GAMES PEOPLE PLAY, NIGHT OR DAY THEY’RE JUST NOT MATCHIN’ ~ During Super Bowl week EA Sports hosted the 2006 Madden Bowl which was ultimately won on an Xbox by Tampa Bay’s TE Alex Smith.  Smith defeated the Ravens own Mark Clayton in the championship game. 

As reported on the Ravens official site, Clayton didn’t feel that he brought his A game to the competition and expects to do better in 2007 provided of course he isn’t on the field playing at Pro Player Stadium next February.  Clayton once told me that while living with Kyle Boller, he and the Ravens’ signal caller would often play Madden and that Clayton so often dominated Boller, that they formed their own set of ground rules while competing – if Boller scored even a point, Boller won. 

Hmmm, that sounds familiar.

During the tourney, Clayton faced off against the Bengals’ Chad Johnson.  Johnson who expected to go deeper into the tournament was asked how it felt to lose to an AFC North divisional rival.  Johnson replied, "It doesn't feel bad at all, being that they can't stop me at anything else. It gives the rookie a little confidence. All they gotta do is put him in on defense as a 'DB,' and I'll gladly take that confidence that he has back."

What a prince that Johnson is.  But let’s give credit where credit is due.  Johnson almost always backs up his words between the lines.

THERE IS NO SENSE IN PRETENDIN’…YOUR EYES GIVE YOU AWAY ~ Breakdown is what the Ravens much maligned offensive line did in 2005.  We’ve hinted on these pages and we’ve discussed it on GAMETIME, that the Ravens seem prepared to enter 2006 with the same or very close to the same personnel on the offensive line.  We’ve reminded you time and time again that Ozzie Newsome prefers players that touch the quarterback or touch the football.  Today in Jamison Hensley’s piece in The Sun, Brian Billick, at least on the surface, seems to support this notion:

"We have some faith in that group going forward in the improvement they're going to show from one year to the next."

One could argue that the use of the word “some” is an indication that even Billick isn’t fully committed to the idea of not adding new personnel to the line.  And why should he be?  If the Ravens plan to bring in a clear No. 1 quarterback in the person of a Drew Brees or Daunte Culpepper or Steve McNair should they all become available, how would the Ravens persuade such talented players to stand behind the Ravens offensive line and play for one of the league’s most consistently inept offenses even when they actually had Jamal Lewis and Chester Taylor?

Could this simply be the Ravens being coy?  Could they be sporting their collective Texas Hold ‘Em look?  We’ll find out soon enough but no matter which way the collective bargaining discussions swing (creating a buyer or seller market), the Ravens should be in position and should be ready to act on fortifying the offensive line if in fact Billick is sincere when he says, "After the analysis that we've done, and not withstanding what we're able to do in free agency, we feel like we have the elements to quickly re-establish ourselves as a playoff team.”

What they should and are able to do in free agency is at least give serious consideration to recent Jets’ outcasts Kevin Mawae and Jason Fabini.  Mawae would bring impeccable credentials and be an excellent mentor for Jason Brown.  He would also give the Ravens the flexibility of using Flynn as a swing player between guard and center provided the team chooses to keep Flynn in this proposed scenario.

Fabini, although he’s played left tackle has the skill sets to plug right in at right tackle.  Here’s what Scouts, Inc. has to say about Fabini:

He's just decent as a downfield run blocker and the more space he's in the less effective he becomes. However, with that said, Fabini is still a very solid starting LOT who uses his experience, power and toughness to get the job done at a very high level. He will jar many defenders upon initial contact; does a good job of sustaining blocks and working to finish once he has locked on. He takes good angles and consistently does a good job with his first step as a run blocker. He is powerful at the POA and plays with a mean streak. Has adequate lower body strength and does a good job of driving his legs. 

SO HE PACKED UP HIS BAGS AND HE TOOK OFF DOWN THE ROAD…LEFT ME HERE STANDIN’ WITH THE BILLS HE OWED ~ Without question the salary cap can influence whether a club keeps or jettisons any player.  Recently the Dolphins cut ties with Junior Seau and saved themselves nearly $3 million under the cap.

However at times, the cap forces clubs to keep players that they just might prefer to cut ties with.  That could be the case with the Ravens and Chris McAlister.

