Video: The Washington Post’s LaVar Arrington discusses his personal relationship with Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis following Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker’s wife’s disparaging Facebook comments about the future hall of fame linebacker after the Ravens’ 28-13 victory over New England in the AFC Championship game.
As the chief architect of the Baltimore Ravens’ roster, General Manager Ozzie Newsome constructed a team that has reached the Super Bowl.
His imprint extends to other important issues, including offering guidance to Coach John Harbaugh on the decision to fire offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and replace him with quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell last month.
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However, Newsome was emphatic in denying that he and owner Steve Bisciotti had pressured Harbaugh to dismiss Cameron after five years of running the Ravens’ offense.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that wouldn’t be fair to John,” Newsome said during a news conference Friday at the Ravens’ training complex. “John has to stand before his coaching staff and his players. If at any point do they ever think that he’s overly influenced by Steve or I, then he loses his staff and his players. It has to be him.”
The firing of Cameron unfolded in the early hours of Dec. 10 at team headquarters, the morning after the Ravens’ 31-28 overtime loss to the Washington Redskins.
Newsome said he held a discussion with Harbaugh during the trip back to Baltimore from FedEx Field.
The move has galvanized a dormant offense, with the Ravens averaging 427 yards and 30 points in the playoffs as quarterback Joe Flacco has passed for eight touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Newsome indicated that the decision to fire Cameron wasn’t a snap judgment. He called upon his experience with former Ravens coach Brian Billick firing offensive coordinator Jim Fassel during the bye week of the 2006 season to give advice to Harbaugh for how to handle this situation.
“No question about it,” Newsome said. “The process of hiring Jim Caldwell is something we talked about way before and why we wanted to do it and why he wanted to do it. He didn’t just walk into my office that Monday morning and say, ‘I want to make that move.’ When we got off the bus downtown and we both were driving home from that Redskins game, John and I talked about it that night. He said, ‘I think I might have to make a decision,’ and was telling me all the reasons why.
“What I try to do for John is paint a picture so he can have as much information as he has to make that decision. It came down to when he walked into my office and told me he was going to make that decision, he had a peace about himself, and that’s all I can ask of him. I said, ‘You want to?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I think this is the right thing to do.’ ”
Perhaps the most pressing business matter facing the Ravens this offseason will be negotiating a new contract with Flacco to lock him up long-term and avoid using a $14.6 million franchise tag to retain him.
Flacco’s rookie deal expires after the Super Bowl, and talks between vice president of football administration Pat Moriarty and Flacco’s agent Joe Linta have been tabled until after the season. The two sides aren’t close to a deal at this time after the Ravens made a lucrative offer in August that was declined.
Flacco is expected to be more expensive to sign now that he’s had a strong postseason.
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