Rumor: Todd Heap is going to be released

[PECKERWOOD]

Interesting post, heard this over at bb.com:


I don't have a link to this, but a trusted source I know out of the Baltimore metro area with insider info told me that the Ravens are going to release Todd Heap and McGahee to free up more cap space. They are going to a need lots of money to keep their defense core intact (Suggs, Scott, Leonard, Lewis). This same source told me that they would franchise Suggs over the weekend - and that is exactly what happened minutes ago so I trust what he is feeding me.
McGahee is not a surprise, because of the depth they have at RB and it's no secret his attidude and work ethic has put him in Harbaugh's doghouse.
McAllistor was already let go, and Heap is likely to follow given his recent injuries and diminishing production.
Take it for what it's worth - but if Heap becomes available I guarantee we go after him. (At least I hope so) He's is a wily vet with 8 years of NFL experience, but is still only 28 years old. He'd be a huge upgrade over what we have now....

[Mr. Pink]

Heap isn't the player he once was but would still be a short term fix and upgrade over what we already have.

[PECKERWOOD]

Heap isn't the player he once was but would still be a short term fix and upgrade over what we already have.


True, I wonder what kind of contract he is going to get? I'm not sure what the rate is for top TE's but he would be worth bringing in for a look.

http://www.nfl.com/players/toddheap/profile?id=HEA302949


For somebody who isn't what he once was, he would still be an upgrade of the never was's on our roster in Royal and Schouman.

[jimbohastle51]

i said this in another post but seriously as unfortunate as it is he is totally a dick jauron guy.

[PECKERWOOD]

i said this in another post but seriously as unfortunate as it is he is totally a dick jauron guy.

Why don't you like Heap?

[patmoran2006]

If he gets cut, we're getting after him, I'd almost bet on it.. I'd love to raid the Ravens for Brown and Heap.

Plus, we wouldnt have to draft a center or TE early in the draft in that case; and concentrate on difference makers in the trenches.

I'm all for that..

[yordad]

This makes sense, and would be a bit of alright.

[jimbohastle51]

Why don't you like Heap?
he can never stay healthy, and our team needs to win now. dont get me wrong if he stays healthy and trent gets him the ball he is a great TE but he hasnt played a healthy, elite level football season in years, i mean bo scaife is a better TE and a better option for our team the way we run the ball with scaifes blocking skills, and 4 years ago heap was the young stud of the position in football, now he never even plays through injuries. i just think that he is going to play a game or too and start having lingering injuries all season long.

[Nighthawk]

If he gets cut, we're getting after him, I'd almost bet on it.. I'd love to raid the Ravens for Brown and Heap.

Plus, we wouldnt have to draft a center or TE early in the draft in that case; and concentrate on difference makers in the trenches.

I'm all for that..

And that has to be the mentality this organization NEEDS to have in this offseason. Target your FA's and setup your draft! Don't just go about it in a half-assed manner. Make a plan and stick to it!

[Jeff1220]

Heap makes Rob Johnson look durable. Just sayin'.

[Ickybaluky]

This would surprise the hell out of me.

Granted, Heap has had a lot of nagging injuries and may not be the player he promised to be when he signed his big contract a few years ago, but he is still a very good TE. If the Ravens cut him, they would need to go out and replace him.

Secondly, cutting Heap wouldnt' save much money. He signed a 6-year extension worth $30M/$11M SB (http://bal.scout.com/2/390086.html) in 2005. He has 3 years left on that deal, with a base salary of $3.6M this year. His bonus would have been pro-rated at $2.2M per season through 2009 (at the time, that was as far as bonuses could be spread).

On top of that, he restructured his contract (http://www.ravens24x7.com/column_view.php?cid=46&aid=2232&view=archive) last year, converting $2.27M in salary to bonus spread at $567.5K per season.

So, if you take Heaps current cap number (http://www.rotoworld.com/Content/playerpages/player_contract.aspx?sport=NFL&id=2218) of $6.637M and subtract out the remaining bonus money to be accounted for of $3.9M, it means the Ravens would save about $2.64M on the cap... but they would need a starting TE.

Doesn't really seem worth it to me. Unless there is something else going on, I can't see it.

[bigbub2352]

this would be nice, Heap also suffered in Balt having no huge threat at WR and poor QB play most of his career, i think he is exactly what we need at TE here sign him and still draft another TE later on
Day 1 could be all DLine and a playmaker at WR then in the 5th grab a guy like Bear Poscoe and get rid of some of the dead weight at TE like Schouman and Royal

[X-Era]

this would be nice, Heap also suffered in Balt having no huge threat at WR and poor QB play most of his career, i think he is exactly what we need at TE here sign him and still draft another TE later on
Day 1 could be all DLine and a playmaker at WR then in the 5th grab a guy like Bear Poscoe and get rid of some of the dead weight at TE like Schouman and Royal

Releasing Schouman for Bear Pascoe is an upgrade?

