Baltimore Ravens Free Agency Week 1

There was no way for the Ravens to win this offseason. With Jason Brown, Bart Scott, Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Jim Leohnard, Matt Stover, and Lorenzo Neal becoming free agents, the team was bound to struggle to improve. Each of those players contributed significantly to the team last year.

Going into the offseason, the general consensus was that the Ravens would be smart to make the following moves
- Let Leohnard walk
- Keep Suggs as priority #1
- Make a fair, but firm offer to Ray
- Make an offer to Scott, but if you can't keep him, no big loss considering the young linebackers on the team
- Try your hardest to keep Brown without breaking the bank

I would have considered Brown priority 2b. Keeping Ray or Scott being 2a and Suggs being #1.

Considering these priorities, I'd give the team a C. Suggs is still here, but only thanks to a second straight season of tag. Scott is gone (and they nearly overpaid to keep him) and we don't have Ray. Meanwhile, Brown ran to the Rams. And judging by his words on the way out, the Ravens never made a serious effort to keep him.

The Ray saga is hardly the Ravens' fault. He's acted like a childish debutaunte who has long dreamed of being courted in free agency. But still, the Ravens have to take some blame for the way it's unfolded. And by all accounts, they raised their offer from $12M in gaurantees to $17M even though he's not received a single offer of note from another team.

So the only move of signficance the team has made so far is to sign Dominique Foxworth to a substantial contract for a middle-of-the-pack player. (A contract by the way that is sure to aggravate Ray and further complicate those negotiations) But fine, if the Ravens want to build depth at corner, so be it. At first glance, this contract seems suspect at best. However, I'll give it time before I declare it foolish.

Now, they have Matt Birk in town and are expected to make an offer to him to replace Brown. This move could end up being very smart. Based on last year's success with free agents like Neal and Anderson, I would have high hopes for Birk. And presumably, the contract will be for less than Brown was demanding.

I like the restraint the Ravens have shown so far in not giving away too much money to keep older players. But was there restraint in signing Foxworth on day 1 when there were no known suitors offering similar contracts?

Hey, at least they're not giving away $41M guaranteed to a 28 year old defensive tackle whose never played a complete season.