two to three years down the road. These immediate grades are about as useful as mock drafts and the existence of both is further proof of our nation’s insatiable appetite for the NFL.

And that’s a good thing if you ask me…

But placing value on these draft grades and mocks makes about as much sense as placing a down payment on an engagement ring before a blind date.

Recently ESPN.com’s Todd McShay served up this beauty and I kid you not – a first round mock draft for 2009 NFL Draft which by its very nature inherently possesses speculation, predictions and shot in the dark forecasts on where each team will finish in 2008 in order to formulate a draft order. And that's before McShay populates that order with players. What a waste of time! Only a couple of months ago Kentucky's Andre Woodson was projected as a top 15 selection. Anyone see where he went in the draft?

Yet people are buying this stuff. I guess it gives us more NFL to talk about over a pint at your friendly neighborhood tavern.

But back to the draft grades…

How can any of us criticize Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta today for what they did a little over 72 hours ago? Did any of you study film on the 200 prospects that comprised their draft board? Did any of you spend 200 nights per year on the road, travel from campus to campus and watch college players practice and/or play? Anyone speak to collegiate head coaches and positional coaches about those players? Anyone interview the parents to gauge a candidate’s character and upbringing? Anyone sit down with the Ravens new coaching staff – a staff that has spent countless hours evaluating the team’s talent to determine the proper missing pieces? Anyone know what style of offense Cam Cameron has in mind for the Ravens or the apparent increased emphasis on the importance of special teams with John Harbaugh?

My guess is you’ve answered no to all of these somewhat rhetorical questions.

That doesn’t mean Newsome and DeCosta are above criticism. If you want to criticize, go back to 2004-2006 and look to see how those players have performed so far as professionals. Grading that makes more sense because you have a body of work to actually grade at the NFL level. But to grade them today? That's like the average layman critiquing the performance of a world reknown neurosurgeon.

Let’s face it, young athletes mature at different paces and some peak earlier than others. Some have work ethics that allow them to improve at a faster rate than others. Freed from the college classroom, they can devote their studies to the NFL classroom and improve their understanding of plays, schemes and tendencies. This might improve the reaction times of athletes so they don’t have to think as much because their recognition skills are sharper due to dedication off the field. And perhaps all of this enables a player to perform better as a pro player than they did as a collegiate player – think Tom Brady.

Conversely, some that were once dominant as college players fall back to the pack. Perhaps they were part of a system that ensured their success and outside of that system their effectiveness diminishes. Maybe the talent catches up to them, their effectiveness tumbles as does their confidence and promising futures are shattered – think Tim Couch.

On draft day, it’s up to Newsome and DeCosta to consider the team’s roster, goals and objectives, coaching staff wishes, desires and teaching abilities, team direction, strengths and weaknesses, prospects’ mental and physical upsides and then project how hundreds of athletes might fit in and complement the current personnel on their football team.

Isn’t it ridiculous to critique their decisions now?

It’s the equivalent of measuring the aesthetic beauty of your new front lawn when you just planted the seed yesterday.

Put away your red pens for now and let’s talk in a couple of years about the Ravens draft class of 2008. Until then, it's best to just have a little faith in a Ravens front office that as outperformed 90% of the other clubs on draft day.

Chances are they've done it again.

Harbaugh shakes things up...Ravens' Nation loses one of its own

Last year while hosting The Bart Scott Show on ESPN Radio, one question that I often asked myself after digesting the things I heard from Bart and his guest teammates was, “Who is really running the Ravens?”

I heard from the players just as you have about how Brian Billick treated them with respect and treated them like men. I heard it so often, it became rather boring.

Then one day when Bart was joined by Terrell Suggs I posed the question as they prepared for their bye week, “What if Brian Billick decided to make you guys practice during the bye?”

The look on their faces said it all – there was no way that they would allow Billick to do that and to do so would incite the equivalent of a mutiny. When I reminded them that Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin had the Steelers practice during their bye despite a then impressive record, Bart said, “Well that’s because he’s new. When you’re new you can do those things.”

With that response I knew who was running the team and it wasn’t Brian Billick. The veteran players ran the team. It was a slow process but Billick’s philosophies and the liberties he extended to his players eventually came full circle to the point where he was merely a puppet and a mouthpiece not too unlike Bud Selig is to baseball.

