Post by prossman on Feb 5, 2009 12:37:18 GMT -7
Should the Ravens use the 'franchise tag' to keep Ray Lewis?
Faceoff
January 28, 2009
It's too much of a risk
By Bill Ordine
Assembling an NFL roster is a Rubik's Cube. You have to be smart in the draft and free agency while retaining your own veteran nucleus - all within the framework of the league's salary cap.
One way of keeping veterans is the so-called "franchise tag" - a distinction that sounds flattering but isn't always welcomed by the players who are so designated. They get big money, but for just one year.
Fans understand Baltimore's dilemma: A fistful of accomplished veterans are eligible for free agency. So there is a notion that, for another Super Bowl run in 2009, the Ravens should franchise Ray Lewis, a future Hall of Famer who will be 34 next season. Although Lewis continues to perform at a Pro Bowl level, the argument goes, the team should guard against getting stuck with big salary cap numbers in the future.
OK, that's the logical, in-a-vacuum way of looking at it. Here's the real-world version.
Lewis believes the team owes him loyalty and that means a multi-year contract with guaranteed bonuses and all the rest. Such a contract says to Lewis that he's family.
Fans may ask, so what? You franchise the guy and he plays.
Well, yeah, kinda, maybe.
A happy Ray Lewis is an intense, relentless, unyielding driver who helps define the Ravens' character.
An unhappy Ray Lewis, well, I'm not sure the Ravens want to find out what it's like.
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The team comes first
By Kevin Eck
This debate might be moot, since Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has already said the team would not put the franchise tag on Ray Lewis. Then again, he also said Brian Billick's job was safe right before he fired him.
As it pertains to franchising Lewis, the question isn't "will they?" It's "should they?"
If the Ravens believe putting the tag on Lewis increases their chances of making a Super Bowl run next season, then they should not hesitate to do it. The Ravens have a responsibility to do what's best for the team, not what's best for any individual player, even one as great as Lewis.
The best-case scenario is that Lewis takes a hometown discount, which would give the Ravens the flexibility to keep certain key players and add others. However, if Lewis is just looking for another big payday, which is his right, the Ravens should franchise him, which is their right.
It just doesn't make sense to commit a huge sum of money to a linebacker who will be 34 next season. Lewis still plays at a high level, but his best days are behind him and the salary cap doesn't have a provision for sentimentality. That money would be more wisely spent on Terrell Suggs, who is seven years younger than Lewis.
Even if franchising Lewis appears to be the Ravens' best option, they still might not consider it for fear of how he would handle it. Of course, no player likes to be franchised, but it's part of the business, and Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome shouldn't think twice about pulling out his trump card.
If Lewis is truly a team leader, he wouldn't sulk or be disruptive. He would set an example for his teammates by playing with the same intensity and commitment he always has.
Faceoff
January 28, 2009
It's too much of a risk
By Bill Ordine
Assembling an NFL roster is a Rubik's Cube. You have to be smart in the draft and free agency while retaining your own veteran nucleus - all within the framework of the league's salary cap.
One way of keeping veterans is the so-called "franchise tag" - a distinction that sounds flattering but isn't always welcomed by the players who are so designated. They get big money, but for just one year.
Fans understand Baltimore's dilemma: A fistful of accomplished veterans are eligible for free agency. So there is a notion that, for another Super Bowl run in 2009, the Ravens should franchise Ray Lewis, a future Hall of Famer who will be 34 next season. Although Lewis continues to perform at a Pro Bowl level, the argument goes, the team should guard against getting stuck with big salary cap numbers in the future.
OK, that's the logical, in-a-vacuum way of looking at it. Here's the real-world version.
Lewis believes the team owes him loyalty and that means a multi-year contract with guaranteed bonuses and all the rest. Such a contract says to Lewis that he's family.
Fans may ask, so what? You franchise the guy and he plays.
Well, yeah, kinda, maybe.
A happy Ray Lewis is an intense, relentless, unyielding driver who helps define the Ravens' character.
An unhappy Ray Lewis, well, I'm not sure the Ravens want to find out what it's like.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The team comes first
By Kevin Eck
This debate might be moot, since Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has already said the team would not put the franchise tag on Ray Lewis. Then again, he also said Brian Billick's job was safe right before he fired him.
As it pertains to franchising Lewis, the question isn't "will they?" It's "should they?"
If the Ravens believe putting the tag on Lewis increases their chances of making a Super Bowl run next season, then they should not hesitate to do it. The Ravens have a responsibility to do what's best for the team, not what's best for any individual player, even one as great as Lewis.
The best-case scenario is that Lewis takes a hometown discount, which would give the Ravens the flexibility to keep certain key players and add others. However, if Lewis is just looking for another big payday, which is his right, the Ravens should franchise him, which is their right.
It just doesn't make sense to commit a huge sum of money to a linebacker who will be 34 next season. Lewis still plays at a high level, but his best days are behind him and the salary cap doesn't have a provision for sentimentality. That money would be more wisely spent on Terrell Suggs, who is seven years younger than Lewis.
Even if franchising Lewis appears to be the Ravens' best option, they still might not consider it for fear of how he would handle it. Of course, no player likes to be franchised, but it's part of the business, and Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome shouldn't think twice about pulling out his trump card.
If Lewis is truly a team leader, he wouldn't sulk or be disruptive. He would set an example for his teammates by playing with the same intensity and commitment he always has.