BLOG: Free Agent Deals Going Fast
The way Free Agency is going, if you want your own player you better put in your best offer quickly. From what I have been told by agents, this is what is happening: Agents are getting the market from interested teams, and then are going back to the player's original team with a realistic view of what their player is worth. This is especially true in a case like Marshal Yanda's; when a player who is worth a good amount on the open market really wants to return to his original team.
I'm sure what happened in this case is that Marshal told his agent, Neil Cornrich, to just get the best deal possible with the Ravens. So, what Neil does here is call around, shopping Marshal on the open market to get a feel for what exactly other teams are willing to pay, and then gives a number to Ozzie and the Ravens' front office to match. All of these Free Agent deals are happening fast and teams are not going to have time to drag their feet if they want a veteran to fill a role on their team. Now for the Ravens it is on to the next priority, and the question is, which position is that? Wide Receiver? Defensive Back? Maybe bringing in a Fullback? Or is it going to be the Backup Quarterback? Wherever they go next, it will happen quickly.
