Ravens Restructuring Leach?

Word is that the Baltimore Ravens are going to attempt to restructure the contract of fullback Vonta Leach. According to BR.com Leach has one of the highest cap numbers on the team with an annual salary of $4.33 million due in 2013. The Ravens would like to get that number down for this season while retaining Leach as the lead blocker for Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce.

The question is, will Leach make a deal? Earlier this off season the Ravens lost number one wide receiver Anquan Boldin after he refused to restructure his deal and the team was forced to trade him to San Francisco. Could a similar scenario be in store for Leach if he is unwilling to work something out?

The Ravens drafted fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who could conceivably be Leach's replacement, although the two have very different playing styles. Leach is known as the best pure blocking fullback in the game while Juszczyk was the leading receiver at Harvard his senior year. Kyle can line up at tight end, halfback and even receiver if need be. Leach on the other hand would prefer to pound linebackers into the ground on a Sunday afternoon than catch touchdown passes. It would be great for Juszczyk to have Leach around to learn from for a while as, if there is one area of his game that Leach can help him with, it would be blocking. Not that Juszczyk is a bad blocker, he is very good. Leach however is the best in the business.

Hopefully Leach will take it all in stride and recognize that this is just the business that is the NFL now a days. Most teams in the NFL don't even carry one fullback let alone two. The Ravens see value in both players however and will attempt to keep them both in play.