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HOT TOPIC
Judging by the structure of Steve McNair's five-year contract, the Ravens will keep the Pro Bowl quarterback for three seasons.
After the 2008 season, escalating salaries and cap numbers in McNair's contract will probably force the Ravens to either restructure his deal or release him.
According to figures obtained from the NFL Players Association, McNair will earn $1 million in base salary this year. After he receives a $1 million option bonus next spring, his salaries jump to $3 million in 2007 and $4 million in 2008.
The total payout for those first three years is $20 million. As a result, his cap numbers over that time are manageable ($3.2 million in 2006, $5.45 million in 2007 and $6.45 million 2008).
His contract likely needs to be addressed after the 2008 season, when his salary rises to $6 million for the final two years of his deal. The Ravens probably won't be able to handle his $8.45 million cap figure in 2009 and 2010, which means they will have to rework his deal or release him.
McNair, who would be 36 heading into the 2009 season, refuses to gauge how many years he has left.
"When you pass 10 years, you take one year at a time," said McNair, who is entering his 12th season. "I feel like if I can go through this year clean and healthy, then I can play each year the same way with the same mentality."
If the Ravens keep McNair as their starter for the next three years as expected, they would face an interesting predicament with Kyle Boller.
His contract runs through 2007, paying him $1.6 million and $797,500 over the final two years. With Boller now relegated to a backup role, it becomes a tougher decision for the Ravens after 2007 whether to try to keep the unproven 2003 first-round pick or cut their losses.
The Ravens have invested $6.68 million (bonuses and salaries) in Boller over his first three seasons, receiving an 18-16 overall record in return. They also gave up two picks (a first-rounder in 2004 and a second-rounder in 2003) to move up in the '03 draft to select Boller.
Coach Brian Billick disputed the notion that the acquisition of McNair indicates the Ravens have given up on Boller.
"I don't know that it's not working," Billick said. "Conventional thinking tells you that we're going to need Kyle Boller (at some point this season), and I have no doubt that he'll be ready to do that. I also know Kyle's professional enough and smart enough to utilize Steve as a resource, to tap into the perspective that Steve has."
Meanwhile, club president Dick Cass clarified the comments he made to fans at the Ravens' spring festival last month, saying yesterday that the team will not have to part ways with multiple starters anytime soon because of cap issues.
"We are not expecting or planning for a salary cap purge in 2008," Cass said. "It is true that if we continue to spend cash over the cap the way we have over the last couple of years, we will be tight in terms of our ability to be active in the free agency market in 2008."
Cass said he never insinuated a two-year window for the Ravens when he told fans May 21, "When you go over the cap for three years like we have, we probably can only go one more year. Unless we restructure contracts, we won't be in a situation in '08 that we were in '02 - but it will be tight."
PLAYER NOTES
--The Ravens reacquired safety Gerome Sapp by sending a conditional 2007 draft pick to the Indianapolis Colts. Sapp, a sixth-round pick by the Ravens in 2003, is expected to compete for the starting free safety job as well as provide an impact on special teams.
The Ravens waived Sapp after the 2004 season opener, a move not fully endorsed by the entire organization. Sapp later said the Ravens intended to cut cornerback Corey Fuller, but Fuller talked the coaches out of it by reminding them how he got Deion Sanders to sign with the team.
Sapp has since become a solid special teams performer for the Colts while Fuller played sparingly the rest of the 2004 season, his last in the NFL.
"We looked at it as an opportunity to upgrade our football team," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said of the trade.
--A day after Derrick Mason limped off the field to end spring minicamps, the Ravens confirmed their leading receiver will be ready for training camp at the end of next month.
Mason bruised his ankle while diving to make a touchdown catch Thursday and was later treated with ice. The injury was considered so minor that the Ravens didn't send Mason for X-rays.
In his first season with the Ravens, Mason led the team last season with 86 receptions, which set a Ravens' single-season record.
He has not missed a game since 2002, making 58 straight starts.
--The Baltimore Ravens announced that they have released quarterback Sonny Cumbie, linebackers Zac Woodfin and Ricky Foley, and defensive back Zach Norton.
--Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and receiver Demetrius Williams had private workouts after the Ravens' spring workouts ended. They couldn't attend the past practices because of an NFL rule that limits a player to one minicamp with his pro team while his school is still in session.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
With the acquisition of quarterback Steve McNair, the Ravens' only hole is at free safety.
Look for the Ravens to add a veteran there if one becomes available either before or during training camp. The Ravens are hoping either Gerome Sapp or Dawan Landry, a fifth-round pick, can step up if the team is unable to add another safety.
FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.
TRANSITION PLAYER: None.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
--CB Dale Carter (not tendered June 1).
--LS Drew Caylor (not tendered as ERFA).
--DT Gary Gibson (not tendered as ERFA).
--CB Cash Mouton (not tendered as ERFA).
--WR Patrick Johnson (not tendered June 1).
--RB Jamel White (not tendered June 1).
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS
--DT Cedric Hilliard (tendered at $350,000).
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
--CB Robb Butler: ERFA; $425,000/1 yr).
--PK Aaron Elling: RFA; $721,600/1 yr.
--NT Aubrayo Franklin: RFA; terms unknown, had been tendered at $721,600.
--LB Dennis Haley: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr.
--DE Jarret Johnson: RFA; $1.573M/1 yr.
--LS Matt Katula: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr.
--RB Jamal Lewis: UFA; $26M/3 yrs, $5M SB; 2006 cap: $2.67M.
--FB Ovie Mughelli: RFA; terms unknown, had been tendered at $721,600.
--CB Zach Norton: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr).
--CB Evan Oglesby: ERFA; $350,000/ 1 yr).
--OT Tony Pashos: RFA; had been tendered at $1.573M.
--OG Brian Rimpf: ERFA; terms unknown.
--QB Brian St. Pierre; ERFA; terms unknown.
--RB B.J. Sams: ERFA; $425,000/1 yr.
--LB Bart Scott: UFA; $13.5M/3 yrs, $6.5M SB; 2006 cap: $3.17M.
--LB Mike Smith: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr).
--RB Musa Smith: RFA; $721,600/1 yr.
--C Thatcher Szalay: ERFA; $425,000/1 yr.
--DE Benard Thomas: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr).
--CB B.J. Ward: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr).
--TE Daniel Wilcox: Potential RFA; 3 yrs, terms unknown.
--LB Zac Woodfin: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr).
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
--RB Mike Anderson: FA Broncos; $8M/4 yrs, $2M SB.
--P Leo Araguz: FA; terms unknown.
--DT Justin Bannan: UFA Bills; $8M/4 yrs, $3M SB.
--CB Corey Ivy: UFA Rams; $2.16M/3 yrs, $250,000 SB; 2006 cap: $668,333.
--LB Tim Johnson: UFA Raiders; 1 yr, terms unknown.
--QB Steve McNair: Trade Titans.
--DE Trevor Pryce: FA Broncos; $25M/5 yrs, $10M guaranteed.
--S Gerome Sapp: Trade Colts.
--LB Gary Stills: FA Chiefs; $2.6M/3 yrs, SB unknown.
PLAYERS LOST
--LB Peter Boulware (released).
--OT Orlando Brown (released; post-June 1 designation).
--S Will Demps: UFA Giants; 5 yrs, terms unknown.
--TE Darnell Dinkins: UFA Browns; $2.1M/3 yrs, $200,000 SB.
--WR Randy Hymes: UFA Jaguars; terms unknown.
--DT Maake Kemoeatu: UFA Panthers; $27.5M/5 yrs, $6M SB/$2M OB '07.
--LB Tommy Polley: UFA Saints; terms unknown.
--CB Deion Sanders: UFA; retired).
--RB Chester Taylor: UFA Vikings; $14.1M/4 yrs, $5.6M guaranteed.
--DE Tony Weaver: UFA Texans; $26.5M/5 yrs, $12M SB.
--S Chad Williams: UFA 49ers; terms unknown.
--QB Anthony Wright: UFA Bengals; 1 yr, terms unknown.
--P Dave Zastudil: UFA Browns; $8M/5 yrs, $1.66M SB.
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