Im not a huge Schouman fan, but I think we sometimes think new is better... New is just new.

[Night Train]

he can never stay healthy, and our team needs to win now.

Agreed. He's been All-Whirlpool his entire career.

[Michael82]

I would dump Robert Royal and pick up Todd Heap in a heartbeat! He'd definitely be a solid weapon for the red zone and the middle of the field.

[bigbub2352]

Releasing Schouman for Bear Pascoe is an upgrade?

Im not a huge Schouman fan, but I think we sometimes think new is better... New is just new.

I will take 6ft 5 260lbs and the ability to bloack and get open over a 6ft 2 223lbs fb/hback that we drafted to play in steve fairchilds offense,
Just saying we need to upgrade our entire te position the only one in my opinion worth keeping is Fine
Royal is terrible and Schouman is oftinjured i dont know if he can take the pounding of the NFL

[jamze132]

I'd rather go after Bo Scaife. Heap is too much of a risk to count on as our #1 TE.

[Pinkerton Security]

this would be nice, Heap also suffered in Balt having no huge threat at WR and poor QB play most of his career, i think he is exactly what we need at TE here sign him and still draft another TE later on
Day 1 could be all DLine and a playmaker at WR then in the 5th grab a guy like Bear Poscoe and get rid of some of the dead weight at TE like Schouman and Royal

i agree with most points but who the heck is Bear Poscoe??? Sounds like a cartoon character.

In all seriousness though i think the Bills like Fine more than Schouman, I dont really have a preference. If we end up with Heap and Schouman, or Heap and Fine, ill be happy. My only fear is that all the players seem to mesh well with Royal and the coaches see that, and probably wont want to break up that cameraderie.

[bigbub2352]

i agree with most points but who the heck is Bear Poscoe??? Sounds like a cartoon character.

In all seriousness though i think the Bills like Fine more than Schouman, I dont really have a preference. If we end up with Heap and Schouman, or Heap and Fine, ill be happy. My only fear is that all the players seem to mesh well with Royal and the coaches see that, and probably wont want to break up that cameraderie.
Bear Poscoe is a TE in this years draft he is not a game breaker but he is a monster blocker with good hands who fins the seems
he mite be there to take in the 4th-5th rd
he had a real good college carreer and he is abulldozer type player
http://www.draftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/te/Bear-Pascoe.php

[Jan Reimers]

Another guy with injury issues whose best years are behind him. But he might come relatively cheap. He would seem to fit our FO's pattern of signing cheaper has-beens and never-will-be's.

[Pinkerton Security]

Bear Poscoe is a TE in this years draft he is not a game breaker but he is a monster blocker with good hands who fins the seems
he mite be there to take in the 4th-5th rd
he had a real good college carreer and he is abulldozer type player
http://www.draftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/te/Bear-Pascoe.php

funny, i was just reading an article on the East-West Shrine game and he was listed as one of the players who shined in the game.

[Ickybaluky]

Another guy with injury issues whose best years are behind him. But he might come relatively cheap. He would seem to fit our FO's pattern of signing cheaper has-beens and never-will-be's.

That seems a harsh, and quite frankly not true. First of all, he has had a lot of nagging injuries but he has played the full season 5 of the last 7 seasons and 3 of the last 4 years.

Secondly, he is one of the few guys out there who is a threat as both a blocker and receiver. He has had to stay in to block more because of the Raven's OL issues, but he has done so despite it hurting his numbers. He is a good in-line blocker and a terrific receiver, even if his numbers were down last year. The guy is a real good player.

Lastly, he isn't even 29 yet, although he turns soon. He is not over-the-hill.

That is why this report makes not sense. The guy is still a good player and the Ravens only save $2.4M by cutting him. That isn't a lot of money in today's market, it is backup money, and they would still need to replace the guys production.

If the Ravens did cut him he would draw a ton of interest. There aren't a lot of good 3-down TE's out there, which is why the Titans franchised Bo Scaife to keep him. You find a good TE like that you keep him, and if Heap got out on the open market he would definitely not come cheap.

[kernowboy]

Since when have personnel decisions in the NFL ever made sense?

[TacklingDummy]

Heap makes Rob Johnson look durable. Just sayin'.Why do Bills fans love players who are injury prone?

[ddaryl]

I'd rather go after Bo Scaife. Heap is too much of a risk to count on as our #1 TE.

franchised

things are getting ugly in regards ot available talent on the market