Barring an announcement of a new deal between now and midnight, linebacker Dannell Ellerbe figures to be fielding a lot of calls from around the league on Saturday.
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Ravens are planning a “significant offer” in hopes of locking up Ellerbe before Tuesday, when he would be eligible to sign with another team. The two sides have been talking and Ellerbe professed hope that he remains in Baltimore.
“There’s always a chance, and that’s what I’m hoping will happen,” Ellerbe said. “The Ravens are a perfect situation for me. Hopefully, it’s a perfect situation for me to sign on the dotted line.”
Unless a deal is struck before Saturday, the Ravens and Ellerbe will have clear ideas of what the other side thinks is a fair deal entering the three-day negotiating period. The presence of 31 other teams would provide a pretty quick answer as to whether Baltimore or Ellerbe has a correct read on the market. If it’s Ellerbe, the chances of his departure would force the Ravens to decide how far they’d go to hold onto a member of their starting defense.