If there is anyone who loves Ray Lewis more than Ray Lewis, it’s Ozzie Newsome and that love will be put to the test like never before this offseason.  Ozzie’s affinity for Ray and his battle tested credo of “right player, right price” are on a direct collision course and something has got to give.

Lewis doesn’t sound like anyone who is willing to give a hometown discount to Ravens’ owner Steve Bisciotti despite their off the field friendship.  But then again you can certainly understand it if Lewis feels compelled to take such a public posture.  After all this is undoubtedly the last substantive contract that he will receive and he needs to create some negotiating leverage.  Wearing his heart on his sleeve will do little for Ray at the proverbial poker table.

Perhaps fueling the fires to maintain such a non-partisan stance is Lewis’ agent David Dunn.  Dunn replaces Lewis’ long time dynamic duo agents Eugene Parker and Roosevelt Barnes. The hiring of Dunn is a bit puzzling.  Dunn was suspended by the NFLPA back in 2003 for two years for trying to steal clients from his former partner, Leigh Steinberg.  Yet Dunn continues to attract blue chip clients.

If an agent is a proven liar and a cheat, why would Ray or any other player agree to sign on? Well, maybe Dunn agreed to take a smaller fee.  Maybe he made promises to Ray and Ray liked what Dunn had to say more than Parker and Barnes.

Either way Dunn has to deliver. 

What if all Dunn can do for Ray is exactly what Barnes and Parker realistically suggested before they got the boot?  An agent with an NFLPA rap sheet fails to deliver on a promise.  Not the sort of thing Dunn wants on his resume going forward, right? As a result it is unlikely that the discussions with Ray will reach a happy ending before he officially becomes a free agent unless either Dunn or Ozzie gets cold feet and caves.

The number I keep hearing is $20 million guaranteed and $30 million total over 3 years. Does Ray have 3 Pro Bowl years left? Does it matter given the intangibles that Ray brings? 

Clearly it’s a very difficult task for Ozzie but like Ray, Ozzie can’t wear his heart on his sleeve while the cards are being dealt either. And this offseason, there are several sitting at that poker table vying for more chips.

Let’s consider Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott.  Both have hinted that they would be willing to extend a hometown discount to stay together.  Clearly that’s easier said than done.  What exactly does a hometown discount equate to and even with such discounts can the Ravens absorb new contracts for Suggs, Scott and Lewis comfortably within the not so cozy confines of the projected $123 million salary cap?

Consider this – what if the Ravens pass on both Lewis and Scott, go with some younger players at linebacker and use the money to acquire someone like Julius Peppers or Nnamdi Asomugha if either hits the free agent market?  How imposing would the Ravens pass rush be if Peppers wore purple? How tight would the secondary be with the league’s best shut down corner (Asomugha) paired with a healthy Ed Reed? Might either of these scenarios be better than keeping Ray or Bart?

These are tough questions that will need to be addressed and the guess here is that the answers will be heavily influenced by Bisciotti’s goal of keeping windows of opportunity open. 

Nothing is etched in stone but from what I’m hearing, the team seems confident that Suggs is going nowhere and they may be preparing to overspend in order to lock up the 25 year old Pro Bowler for seven years or so. Confidence isn’t as high regarding Jason Brown.  While the Ravens clearly want Brown back word is he wants to be paid like a premier center.  The team doesn’t want to disrupt the continuity of the offensive line but at the same time there appears to be a sizeable gap between the value the Ravens place on Brown and that which Brown’s handlers believe is fair.  Don’t be shocked if the Ravens’ franchise player in 2009 is Jason Brown.

Odds & Ends…the realignment of the Ravens’ front office positions Eric DeCosta to be the team’s next GM once Ozzie steps down.  DeCosta is now the Director of Player Personnel with direct reports of Vince Newsome (Pro Personnel) and Joe Hortiz (College Personnel). DeCosta will now become more involved with contracts, the cap, and other non-collegiate personnel decisions and for all intents and purposes, he is the Assistant GM. George Kokinis’ departure, an executive who was viewed by some as DeCosta’s equal within the organization, helped pave the way for the promotions…Greg Mattison takes over for Rex Ryan as the defensive coordinator.  Players and coaches don’t expect any measurable drop off as a result of defensive scheming or lack thereof given the departure of “Mad Scientist” Ryan.  There does seem to be a growing consensus though that the defense will be less exotic, more basic yet hardly less aggressive.  If you recall, the Ravens record setting defense from 2000 employed very traditional scheming and concepts…Word is that Cam Cameron has shared with insiders that Ray Rice was underutilized in the post season, particularly against the Steelers.