<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The Baltimore Ravens will approach personnel decisions in the offseason with hopes of sustaining this season's success for a number of years rather than sacrificing their future for a run at the Super Bowl next season, General Manager Ozzie Newsome said yesterday at a news conference in Owings Mills, Md.Newsome said the organization learned from flawed approaches to the 2001 and 2004 seasons, ones that followed a Super Bowl championship and division title, respectively, but fell short of expectations."We basically mortgaged the future after [winning the Super Bowl]," said Newsome, who sat alongside owner Steve Bisciotti and Coach Brian Billick. "We're not going to do that this time."That means the team won't dole out exorbitant contracts to all-pro linebacker Adalius Thomas, who is facing unrestricted free agency, or running back Jamal Lewis, whose future with the team is uncertain.-- Rich Campbell</div>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7013001372.html
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Punisher @ Jan 31 2007, 07:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Don't care about Jamal, but losing Adalius will be a huge blow.</div>Will it? I honestly think you can plug just about anyone with above average talent next to Ray Ray and behind that line with that Defensive scheme and they'll do very well. Put a 2nd round pick like Earl Everette or Jon Beason in there and you've got a rookie of the year candidate.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>OWINGS MILLS, MD. -- Running back Jamal Lewis, the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2003, was cut by the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday.General manager Ozzie Newsome said the team still hoped to re-sign him.Lewis ran for 2,066 yards in 2003, the second-highest total in NFL history. His numbers slipped after that -- his 1,132 yards last season were his most since then, although he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry.Lewis, 27, spent the 2005 offseason serving time in prison after a guilty plea to using a cell phone to set up a drug buy. He also has had ankle problems.The Ravens' first pick in the 2000 draft, Lewis was due a $5 million roster bonus on March 3 along with a $5 million base salary for the 2007 season. The Ravens have spent the last week negotiating with Mitch Frankel, his agent for a deal that would be more cap friendly."There has been good dialogue," Newsome said. "Jamal has been a significant contributor to us in the last seven seasons. It's our hope to have him back with the Ravens."Still, releasing Lewis, who carried a salary-cap figure of $11.6 million, creates $8.3 million in cap room. Baltimore is now roughly $11.3 million under the league salary cap limit of $109 million. Lewis was paid $6 million last season, including a $5 million signing bonus.Last week, the Ravens decided not to assign a $7.2 million franchise tag to Pro Bowl linebacker Adalius Thomas, ensuring his eventual departure as a high-priced free agent.If the Ravens part ways with Lewis, it would leave them with only veteran Mike Anderson, who carried just 39 times for 183 yards last season. Also on the roster is P.J. Daniels, a fourth-round draft pick from Georgia Tech who didn't get into a game as a rookie last season.</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ravenatic20 @ Mar 18 2007, 07:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Ravens not willing, or not capable?</div>Well it's definately an old topic as they're both playing elsewheres now. But it sounded like Not Willing to get into a bidding war over them, so willing.
