Baltimore Ravens: Keeping track of Zach Orr in free agency

Dec 25, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Cobi Hamilton (83) runs after a catch against Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Zach Orr (54) during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 25, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Cobi Hamilton (83) runs after a catch against Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Zach Orr (54) during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

After announcing his return to football Zach Orr is an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team he wants

After announcing his retirement back in January due to a congenital neck and spine condition, Zach Orr is making a comeback. He received second opinions on the condition and has been told that he would be safe to play.

This is shocking news because it seemed like his career was seemingly over. Now the 2016 All-Pro is getting calls from half the league trying to schedule a visit. He is going to be in high demand, even by his former team.

Here is what we know so far from all that is going on.

How involved are the Ravens?

The Ravens are in a tough situation with this one. Because the injury seemed career ending, the team never placed a tender on him. Now he is an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team he wants. Orr said mentioned the Ravens as favorites, but is still planning to visit other teams.

Related Story: Baltimore Ravens: Prediction of the 53-man roster

This is a tricky situation. Ravens’ team doctors were the first ones to discover the condition. For Orr to play for the Ravens, these same doctors would have to clear him. I have a hard time believing that they would, even if Orr recently got second opinions. It would be too much of a liability for the team.

Orr’s agent appeared on 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore yesterday and had this to say about the situation.

"“There are a lot of variables that the Ravens are having to deal with,” agent Rob Sheets told WJZ-FM in Baltimore on Thursday, via ESPN.com. “There’s a lot of internal consternation. One side of the line fighting to get Zach Orr back, and another line saying we need to move on.”"

Orr appeared on Sirius XM NFL radio with Alex Marvez and Mark Dominik and told them this:

"“It was probably a premature decision for me to retire so early just because I listened to one doctor,” Orr said. “After people found out I only went to one doctor, they were telling me, ‘You’ve got to go get a second opinion. It was kind of eating at me. Obviously, I wanted to play ball. I love ball. I went ahead and did that."

Does this not seem weird to anyone else? Why would Orr not get a second opinion on the issue and wait until just recently? I don’t think any of this is made up but there seem to be a lot of interesting circumstances floating around.

Visit with Lions yesterday goes into today

The first stop for Orr was the Detroit Lions. He made the visit yesterday and it has carried over into today. According to Mike Garafolo, team doctors have been pleased with everything they have seen so far.

Visits set for this weekend

Along with the Lions, Orr is scheduled to visit two more teams this weekend. He will visit the Jets today and the Colts tomorrow.

Moe visits will most likely continue next week. It’s a tricky situation given the condition. Team doctors are going to have to be careful before making a decision. Even with Orr’s production, this is still a high risk/high reward kind of signing. There’s no guarantee what will happen once he get’s back on to the field.

Next: 3 reasons the Baltimore Ravens will be the surprise team of 2017

Keep up with us here at Ebony Bird for more breaking news and updated information on this situation. It’s definitely one to keep watch.

Schedule