I guess the Ravens are worried about Matt Birk retiring. The team announced via their website this afternoon that they have re-signed Birk to a three-year deal pending a physical.
The 35-year old center has spent the last three seasons in Baltimore at Matt Vensel of The Sun reports that he loves the organization and playing for head coach John Harbaugh.
Getting Birk back, a six-time Pro Bowler who helped lead Ray Rice to a 1,364 yard rushing season, is big for the Ravens who now will focus their efforts on filling the gap at guard after Ben Grubbs left for New Orleans.
Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com points out that Evan Mathis has been linked to the Ravens already this offseason. Mathis told SiriusXM’s Adam Caplan that the “Ravens have offered a nice deal.”
A three-year deal for Birk does seem like a lot for a guy that pondered hanging up the cleats this offseason. Can you imagine a 38-year-old Birk leading the Ravens o-line? I know the guy has played 96-consecutive games, but I don’t see that streak continuing into 2014.
Guessing the extra years are for salary cap purposes? I dunno if this makes the Ravens better or worse heading in to next season. Good to have back to “make the line calls”, does not help us on 3rd and 1 from the 23 yard line.
I do know the money the restta the League is throwing around at players sure seems reckless.
Now you sign this guy to a 3 yr deal but not sign Rice long term…WTF?
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Poor Joe , one more time , I can still the the pocket collapsing over and over again the past few years,,,,,,,,Birk is old , slow , weak and cheap , just what Ozzie likes in a center because he is ‘cap strapped’…………
3 year deal is in paper only.
The reason Ray Rice isn’t signed is because he’s asking for outrageous money.
Birk signing and the Rice situation has absolutely nothing to do with each other.
And no, I’m not happy with the idea of Birk returning.
Rice should be asking for outrageous money. He is the best player on the damn team. Who shouldn they pay if not Rice? The Ravens will overpay Flacco and that’s okay? What BS!
Hey 9inchnail , how ya doin ? Ray and Joe will get offers that are comparable to others at their positions with matching statistics,,,,,,,,,if they over value them selves it is not Ozzie’s fault,,,,,,,I usually complain about ozzie but not here , Ray and Joe need to sign a reasonable , comparable contract,,,,,,,,Ray should have signed already , Joe still has time…………Rice is hurting the team’s cap space by not signing a comparable contract to Foster’s……….
Nails is doing good, hard as ever! I don’t think they are asking too much. They always ask for a Cadillac and settle for a Lincoln. Now I don’t believe Flacco is worth a Lincoln, maybe a Chevy Aveo with a broken down GPS but not a Lincoln. Go ahead and give Ray the Caddy.
At least Joe is worth more than a Yugo…………
Right player = right price. Ray is asking for too much , bet on it . Joe probably is also but he has time and is not hurting the cap structure yet.
excellent points.
I would Franchise Tag Rice for the next two years then let him leave.
Now hear me out, I like Rice and yes he is good but…
He’s small and as much as Flacco relies on him because Flacco cannot hit anyone past 8 yards, he gives the little out passes to Rice. Rice is taking too many hits and isn’t going to last long.
Now Flacco shouldn’t be getting any money for a Top 10 QB because he isn’t a Top 10 QB. They give Flacco $70mil or more then they are stupid.
Baltimore – Where receivers go to die!
BTW, are the Ravens becoming the Orioles? No free agent is signing with the Ravens and what the Ravens are getting are unknown clowns plus they won’t spend big bucks.
Mark my word, Bisciotti is cheap and it will get worse…
Sup Intimidator
I agree about Rice and tagging him twice if he won’t lower his demands and sign a reasonable deal. Say, something like Arian Foster. Maybe a tad more but that’s it.
We can debate where Flacco falls in the ranking of QBs. But what’s not really up for debate is the going rate for starting QBs. I’m betting he’ll get something like 6 years/80 million. When Fitzpatrick and Cassel are getting what they get, it’s just the way of the world.
What is this with the Orioles? Bisciotti spends UP to the cap every single year. The Ravens would have loved to have gotten Grubbs done, signed Marc Anderson, and a few others. But they flat out can’t. Teams like the Bills and Bucs were tens of millions under the cap and finally opened their wallets.
You know it has nothing to do with being cheap. Hell, if there wasn’t a cap, I guarantee the Ravens would be a top 5 spending team. SB is alot of things, but cheap aint one of them.
You coming to opening day with MGW? I heard you actually showed your face to some BSR people. I still don’t believe it!