What Should the Ravens Pay Ray Lewis?
The jackass genius that is Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun presents a somewhat logical, yet overly-ornery case on what the Baltimore Ravens should pay team icon Ray Lewis. Unfortunately, like many of his arguments, its based in angst against the team and a misplaced sense of personal responsibility.
Let’s break down his stupidity, shall we?
If I were general manager of the Ravens, I would let Pro Bowl inside linebacker Ray Lewis become an unrestricted free agent. Forget all of this icon nonsense. If Jerry Rice and John Unitas could play in another jersey, so can Lewis. It’s time for the Ravens to move on and allow this team to officially become John Harbaugh’s.
Spoken like a writer leaning off the haterade. Ray Lewis is an icon. He’s an icon in a city where baseball is an afterthought, basketball doesn’t exist beyond the collegiate mid-major level, and hockey is lost in the 295 commute. He’s that important. To compare him to two legendary offensive players, who played in a different time of training and physicality, well, that’s just plain dumb.
And the team becoming John Harbaugh’s? While his role as a disciplinarian was certainly refreshing, I seem to recall Cam Cameron and Rex Ryan being most responsible for the Ravens 2008-09 run, with Lewis as the catalyst for the surge.
So, here’s my proposal: The Ravens should give Lewis, 33, a three-year contract worth $18million. There will be no signing bonus, but every year that Lewis shows up for training camp on time, the $6 million salary becomes guaranteed, even if there is a players’ strike. If Lewis can’t play the final year of the contract, the Ravens still have to pay him the $6 million as a consultant or adviser. It’s a fair and logical deal, with a possible great farewell present for the aging superstar.
So let’s think about this. You’re suggesting the Ravens lowball Lewis on an offer that is about $5 million less than what he would make with three franchise tags? And you firmly believe he will accept this, or is obligated to do so? Please.
But with the new contract, there should be stipulations by the Ravens. Because they have been extremely loyal to Lewis by renegotiating his contract five times, they should ask him to become more of a team player. With a decline in ability comes a decrease in power.
And he hasn’t been loyal in resigning with the Ravens? Is this some kind of joke?
They’ll probably offer Lewis a three-year deal worth slightly more than $8 million a season, which is too high. Lewis, though, will still say no, and he’ll ask for about $9 million a season for the next three years.
That’s way too high. Actually, it’s downright ridiculous. Somewhere, though, the two sides will have to find a meeting point. If this were solely general manager Ozzie Newsome’s deal, the offer would be more in line with my proposal. But I’ve always gotten the impression owner Steve Bisciotti, Lewis’ friend, will interfere and Lewis will get overpaid just to remain a Raven.
I would be so interested in seeing you negotiate a buyout from the Sun. It would be the most intriguing prospect in the world to watch you completely negate all of the comments you make about Lewis in the best interest of your financial standing. You know, because that’s what normal people do; try to get as much money as they can and get out.
The bottom line is that Ray Lewis doesn’t deserve $15 million per year just like he doesn’t deserve $5 million per. Somewhere in between there is a magic number for the Ravens and Lewis. The crap about someone else’s turn to make money and loyalty is all about selling papers and getting conservative folks whipped up for nothing. Do yourself a favor and don’t advocate for a man to do less than what you, or any other hard working person in any industry would do.
Get paid.
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