Should Ravens Pursue Trade For Giants' Umenyiora?

The Achilles Tendon injury that will sideline Baltimore Ravens All Pro outside linebacker Terrell Suggs for at least the first eight games of the 2012 season but perhaps the entire year, has fueled debate as to whether or not the team needs to add a proven veteran pass rusher.

While others think that the team has the depth to step in and fill the need, there are those whose opinion is that there are guys who the team should look at and one in particular that they feel would be the perfect fit now and for the future.

New York Giants DE Osi Umenyiora has had a long and public difference of opinion about his value to his team and has made it clear he wants out of the Big Apple if they are not going to pay him what he sees his value to be. The team is not willing to budge at this point and that leads to the obvious possible connection between the Giants and Ravens.

At one point the Giants were saying they would consider parting with Osi in exchange for a 1st round draft pick, although most people familiar with the Ravens believe GM Ozzie Newsome would never give up a first rounder in a trade. That begs the obvious next question: Would the Ravens consider offering a second round draft pick of Umenyiora and would the Giants consider accepting it?

A FanPost over at SB Nation's blog on the Giants,, Big Blue View, talks about the possible dancing partners and offers readers a chance to vote in their poll.The vote is for whether Giants fans would be willing to part with Osi for the Ravens first round pick and 75% of the voters strongly approve. Mind you, this is for the Ravens first round pick, not their second, which would be the most one would expect Baltimore to relinquish for a guy who would be a free agent after the 2012 season.

One would expect that if the Ravens were to rade a high draft pick for someone of Umenyiora's abilities, they would make the trade contingent on working out a contract extension that would fit into their salary cap space prior to making any deal. While the probability of a deal being consummated by the two teams appears to be more of a fantasy that an ultimate reality, the thoughts of Osi at one side with Sizzle at the other should make any Ravens' fans sleeps a little bit dreamier.