Harbaugh to meet with Mason
July 15th, 2009 | by Kevin Hanson |
Although Derrick Mason has announced his “retirement” through a site run by his agent, I’m not convinced that Mason will stay retired. And neither are the Ravens.
Coach John Harbaugh is going to meet with Mason in the near future, according to the Baltimore Sun.
“We have an appointment to talk real soon,” Harbaugh said today. “It will be interesting to see where he’s at with everything. I know he’s been going through a lot the last couple of weeks with Steve’s [McNair] situation, but I’m looking forward to talking to him.”
After signing Terrell Suggs to a long-term deal today, the Ravens have more financial flexibility. They are currently $7 million under the salary cap. If Mason does retire, they will be $10 million under the cap.
“Obviously, if Derrick decides to retire, it’s going to perk us up even more as far as strengthening that position,” Harbaugh said. “But you can only do so much. There are only so many guys out there available, and a lot of what we do is develop the players that we have. I think there is a lot of time between now and when training camp starts.”
Here’s a look at some of the available free agents by ESPN’s James Walker.
Maybe Mason and his agent are using the retirement as a ploy for a contract extension. Maybe the loss of his friend and former teammate is behind Mason’s decision to retire.
In either case, it can’t hurt to sit down and talk.
Tags: Derrick Mason
