Vonta Leach on the way out in Baltimore

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 10, 2013, 6:00 PM EDT
AP

Another starter on the defending Super Bowl champions is on the way out.

Ravens fullback Vonta Leach, a starter in Baltimore since arriving in 2011, will be either traded or released after failing to come to terms on a new contract, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Leach, whose current contract calls for him to earn a $3 million base salary in 2013, said last week that he was still optimistic a deal could get worked out for him to remain with the Ravens. But he added that if it doesn’t work out, “I feel like I still can play in this league and I’ll have a job somewhere.”

The 31-year-old Leach is still a good lead blocker and capable of contributing to some NFL team, but it looks like that team will not be the Ravens. And Baltimore will turn to fourth-round rookie Kyle Juszczyk as Ray Rice’s lead blocker.

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47 responses to “Vonta Leach on the way out in Baltimore”

  3. Leach would be a great pickup for the Bears who cut their FB today and signed an unproven guy.

    Although I don’t get to watch too many Raven games, but it seems to me he must play some role in how good Rice is. Perhaps a Raven fan could fill me in.

  5. Sucks to see a throwback hard-nosed player like Leach go but 3 mill for a full-back is a lot of coin. Juice (Juszczyk) provides a lot more in the passing game and comes at a lower price.

  6. Dude is the best fullback in the game. We can only hope he gets signed by the Bears!

  8. Good blocker and a decent receiver out of the back field but it seemed like they had limited use of him once the ravens switched to the hurry up and shot gun mid way through last year

  9. He’d be a nice blocker for Tim tebows runs or sweeps or crazy wildcats in foxboro.

  11. Leach is the best BLOCKING full back in the league.
    The ravens spent alot of money on flacco and will be running the ball less. Last season he was on the field for only 42% of the snaps and he carries a 4 million dollar hit (alot for a guy who plays less than half the snaps on offense). They also drafted a fullback who is more like a marcel reese from oakland as he can block well i.e. senior bowl nobody beat him in pass rush drills. And he led the ivy league in catches and yards last season, he has great hands and can give flacco a new safety blanket if everyone is covered, he can also run block well due to great size 6’1 250. All in all if leach is cut he will find a new team and the ravens can get much needed cap space and will let the rookie play more and have a bigger effect on the offense.
    HTTR. hail to the ravens. Superbowl champs.

  20. Ray rice actually averaged less yards per carry with vonta leach blocking for him. I liked leach when he caught the balls on the flats and looked to Hurt someone but let’s face it full backs are not needed as much any more

  21. Way too much money for a fullback, but with Boldin gone and Leach to follow, I don’t know who on the Ravens offense you’d call a “tough guy” who isn’t a lineman.

  22. moreover, the problem with I-formation is that it screams run, leaves only 2 WRs for iso routes and is antiquated. The ravens were much better off with 3 WR sets (look no further than the Super Bowl for evidence of that). You can also run the ball still out of the nickel (Patriots being the best and most successful example) but its hard to pass effectively out of I-formation. You can run it but they still know its coming the majority of the time.

    The ravens were one of the few teams you could expect 15 plays a game of that under Cam Cameron’s defunct 1960s offense. Problem is, it doesn’t work in modern NFL.

  23. Bernard Pierce runs hard and tough, he’s probably the closest thing with those two gone. Vonta’s a good player but as has been mentioned, we run too many single back sets now for him to be worth that kind of money. We’re finally okay for the cap this season even without cutting Vonta but I think the idea might be to use some of the savings to extend some other guys this offseason, e.g. Pitta, Oher, Jones.

  24. You don’t cut a proven veteran unless:

    1. His value versus his production has significantly dipped; or

    2. You have a viable replacement; and

    3. You’ve already earmarked the savings for the signing of another vital piece or extension of an existing piece that you don’t want exposed to free agency.

    1 is false but not a necessity. 2 and 3 are true and necessities.

  25. Great move by the Ravens…clear that space. Lets get our first 2 picks in the game and lets begin Juice era. Rookie looks every bit the part. Loved Leach, he made things easier for Double R but we have Bernard Pierce and a brolic OLine for that now. I like all the moves this offseason Ozzie. Best year yet!

    Here come da birds!!!

  26. jakec4. There is this guy named Flacco who has never missed a start and this guy named Torrey Smith that lit up MNF for 100 and 2 TDs the day his brother died. Did I forget to mention Ray Rice? How many 1500 plus total yard seasons this guy has consecutively.

    Your right..after the Ravens Oline…total wimps.