Only two years into a 7 year deal that included a $16 million signing bonus, the Ravens would be hard pressed to cut ties with the troubled McAlister due to the accelerated hit on the Ravens cap.  However, if the cap is increased to $104 million or more with an extended CBA (placing the Ravens no less than $24 million under the cap), might the Ravens consider severing ties with McAlister?  He is due $5.5 million in salary in 2006.  With him (assuming the signing bonus is amortized evenly), the cap hit for McAlister is $7.8 million in 2006.  Without him, the hit would be more than $10 million in 2006 unless of course the team cuts ties with McAlister after June 1 and then the hit would be divided between 2006 and 2007 (assuming an extended CBA).

It’s certainly food for thought but then again, the Ravens would be forced to bring in an experienced and proficient corner via free agency, use a high draft pick to land one or both.

Perhaps the best solution is a happy and motivated CMac -- the Ravens version of Sybil.  Brian Billick is hopeful: "Chris made a lot of improvement this season in terms of the way he approaches his job both on and off the field," Billick said. "There is not anything active whatsoever with regards to [us] marketing Chris around. When we gave him the contract last year, it was with the idea Chris would be around here for a long time, and I see no reason to think that's changed."

Probably much to Billick's chagrin. 

PHILOSOPHY, IS A TOP ON A CEREAL BOX ~ Using this same philosophy in working the cap, let’s consider a couple other scenarios that could surface with an extended CBA.  Let’s first look northwest towards Minnesota.

The Vikings could find themselves over $36 million under the cap with an extended CBA.  Being a team more closely described as a small market club with limited sources of locally generated revenues, it would appear highly unlikely that Zygi Wolf would use all of that space in real U.S. currency.  However, they could employ the cap’s Monopoly-like money in a way that could help their club and possibly affect the Ravens.

How so?

It’s no secret that the Vikings aren’t exactly enamored with Daunte Culpepper who has a $6 million roster bonus due to him as early as March 17.  That’s real U.S. currency. 

Brad Childress brings with him from Philadelphia, Andy Reid’s version of the west coast offense – a version that might fit Culpepper about as well as Jim Mora’s version fits Mike Vick in Atlanta.  With very ample cap room, the Vikings could bring in Drew Brees whose skills are a better fit for Childress’ offense and have plenty of cap space to absorb the cap hit of Monopoly money with the Culpepper release.

Enter the Ravens? 

Maybe.

Or maybe the Ravens might be wise to use their newfound cap surplus to reel in Ed Reed and structure his new deal in such a way that much of the cap requirement for Reed’s anticipated healthy bonus is absorbed in a retooling year of 2006.

MR. MOJO RISING…RISING, RISING…RISING, RISING ~ Vanderbilt QB Jay Cutler continues to climb draft boards after very impressive combine workouts.  His ascension is reminiscent of that of Kyle Boller in 2003.  Many even see Cutler as the No. 2 quarterback in the draft behind only Matt Leinart.

So where does that leave Vince Young?

Friend to Ravens24x7 and GAMETIME, Drew Boylhart of The Huddle Report, while not a huge fan of Cutler who he believes in many ways has skill sets comparable to Boller, doesn’t like Vince Young for the pro game – at least not as a quarterback:

“Let’s be honest...Vince is nowhere near being an NFL QB.  His throwing motion is suspect to say the least.   He does not stay in the pocket.  He does not read defenses at all.  He is only effective in the shotgun formation and when he's running the ball. 

“If Vince wants to be a QB in the NFL, it will take a whole lot of hard work and about six years.  If he thinks that all he has to do when he's in trouble in the NFL is take off and run, he needs to talk to Michael Vick and JP Losman.  Both players have already broken a leg and both lost a year in their development.  Vick had a lot of injuries this year and is just now starting to learn that staying in the pocket is the only way to stay on the field and impact.  Vince doesn’t have the arm strength and velocity on his ball that those two players have.”

Drew continues, "I’m not sure Vince will make it as a QB in the NFL.  If he had stayed in for his senior year and I saw marked improvement in his throwing motion and velocity on his ball, then I could have given you a better profile.  Now that he's decided to leave Texas after this year because of his projection as a top ten pick, I have to say that the road for him to travel will be way too long and if you are the coach of the team that drafts him, you'll probably be fired before he becomes your QB.  I would rate Vince as a good, long-range developmental QB that I would pick maybe in the third or fourth round; but to be honest, there is no way I pick this kid to be my future franchise QB.  The recent Rose Bowl did nothing to change my mind about Vince -- in fact, if anything, it made me more convinced of my opinion of him as a potential QB in the NFL.  Now if you want to talk about him playing another position, I would be happy to see what he could do as a WR.  I bet he would be outstanding.”

