Forsett Wants To Sign Long-Term Deal With Ravens
The Ravens love Justin Forsett.
And Justin Forsett loves the Ravens.
Baltimore is the NFL journeyman's fourth landing spot in as many years, and he'd prefer not to start over with a fifth. He wants to sign a contract that would make him a Raven for the long* *term.
"Definitely, this is a great place, a great organization," Forsett told The Baltimore Sun's Aaron Wilson. "It's hard not to want to be here. Definitely, I'm sure after the season sometime they'll probably get something done.
"I would love to sign here. I've been waiting my whole career to find a home somewhere to not have to move every offseason. So, that would be nice."
Forsett came to Baltimore on a one-year deal worth a reported $730,000. He was fourth on the depth* *chart and some predicted he'd be released after Ray Rice returned from an original two-game suspension. But Rice was cut, and Forsett started moving up the depth chart.
He now leads the NFL in yards per carry (5.8), he's the league's third-overall rusher (903 yards) and a big-time playmaker with a league-high 12 runs over 20 yards. Yesterday, he was just named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time.
As always, the classy Forsett gives credit elsewhere.
"It's been a blessing," Forsett said. "It's a credit to the guys around me. I couldn't get these awards without them. It's definitely a team award. I'm blessed with a great offensive line. They do a lot of the work up front. It's their job to get me from 'A' to 'C' and for me to get from 'C' to 'Z.' I think we work very well together."
He's deserving of more awards, too.
ESPN's Jamison Hensley says Forsett is the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, the Ravens' Most Valuable Player and deserves to go to the Pro Bowl.
So what are the odds he and the Ravens get something done this season?
"Very high," wrote CSNBaltimore.com's Clifton Brown. "He knows being in the right place at the right time is important. The Ravens would clearly miss Forsett if he got away, so I expect them to make him an offer that entices him to stay. When a player wants to stay, and the team wants to keep him, that usually sets the groundwork for a deal to get done."
Dumervil Triggers $4 Million Of Incentives With 12th Sack
Is it me? Or did Elvis Dumervil seem happier than normal when he picked up his 12th sack of the season Monday night against quarterback Drew Brees.
Pass rushers are always elated to bring down a QB, but this celebration continued for a looong time all the way back to the sideline, where he seemed to uncontrollably laugh.
Could it have anything to do with the fact that it created a “$4 million financial windfall," per Wilson, for the three-time Pro Bowler?
"With his 12th sack of the season, Dumervil triggered a $1 million one-time incentive clause for sacks in a single year," Wilson wrote. "He also hit an escalator clause that raises his base salary by $1 million annually in 2015, 2016 and 2017."
Go ahead, Dumervil, celebrate all you want. You deserve it. Just keep getting to those quarterbacks.
Smith Doesn't Stiff-Arm People, Spin Cantaloupe At Grocery Store
This just in.
Steve Smith Sr. is a real-life human being.
Just because he plays a violent sport on Sundays, doesn't mean he is a violent person in everyday life. Just like normal people, Smith likes to read books, spend time with his wife and kids and travel. He even goes to the grocery store just like you and me.
"There's a perception of me that I'm a hothead and an idiot," Smith told Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop "That because I'm aggressive on the football field, I'm a thug. But look, just because you see me [doing one thing] in my workplace doesn't mean I walk around stiff-arming people and spinning cantaloupe in the grocery store. ...
"We live in a society where people have preconceived notions, where it's okay to judge. You think I'm extreme; I think I'm normal. You want to put me in a box; I refuse to be put there."
Appreciate the friendly reminder, Smitty. It's sad that it's even needed.
That said, we also appreciate the nasty stiff-arms when it's appropriate.
Chargers Wanted Smith. Luckily, They Didn't Get Him
As the Ravens get set on this Thanksgiving week to take on the San Diego Chargers in a game that has big playoff implications, they are grateful to have Smith on their side and not on the other.
Turns out, after Smith was released by the Panthers this offseason, the Chargers reached out to him to explore the idea of bringing him to San Diego.
Chargers Head Coach Mike McCoy, who knew Smith well from his days as a Panthers assistant, called Smith when he was at the airport headed for Baltimore.
"It was more a conversation to see where he was at and what his plans were," McCoy said yesterday in a conference call with Baltimore reporters. "Obviously, he made a great decision for him and his family. He's having a great year, but you know, [General Manager] Tom Telesco and myself, we're always going to contact people and see where their interests are. Sometimes, you mention to players that we're interested and it doesn't go too far. Some are more involved, but he made the right decision for himself and his family and he's had a great season."
Dang right.
Pivotal Game On Short Week Presents Challenges
Sunday's Chargers-Ravens games will have a big impact on the AFC wild-card race.
San Diego (7-4) currently holds the sixth and final wild-card spot over Baltimore (7-4) because it wins a tiebreaker on the basis of having a better AFC record.
But the Ravens could knock them back in the race with a win Sunday. It's just that they'll have to do it on a short week following a Monday night shootout.
"Flying 2 1/2 hours back from New Orleans immediately after the game, the Ravens landed in Baltimore at 4 a.m. Tuesday," Hensley reported. "The coaches slept an hour at the team facility before starting their all-day preparation for the Chargers, so they could get the game plan to the players on Wednesday morning.
"How difficult is it to win after a road Monday night game? This season, teams are 2-5 the following week after playing in a different time zone Monday."
Ouch. History is not in the Ravens' favor.
But they're not making any excuses, and defensive leader Terrell Suggs sees the bigger picture.
"You've got to be professional and take care of your body," Suggs said. "What we're trying to do is bigger than how we feel right now."
Quick Hits
- Punter Sam Koch and rookie inside linebacker C.J. Mosley are among leaders in fan Pro Bowl voting. Koch leads all punters with 66,753 votes, and Mosley is second among inside linebackers with 126,670 votes. This would be the first Pro Bowl trip if both players made it. [ESPN]
- "The Bolts face a slate from hell with tilts against the Ravens, Patriots, Broncos, 49ers and Chiefs," wrote Marc Sessler. [NFL.com]
- "Flacco's 7.4 yards per attempt is up to 12th in the NFL, buoyed by an efficient performance on Monday night," wrote Jon Meoli. "I think he ends up in the top-8 in the league in this category as the team focuses more on the run while still hitting big plays through the air, but his success in this category will help the team limit turnovers and move the ball more efficiently and effectively than in some of the games when he's struggled." [The Baltimore Sun]
- @Jforsett: Just because you have a salad it doesn't disqualify that piece of cake you about to eat! Lol @aceandsmitty #LunchMoney [Instagram]
- @Torreysmithwr: Had fun spending time with the family giving back tonight. Shoutouts to Kitchen Kray for catering the meal. We had a little fun afterwards...Truly Blessed [Instagram]
