Jameel McClain visiting the Broncos Friday

Posted by Evan Silva on March 15, 2012, 8:32 PM EDT
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NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reports that the Denver Broncos will host free agent linebacker Jameel McClain for a visit on Friday.

McClain, 26, broke into the league as an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse in 2008. He’s been a starting linebacker for the Ravens for the past two seasons.

McClain isn’t going to unseat Von Miller or D.J. Williams for a starting job in Denver, but he could be an option at middle linebacker. Incumbent starter Joe Mays is a free agent.

While 2011 third-round pick Nate Irving is the leading candidate to succeed Mays, McClain could provide veteran competition.

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17 responses to “Jameel McClain visiting the Broncos Friday”

  4. Come join your brother in San Diego, albeit as a reserve. We really need depth at ILB and a PR (Royale w/ chs!!), SS, and Pass-rushing specialist, depth on both offensive and defensive lines…. Wow, we need some thaaaaangs!

    Future is bright in all seriousness.

  5. Nate Irving is more than capable of holding up the middle. The Predator can ball.

    McClain can provide quality depth and take DJ’s spot when he gets suspended.

  6. Grubbs is a good player but was an expected loss. Corey Reding solid vet that is easily replaced. Jarett Johnson is tough to swallow but again, this was expected. JJ is as tough as nails and was a great Raven. McClean is not a big loss at all. I would be surprised if he did anything anywhere else. Time has proved the Ravens lose guys in free agency because they draft and develop talent so well. They can’t keep everyone. But these losses are not a big deal because, well, they draft and develop talent so well. They keep the guys they want to keep (reed, Suggs, Lewis, ngata) and the rest move on. But very rarely do you look back and say they should not have let that guy get away.

  7. lol really ??? you dont have a repolacement at all for Grubs… and I dont think you have a replacement at all for JJ or McClain….they cant keep guys because they cant afford them because they are having to pay Flacco ???? and Rice that still have to be resolved and despite what Ravens fans think…your just in as much cap problems as anyone else ( wait till those contracts are finalized before your start talking smack about other teams) … To say that losing grubs, JJ, McClain are no big deal is just dumb.. they are good players and no you really dont have a back up for them as quality goes. Your having to look at cheaper alternatives in the FA market to replace them.

  8. lol its funny how you Raven fans think its no big deal getting rid of guys like Redding, Grubbs, JJ, and McClain, thinking they can easly be replaced lmao… Your guy’s confidents are wwaayy off the charts just because the Ravens are a playoff team, I bet they’ll end up struggling finding replacements for those guys…

  9. @clayton43,
    No my friend, just shifting the $ and the emphasis. JJ was a great Raven, McClain for the most part a back-up along with Ellerby. We would have loved to have them back at the right price. How many of our defensive players have gone on to make a difference??? A. Thomas? E. Hartwell? Naa, don’t think so. And whoever breaks the trend of d-players flopping when they leave, it won’t be McClain, nor JJ. Grubbs was concerning, but again, right player, right price. Oz uses them for the duration of their rookie contracts and lets them go UNLESS he thinks their ceiling is higher. See Yanda’s contract last year, Ngata’s, Sugg’s, etc. It’s not only to make room for Flacco. Outsiders only see from…the outside. Think about how the league is evolving, who won the SB, etc…and look critically at the Raven’s D-Line in its entirety, MacPhee, Kruger, Cody, Art Jones – they’re loaded and their loaded at Corner. And there is still the draft, where Ozzie will shine.

  10. @inthehouse19,
    Just like everyone said we’d struggle after last year’s black tuesday…cutting Mason, Heap, K. Gregg and Willis? Hopefully we’ll struggle to 13-3 again. JJ was a 4th round pick who we developed, McClain an un-drafted free agent. You think we all of a sudden can’t draft and develop? Please son…

  12. ravensoriolesterps says:
    Mar 15, 2012 8:38 PM
    Yet another Raven who will be mediocre when he leaves Baltimore. Next man up!

    ——-

    Just like Priest Holmes and Bart Scott!

    But hey, AFC North 2012 Champs!!!!

  14. lol the ravens struggling to find replacements??? plsss? if theres 1 thing history has proven with the ravens its that they have no problem replacing talent wether it be through FA, undrafted free agency or the nfl draft itself…

    when the ravens lost adulios thomas they plugged jarret johnson in his position when they lost bart scott they had ray lewis and jameel mclain and when they lost both jim leonard and later dwan landry they had Haruki Nakamura and later pollard there next to ed reed…feel free to add anyone elses name to that list thats played for the ravens the past 7-8 years who i mightve forgotten and i promise you the ravens found a more than servicable replacement

    bottom line is people say every offseason that the ravens will struggle with the key losses to free agency, these people have been saying it for years and every year once the season ends and playoffs start those same people are proven wrong…

  15. The Ravens will be fine. You obviously haven’t paid attention to any of the Ravens in the past who left and the team was fine. Last year, Derrick Mason, Todd Heap, Willis McGahee, and Kelly Gregg all left Baltimore. The team replaced them with younger, faster options that helped put them right on the cusp of a Super Bowl appearance.

    Ask Edgerton Hartwell, Bart Scott, or Jamie Sharper how easy it is to play without Ray by your side. Look at how all of them turned out trying to be their own man in the middle.

    Ozzie Newsome is one of the best GM’s in the league for a reason. He knows how to reload and stay on track. And who says the Ravens aren’t going to sign anybody? Never count the Oz out.

  16. well, you skeptics may be right, but that is exactly what was said last year when the Ravens released Mason, Heap, McGahee and Gregg and then lost Landry, L McClain, Chris Chester and Josh Wilson to free agency. The Ravens have young talent ready to take over for the guys they did not retain. I don’t expect anyone who is not a fan to know these kids, but Ozzie knows what he has. Pernell McPhee and Art Jones are ready to take over for Redding. Paul Kruger is ready to step in for Johnson. These guys are losses, no doubt, but the Raven’s philosophy has always been “right player, right price”. These guys priced themselves out of the Raven’s appraised value for them. It happens. The same thing is said every single year they lose players. I remember the same talk season after season. “you guys will never be able to replace Ed Hartwell, Jamie Sharper, Adalius Thomas, Gary Baxter, Derrick Mason, LeRon McClain, Dawan Landry” etc…. Let’s see how the rest of free agency and the draft pan out…..

  17. @lovesthereavens

    Couldn’t have said it better myself.

    The comment by someone earlier, we’ve never let go one that we regret…well, James Harrison was one we let go and given the player he became, I regret it. But in all fairness the Steelers cut him once also.

    You all are right, these losses create holes, but it is time for the young guys to step up. None of this has surprised Oz or the brain trust in Owings Mills.

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