With news circulating that the Ravens have signed Rolando McClain, I can’t help but notice that the Ravens are about to employ three members of Alabama’s 2009 National Championship defense. McClain will team with Terrance Cody and Courtney Upshaw and maybe, just maybe be able to put his crazy behind him.
From the Baltimore Sun: ”The Ravens have hammered out an agreement in principle on a one-year contract with former Oakland Raiders middle linebacker Rolando McClain, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. The modest deal is for the league minimum base salary of $700,000 along with incentive clauses based on playing time and performance that can boost the total value of the contract for the former Alabama star, sources confirm.”
I think this is a pretty interesting move for the Ravens. They need a MLB, McClain is a MLB and a pretty good one when he puts his mind to it. Chances are this works out in the Ravens favor. The Ravens have a solid organization and getting the chance to play with two of his former teammates won’t hurt either. It’s only a one year deal and it gives the Ravens a chance to see what they have while giving McClain a chance to earn another long term deal and prove he’s not the risk he became in Oakland.
This is another quality pick up by Ozzie Newsome (went to Alabama btdubbs) and makes the Ravens’ off-season look a lot more promising than it did early on. With one year deals for Dumervil, Michael Huff and McClain the Ravens defense is beginning to shape up without breaking the bank.