In 2014, the Baltimore Ravens found themselves in a familiar place playing in Foxboro for a chance to go to the AFC Championship. In 2015, the Ravens may find themselves in a similar scenario but with a very different deck of cards. Due to cap space and injuries, the business side of the sport may take its toll on several favorite core Ravens players.
Dennis Pitta, 29, ended his season early for the second year in a row due to a dislocated hip. For those football historians out there Pitta is suffering from a very similar injury to the one that ended dual sport legend Bo Jackson’s career. While Owen Daniels did an admirable job filling in for the Pitta having played in Kubiak’s offense in Houston, the fact of the matter remains he is 32-years-old and is no long-term solution for the tight end position.
Crockett Gilmore showed flashes of what could some day be a valuable tight end but he is not ready to start 16 games. Luckily for the Ravens the tight end free agent market is full of talent and may come at a good price. Cincinnati’s former first round pick Jermaine Gresham, Washington’s Niles Paul, and former Ravens tight end Ed Dickson would all be guys that could make a big impact at a good price.
The next fan favorite Raven to hit the market may be unrestricted free agent wide receiver Torrey Smith, 25, and Jacoby Jones, 30 who is under contract through 2018. The two receivers have made up the core of the Ravens receiving core for the past several seasons but both come with a heavy price tag. To franchise tag the Ravens number one receiver in Torrey smith would cost roughly $12 million dollars in 2015. Smith is a good player but he is not worth $12 million up front.
If the Ravens want to shell out 12 million dollars they would be better off signing one of the star receivers entering free agency. Jacoby Jones saw a noticeable decrease in playing time in 2014 despite signing a four-year, $12 million contract last offseason. If Jones will not take a pay cut it will not be surprising if he hits the open market. By letting both Jones and Smith go, the Ravens may have enough in the budget for someone like a Randall Cobb, Jeremy Maclin, Michael Crabtree, or if not re-signed by the Broncos, Demaryius Thomas.
In 2014, the Ravens won the award for best surprise free agent success with running back Justin Forsett. Due to the release of Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce’s injuries the intended third string back was forced into the starting role. Forsett, 29, is well traveled having played for five teams including the Seahawks twice, the Colts, Texans, Jaguars, and Ravens. As a Raven on a one-year deal, Forsett ran for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl.
The Ravens are left with a difficult decision when it comes to Forsett. As any seasoned NFL coach, manager, or even fan can tell you, the majority of running backs have a significant decrease in production after they hit 30-years-old making it unwise to heavily invest in Forsett. Having just rushed for a career high in yards and touchdowns, Forsett most likely digress and will go to the team that is willing to pay the most. I do not expect that team to be the Ravens. If the Ravens want a cheep fix at the position they could explore signing free agents Roy Helu, Mark Ingram, or Ryan Mathews.
The last core Ravens player that may hit the market is five-time All-Pro defensive linemen Haloti Ngata. Taking up $16 million in cap room Ngata may be a victim of the books this offseason. The 31-year-old has been the cornerstone of the Ravens defensive line for the past nine years. Besides Royal Farms commercials, Ngata rarely found the spotlight during the years of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed but he was just as crucial to their success.
The Ravens have tried to renegotiate Ngata’s contract for the past two offseasons and have had no luck reaching an agreement. While Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens would love to see Ngata retire in the purple and black it may not be in the picture if Baltimore wants to continue to improve their roster and plan for the future. There isn’t a lot of proven talent in free agency this year at the defensive tackle position excluding Ndamukong Suh but signing Suh would be just as expensive if not more so than keeping Ngata. The Ravens could go after Suh’s teammate Nick Fairley or Broncos run stopper Terrance Knighton.
After the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2012, General Manager Ozzie Newsome turned heads in Ravens country when he sent many key players packing. The Ravens were already facing major change with the retirement of Ray Lewis. In addition to Lewis retiring, Newsome sent Anquan Boldin to the 49ers for essentially nothing, which still doesn’t make much sense to me. On top of Lewis and Boldin leaving, Dannell Ellerbe and Bernard Pollard left in free agency. Many around the NFL scratched their head when Newsome watched his Super Bowl winning team slowly dismantle. While the Ravens have not reached the Super Bowl again since, they have been a frequent postseason contender and will most likely continue to improve. As some or possibly all of the players listed above find new homes in 2015, Ravens nation will just have to sit back, relax, and remember, “In Ozzie we trust”.
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