The Baltimore Ravens are coming into the offseason with a tight salary cap situation and with free agent players like Pernell McPhee, Justin Forsett, Torrey Smith and Owen Daniels hitting the market, general manager Ozzie Newsome will have to be very selective and that means some of those names may not return and if that happens, a Vincent Jackson trade, Harry Douglas or Mark Ingram could become targets.
The Ravens have key players hitting free agency and they have started to free up cap space to put them in a situation where they can try and retain some of those names. According to ESPN.com, the team has released Jacoby Jones and Chris Canty, which will give them some more breathing room, as they were coming into the offseason with about $2 million in cap space.
Smith and McPhee are expected to get the most attention on the market, while Forsett could cash in after having a career season. Forsett played in all 16 games and rushed for a career best 1266 yards and eight touchdowns after coming in for Ray Rice. Forsett also had 44 catches out of the backfield and he could leave after having his best season.
According to Aaron Wilson on Twitter, Newsome spoke about McPhee and Smith, saying that both players likely would be top targets on the market and could be hard to retain. Newsome said that the team is interested in keeping both players along with Forsett, but it's likely other teams will be able to sign them. The report says that McPhee could end up making between $9 million and $10 million on the market and that is simply too much for the Ravens to compete with.
CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reports that the Indianapolis Colts could be a top target for McPhee and also could be in the mix for Forsett. The Colts desperately need linebacker and pass-rush help and McPhee could be an option after setting career highs in tackles, sacks and pass deflections this season while playing in all 16 games. Canty was let go from the defense and that freed up $2.66 million, but the team needs to make more moves if they want to retain their players.
ESPN reporter Jamison Hensley writes that Smith is likely headed elsewhere this offseason, as the team has "expressed pessimism" about being able to keep Smith. Owner Steve Bisciotti said to reporters last week that the market may take Smith away and he mentioned the Mike Wallace contract as one reason why. If Smith gets that type of money, there is no way he will be back with Ravens. Smith had a down year with 49 catches for 767 yards, but he was a strong deep threat and also found his way into the endzone 10 times.
Smith should get attention on the market and Peter King at the MMQB writes that at 26 he still has some prime years and that teams may not worry about his off year. Smith had 65 catches for 1128 yards in 2013. According to Jamison Hensley, the team could look at a Vincent Jackson trade if he is made available, as the team has shown a willingness to make deals for receivers in the past, pointing to Lee Evans and Anquan Boldin as examples. Harry Douglas also could be a free agent option that's cheap after his release from the Falcons.
