Archives for March 2007

Shift in backfield (Baltimore Sun)

Table all but bare, team throws dice (Baltimore Sun)

In end, back leaves a memorable legacy (Baltimore Sun)

Sentiment, NFL don’t mix, but J. Lewis deserved better (Baltimore Sun)

McGahee Baltimore bound (Carroll County Times)

J. Lewis takes parting shots (Carroll County Times)

Ravens Acquire McGahee (Washington Post)

A look at the career statistics of new Ravens running back Willis McGahee (Washington Post)

Welcome, Willis (BaltimoreRavens.com)

McGahee for Lewis not a bad tradeoff for Ravens (RealFootball365.com)

‘McGahee isn’t complaining about the trade. He has a new seven year contract worth up to 40 million dollars. Seven and a half million of it in a signing bonus.’

‘He still has reasonable speed and can run inside as well as outside. He can pass-block and is a threat out of the backfield as a receiver, but he doesn’t have the ability to hit the home run anymore. And after several complaints about his role, he basically shut it down at the end of last season.’

‘Michael Smith and Len Pasquarelli of ESPN are reporting that McGahee will sign a seven-year contract with the Ravens. The last two seasons of the deal are option years, and the contract is worth $40.12 million, $26.42 million without the option years.’

‘The Bills were similarly unhappy with McGahee over the past year. He failed to show up for offseason workouts last year under new coach Dick Jauron. He also frustrated the coaching staff by not knowing his assignments and failing to pick up blocks in pass protection last season. According to one Bills staffer, a member of the coaching staff had to signal the play to McGahee specifically during the season to explain to McGahee what to do.’

‘”From what I have seen of Willis, he is a heck of a warrior," said middle linebacker Ray Lewis, a Miami football alum. "The way he runs and the passion he plays with is contagious. He plays the game the way it is supposed to be played. I am truly excited to have him as a teammate and look forward to a great season.”‘

‘The Ravens traded three draft picks Thursday to acquire Willis McGahee from the Buffalo Bills. They gave up a third and a seventh in this year’s draft, plus a third in 2008. What did they get? The got a running back who has a major ACL injury on his resume, one with a 3.9-yards-per-rush average.’

‘ don’t care that they lost to Indianapolis in the playoffs. What I care about is they identified a problem, sought to address it and then solved it. So what if McNair is near the end of his career? He gave the Ravens exactly what they needed. And so will McGahee.’

‘The six-year veteran is a former fifth-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons where he played his first four years in the league. McCadam served mainly as a reserve safety, but was a big contributor on special teams for the Falcons.’

‘The deal comes the day after former Ravens running back Jamal Lewis signed with the Cleveland Browns. Baltimore cut Lewis on Feb. 28 in a salary-cap related move but was optimistic it could bring re-sign him. When contract talks broke down this week, the Ravens began targeting McGahee.’

‘The trade is pending a physical that is likely to take place on Friday.’

‘"Way to go Ozzie!" Billick said. "We’re getting a dynamic back who has the potential to diversify our running game. We’ve studied him, and he brings the same passion and preparation that is common to Miami players, like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Getting a player as good as Willis is another example of how Ozzie and his department size up the market and use our resources well."’

‘The Bills are now left searching for a starting running back to play in front of a revamped offensive line that features two new starters — guard Derrick Dockery and tackle Langston Walker — signed on the first day of free agency last week. Third-stringer Shaud Williams is the only experienced running back currently on the team’s depth chart.’

‘Buffalo’s former first-round draft choice never seemed to realize his full potential with the Bills. After a strong debut season in 2004 that convinced Buffalo’s front office to make him their future and trade Travis Henry, McGahee never became as productive as he was in his wildly successful final college season at the University of Miami.’

‘”This is a runner who can make people miss and has the explosion and speed to take it the distance,” said general manager and executive vice president Ozzie Newsome. “He also has the power and size to run inside. He’s a viable receiver out of the backfield and is a good pass blocker, not something every back can do.”‘