One thing I hope Ozzie Angelos has learned from the Jason Brown and Bart Scott situations is that the price doesn't go down as these guys get closer to free agency. If you value a player as part of your team's future, lock him up early when the team still has negotiating leverage (i.e., the possibility of injury) to make it more appealing for the player to sign a more reasonable long-tem deal a year or two before hitting free agency. The Ravens should have gotten something done with Jason Brown last offseason. I didn't realize they valued Bart Scott as much as they did, but having seen how they got into a bidding war with the Jets, why not give him what he wanted before he became a free agent if they were that close. I'm seeing a very disturbing Oriole-like management approach from Ozzie Newsome (referring to the previous Oriole management regime -at least Andy MacPhail now seems to get it). Hopefully, Ozzie won't make the same mistake with Ngata he made dealing with this year's free agent class.

It is foolish to sink so much money into one player who isn't a quarterback---unless there is some thought that there will be a greatly higher cap or no cap in 2010? That's the Redskins for you though.

Nice article Mike on Ray too. It must be a rude awakening this morning for Ray. Ravens fans love Ray, but not at any price, and not at any behavior. The Baltimore diss backfired on him. Stars on the helmet indeed. That doesn't go over well in Baltimore. Maybe soon he'll get it, and can finish up here on a high note. His greatest remaining football worth is with the Ravens, and clearly the rest of the NFL agrees.

My first thought when I saw Haynesworth's contract was....'if he's getting those dollars, how much will Ngata get when it's his turn'. Fat Albert takes plays off and gets a check like that? Haloti's going to be one rich man sometime soon.

Hi Mike,

Your articule on Ray today was right on. He has now assured himself of "NEVER" being in the arena of Brooks, Johnny, Frank, Lenny, Artie, Palmer, Eddie, Boog etc. The greats never cry about money or threaten to desert the TEAM publicly. It's a shame but as you said today and I said 3 weeks ago, he brought it all on himself. The Ravens are headed in the right direction and will win with or without Ray. Don't get me wrong we would much rather have him. He's ours, he's a Raven. We know he is getting old and has slowed but we still love him. Ball's in his court, and we are all rooting for him. It's time he does something right off the field.

Yeah Ngata a smile a mile wide. I wore a Ngata jersey all last year and will again this comming year, Lord willing. Question is will I share in just a small piece of his hugh contract?

What gets me is that some owners, Al Davis and Dan Snyder specifically, are ruining the NFL game with these ballooning contracts that effect ALL teams trying to sign their own players.

If you franchise a player, that means the average top 5 salaries at the position. Maybe signing Foxworth was a good deal because Nmandi ASoumagha signed for over $14 mil per, meaning that the price to play cornerback has just gone up. Same with Shane Lechler, a $4 mil punter - I guarantee that is why the ravens gave Sam Koch just a 1 year, 2nd round tender.

And the Haynesworth deal. That only makes sense if the player is, like a QB, capable of playing into his mid-30s. Yes, its possible, big fat guys do well late in their careers (Gilbert Brown, Ted Washington, Grady Jackson), but injuries creep up with them. Does anybody actually think that Haynesworth will pocket $100, let alone $60 mil of that contract before he is cut or it is restructured?

Dan Snyder and Al Davis just destroyed the salary cap, for their own reasons. Davis did it because he has been fighting the NFL for years and this was his way of getting back. Snyder simply has the deepest pockets of any owner and wants everyone to know it (And don't you think Jerry Jones is a bit pissed off this morning)

This is my solution for saving the salary cap and the franchise player. Of the top 5 salaries at each position, eliminate the highest and lowest, and take an average of the 3 in the middle, so that GMs and agents have a more honest dollar amount to negotiate with.

Or either adopt a "Larry Bird" clause so drafting teams can exceed the cap in trying to resign players.

With the loss of Jason Brown and Bart Scott, we should hopefully get comp picks in the 3rd and 4th rounds in 2010, assuming they both play at a high level. I don't think the NFL awards comp picks in the second round, but maybe they should start.

If I'm Ozzie I work my ass off to sign Suggs long term over the summer and than get working on Ngata. We cannot afford lose him in 2011, it would be devastating blow.

losing ngata would TRULY be a devastating blow, a guy that will eventually be the best D tackle in the league.

Every year there are young studs coming out of college at that position, so i say use his best years up then if he gets greedy at contract time cut him........easy deal....we draft very good players, come to think of it our scouts could probably use a raise....

Now now, you Ravens fans know that you would be happy if your stinkin team had the kohonas to sign a player of Haynesworth's caliber. At least Snyder is trying to make the team better!! The Ravens will be pitiful this year. No Ray Ray and Bart Scott on defense will make for a long season!

Mike,

Great post!! If the Dallas Cowboys showed us anything last year it is that fact you stated. Team Chemistry is one of the most important elements in a team sport.

Great article on Lewis also. Hopefully that humiliation he is feeling will translate into working that much harder here in the off season and when the season starts.

