tough call, seems like a lot of money for a 34 year old.

myself about any FA’s ability to jump into a leadership role that first year w/ a new team.

But like you, I think Lewis is one that could do it. And really, there’s no one on our defense who’s “leader toes” would be stepped on, I wouldn’t think. Hamlin? Doubt he’d really stand in Ray’s way. Ware? Doesn’t appear to be that fiery, vocal leader. T-New? See Ware, D. Ellis? Not sure if he’s even gonna be here.

Ray Lewis had ONE situation in his rookie year. That has been proven over and over again as an incident of bad judgement. Ray was aquitted of all charges and has been a saint the past 11 years or so. There is absolutely NO simularities to Pacman

in which case, he may not look as great beside Bradie.

Ray has a special charismatic personality that is very rare in people much less athletes. I think that his influence already stretches beyond the Ravens. I think he wouldn’t be what he was in Baltimore, but he would be an upgrade over Zach.

I agree most people can not come in and immediately effect leadership, but Ray Lewis is a different bread of football player. He is a linebacker that can lift defenses purely on his leadership skills alone, he is an influence to everyone around him he brings fear into the opposing team and strength to other people around him through his vocal ability.

when he said, “This (adding a player to fix the locker room) is a pathetic work around by Jerry.”

I understand that the players themselves play a big part in keeping the locker room on an even keel, but to me that responsibility should fall largely on the coach.

My point is, Wade has demonstrated an inability/unwillingness to change the culture of this team. He may believe it’s up to the players (or maybe even somebody else) to do so. In either case, adding a fiery, vocal leader like Lewis to ‘change the culture’ isn’t a bad idea since it’s been demonstrated that neither the current coach nor the current players are capable of doing so.

That is, of course, assuming Lewis is not a liability on the field.

especially if that player comes in and tries to be a vocal leader in the small timeframe he would be here. It’s the guys that began their career here that are the true voices of the team. They have lived the Cowboy life.
Signings like Ray or Zach are just rentals, trying to fill in a gap until a long-term solution becomes available.

he would be a superb addition to this defense—not just the defense, but the team. Then, they could develop somebody to groom behind him should Zach, Bobbie, and Burnett not stick around.

Baltimore Sun

Word around the NFL is that the Dallas Cowboys are very interested in obtaining Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis if he becomes a free agent. The speculation is that the Cowboys are willing to give Lewis a three-year deal worth between $27 and $30 million, with $25 million guaranteed.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones believes his team is in the serious hunt for a Super Bowl title next season, and that Lewis could help solve some of the team’s problems inside the locker room.

More to come as I find it

Let me know what you need….

Per DMN: The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston is hearing buzz that the Cowboys will make a run at Ravens LB Ray Lewis if he hits the open market.

    The speculation is that the Cowboys are willing to give Lewis a three-year deal worth between $27 and $30 million, with $25 million guaranteed.

    Dallas owner Jerry Jones believes his team is in the serious hunt for a Super Bowl title next season, and that Lewis could help solve some of the team’s problems inside the locker room.

Jerry said during the final week of the season that he doesn’t anticipate the Cowboys making a splash in free agency, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t happen. Lewis, who is still playing at a Pro Bowl level, would fill the hole created by Zach Thomas’ expected departure and provide the Cowboys a take-no-bull vocal leader.

It’d take some creativity for the Cowboys to sign DeMarcus Ware to a long-term deal and have enough room under the salary cap to sign Ray Lewis. But Stephen Jones and Co. could certainly pull that off, especially with an uncapped season on the horizon.

The biggest roadblock between Lewis and Valley Ranch is the fact that he probably won’t leave the Ravens. He’s played his entire career in Baltimore, and the Ravens just came up one game shy of the Super Bowl with a rookie head coach and rookie quarterback. Why leave now?

John Harbaugh on Free Agency

“We have a number of guys back, and we’ll try to keep as many of them as we can,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after the game. “We’ll try to keep as many of them as we possibly can. That will be our goal. We’ll see what we can get done.”

USA Today quoting Leais about not fitting into the defense.

In a sometimes-fiery, 23-minute news conference Wednesday with Baltimore-area media — to whom he had not spoken since last October — Lewis shadowboxed with his own words.

Speaking to Comcast SportsNet in April, Lewis seemingly addressed what the Ravens needed in the upcoming draft by stating, “The question is, ‘Are you going to let me do what I do? If not, then let me go.’” The Ravens drafted 340-pound defensive tackle Haloti Ngata in the first round to free up Lewis to make tackles, much in the way Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa did in the team’s Super Bowl seaso

This one is key in my opinion because we currently dont have anyone who can keep ray clean. We would need a definite upgrade (in size) at the NT position to allow Ray to be the most effective.

Football’s Future

Ray Lewis, UFA, Baltimore Ravens
With over 1,600 tackles, 33.5 sacks, and 28 interceptions during his 13 seasons, Lewis isn’t just a Pro Bowl player and Super Bowl winner, but also a future Hall of Fame inductee. Since entering the league, Lewis has been a force and helped the Ravens to be one of the league’s best defensive units year in and year out. He’s been in Baltimore his entire career so it’s hard to imagine him with another franchise; he’s the face of the franchise. The Ravens will make him an offer that should lock him up until almost the end of his career and rumor has it that he is close to signing an extension.

Zach was always a lead on the field by example kind of guy. Ray is much more of a talker who backs it up on the field. It seems like subtle difference, but with all the media attention and jaw jackin that goes on in Dallas, his style kinda fits.

I do think if we could make it fit and still accomplish all the other roster moves we need to make, we should do it.

I cant imagine his wearing the star. There is no way he would come and I wouldnt want him. Just hearing him lead the fans in Fly Beagles Fly and doing that retarded dance, that was more of a spit in the face then TO on the star. At least Teague too care of TO.

ascended to the throne in NJ.

He is a player that everyone in the league respects

When Zach Thomas signed, it looked almost inevitable that Dallas would make a strong push for the Super Bowl.

That said, they have the same potential this offseason that they did last year. It’s just a matter of making the pieces fall into place. Plus Dallas has a much easier schedule coming up than we had this year(to hell with folks saying Pittsburgh had the roughest schedule in the NFL. Dallas’s schedule was ruthless).

Romo>Flacco. Owens, Williams, Austin, Crayton>Baltimore’s receiving core. Ware>Suggs. Barber, Jones, Choice>McGahee, Rice, Mclain. Newman>any CB playing in Baltimore. Dallas has way more talent than Baltimore. If Ray WERE smart, he’d at least mull over coming to Dallas, especially with the money that’s supposedly on the table.

Why doesn’t Jerry just learn to draft talent instead of having to go out and invest in over the hill players? Lewis, Scott, Suggs, Ngata, and Reed are all homegrown talent, not 34 year old free agents brought in for $30 million.