NFL Trade Rumors: Are Ravens Eying Elite Free Agent After Cutting Stars?

The Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys have made the biggest splashes thus far in the post-lockout NFL free agency frenzy period.

While everyone could see Dallas’ cuts coming considering Marion Barber, Leonard Davis and Roy Williams have not been productive in years, Baltimore’s came as quite the shock to the football world.

Baltimore staples such as Todd Heap and Derrick Mason were cut, in addition to the expected cut of Willis McGahee.

These three veterans may not be elite players anymore at their respective positions, but they have been reliable and steady contributors in recent years, especially Mason. Oddly enough, Mason was actually Baltimore’s player rep and is still widely considered one of the top possession receivers in the league.

Baltimore’s cuts mean two things:

1. Nobody is safe on any team.

2. Baltimore must be gearing up for something big.

We can only expect more cuts as the Ravens look to gain salary cap relief to target free agents to put them over the hump in the AFC. This team is on the brink of dominating the AFC North, NFL in general and winning the Super Bowl.

The offense will see a major boost from rookies Torrey Smith and Tandon Doss who won’t need much preparation as they are brought in as specialists. Some still believe Mason could be back with the team, which means this offense is complete.

The remarkable secondary is losing a bit of steam, but the time off should do wonders for future first ballot Hall of Famers Ed Reed and Ray Lewis. We know Reed will make a major difference if he can stay healthy for the entire season, but this secondary needs a legitimate shutdown corner.

They stole Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith, who has the potential to rival my No. 1 prospect Patrick Peterson as far as cornerbacking is concerned in the NFL. He is a fantastic cover man with exceptional speed, instincts and ball-hawking skills. He has great recovery speed and strength to press his man at the line of scrimmage.

Smith drew comparisons to elite free-agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha heading into April’s draft.

Of course Nnamdi’s name has to come up when talking about free agency and he could very well be the reason Baltimore decided to make these immediate cuts to clear cap space.

Asomugha is essentially the only move Baltimore needs to make to solidify its Super Bowl aspirations. He will be on the every team’s short list, but only a select few have a real shot at landing arguably the best cornerback of the decade.

Do not think for a split second Nnamdi isn’t weighing his options with Baltimore near the top. The opportunity to play for this annually stout defense is simply too great. He would be appreciated here and would have a rookie with similar talents to mentor to create a top duo.

Asomugha also is not an outspoken “rah-rah” type of player. He is the silent assassin who simply goes on the field and gets the job done. That’s the extent of his leadership as he lets his play guide his teammates.

Lewis is the perfect complement to Asomugha and shows no signs of slowing down despite being in the twilight of his career, so Nnamdi doesn’t have to worry too much about the future of this team.

If the Ravens can woo Nnamdi, it would be a blockbuster move and completely shift the power of the NFL to Baltimore. They would instantly be the team to beat and could very well put together one of the greatest defenses in the history of the league.

Baltimore clearly has something up their sleeve if they’re willing to cut big name staples of their organization. Every team wants Nnamdi, but the Ravens are going to make it very difficult for anyone else to compete with the opportunities they can present to Asomugha.