  27. I figured this was next. See the offense in the playoffs to where the Ravens are going to focus on.

    With Caldwell at the helm, I expect an offense that resemble a little of what the Colts had in Indy with Peyton. Two TEs, two WRs, and one cut run style.

    Leach is a hell of player and blocker, but just not for $3 mil.

  28. Theres still value out there for hard-nosed, bruising lead blocking Fullbacks.

    Keep him in the division, have him block for an up and coming superstar. Vonta Leach and Trent Richardson would make a great duo.

  30. I’m not a fan of the Ravens but I like the school,in your face type of football. 8 in the box and still run it down there throats. That being said he’s probably the last pure fullback in the game. Best place would be Houston.

  32. Hope,the raiders can pick him up ! Move Marcel Reece over to running back and and he could clear the way for McFadden and Reece.Go Raiders the first and only true nation in the NFL

  33. Great player. Good locker room guy. But in a salary cap era every dollar counts. They are really high on this young guy from Haaaavaaad who is supposed to be an excellent lead blocker and has very good hands. Younger, more hungry, and mostly less expensive.

    Thanks for the service vontae. You contribution was needed to win the Lombardi. Hope you catch on with someone else, just not the clowns. Best of luck except against the ravens

  35. Now this is a smart move by the Ravens front office. Leach is getting old and awfully expensive and Juszczyk has the TSE seal of approval. I don’t know how you can be fully healthy without a full serving of Juice in your daily diet.

  36. Let me get this straight. If you are wearing a Ravens jersey, you are the greatest of all time but the minute you put on another jersey you are just another player. I am all most certain purple will always be the kool-aid color of choice though. Keep drinking and enjoy it while you can. Cheers.

  37. that would be 0 flacco casualties. read up on his cap number prior to posting. thanks for everything vontae. you are a beast of a player. good luck wherever you wind up

  38. Leach is a monster. Have seen him steamroll guys. Used to love to watch him from my seats & just see what he’d do to the guy he hit. Never saw him miss a block. And he drives guys backwards. Anyone who wants an extra All-Pro guard with excellent hands, sign Leach. He’s every bit as good a blocker as most guards in the league, plus he can be a weapon in the passing game. What a beast! Gonna miss him & Q. They truly brought attitude to the huddle. I love all the moves we made on D, but for me the jury is still out w/Q & Leeeeeeeeeeach gone. Time will be the ultimate judge.

  39. Bert and the Ravens are going to crash hard this year. Just a horrible signing. As a result the team is being completely deconstructed and will be hamstrung for years (or until they force him to renegotiate).

  40. Ok, this is getting ridiculous….I hope that the Ravens are not maxing out that “we just win a superbowl ,so we can do whatever we want credit”. Letting Leach and Boldin go reeks of arrogance if you ask me, and I’m a die hard ravens fan. And the arrogance comes from one of the greatest and luckiest ( amazing how so many good players fall in the Ravens’ laps year in and year out)G.M.s in the league….Oz.

  41. Good for him at least he can see this train wreak coming miles away. Or this ship is sinking so fast. Dose not want to be associated with LOSERS.!!!!!!!!!

  42. The “Flacco Flush” continues. That cap hit is going to skyrocket next season and afterwards.

    Never have I seen a SB winner purge it’s roster like this. Hahaha

  43. Best of luck Leach. Thanks for all the memories, and for proving that fullbacks are not yet dead. Awesome to see an old-school fullback who loves to hit people hard and loves nothing more than to help the guys he’s blocking for succeed.

    That said, Jus is here to do two things:

    1.) Kick butt
    2.) Chew bubblegum.

    He’s all out of bubblegum.

  44. There’s definitely a need out there for a guy like Leach. I really hope he catches on somewhere because I love watching him play. Redskins might be a good fit. From what I saw last year, all their offense lacked was a lead blocker for Morris. And you know Shanny loves fullbacks.

  45. Where were you when we drafted juszczyk? Did you numbskulls think the Ravens really wanted to carry two fullbacks? You’re just jazzin off now. Juszczyk is obviously the type of player that every GM is going to be kicking himself over having passed up, especially Colbert who makes his picks solely based on what the nutty, uneducated fans want. Ozzie knows what he’s doing. That’s why we rule the NFL!

  46. Joemontanaflacco says:

    Did you numbskulls think the Ravens really wanted to carry two fullbacks?
    ———————————————————
    Prett shady move then to keep him on your roster for so long after the draft. Would have been nice to give him a chance to pick up OTA’s with another team. Bush-league tactic.

  47. We will see if the Ravens treat Leach the way Pittsburgh treated Harrison. First, you offer him a huge paycut. Then, when he reluctantly accepts it, you slam the door in his face.

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