That’s not a slight to Billick. It’s just an opinion on how his administration evolved. It was a slow death that rightfully ended with a mercy killing that in the long run will benefit all involved, including Billick.

Today there’s a new sheriff in town as evidenced by the energy and activity in the gym at One Winning Drive.

"There is a lot of positive energy in the building," Bart Scott said. "Coach is young and enthusiastic. He is visible and in your face. He seems like a player, but he has something to prove. He has to prove he can become a successful head coach.”

So like Tomlin was to Pittsburgh in 2007, John Harbaugh is to the Ravens in 2008 – new and capable of implementing a new attitude and work ethic. The players don’t own Harbaugh like they did Billick and in retrospect Harbaugh’s arrival seems almost past due.

"He is in the same situation as the players," Scott continued. "We're all in this green mile together. Was last year the end of our run? Are we too old to make another run? Do they blow this thing up after this season? We're all trying to find the right answer, but right now, I like what I see.”

Winning over the players with a more hard-nosed philosophy than his predecessor was a battle that Harbaugh needed to win. Early indications are that he’s well on his way. It is important for him to stay the course and not buckle to the veteran pressure as a rookie head coach, something that in part did in Brian Billick.

Ironically, Harbaugh’s first game will come against the same team that delivered Brian Billick to the Ravens back in 1999 -- the Minnesota Vikings. Until that time it will be interesting to see how the players continue to respond to Harbaugh in mini-camps and ultimately summer camp which promises to be light years apart from anything many of the Ravens’ vets have ever experienced.

And that’s a good thing!

Speaking of good things, one of the great byproducts of having an NFL team in town is the friendships that blossom as a result of a common interest. Many have re-acquainted themselves with family and friends as a result of the Baltimore Ravens. Many have forged new friendships for the very same reason. One Ravens’ fan who did exactly that is Ron Cucina. Ron fell after a valiant battle against lung cancer.

I never had the privilege of meeting Ron but from what I can gather his strength, perseverance and gritty determination when defending against this mighty foe was not unlike that of his favorite defense. The Ravens' Nation is down one decorated soldier.

Ron, aka Sock Dolager, one of the original members of Extreme Ravens will be greatly missed by those who were fortunate enough to have known him. Ron died at the age of 66 at home and in the presence of his devoted wife. Our deepest condolences go out to all those who knew Ron, particularly his family, friends and co-members of Extreme Ravens.

Should the Ravens consider WR Chris Henry?

I don’t care how hard up the Ravens or any team for that matter are for a wide receiver, no one should consider hiring Chris Henry.

Let’s face it, Chris Henry is an idiot. Here’s a guy who is one of the relatively privileged few who get to play in the NFL. Here’s a guy who has repeatedly abused that privilege after being caught speeding, driving under the influence, possession of illegal substances, playing hanky panky with minors and assault and battery amongst other things. After all of that and an eight game suspension in 2007, this clown is given yet another chance and he’s blown that too.

When is enough, enough?

Well for the Cincinnati Bengals the answer is “Now!”

To which I say, “It’s about freakin’ time!”

Look if you have a kid that works at McDonald’s, does he get a second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth chance to go back to work after five arrests. Five arrests! And folks these are the times when he has been caught. How about all the broken laws he’s likely gotten away with?

At some point, doesn’t an employer reach the point when they realize that all the compassion and understanding and sob stories about upbringing in the world are never going to change the colors of this rotten maggot of a human being?

The most recent allegations against Henry suggest that the 24-year-old punched an 18-year-old man in the face and then broke his car window with a beer bottle. Now I know that at times these athletes are targeted and baited into situations, especially dumb ones like Henry. But after all he’s been through and for the most part gotten away with, and even if he is 100% innocent of the latest charges, why in the world is he even out in the company of near-minors? I think it’s safe to say that Henry just doesn’t get it and he shouldn’t get it! And the “it” in this equation is the privilege of playing in the National Football League.

Naturally Henry’s attorney Perry Ancona disputed the charges by saying, "We have a different set of facts we ask the court to consider.”

Facts? The only fact here is the Bengals finally did the right thing by releasing Henry. Mike Brown and the Bengals’ organization did all they could to help Henry and this is the respect that he extends to the organization and to his teammates?

