Baltimore Ravens Rumors Roundup 2/10

Who says the offseason isn’t entertaining? Between all the moves teams make, the draft, and hate tweets, I’m just another Michael Jackson meme grabbing popcorn and enjoying the show. Baltimore Ravens Rumors are what keep us roped in: the idea of this player getting cut or that coach coming to the organization. And we certainly aren’t without some great potentials this offseason as well.

Let’s take a look at some of the juicy rumors surrounding our Ebony Birds this week.

The 2014 season has been a bittersweet season for the Baltimore Ravens. Some areas need serious improvement while most look quite promising. Among all the talk of possible moves, two names stick out right for me right now: Brandon Marshall and Haloti Ngata.

More from The Baltimore Wire

I’m not sure I can add more to the story right now surrounding Marshall and the Ravens that Baltimore Wire editor Shawn Brubaker’s article didn’t already sum up. Marshall is at the top of his game and the Ravens could use a deep threat alternative to the aging Steve Smith.

I will add though that although I love Brandon Marshall, I think too many people fail to account for his personality and history of quitting when the going gets tough a little too lightly. The guy is an athletic freak but at the end of the day, he will turn 31 this year and has had unsuccessful tenure with three renowned NFL franchises. There’s a reason for that.

Will the Ravens take a chance on Marshall? Assuming the Bears release him, which right now seems highly probable, Baltimore will not ignore him. But let’s also not expect Ozzie to just bust open the checkbook for any player, regardless of how good he is.

I think Demaryius Thomas is a better option, but that’s a different, and much more unlikely story altogether.

Haloti Ngata, meanwhile, is a very interesting subject of conversation in the Ravens camp. Salary cap time and Ngata is at the top of the list to be considered.

ESPN’s Jamison Hensley’s article addresses the Ravens concerns this offseason. And Haloti Ngata tops his list.

The general consensus seems to be that the Ravens need to unfortunately cut the Super Bowl winning defensive lineman. Baltimore simply cannot afford the $16 million cap hit. And with other veterans being retained and new budding talent, one can easily see how Haloti’s future with the Ravens seems bleak.

I, however, think there’s a number of reasons why Haloti Ngata should stay in Baltimore, even if he won’t take a pay cut.

First, is Haloti Ngata worth the money? Yes, yes, yes. The guy is consistently healthy and still a top 10 defensive end. His continued contributions on the field simply cannot be ignored.

Remember in the playoffs last season against Pittsburgh when Ngata returned after serving a four-game suspension and allowed Terrell Suggs to put on a pass rushing clinic?

The Baltimore Ravens clearly looked like a different team when he was on the field.

And that brings me to my second point: how much Ngata being on the field affects the rest of the team. How he elevates the game of his teammates. How he brings the best out of players.

Haloti Ngata on the field opens up crazy possibilities with formations for the Ravens. He usually eats up two blockers and allows Suggs and Dumervil to keep quarterbacks in a pressure cooker the entire game.

Combined with rookie C.J. Mosley, who has shown he can stop any rusher in the league, Haloti Ngata has demonstrated he is an integral part of this defense. Do not let this one slip away.

Next: Baltimore Ravens will make big move

Home/Baltimore Ravens