Disassembly of Ravens continues due to salary cap...
Personnel decisions of the most painful category--- that's what's going on right now at One Winning Drive in Owings Mills, Maryland...
Telling a player he's still great but you can't afford him has to rank with one of the toughest jobs in the football industry.
Chris Carr just got the news...
Cornerback Chris Carr, 8th year out of Boise State, 5-10, 185... still effective, but $3.45 milz salary cap issue causes his release.
Jarret Johnson is about to get the news... although the big linebacker/defensive end who's a free agent may still have time to make a deal with the Ravens for less money...but most likely he will move on to a team with a good fit and a bigger paycheck.
LB/DE hybrid Jarret Johnson, 10th year out of Alabama, 6-3, 265, will be a piece of the Ravens defense they'll miss... as will most Ravens fans who love the guy...
Here's how it's gone down so far before the Monday, March 5 "franchise tag" deadline...
The Ravens have officially released wide receiver Lee Evans and cornerback Chris Carr, General Manager Ozzie Newsome announced Friday afternoon. The cuts open up salary cap space and allow the Ravens to pursue desired free agents. Both Evans and Carr met with Newsome and Head Coach John Harbaugh on Thursday to talk about the decision.
“Each year we have to make tough, difficult decisions to manage our roster,” Newsome said. “Chris Carr and Lee Evans were valuable Ravens, and both helped us get to the AFC Championship game and the brink of the Super Bowl last season with the way they played and the maturity they added to the locker room. Chris was instrumental in helping us earn the playoffs the last three seasons.
“As we talked about when we informed Chris and Lee of these moves, this does not close the door on them coming back to the Ravens.” [ I assume this means the Ravens are open to restructuring contracts for Carr and even Lee Evans if they don't catch on with another team.]
Evans, who the Ravens traded a fourth-round pick for last offseason, was supposed to be a speedy, veteran complement to Anquan Boldin and rookie Torrey Smith. But an early ankle injury forced Evans out of seven games and he finished the regular season with just four catches for 74 yards. His lasting legacy may be his “drop” in the AFC championship. Evans had the potential game-winning catch punched out of his hands with 27 seconds left on the clock in New England.
Evans was reportedly due $3.27 million in base salary for 2012, and was due a $1 million roster bonus in March.
Carr played admirably in starting 16 games in 2010, but was also sidelined for seven games last year by a nagging hamstring injury. Cornerbacks Lardarius Webb, Cary Williams and Jimmy Smith leapfrogged him and made up one of the best defensive backfields in the NFL. Carr had signed a reported four-year contract before last season, and was reportedly due a $2.5 million base salary and carried a $3.45 million salary-cap figure into next season.
Who's next to get released? Besides Jarret Johnson, the speculation is that cornerback Domonique Foxworth is on the cut block...Foxworth, who spent the majority of the past two seasons on injured reserve (knee), reportedly carries a $7 million salary. There are reports that Baltimore wants to investigate his health before making a decision.
The Ravens also announced that they put running back Ricky Williams on the reserve/retired list, which gives the Ravens his rights if he decides to return to the NFL.
