It's not a question of if. It's a question of who the Ravens will sign to be their next pass rusher, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter.
"I think they'd like to come away with a pass rusher, I think they will come away with a pass rusher," Schefter told BaltimoreRavens.com at the NFL owners meetings.
"Whether it's [Elvis] Dumervil or [Dwight] Freeney or John Abraham or Osi Umenyiora, they'll come away with somebody."
Head Coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens are eying pass rushers, and spoke to four specifically in Dumervil, Freeney, Umenyiora and former Steeler James Harrison.
Each will likely come at a different price and Schefter believes Dumervil, who is the youngest at 29 years old, will likely command the most.
So could the Ravens, who reportedly negotiated with Dumervil, afford him?
According to reports, Baltimore is currently about $10 million under the salary cap after the trade of wide receiver Anquan Boldin and release of safety Bernard Pollard.
"You can get anything done that you want to get done," Schefter said.
"It's just a question of restructuring some more deals. They could always go to Haloti Ngata and restructure [his contract], Terrell Suggs and restructure, Marshal Yanda and restructure. Do you want somebody? Go get him."
Schefter pointed out that there is still the question of cost at the end of the day because restructuring contracts pushes bills forward that eventually come due. Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome said soon after the season ended that he does not like restructuring contracts.
But he did leave the door ajar somewhat for a special circumstance.
"The only time we consider restructuring guys' deals is [if] there is a player that comes available that we think has great value and is worth us restructuring a deal to get it done," Newsome said.
"But it also, it has to be a player that we think has a pretty good chance of playing out his contract, because that's when you get in trouble, if you restructure a deal then all the sudden that player's abilities fall off the cliff, and you have to let him go. Then you have to eat all that acceleration right away."