I really hate the fact that the Ravens had lost Bart Scott. Ray Lewis is great, but I really do believe that the Ravens' first objective this offseason needs to be focused on improving the offense, particularly the wide receiver corp. Derrick Mason is getting older and Joe Flacco needs some receivers that can make bigger plays on offense so that the running game can open up. Now, since the Ravens lost Bart Scott, maybe they can go after Donald Curry (big, fast receiver released by the Raiders) or Michael Jenkins (6-4, 215 receiver UFA) from the Falcons. I believe that the Ravens defense will still be very good and it has been for the past few years; CONSISTANT OFFENSE has been the problem and they need to fix it. GO RAVENS!!!!!!!

Listen people. If you don't know football be quiet. Ray is ravens football. Foxworth played opposited Champ Bailey so he got all the passes his way and he always held his own. Nagata will be worth every penny and we have recievers that we drafted and brought in last year. Rookie QB with rookie WR's don't mix. All will be well. Go RAYvens!

did a redskins fan just say ravens suck LOL wow you dont know your football buddy whens the last time redskins won a championship? whos your QB? whos defense is better? um RAVENS! another thing ray-ray will be a raven and i gurantee a deal will get done no later than tuesday 3 years- 24 mil hell be a ravens and we have good young linebackers that can fill his hole i mean thats what scott did hahaha remeber he was an undrafted player and im pretty sure mclain or barnes will fill his role... i do think we overpayed for foxworth but he has alot of potential and is only 25 him and fabian could be a good team... but fabian is a U.F.A next year so we better lock him up

The most interesting thing is how Ray and the fans here in Baltimore overestimated his value. Surely, Ozzie knew all along that other teams had no interest in Ray at the dollars he was seeking. I wonder if that topic was even mentioined in discussions with Ray's agent? Seems to me that a smart Ray would have understood that and lowered his dollar demands to keep Bart Scott here which clearly would have enhanced Ray's chance to return to the playoffs...and the limelight ...and the commercials...and ultimately the money from secondary sources he seeks. Baltimore fans will eventually get over his attitude, but Ray cost himself considerable goodwill with his very unpolished effort to squeeze money from his game. Let's hope other high profile Ravens have watched and learned.

What people seem to forget is that in the last 10 years the Ravens have stayed very competitive, and Ozzie as been at the helm the whole time. They knew how good Scott and Brown were. But they also realize that they can get another linebacker or O-lineman in the draft. I am pretty sure that most of our starting lineman came from late round drafts. And we have had plenty of defensive players go on to other teams and have less then stellar showings. Brown was good, Bart was good, but not at the price of hurting the cap and the overall team. Brown wanted 8. The rams gave him his 8. Now when they want to sign someone else 3 months down the road, they will have to re-work their roster to get cap room. Ozzie knows how good guys are, and how to fit them into the cap and have room to work and add more to make the team better. Bottom line... In Ozzie We Trust. He has done it time and time again. We will plug in Goodin or Barnes or Burgess and will notice little to no drop off, and I doubt we will see those 15yrd personal fouls alot anymore either.We will grab a lineman in the draft and the season will go on and we will do well again.

As for the redskins fans....Signing Albert is not the key to ur superbowl run. Last time I checked u have a Kyle Boller type QB. And b4 the last 2 years of his carreer, when he was franchised and playing for a contract, he was known as a lazy player and took plays off and didnt play hard. He got his 7 year deal and big signing bonus and will loaf around fedex field for a while. Good luck getting out of the basement this year.

Now now, "Redskins Fan", why would we overpay for a guy who is injury prone and takes plays off when we already have a top tier defensive tackle? You are truly an idiot. And I don't say that because you are a Redskins fan, although that helps label you as such.

The Ravens a stinkin' team? We went to the AFC Championship last year while the Redskins hit the golf course. Just like Jerry Jones, Dan Snyder likes to collect players, not build teams. Funny that he hasn't won anything since he took over the team. When was the last time the Foreskins won a championship? Good luck with that moron.

LET'S NOT FORGET THAT THE SKINS ALREADY HAVE 3 SUPER BOWLS AND ARE A STORIED FRANCHISE SO PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT!!!! THE RAVENS HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO!!!

Umm ... When was that last Super Bowl won Deadskins fan?

People as stupid as Redskins Fan shouldn't be allowed to procreate (I'll give you a minute to think about that one). "The Skins already have 3 Super Bowls and blah blah blah." What's your point? They last won one in '91 and haven't even been relevant since. Whatever, sit there and criticize while your sorry team overpays for 2 players and finishes last in their division AGAIN. I'll bet they step up to the plate and give Marvin Harrison 10 million per.

DEAR MR. DEEZ, IT'S BEEN A WHILE, I KNOW THIS BUT THINGS ARE LOOKING UP. TOO BAD I CAN'T SAY THE SAME FOR THE RAVENS! OH AND BY THE WAY I'D TAKE MARVIN HARRISON OVER DERRICK MASON OR ANY OF THE RAVENS WIDEOUTS FOR THAT MATTER! THE RAVENS HAVE NEVER HAD AN OFFENSE AND NEVER WILL!!!

you are right about this which is why next off season we will be trying to lock him into a long term deal

Hey REDSKIN FAN!! As much as I like the Redskins (I am a fan), the Ravens are so much better and I AM A BIGGER RAVENS FAN. Off the blog. Our offense will step up and Ngata will go to Haynesworth's level. As for you Redskins, I see another 8-8 record for you guys.