Ravens re-sign Ray Lewis, sign Matt Birk

[elcheato]

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to terms with middle linebacker Ray Lewis on a multiyear contract.
Players with at least 30 sacks and 25 interceptions in NFL history

Terms were not available, but ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported the three-year deal is worth in excess of $7 million per year.

"We have an agreement in principle with Ray Lewis," Ravens spokesman Kevin Byrne said. "It will allow Ray to finish his career as a Raven."

The nine-time Pro Bowl pick had three interceptions and two fumble recoveries last season.

By keeping Lewis, the Ravens fill the void created at inside linebacker when Bart Scott signed with the New York Jets.

Lewis earned his 10th Pro Bowl this season after leading the NFL's second-ranked defense with 160 tackles. He also had 3½ sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

Information from ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen and The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3952887

After 11 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, and six Pro Bowl appearances, free agent center Matt Birk is leaving the team.

Birk agreed to a contract with the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday afternoon. He will replace center Jason Brown, who this week signed a five-year $37.5 million contract with the St. Louis Rams. Birk will provide stability to the Baltimore blocking unit.

The four-year contract is worth $12 million, sources told ESPN.com. Six million dollars of the total is guaranteed money, and Birk will receive $9 million in the first two years of the deal. The contract is believed to be similar to the one offered by the Vikings.

Birk and his wife, Adrianna, visited with Ravens officials on Tuesday evening. Birk then spent most of Wednesday deliberating over the two contract offers. Landing Birk, who many figured would play his entire career in Minnesota, is a nice recovery for Ravens officials, who only began recruiting him a few days ago, after Brown's departure.

The Ravens might have had a difficult time replacing Brown, whose size was effective against the 3-4 nose tackles in the AFC, but Birk is an excellent fit for a Baltimore team that advanced to the AFC Championship Game last season.

Birk, 32, has played in 146 games, with 123 starts. He missed some time in 2004 with a sports hernia and set out the entire 2005 season because of hip surgery. But Birk has started all 16 games in each of the past three seasons.

A former Harvard star, considered a stalwart on the Minnesota line, Birk has started all 16 games seven times in his career. In his first two seasons, Birk played in only 22 games, with no starts. He became a full-time starter, however, in his third season.

A sixth-round choice of Minnesota in the 1998 draft, Birk will arguably be considered among the greatest players in Vikings franchise history. He has been very involved in the community, with several charitable endeavors, and will be missed in that regard as well.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3952875

Ravens needed to get Ray back and they did. Getting Birk is pretty big as well.

 

[A.E]

<Censored> ME!

Losing Birk just kills it.

 

[vikesfan]

Damn it, well good luck to Birk in Baltimore Hopefully there isn't much drop off when Cook or Sullivan get the position.

 

[Lake Louise]

I KNEW RayRay wasn`t leaving Baltimore!!

Also, a GREAT pickup of Birk as well. He is a great O-lineman, one of the best in the league, imo.