Now I understand that the league has to be careful in what they say and do at this time regarding Henry but NFL spokesman Greg Aiello’s statement that it is premature to speculate on wide receiver's future in the league at this time is almost comical, particularly with all of the emphasis by the league’s owners on the integrity of the game at the recently completed owners’ meetings in Florida.

Aiello was joking right? I mean to reinstate Henry would suggest that all of the talk about integrity was nothing more than lip service. I don’t care if Henry did it or not. Just being remotely near such a situation is enough for me to boot the guy from the league forever.

Ironically, with these latest shenanigans Henry did little to help his former college roommate Pacman Jones and his hopes for reinstatement in the league. If anyone thinks that Jones knows that his potential reinstatement is his last chance and that realization will inspire him to toe the line of decency, forget it! If you think that Jones can’t possibly be that stupid, think again! Henry is proof that rotten apples don’t suddenly become sweet ones just because they’ve been given a reprieve. Henry is proof that dumb athletes don’t suddenly become smart ones.

Hopefully those who have even remotely considered Pacman Jones will let the idiocy of Chris Henry convince them that giving Jones another chance is the equivalent of sticking their head in the sand and their money in the incinerator. Certainly that should get the attention of profit driven NFL owners even if they are foolishly intoxicated by Jones’ athletic prowess.

Ban Henry permanently and keep Jones on the shelf perpetually. These thugs were once roommates. If they keep it up, maybe one day they’ll be cell mates too.

But maybe that’s just wishful thinking…

NFL Rule Ch-ch-ch-changes

The NFL owners approved a few rule changes that will be in force the next time two teams tee it up and put the ball in play. The approved changes are as follows along with my initial reaction to said changes...

1. A recommendation to eliminate force-out decisions on pass completions near the sidelines. Now, officials will have to decide only whether a receiver landed inbounds or not. The intended result is more consistency.

TL’s View: On the surface this might appear to simplify things for the officials but what is to prevent a defender from literally catching and carrying a receiver out of bounds to have a caught pass ruled incomplete? It doesn’t take an overactive imagination to see many would be touchdowns negated after a pass is caught near the back of the end zone in heavy traffic. This could also change the way scouts look at defensive backs. Perhaps an even higher premium will be placed on the size and strength of corners and safeties.

2. The "Phil Dawson field goal rule." Now, certain field goals can be reviewed by instant replay, including kicks that bounce off the uprights. Under the previous system, no field goals could be reviewed.

TL’s View: It’s about time. I’m sure the 1965 Colts would have appreciated this rule after a kick by Packers’ placekicker Don Chandler was ruled good although even to the kicker himself the boot appeared to be wide right. Nevertheless Jim Tunney signaled the kick good to force the game into overtime – one that the Colts lost enabling the Packers to capture the Western Conference Title and go on to win the NFL Championship.

By the way, how many of you left that game against the Browns last season only to find out the Ravens did not in fact win the game in regulation?

3. Deferring the opening coin toss. This is similar to the college rule. Previously, the winner of the coin toss could choose only to receive or to kick off.

TL’s View: This could have helped the Ravens many times during the Billick Administration. How many of you wanted the Ravens to defer particularly at home, get the Ravens defense on the field and immediately begin winning the battle for field position while having the advantage of getting the ball to start the second half? Yeah, me too!

4. A direct snap from center that goes backward will now be treated as a fumble. Previously, it was ruled a false start.

TL’s View: Quarterback’s will need to leave their skirts in the locker room. Rule makes sense to me. Let’s hope Chris Chester has big hands, develops a nice touch and has a great memory. Remember the snap count Chris.

5. Eliminating the 5-yard face mask penalty. Now, only the serious face mask will be called (and will be assessed as a 15-yard penalty). The major foul will involve twisting or grabbing the face mask.

TL’s View: On the surface, this rule makes sense. Too many times it seemed that defenders were penalized 5 yards for ticky-tacky fouls keeping drives alive for the opponent. Now officials will call only those penalties that are blatantly obvious fouls. At least that is the goal. I’m a bit concerned now though that fouls that used to get a 5 yard flag and might not have been significant enough to move the chains will now give the offense an even greater advantage. And speaking of offensive advantages, why is it that a ball carrier can throw a vicious stiff arm into the face of a defender without consequence?

6. A player on defense, similar to the quarterback, can now wear a radio helmet to accept defensive play calls from the sidelines or coach’s booth.

