The Pros and Cons of T.O. Playing in Baltimore

So, T.O once again finds himself in need of a job; surprise anyone? He has be an unquestioned star in the league for the past 15 years with his ability to stretch the field and make big plays. As many also know, he has been at the center of many locker room melt downs. With recent rumors circulating about the Baltimore Ravens being interested in T.O., I thought it would be a good idea to look at that prospect objectively.

With that being said, why would he be a good fit in charm city? Well there are several aspects of him and and believe it or not, off the field that the Ravens could find very intriguing. On the field, he brings a demanding physical presence. Most corners in the league these days are smaller in stature and weight giving T.O. a clear advantage at 6'3" and 224 pounds. This would clear up one receiving issue the ravens had last year, when their core with players like Mark Clayton where consistently beat at the line of scrimmage. In addition to his physical dominance, he brings a knowledge of the game 15 years in the making. He will be able to pick up any play book easily and understand the routes as well as blocking assignments. T.O. is known for his ability to block the outside corners from making a play on a running back, thus helping out Ray Rice and company. Finally, he would be a great mentor to any young receivers the Ravens may bring in via the draft in April. Many mock drafts on-line have the ravens taking A. Benn or G. Tate with their first round pick at number 25. T.O. would show them how to get their bodies in game shape, and what kind of work ethic it takes to be a star wide receiver in the NFL.

So why would T.O. be a bad fit in Baltimore? Well the Ravens offense has gone young, from star QB in the making Joe Flacco to newly minted starting RB Ray Rice, its clear another older receiver at age 36 might not be in the mix. Even the Ravens offensive line is young with Michael Oher and Jared Gaither anchoring either end. Add the prospect of bringing back D. Mason to the team and this would put both starting wide outs well into their thirties. There is of coarse, the reputation for being locker room dynamite. We all know what happened in Philly and then similar circumstances in Dallas. The receiver did not have any outbreaks during his brief stint in Buffalo last year, but his production was also severely down. Finally, T.O. would not be a long term solution for the ravens. He would be able to help for one or two years at best before he was pushing 40. Not very conducive for any team building young.

All this being said, there is no chance the Ravens will sign T.O. This off-season has already seen the Ravens take on risk on the returning Dante Stallworth coming back from suspension last season. Baltimore would be very unlikely to do this twice in the same term. Secondly, the Ravens were basically given the cold shoulder once before with T.O. when they tried to trade with San Fransisco for him. T.O. then found a back door through contract obligations to get out of that trade. Finally, Ravens general manager Ozzy Newsome believes in building his team through the draft. So look for one or two receivers to be taken in the first three rounds.

So to all the T.O. fans in Baltimore hoping for this to happen, I'm sorry but I just don't see it. Instead maybe you should look forward to all the young talent that will develop with Joe Flacco.