Baltimore Ravens Free Agency Moves Are Winners So Far
By Brett Foote
Dec 14, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Houston Texans safety Kendrick Lewis (21) and linebacker Brian Cushing (56) celebrate an interception which led to a first quarter touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Indianapolis Colts won, 17-10 to clinch the AFC South Division. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
I find it pretty amazing that so many Baltimore Ravens fans are freaking out about the moves (or lack thereof) that general manager Ozzie Newsome has made thus far in free agency. It’s almost as if people just have short term memory loss in regards to the fact that teams who “win” free agency each offseason are often the same ones that don’t win in the postseason.
Sure, it would be nice if the team would just splurge and bring in a top flight corner or wide receiver. Unless it doesn’t work out. History has shown that teams let guys walk for a reason. And that reason is usually one of two things: either they are a giant headache, or they want more money than they are worth. So could it be possible that the Baltimore Ravens free agency moves are the real “winners?”
It’s hard to argue with what Ozzie has accomplished so far, and that is freeing up a nice bit of cap space with a number of shrewd and underrated moves. Signing Kendrick Lewis was perhaps the shrewdest, and I almost feel bad for the guy after finding out that he signed for a mere $5.4 million over 3 years while other free agent defensive backs are raking $5-$8 million a year.
Trading a franchise legend in Haloti Ngata wasn’t the most popular move either, but it was incredibly bold and smart. And then Ozzie got Lardarius Webb to accept a pay cut, even though he really had no incentive to do so. He cut Chris Canty and allowed him to explore the market, knowing that he would likely be hard pressed to find a better offer elsewhere. And it paid off when Canty resigned at a lesser rate.
The Ravens got Justin Forsett at a very reasonable price while DeMarco Murray, C.J. Spiller, and LeSean McCoy got big bucks elsewhere. Forsett had a better season in 2014 than all of them, except for Murray, who in all fairness racked up nearly twice the carries that Forsett did over the course of the season. With the history of running backs breaking down after heavy workloads, who will be the better back in 2015?
So while other teams like the Browns, Bills, and Eagles shell out big bucks trying to play real life fantasy football, you should be pretty content with the unexciting offseason the Ravens have had so far. Expect Ozzie to use some of his newly found cap space to make a few solid veteran signings in the coming weeks. And don’t be surprised when they once again outperform the teams that are currently being crowned as the “winners” of free agency where it really matters – on the field.
Next: Ravens stockpiling picks for a talented draft class