TL’s View: Ground control to Major Tom…what’s fair is fair.

A proposed rule change to prohibit hair hanging over the back of jerseys to the nameplate has been tabled. The proposal was championed by Herm Edwards and the Kansas City Chiefs. Herm apparently has trouble not only managing the game clock but also remembering players’ names. Salons across America featuring hair extensions breathed a collective sigh of relief upon learning of the tabling decision.

Photo by Sabina Moran

Ravens need to be careful when negotiating with Ray Lewis

So finally the seeds to the much expected and long awaited Ray Lewis contract discussions have been planted, they’ve taken root and the person responsible for it is none other than Ravens’ owner Steve Bisciotti.

At the owners’ meetings in Florida Bisciotti had this to say when asked if 2008 could be Ray Lewis’ last with the team.

"If he becomes a free agent next year, I think the Ravens would probably outbid other teams. We know Ray's value more than the other teams. We know the leadership he brings to the team. We know the commitment and the effort he gives to winning."

Now on the surface you might think that Bisciotti’s statement may have opened up Pandora’s Box for Ozzie Newsome. Ray and his representatives now may want to ride out the season, find a suitor elsewhere in the league next February and bring that offer back to Bisciotti and say, “Now is your chance to outbid!”

The perfect place for Ray to start would be Cleveland. Phil Savage certainly is well aware of Ray’s importance to the team, ownership and the city. He could throw an insincere yet inflated number at Ray with the hope that he can paint the Ravens into a corner using Bisciotti’s words as the paint brush.

If he could do it with Chester Taylor, he can certainly do it with Ray Lewis.

But did Bisciotti really tip his hand? Using the word “probably” probably leaves him an out. Bisciotti also hinted that reasonability would be part of discussions with Ray when he said during the same owners’ meetings, "Like all negotiations, there will be a gap between what we think we're willing to pay and what they think he is worth."

What the Ravens are willing to pay is very key here. They’ve shown in the past that they are willing to pay handsomely. The truth be told, the club appears to get too attached to their No. 1 picks and they give too much credence to sentimental value. Add it all up and the Ravens far too often are guilty of overpaying. They’ve done it with Ray in the past, J.O., Reed, Heap and McAlister.

They also seem to be enamored with aging stars who are looking to cash in on what they’ve done instead of what they will do and when those players are deemed to be no longer useful they become a drag on the team’s salary cap (see Steve McNair and Samari Rolle).

“Probably” gives Bisciotti an ore to backstroke with. And if Ray does hit the open market and someone wants to overpay for him, the Ravens need to be ready to say goodbye. Think Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott – the 49ers let them go and managed to stay competitive for awhile, even winning a Super Bowl in 1995.

Paramount to any discussions about a Ray Lewis extension is gauging the balance of his career. Clearly Bisciotti is delusional if he thinks Ray has 4-5 good years left. The man hasn’t completed a full season since 2003 and he does not take on blockers nor does he punish ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage the way he once did in part because he is trying to preserve his scarred shoulders.

The best thing the Ravens can do right now with Ray is absolutely nothing and therein possibly lays the silver lining. In that scenario you may see Ray Lewis more determined than ever to prove the world wrong and turn in a banner 2008. Then he can hold the Ravens ransom, provided they let him.

Let’s see what Ray brings in 2008. Let’s see what he brings in December when the wear and tear of another season tests the will of players. Let’s see what an aging yet highly motivated Ray Lewis can do. Even then, the Ravens hold the winning cards provided they don’t allow emotion into the negotiating mix.

Ozzie could point to Ray’s age, his beaten shoulders and the eroding value of players who don’t touch the ball or the quarterback in order to keep the declining superstar’s demands in check. Perhaps other teams will take note and conclude that if Baltimore isn’t offering Ray big dollars, why should we? Others might also take note of what former Ravens defenders have done in other systems. Usually they aren't as effective as they were in Baltimore.

Who knows, maybe the club has learned. They had no problem watching Adalius Thomas head out of town despite being a fan favorite. The team rightfully decided then that they were not going to pay AD going forward for what he had already accomplished. They wanted to pay for production going forward.

It all comes back to Ozzie’s mantra – “Right player, right price.”

With Ray Lewis that mantra will be put to the test like never before.

Photo by Sabina Moran