Free Agency Scalps: Ray Lewis
by Ben Stockwell
10/2/2009
 Over the last decade and a half Ray Lewis has become synonymous with the Baltimore Ravens and their stifling defence. He is their centre piece, he is and was the crown jewel in one of the great defences in NFL history, and he has become one of the greatest defenders in NFL history. There's not a lot else to say, to a point one is unimaginable without the other, but in the forthcoming off-season that could well become a reality. Lewis and his representatives have sought out an extension to his contract for the last couple of years but through those negotiations it has become apparent that the two parties are some distance apart on terms. It seems apparent that Lewis and his representatives see his value as being much higher than does Ozzie Newsome and his colleagues in the Ravens front office.
We know what Ray Lewis has offered in the past, his résumé is without match amongst active players, but that's what he's done. You don't hand out huge contracts for what players have done; you have to hand out contracts for what they will do for the duration of that contract, so what does Lewis have left to offer? At the age of 34 he is already one of the oldest starting linebackers in the NFL and he's only going to get older and slower from here. He's already defied the laws of aging by clinging on at such a high level for so long and re-finding some of his best form in the last two or three years after a slight dip (by his high standards after that), but how much do you want to gamble that he can continue to do that? He's got experience in a 3-4 and 4-3 defence, he's still a great leader of men and he seems to be hungry for one more challenge to finish his career. Where will that challenge come? Any team with a need at middle linebacker would be foolish not to at least enquire to his demands but Ray's realistic choices would appear to be very limited in terms of meeting what he wants to do. He could play in a 4-3 defence again but he has lost a step and I'd question whether he can run sideline to sideline as he used to for the Ravens. So a 3-4 would seem to be the best fit and his choices would appear to be narrowed down to three choices: Baltimore, Dallas and the Jets.
The Jets handed out a lot of guaranteed money last off-season and aren't in great shape cap wise but that's nothing that isn't insurmountable, Brett Favre's inevitable retirement will save a vast amount against the cap and they can shift around incentives from likely to be earned to not likely to be earned to create more space this season. It's not a great way to manage the cap but in the shape of new head coach Rex Ryan and new defensive co-ordinator Mike Pettine the Jets have a coaching staff and defensive system that Lewis is familiar with and has excelled in during the last four seasons. For both Lewis and Ryan this would be a match made in heaven. Lewis gets to stay in a system he knows back to front and inside out, that he knows he can play well in and he's got big ole' Kris Jenkins in front of him to take double teams and keep him clean. For Ryan he gets a field general who knows his defence inside out and back to front (familiar them) and can get the other players on the defence acclimatised to the system. On top of that Lewis gets the challenge of leading a young team over the hump, rectifying the collapse of this season. He's said he wants a new challenge and taking the Jets to the next level would be just that. On top of that Ray gets the chance to market himself in a big city, big endorsement deals and his name constantly in the media. It's a big change from small town Baltimore sandwiched between D.C. & Philly, but it could be just the change he's after.
 So what about Dallas? After the Ravens closed down Texas Stadium rumours immediately started surfacing that Jerry Jones was ready to offer Lewis $25million guaranteed as part of a three year contract. Now these figures were later reputed to be fabricated by a local media member in Baltimore, but the interest from Jerry Jones and the need for Dallas to get a player and a leader like Lewis is absolutely undeniable. Whether those figures are true or not they have been used to set the market value for Lewis and they would appear to be a touch on the rich side for a Ravens team with other marquee free agents to lock up. If Lewis hits the open market then this would appear to be the true challenge that he is seeking to finish off his career. They are a bunch of misfits, on paper and individually they are as talented as any team in the league but there is absolutely no leadership and cohesion, it's a group of individuals, not a team. Lewis is a leader, as questionable as his character might be off of the field; his ability to lead men on the football field is absolutely without question. Bring Lewis in, let him “smooth out” some of the egos in the locker room and if you get that talent playing like a unit behind a strong leader, that team becomes incredibly dangerous and could actually live up to its pre-season billing for once. What player wouldn't want that sort of credit as being the player to get the Cowboys over the hump? If he's seeking that one final challenge then is there any reason to return to Baltimore?
Well does Baltimore offer him anything new? His legacy in Baltimore is cemented, so long as he doesn't leave acrimoniously take a parting shot at the city, the organisation and the fans it's tough to see how he could sully his reputation and the adulation that the fans have for him in the Charm City. Certainly departing for pastures new simply for the biggest pay check will stick in the throat of many fans, but can you really begrudge a player for that? They only get so many chances to get paid, so why shouldn't they maximise their contract values? The question is does he want to see through what he's started in Baltimore, he's won one Lombardi Trophy, why not close out with another one and remain in the same city? He's got a team that went to an AFC Title Game well ahead of schedule this season considering the disastrous season of 2007. He finally seems to have a potential “franchise quarterback” and an offensive co-ordinator who can at least set up an offence to take the heat off of his defence if it won't match it. Why leave? He wants another Superbowl before he retires, there surely aren't many teams closer to taking that step up to the top of the tree than his Ravens, are there? Or looking at it from the other side is this the perfect time for him to leave? Rex Ryan has departed, Bart Scott & Terrell Suggs are also free agents, is the heart of his team leaving Baltimore? Will we now see a shift from the Billick era and John Harbaugh building “his” team, with Joe Flacco as its centre piece rather than Ray Lewis? Add this to Lewis' dissatisfaction to the fact that he hasn't already received a contract extension and is this now the perfect time for Lewis to leave Baltimore? There's an awful lot of uncertainties in Baltimore if he remains.
So where does this leave us, Baltimore appears set for a decent run at division and Superbowl titles in the near future, but is it Ray's team anymore? Dallas has the great challenge but is the coaching staff good enough to attract him? The Jets have the attraction of working again with Rex Ryan but do they have the cap space to match his market value? Each possible destination has its attractions; each destination has its drawbacks, so where will Ray Lewis hang his hat next season? Well for starters he's got to avoid the franchise tag from Baltimore, which for my money he should and it would be a catastrophically bad decision for Baltimore to place the tag on him. They have cap space, but not so much that placing the tag on either Lewis or Terrell Suggs wouldn't be detrimental to their ability to fill other gaps on the team. Would the Ravens be better served retaining younger talent with their best years ahead of them of a 34 year old middle linebacker (admittedly the best of the current era) whose best days are behind him? If as I'd suggest they'd be better off retaining the likes of Suggs, then Lewis won't be back and much as it shouldn't be the case, he will see out his career not in the purple and black which he has helped make famous.
With that in mind I'd guess a prediction is in order, if not Baltimore then where? New York or Dallas? Well, I'd suggest Dallas, Jerry Jones can play smoke and mirrors with the cap and the challenge in Dallas would be the great send off, the cherry on the cake that is the legacy of Ray Lewis' career. Where else can he go and be the leader of a great franchise and get them back over the hump and end one of the longest playoff win droughts in the league currently. He can go and play for America's Team; he can lead a resurgent defence with some excellent talent and on offence on the other side of the ball that he could only have dreamed of in Baltimore. As a Ravens fan if this does happen I can only wish Lewis the best with the twilight years of his career. I'd rather he stayed in Baltimore, but I simply don't think it's financially sensible or sound team planning to overpay for a 34 year old Lewis ahead of younger talent. You build on a player's future, not his past, and Lewis' future isn't as bright as some of the other players the Ravens could sign this off-season.
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