Point Of No Return for ‘Big Ben’ Trade?
We already know the Ravens won’t face Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in Week 4 due to his six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy.
But what if the two-time Super Bowl Champion were ousted from the AFC North for good?
The NFL’s most inside insiders have everyone believing this is a distinct possibility because the Steelers themselves have been actively shopping Big Ben.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Pittsburgh appears willing to move Roethlisberger for a top-10 pick in tonight’s draft. Schefter said the team has contacted the Rams, 49ers, Raiders, Bills, Jaguars, Seahawks and Browns, but NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora indicates that only the Rams, Bills and Raiders have been called.
La Canfora identified Oakland as the “only real option at this point.”
When Steelers President Art Rooney II was asked about it in a conference call Wednesday, he left the door open simply because he didn’t deny the reports.
“We really can’t answer any questions about trades, particularly this time of year,” Rooney said.
So is this for real? I mean, for real, for real?
ESPN’s James Walker said it’s “doubtful” an actual trade will occur.
However, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio says the Steelers have likely already passed the point of no return even if they don’t get a top-10 pick.
“It could be too late for the Steelers to unring this bell,” Flordio said. “Really, how often does a starting quarterback move from trading block to his old job?”
We’ll find out if a team in the draft’s top 10 bites the Roethlisberger bait in a matter of hours.
Regardless of how this all shakes out, the sudden mess in Pittsburgh could mean good news for the Ravens. After the suspension was announced, Vegas changed the betting odds for the Steelers winning the Super Bowl from 12-1 to 20-1, according to USA Today.
While the Steelers cannot be overlooked altogether – because of outstanding coaching and a historically solid organization – the Baltimore Sun declared the path to the AFC North title now comes through Baltimore.
Pryce Accepts Paycut
Ravens veteran defensive end Trevor Pryce accepted a $2.5 million paycut, according to Aaron Wilson of National Football Post.
Wilson reported that the NFL Players Association records now say Pryce is due a $2 million base salary in 2010, instead of the $4.5 million he was originally scheduled to collect.
Even though Dwan Edwards, who replaced Pryce in the starting lineup last year, left to play for the Buffalo Bills, Wilson doesn’t expect Pryce to regain his starting gig.
What’s Happening With WR Kelley Washington?
The wide receiver corps in Baltimore is crowded, to say the least. Where does unrestricted free agent Kelley Washington, who transitioned from special teams to full-blown wide receiver, fit into the mix?
It doesn’t appear likely he will return to Baltimore.
Ken Murray of the Baltimore Sun reports Washington’s agent doesn’t expect the 6-3, 217-pounder to join a team until after the draft. As of now, it appears that the Eagles, Seahawks, Raiders and Bills are the interested teams.
NFL Challenging World Series in TV Market
According to USA Today, the NFL typically stands down on the first Sunday night of the season that coincides with the World Series, but that will change in 2010.
The Week 8 Steelers-Saints matchup (which will be Roethlisberger’s debut, barring a trade or a change to his suspension) will air the same night as the World Series, adding competition for ratings.
“The rationale is that Sunday Night Football has become a staple, and that people want to watch football for the entire season. And we didn’t feel it was appropriate to take it off anymore,” said Goodell.
“We had obligations to NBC from a programming standpoint, and we felt it was best to continue on with that great franchise every night of the season and allow the consumer to be able to choose whether they want to watch Sunday Night Football or the World Series.”
Quick Tweets
- Tweet from @Adam_Schefter: Beware of the curse, New Orleans. Looks like Saints QB Drew Brees is poised to be on the cover of EA Sports’ Madden 11 video game.
- Tweet from @RavensInsider (Aaron Wilson): I’m hearing from a league source that the Cleveland Browns are very interested in Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson as well as Joe Haden.
- Tweet from @LWebb21 (Lardarius Webb): To all my followers, my knee is doing fine!!! Its getting better and better everyday! (sic)
- Tweet from @JasonLaCanfora: Tim Tebow will not attend the draft in NYC. He’s returning to Jacksonville but NFL Network will have a camera crew there with him.