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Ravens have the history to say it might be time for another purge

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This year, the Ravens are tight against the salary cap. They have less than $3 million left. Next year, the situation will be just as bad. According to various websites, the Ravens already have $144 million committed to 46 players. In March, they will have eight players who will become free agents including Morgan Cox, Kelichi Osemele, Justin Tucker and Courtney Upshaw. Four more players will be restricted free agents including Kamar Aiken. The salary cap will go up next year, but unless it goes up a substantial amount, the Ravens won't have enough cap space to franchise Tucker, put a tender on Aiken, and sign their rookie class. They certainly won't have enough cap space to sign quality free agents to improve the team, and they need to start hoarding cap space to sign Brandon Williams to a long-term deal.

In 2002, the Ravens faced a similar situation. In 2001, the Ravens tried to repeat as Superbowl champions. They kept their high-priced veterans and added quarterback Elvis Grbac and tackle Leon Searcy, but Elvis made people wish the Ravens had kept Trent Dilfer and let Elvis go to Las Vegas, and Searcy's body was so battered that he never played another down for the Ravens or anyone else. In 2002, the Ravens paid for their fun by going to salary cap jail. They cut Sam Adams, Rob Burnett, Sam Gash, Elvis Grbac, Quadry Ismail, Leon Searcy, Tony Siragusa, Shannon Sharpe, Kipp Vickers, Larry Webster, and Rod Woodson. They blew up the team, took their lumps, and returned to contention in 2003.

Last year, in spite of a sickening rash of injuries at cornerback, the Ravens came agonizingly close to defeating the Patriots and having a shot at the Superbowl. This year's team hoped to have another shot at the title, but salary cap woes, the loss of key players to injury and free agency, and incredibly bad luck have turned this year's team into a team that is good enough to compete with anyone, but not good enough to win. Next year's team is not likely to be any better. Is it time to blow up the team and regain some salary cap flexibility? Probably. If so, who is on the chopping block?

Some people have suggested cutting Terrell Suggs. That's just silly. Not only is Suggs a team leader who was playing at a high level before he got injured, but he got the bulk of his money up front as a signing bonus. Cutting Suggs wouldn't save any money, it would instantly put the Ravens over the cap. Suggs will be back if he's healthy. Jimmy Smith and Marshal Yanda are two other Ravens that the team simply can't afford to cut.

Other people have suggested trading Joe Flacco. Joe is scheduled to make a lot of money next year, but trading him would be a disaster. Joe may not be the best quarterback in the regular season, but very few quarterbacks are as good as he is in the postseason. Next year's draft doesn't have an Andrew Luck or a Peyton Manning for the Ravens to select. If the Ravens part with Joe, they are doomed to wander in the wilderness for years. The Ravens will undoubtedly renegotiate Flacco's contract at the end of the season to give themselves a little breathing room, but every other high-priced veteran on the team is a possible cap casualty, especially the veterans who have not been performing well.

Two obvious candidates to cut are Kyle Arrington and Kendrick Lewis. They were brought in at discount prices to solidify the secondary and are seeing less and less playing time as the weeks go by. Cutting them will result in $2.6 million in dead money and about the same in savings against the cap.

Another easy cut is Dennis Pitta. Cutting Pitta before June 1st will result in $6 million in dead money and $600,000 in cap savings. Pitta will be missed, but with two hip dislocations, Pitta is unlikely to ever play again, and the Ravens have three young tight ends poised to take up the slack. Chris Canty is another veteran likely to go. The defensive line is one of the few places where the Ravens have depth, and cutting Canty would save a little over $2 million in cap space.

Steve Smith has said he intends to retire. This will result in $1.6 million in dead money and $3 million in cap savings. Smith played well this year. John Harbaugh would love to have him back and three million isn't much to pay for a quality wide receiver, but ultimately Steve Smith will decide whether he hangs up his cleats. Two other high-priced veterans who have played well this year are Elvis Dumervil and Daryl Smith. I can see the Ravens parting with one or both of them, but I would hate to see them go.

The real question is what to do with Jeremy Zuttah, Eugene Monroe, Justin Forsett and Ladarius Webb. Webb renegotiated his contract last year to avoid getting cut, but he is still making cornerback money and his injuries have made it apparent that he will be switching to safety sooner rather than later. Cutting Webb would result in $3.5 million in cap saving and $6 million in dead money. I would, however, love to see Webb renegotiate his contract to stay with the team as one of next year's starting safeties

Justin Forsett played superbly in Gary Kubiak's offense last year. He is playing fairly well under difficult circumstances this year, but if Buck Allen continues to progress, Justin Forsett may be a luxury the Ravens can't afford. Cutting him would result in $1.4 million in dead money and $2.3 million in savings.

The two veteran starters most likely to be purged are center Jeremy Zuttah and tackle Eugene Monroe. Both are well paid, but both have had trouble staying healthy and neither one has been playing very well. Cutting Monroe would result in $6.6 million in dead money and $2.1 million in cap saving. Cutting Zuttah would result in $3.3 million in dead money and $1.25 million in cap savings. At the moment, John Urshel is the backup center, but the Ravens will need Urshel to replace Kelichi Osemele when he leaves in free agency. Although the Ravens may want to hang on to Zuttah for another year while they groom a replacement for him, I don't see how they can keep Monroe and still have enough cap space to compete.

Is a purge coming? Maybe.

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