Given all of the hoopla about Young’s poor Wonderlic scores and the increasingly popular opinion that Young isn’t NFL ready and won’t be for awhile, could he slide down the draft board all the way to the Ravens at No. 13 and if so, do you take him if you are in Ozzie’s shoes?

Could the increasingly negative sentiment towards Young make the Texas QB the 2006 NFL Draft’s version of Aaron Rodgers?  You may recall that Rodgers was neck and neck with Alex Smith in the 2005 NFL Draft for the coveted No. 1 pick in that draft.  Smith got the call and Rodgers tumbled all the way to No. 24 and the Green Bay Packers.
 

O-R-I-O-L-E-S...MAGIC, MAGIC, HEAR IT HAPPEN ~ The Orioles have themselves in a bit of a negotiating jam and unless they overspend, they will have once again missed their window of opportunity, this time with Melvin Mora.

Let’s face it folks, the Orioles aren’t going to win anything soon in the AL East.  So in order to keep or attract new talent, they must figure out the price that any coveted player places upon winning a championship.  Whatever that price is (and certainly it varies with players depending upon no less than ambition and age), that becomes the premium the Orioles must pay.

Last year with still another year left to go on Mora’s current contract, the Orioles would have been wise to tear it up and give him a handsome extension.  Of course they didn’t and now the club is left to answer this question: “Is Melvin Mora worth $10 million per year?”  Mora appears resolved to not negotiating during the season and then playing out 2006 in order to take his chances in the open market in 2007.

Pay him now or lose him later Pete.  (see B.J. Ryan)

I wouldn’t go buying a Melvin Mora jersey any time soon.

In other O’s news, Nick Markakis is tearing it up.  In the last Blackbird report, I described a much bigger and stronger looking outfield protégé when I visited Spring Training in late February.  (Ok be honest, how many just thought of Barry Bonds?)

Perhaps the Orioles have found something in Markakis.  As they say, even a blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally. 

In his first 11 plate appearances this Spring, Markakis reached base 10 times which inspired the tongue-in-cheek quip from Jay Gibbons that Markakis reminded him of Babe Ruth.  That aside and with very little to lose, why not just give Markakis an outfield job and give up on the silly notion of morphing a has-been into a productive starter, aka Richard Hidalgo?

AND EVERYTHING I HAD TO KNOW, I HEARD IT ON MY RADIO ~ Tomorrow night I will be venturing down to the MCI Centre to see Queen, something I never ever thought that I’d ever say.  Not because I dislike the band (although admittedly I’m not a huge fan), but rather because I just never thought there would ever be anyone that could take the place of the extremely talented and flamboyant snaggle-toothed front man, Freddie Mercury.

The truth be told, no one could take Mercury’s place but apparently the band has found someone that has Hall of Fame creds of his own – someone who I happen to be a huge fan of but also someone that I couldn’t see meshing with Queen.  That someone is Paul Rodgers, formerly of Free, Bad Company and The Firm.

Well the proof is in the pudding as they say (provided you eat your meat or something like that) and judging from the DVD of their Hyde Park concert in London, the combination of Queen and Rodgers works exceptionally well, much to my surprise, with one notable exception – Radio Ga Ga.  I’m hoping that my exposure to a crowd that adores what I refer to as Radio Ca-Ca will somehow enlighten me because the only thing good about that song in my opinion is that it is on the radio and then I can simply turn it off.

Tomorrow night I won’t be able to.

But I could always make a beer run. 

Yeah, that’s the ticket!

OH THAT MEAN, MEAN, MEAN, MEAN…MEAN GREEN ~ And finally, according to reports from West Mifflin, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh, a 75 year old woman sporting a Steelers’ ski mask, tried to rob a National City Bank branch inside a Shop n’ Save grocery store at gun point this past Monday morning.  Marilyn Devine took off in a Ford Escort with less than $5,000 before she was captured and detained by West Mifflin Police after a five mile pursuit at speeds up to 45 mph.

Word is the gun was that of Devine’s husband who now prefers his bride in the Steelers ski mask at all times.

Maybe it covers up her sideburns?

All kidding aside (I think), Devine's husband of 32 years told Channel 4 Action News reporter Janelle Hall in Pittsburgh that he is devastated.   "I'm going to try to do whatever I have to do to get her back."

Marilyn Devine will reportedly undergo a psychological evaluation and remains in custody after no one could post the $100,000 bail. Besides robbery and gun charges, she is charged with fleeing and eluding police.

Maybe there’s hope.  The judge and or prosecuting attorney could be one of the officials from Super Bowl XL.