http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/peter_king/02/22/mmqb/index.html?bcnn=yes
“I think Ray Lewis will seriously consider leaving the Ravens.
Will he go? Don’t know. But my guess — and it’s an educated guess, nothing more — is Lewis, who turns 34 in May, will not get a deal done with the Ravens before Friday, and he’ll take a couple of visits on the first weekend of free-agency. Where? Dallas and the Jets are the teams that seem the most logical; I never thought under the salary cap they’d be able to clear enough room to go after a big player like Lewis. But the Jets, after some Chris Baker-type housecleaning last week, stand about $18 million under the cap this morning; I believe if coach Rex Ryan and GM Mike Tannenbaum wanted to, they could certainly afford both Lewis and fellow Ravens free-agent linebacker Bart Scott. The Cowboys are $12.3 million under.
Wouldn’t that be amazing: Ray Lewis with the star on his helmet. Or Ray Lewis coming to the Jets. Or Ray Lewis and Bart Scott to Jersey.
Again, I’m saying this is an educated guess. But either one makes a lot of sense to me. Jones always loves a new star, particularly with a tarnished team readying for a move into the new Cowboys stadium. Tannenbaum and owner Woody Johnson proved last year with the Brett Favre gambit that they’re not afraid to take a chance on a big-name veteran.
The Ravens without Lewis would be as different as the Colts without Manning, or the Yanks without Jeter. And had Baltimore known Lewis would have played as great as he did in year 13 last fall, they’d certainly have gotten this deal done last spring or summer. But now there are two teams in major need of defensive intensity and team leadership out there. Rex Ryan would love to have him in New Jersey, and I think Jerry Jones would view Lewis as the solution to all the me-first stuff plaguing his team. This could be a case where the Ravens — with $19.4 million to spend under the 2009 cap — might be forced to match a financial package that would simply be too much for the new Ryan-less regime to stomach. It’ll be an interesting week in Baltimore.”
I am coming around to the idea that Ray might not be a Raven next year, but if that happens, I would expect the Ravens to retain Scott.
I believe that Lewis’ legendary preparation – his training, film-study, etc – along with his intensity, and desire has made him a great player, that has been able to lead men… but that does not change his age.
It would be a mistake for the Ravens to pay Ray more than a very-solid 34 year-old Linebacker deserves.
When you changed Head Coaches from Billick to Harbaugh, one of the things you regularly heard was that after so many years, the locker-room needed a new voice, a new identity.
It might be the same case with Lewis here.
You replaced Ogden, and advanced to the Conference Championship Game. If you lose Ray, but have a defense that features Ngata, Suggs, Scott, and Reed – you are still capable of being elite.
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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.