My original slate of assignments for our team checklist series already wrapped up. I’ve offered to help Florio finish his teams a few times, but he kept resisting. Apparently a family “vacation” was all it took for him to change his mind.
See, I’m a team player. But not such a team player where I won’t give Florio crap for not writing up Baltimore’s post-lockout to-do list.
1. Re-sign Marshall Yanda.
This could be tricky with the Redskins reportedly entering the mix. But the Ravens seem to love Yanda, who will make them a better running team at right guard.
2. Look for tackle depth.
It’s a lot to ask rookie Jah Reid to start at right tackle right away. With Michael Oher’s position flexibility, the Ravens could be creative if necessary looking for left tackles. Jared Gaither seems very likely to leave.
3. Make a splash with Nnamadi Asomugha.
The more we think about it, the more Baltimore seems like the perfect fit for Asomugha. Baltimore isn’t known for making big free agent splashes, but they also aren’t afraid to be aggressive to get guys that fit what they do. (Think Anquan Boldin.)
Asomugha fits. His press corner play would work perfectly on the physical Ravens defense. He wants to play for a winner. Baltimore paid big bucks to defenders before (usually their own, but also Domonique Foxworth) so the idea isn’t so crazy.
4. If No.3 doesn’t work, re-sign Chris Carr or Josh Wilson.
It’s probably going to be Carr because Wilson is coming off a strong season and will cost a lot. There is a thought Carr could move to free safety. The fact the Ravens rebuilt the value of both of these players shows they don’t have to overpay for good, not great talent. The Ravens aren’t barren at cornerback with Lardarius Webb and rookie Jimmy Smith in the mix.
5. Let Dewan Landry go.
He’ll get big money somewhere in a safety-starved league. Landry is a good player, but they can find someone else to play next to Ed Reed. They always do.
6. Cut Willis McGahee, rebuild the backfield.
This is a unit in transition. McGahee can’t return for $6 million and should get released. Fullback Le’Ron McClain wants the ball more, although he could be brought back in a fullback/backup role.
Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun has said the Ravens want more of a traditional fullback, so perhaps Houston’s Vonta Leach is an option.
7. Find a backup quarterback.
We expect Marc Bulger to get a better job than being Joe Flacco’s caddy for another year. Luckily for the Ravens, the backup quarterback market is fairly deep this year. Unfortunately for the Ravens, John Beck is already taken.