Gaither Trade Talks Were Lies… Or Were They?

After tons of speculation, Tweeting, placing bets on where he’ll end up if he leaves, and just general insanity, it now looks like one of the biggest stories of the Ravens’ offseason has been resolved. Or not.

Mike Preston has reported that the trade talks were just a motivational tactic to get Jared Gaither to report to the team’s voluntary workouts. (I linked out to PFT because Preston’s article is full of other unimportant details.)  While Iron Mike says that this was the main reason behind the talks, he also says that if “the price is right”, then the team will make a move. The asking price: A first-round pick straight up, or a 2nd-round pick packaged with a 2011 late rounder.

Is this the right move? It doesn’t seem like it. Michael Oher seems content on the right side of the line for now, and if the time comes where he takes over Gaither’s spot, so be it. He’s talented enough to keep the spot, and if he works hard enough, he’ll keep it.  It seems like the trade talks showed that and also showed his commitment to the Ravens. If he’s committed enough to work hard and become the star he can be, I don’t see why the team would want to trade him. They’ll just have two really, really good offensive tackles, and one less 2010 first round draft pick.

Here’s my last point. Joe Flacco is the future of the Ravens. Yes, Ray Rice and Anquan Boldin and Oher and Gaither and so many other guys will be big factors, but Flacco is it. The Ravens can’t let him get sacked and take a beating every game. If you have the opportunity to give him the best offensive line in the NFL, you need to take that opportunity and go with it. Hopefully this is the last we hear of Gaither being traded, as it seems it’s in both parties’ best interests to keep him in Baltimore.