The Baltimore Ravens have announced the signing of 2010 All-Pro Fullback Vonta Leach.  Leach, who turns 30 in November, will be a great addition for the Ravens. You don’t become an All-Pro at that positon without being a superior blocker. That means, not only will he open up paths for Ray Rice, he will help out Joe Flacco in blitz coverage.

Friday, I had suggested Lawrence Vickers, due to his familiarity with the division – but I think Leach is clearly a step above. Really pleased with this addition.

I don’t think the addition of Leach should definitively mean that Le’Ron McClain does not return. McClain wants to be more involved with the offense. If he does return to Baltimore, obviously he is not going to share touches equally with Rice. That said, with McGahee gone, and a true FB added; there will be more opportunities for McClain to contribute. I think McClain compares favorably to the RB’s that are available.

Minutes after the news that Leach would be joining the Ravens, we learned that Todd Heap had accepted a contract with his homestate Arizona Cardinals on a two-year contract. I’m going to guess that second year was part of the deciding factor for Heap. While I wish him well, I’m disappointed it did not work for him to return to Baltimore. Drafted by the Ravens in ’01, Heap is a 2x All-Pro. In his 133 games in the Purple & Black, Heap had 467 catches, for 5,492 yards, and 41 TD’s. Joining the Ravens months after the Super Bowl, Heap spent his rookie year learning behind Shannon Sharpe. Let’s hope that Ed Dickson learned as much from Heap, as Heap did from Sharpe.

I think there is an inclination to write this off as not a big deal, and just part of the game. Certainly you understand that players age, and the game is built on young legs. Even when we thought Heap would be back, we have stated repeatedly that we expected to see Dickson emerge this coming year. Still, this is a gamble for the Ravens. Heap had 40 grabs last year, and averaged 15 yards per reception. He greatly improved as a blocking TE. Going from that level of experience, to Dickson and Pitta (who combined for 12 grabs last year) is going to bring on questions at the minimum. Plenty of time to discuss what we will see on the field going forward, but I’ll personally miss watching Heap. Really respected his willingness to give up his body, and remember the strong athleticism he had earlier in his career. I think he has a pretty good argument to one day be in the Ravens Ring of Honor.

My feeling after the release of Heap, and Mason was that at-least one of them needed to return. Of the two, Mason was my priority. With Heap signed, the desire to get Mason extended should increase. If the Ravens are committed to moving on without Mason, they need to decide if they willing to make the investment necessary to land Malcolm Floyd. If the Ravens want a bigger receiver that can stretch the field, but are unwilling to pay the price (in years and dollars) for Floyd, maybe they need to turn their attention to Randy Moss on a one year deal.

Chris Stoner
Chris Stoner

Owner

Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.

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