24x7 Article: How Might The Ravens Manage The 2007 Salary Cap? - Re-signing AD isn't

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How Might The Ravens Manage The 2007 Salary Cap? - Re-signing AD isn't as simple as slapping him with the franchise tag (1/25)

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[ravcol]

Great salary cap review. Each team should publish its own salary cap status on their website, player by player, so the fans can understand better how it works. I think nfl.com only includes the player's salary for the year and not incentives, or pro-rated salary bonus.

[PurpleRulz]

Excellent post and it brings a reality check to those that keep screaming "WE MUST RE-SIGN AD AT ALL COSTS."

I just think it is time to move on from AD, and start fresh with someone in the draft.

I do think Pashos and Mughelli are priority signings though.

I like the idea of extending both Suggs and Scott, now, and restructuring Todd heap.

[ravenwoman]

Excellent article and education about the Salary Cap process. We as fans can yell and scream all we want for our favorite players, but as you can see, it takes a Philadelphia lawyer and a forensic accountant to carve up the pie and still retain a core of excellent football players.

At this point, I really think it's going to take a small miracle to retain A.D. The franchise tag is not cheap, the hit on the cap is immediate, and I know the Ravens Front Office are reluctant to use it because it creates morale problems amonst the players. Even if A.D. took it like a man, and didn't complain, the other players would gossip about it and think he got a raw deal.

Time will tell . . .

[Raven Nurse]

Can you say 2008 CAP PURGE!!!!!But, once again it looks like only a one year rebuild....One more good draft and no worries

[LBoogy]

Excellent post and it brings a reality check to those that keep screaming "WE MUST RE-SIGN AD AT ALL COSTS."

I just think it is time to move on from AD, and start fresh with someone in the draft.

I do think Pashos and Mughelli are priority signings though.

I like the idea of extending both Suggs and Scott, now, and restructuring Todd heap.

You're exactly right.

As much as all of us love AD, if we can't afford him, there's no sense in tying up a TON of cash in a guy who's going to be 30 this year.

If we could draft Rufus Alexander in the 2nd round this year...I'd be more than happy to have him replace AD. We've also got JJ and Cody on the bench.

You figure that high-payed vets like Jamal, Rolle, Ogden, and a few others will be gone shortly and are VERY replacable. We have a good crop of young CB's, and RB is one of the only positions where you can have a rookie step in, start, and make an impact. Obviously, we have Ogden's replacement in Terry, and he should be ready to go.

Possible other vets that may need to be replaced in a few years are Mason, Pryce, Ray Ray, and McNair. I think DE is relatively easy to address, though I think Pryce is the kind of guy that can play until he's 35.

This year's draft is incredibly deep (maybe the deepest ever) in WR's and if we draft one this year, we can probably expect him to step up as a #3. We know Clayton and Williams can get the job done as #1 and #2 when needed.

We've got Mike Smith behind Ray, and good ILB's aren't terribly difficult to come by in the draft.

I definitely think Ovie and Pashos MUST be resigned, along with JJ and Sapp (good depth).

Overall, I think our team is in fine shape. There are replacements already on the team lined up to take over starting roles, and positions like RB and OLB can easily be addressed in the draft.

Guys like Ovie, Pashos, Heap, J. Brown, Terry, Clayton, Williams, Chester, Suggs, Ngata, Gregg (a bit older, but solid), Bart Scott, Mike Smith, Dan Cody (hopefully), Ed, Prude, Pittman/Martin, Jarrett Johnson, are our future. That's a pretty good crop of young talent if you ask me.

As far as I'm concerned, the only glaring needs on this team (currently) are RB and OLB (if AD leaves). We need more depth at OL and a Qb prospect to groom, but I don't see how this team will be in "rebuilding" mode anytime soon.

[festivus]

Persuasive analysis, LBoogy, and it makes me feel better about AD leaving, which I'm being persuaded by smart people is apparently going to happen.

[B-more Ravor]

Can you say 2008 CAP PURGE!!!!!But, once again it looks like only a one year rebuild....One more good draft and no worries

Well, let's just consider that most teams DO NOT recover as quickly as the Ravens did. It may have spoiled us, so I'm not sure that is something that we can count on. I do have great faith in Ozzie and Co., and maybe they can again turn it around quickly, but I just don't think you can expect it to happen as quickly.

As far as the anticipated purge goes, this is a major reason why re-signing AD and extending Ray (as some feel we should do) is very problematic. Those moves will only make things worse. I don't think we are going to face a cap purge as we did in 2002 because of the need to jestison salary as much as it will, this time, be a purge of older, declining players. This time we won't have to show the door to younger players of the caliber of Sam Adams, Jamie Sharper, Jermaine Lewis, etc as happened in 2002.

That is, unless, they decide to pull a 2001, and play for 2007 only, beyond that, be damned.

[Sports Steve]

Great salary cap review. Each team should publish its own salary cap status on their website, player by player, so the fans can understand better how it works. I think nfl.com only includes the player's salary for the year and not incentives, or pro-rated salary bonus.

First very good article. However the sad news that after reading that we really can't sign AD. What a shame as I have really enjoyed watching over the years. AD has reached a point in his career that he has earned the money coming to him. Looks like the Ravens have a lot of work ahead of them.