Flacco deep to Mike Wallace has a nice ring…

Haha at me… last weekend I predicted the Ravens would refrain from any “big splash” free agent signings and instead would wait it out until after the Draft to pick up a few of those lower-budget free agents Ozzie is famous for scouting and signing.

Well, splish splash, my prediction is taking a bath…

Somehow the Ravens are finding the cap space— signing veteran safety Eric Weddle on a $13 million guaranteed contract for 4 years and $26 million total, and now 8th-year receiver Mike Wallace for 2 years at an estimated $12 million total, and an estimated $7 million guaranteed.

It wasn’t that long ago that Wallace left Pittsburgh to sign a 5 year, $60 million contract with the Miami Dolphins, including a $11 million signing bonus, $30 million guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $12 million. Obviously Ozzie and the Ravens got him on a bargain deal if Wallace can still perform at a high level.

Wallace had six straight 750+yard receiving seasons to open his career and five straight 800+yard seasons before getting just 473 receiving yards with the Minnesota Vikings in 2015. He’s averaged 15.2 yards per catch over the course of his career.

Joe Flacco has to be loving the deal. Finally a proven legit deep threat!

All the restructuring activity of veteran player contracts the past few weeks paid off for Ozzie and the Ravens. For once in a very long time there was enough cap space available to go get a few top-tier free agents early in the shopping season.

“[The Ravens’] history has been to make one or two early forays into the open market for a player that they identify as a top target,” wrote The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec. “Then, they sit back, wait for the market to cool down a bit and make their move on a couple of players that they view as good fits. But one difference about this offseason is that [General Manager Ozzie] Newsome and company have the necessary cap space to make moves … more than enough room to make two or three additions. And they could eventually open up more money by addressing the contracts of left tackle Eugene Monroe, tight end Dennis Pitta and doing something about their [roster] glut of safeties.”

The thought of a rejuvenated Mike Wallace as a former division foe coming to Baltimore and opening up the Ravens offense is a little mind-blowing.

Wallace is 6-0, 199 and will be 30 years old on August 1. He played college ball for Ole Miss and was drafted in the 3rd round (84th overall) in 2009 by the Steelers.