PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan)- “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.” Right?
With that in mind, it’s hard not to notice what’s going on in Baltimore these days. Just days after Ravens safety Earl Thomas got in a training camp fight with fellow safety Chuck Clark, the team released Thomas, who is a 6x Pro Bowler and is in just his second season of a 4-year, $55 million contract.
Former NFL executive Vinny Cerrato of 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore joined The Fan Morning Show Monday to talk about all that went behind this seemingly sudden move.
“There was numerous things. There was a lot of things last year. He was late to meetings, missed meetings, skipped the exit interview at the end of the season, the stuff he had this summer, he got into it with [left tackle] Brandon Williams last year. I think this was the final straw.
When your players come to you and tell you to get rid of a guy, then it’s time. My saying always is, ‘If the production is bigger than the headache, you deal with the headache. If the headache is bigger than the production, you get rid of the headache.’”
So what about the production of that Ravens defense now without Thomas?
“I think it helps,” said Cerrato. “Whoever they put in, DeShon Elliott if he can stay healthy, they get a guy that will play the system, do what he’s supposed to do, lines up properly. You know, I hear everybody talking about, ‘Oh, they’re going to miss Earl Thomas he played so great last year.’ To be total honest, I watched every game, I didn’t think he played that well.
Earl Thomas was what…a Hall of Famer, middle of the field guy, right? So why did the Ravens have him blitzing all the time? (Ravens defensive coordinator) Wink Martindale lets guys do what they do best. So, if he can’t cover the middle of the field, they’re not letting him playing there.
So the thing that he did best was blitz? And the Tennessee game when he got pushed around, talking trash before the game?
I don’t think they’ll miss him at all.”
Hearing that talk about headaches and production may have reminded of you of one recent player in particular if you’re a Steelers fan…and the Ravens have been linked to him. So, should Baltimore bring in Antonio Brown after he serves his eight-game suspension this year?
“You’ve got eight games; he’s suspended for eight games. So [Miles] Boykin and my young receivers are going to decide if I go get Antonio Brown,” said Cerrato. “If Boykin and some of the young guys are doing well, I’m not going to disrupt anything. If they’re not? I’ve got his cousin (Marquise Brown) and the quarterback he worked out with in the summertime (Lamar Jackson).
I would tell him, ‘Listen, this is your last shot. If you do one thing wrong, you’re gone.’ And then I would put it on the players. The same leadership council that wanted to get rid of Earl, do they want Antonio? If want Antonio, the big part of their responsibility is to keep him in line.”
Oh, and league MVP Lamar Jackson is dealing with a groin injury right now and has missed the last couple practices.
Interesting times in enemy territory…