Defending champion Ravens coming out the loser in early portions of free agency

Dannell Ellerbe was the reason that it was okay that Ray Lewis wasn't on the field. He made 10 starts over the past two seasons filling in for Lewis, and the defense has actually done better with him. But now he has signed with the Dolphins, and the Ravens are suddenly looking for answers at inside linebacker, left with just Jameel McClain.A former second round pick, Paul Kruger finally emerged after struggling to get into the lineup in his first three seasons. After Jarret Johnson departed in free agency and Terrell Suggs missed a large portion of the season, it was Kruger who brought the pressure from the outside linebacker position. Now he will be doing so for the Cleveland Browns.View the list »
Everybody knows that Ray Lewis retired. And a lot of people who knew better also knew that his retirement meant less on the field that it would off the field. But much of the lack of decline on the field with him gone was due to other key players that stepped up, who are now gone as well.

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The Baltimore Ravens are becoming more and more relieved by the minute that they secured a Super Bowl trophy this past offseason, as they are taking some significant blows during free agency.

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Yesterday, the team traded wide receiver Anquan Boldin for a sixth round pick because they did not want to pay him his full $6 million salary. That was presumably to preserve salary cap space to sign their own free agents.

As it turns out, however, those free agents are leaving anyway, particularly at the linebacker position. Combined with the retirement of Ray Lewis, the team’s depth at linebacker is becoming significantly strained as other teams pick off their free agents. So what good is that salary cap space when you lose the players you want to keep anyway?

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  • Everybody knows that Ray Lewis retired. And a lot of people who knew better also knew that his retirement meant less on the field that it would off the field. But much of the lack of decline on the field with him gone was due to other key players that stepped up, who are now gone as well.
  • A former second round pick, Paul Kruger finally emerged after struggling to get into the lineup in his first three seasons. After Jarret Johnson departed in free agency and Terrell Suggs missed a large portion of the season, it was Kruger who brought the pressure from the outside linebacker position. Now he will be doing so for the Cleveland Browns.
  • Dannell Ellerbe was the reason that it was okay that Ray Lewis wasn't on the field. He made 10 starts over the past two seasons filling in for Lewis, and the defense has actually done better with him. But now he has signed with the Dolphins, and the Ravens are suddenly looking for answers at inside linebacker, left with just Jameel McClain.
View the list

, Newark Football Examiner

Having grown up in New Jersey, Matt has naturally been around Giants and Jets football his entire life. But at a young age, he also found an affinity for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and as he got older, his fondness for the game itself grew beyond rooting for certain teams. Although the NFL season...

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