according to espn the ravens may be willing to break the bank on ray.now if this is true that would most likely leave Bart Scott, Terrell Suggs, Leonhard, and Landry free agents unless they clear up some cap space.This will be a very interesting situation and may be related tho the Jets acquiring one of these players, so stay tuned. More interesting info from www.prosportsdaily.com Lewis' talk of leaving Ravens is cheap Comment February 9 Baltimore Sun columnist David Steele "As befitting his unique status and personality, Ray Lewis managed to make news last week without illegal substances being involved. Alex Rodriguez and Michael Phelps, take notes. Lewis' issues are just about money: He wants the Ravens to pay him a lot, the Ravens want to pay him a lot, and reaching a figure that will leave both sides happy is going to be the fight of the year here in town. With that in mind, Lewis has publicly spoken fighting words, but the Ravens so far aren't fighting back, and they are not expected to. It's your basic posturing: a player using his leverage, stating his case in the court of public opinion and hoping that court's verdict influences the Ravens. So what he ..." Lewis wouldn't likely justify the cost to Jets Comment February 8 Newsday "Ray Lewis to the Jets? Sure sounds intriguing, especially given that new coach Rex Ryan was Lewis' defensive coordinator with the Ravens. But before you get too worked up about the hard-hitting Lewis joining forces with Ryan with the Jets, a lot has to happen before there can be a deal. For starters, Lewis has to get to free agency in the first place. The Ravens are interested in bringing him back, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that they will make a run at keeping him before the free-agency signing period begins Feb. 27. But league sources tell me the team is almost certain to let him get to free agency, if only to allow him to satisfy his own curiosity about how much he can ..." Ray Lewis: No hometown discount Comment February 6 Baltimore Sun "Ray Lewis told the NFL Network on Wednesday that he wouldn't give the Ravens a hometown discount in free agency and considered the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets as attractive options. A 10-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker, Lewis would become an unrestricted free agent in three weeks if the Ravens don't sign him to a new contract or use the franchise tag on him. At the end of the season, owner Steve Bisciotti and linebacker Terrell Suggs brought up the possibility that Lewis might take less money to stay. But Lewis said there would be no discounts. "I don't play less," Lewis told the NFL Network in Hawaii, where he will play in the Pro Bowl. "If you don't play less, you don't take less. ..."
No, I'm pretty sure he's saying that if the Ravens pay him big money, it would give us the opportunity to sign one of their other defensive FAs.
It'll be interesting. If they do overpay to sign Lewis, they'll have some tough decisions. They won't be able to re-sign both Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott. Suggs will likely get the franchise tag, meaning he's unlikely to remain a UFA. Another interesting possibility if we need a corner is Chris McAllister. I doubt he survives cuts. Baltimore's deep passing defense wasn't great this season, but if he severely reduces his salary demands, it could be interesting.
I read that.... my initial thought was ok good that means a good chance for Bart Scott or Terrell Suggs as a Jet in 09.
We cannot possible afford him, and if we did spend the money to get him, we'd be stupid because MLB is not the place we need all our help, and we'd be tying up so much money there that we wouldn't have enough left to address the real issues.
Rest assured one of those Fa's will be wearing green next season. You really can't go wrong with any of them.
+1 I would love to see the Jets start a bidding war with the Ravens over Lewis in order to make him expensive enough to free up all the other far superior Ravens's FAs for the Jets to pick up.
Baltimore is 19 million under the cap. Seems to me then can overpay Lewis, Suggs and Scott too and that is before they cut anybody or renegotiate anything.
