NFL Free Agency Series: Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens.

No name has been more synonymous with Ravens football than Ray Lewis. Lewis has been the vocal and emotional leader of Baltimore for more than a decade. Lewis' play this year silenced any doubters who thought his time had passed.

Lewis' is eligible for free agency now and you can expect questions will arise. Will he leave the Ravens? Will he settle for a small deal with the Ravens? But the big question is, will he WANT to leave?

I don't think Ray would leave the Ravens. Baltimore still has a very bright future. They have a franchise quarterback and a great group of weapons in the pass and run game. Their offensive line could use a bit of a boost but they're still effective. The defensive line does a fine job. The secondary is experienced but very good.

But all three of the linebackers (Lewis, Suggs, Scott) are free agents. Lewis, being the heart of the team, would deal a devastating blow to the defense if he departed. With that said, Lewis has expressed little interest in playing somewhere else.

However, if Ray were to jump ship, he would most likely go to a contender with a 3-4 defense. His skills and leadership could put a team on the verge of success over the top.

But one would have to question, what would a player like Lewis demand dollar-wise? Giving Lewis a multi-million dollar deal is really taking a risk. While he can still play at a high level, do you really want to shell out big money to player in his mid-30's? Do you want to take the risk of a man his age getting hurt?

Those are two reasons I think Lewis will remain with Baltimore.

The demand for Lewis should be high. But as I mentioned earlier, he won't go to just anyone.

Other possible suitors:

New York Jets - Lewis could be the missing piece to the Jets puzzle. His former defensive coordinator, Rex Ryan has been named head coach and I bet Lewis would love to play in his system again.

Dallas - The Cowboys are in serious need of an attitude change and in need of a true leader. Lewis is that leader. Jerry Jones will surely make a play for Ray.