Two Ravens Super Bowl Rings For Sale
Well that was quick, Damien Berry.
Less than a year removed from the Super Bowl XLVII victory, the former Ravens running back has apparently put his Super Bowl ring up for sale.
GoldinAuction.com plans to put up more than a dozen championship rings for bid starting Jan. 13, including Berry's ring and linebacker Jamie Sharper's Ravens 2000 Super Bowl XXXV ring.
The website states Berry's ring is the first available from the 2012 champions, noting how uncommon it is for a ring to go on sale so quickly.
"This is a rare opportunity for a fan or a collector to own a Super Bowl ring less than a year after it was earned and one from a landmark NFL game," said Founder of Goldin Auctions Ken Goldin. "NFL Championship rings and Super Bowl player rings are coveted by collectors because it is rare for them to become available. That is why we are so excited to offer these unique finds in our 2014 Winter Auction."
Berry may not have a super sentimental connection with the ring as he was on injured reserve the entire 2012 season and was never active for a regular-season game. He was on the Ravens practice squad in 2011 after being signed as a rookie free agent.
Or maybe he's just inclined to receive the cash. He was waived by the Ravens prior to the 2013 season and didn't sign with another NFL team.
Whatever the reason, it could now be yours.
So how about it Ravens fans?
If you've got some extra cash lying around, you could become the proud owner of honking 3.75 carat Super Bowl ring, featuring a whopping 243 round cut diamonds. Here are all the ring’s specs, but trust me, it's GINORMOUS and one of the flashiest of all the Super Bowl rings.
The minimum bid hasn't been posted yet, but for comparison, the Giants Super Bowl XLII ring had a minimum bid of $10,000 on GoldinAuctions.com and the final price went for $52,854.
Sheesh!
Don't have that kind of cash? You could always go diving …
Caldwell Gets Third Interview, This Time With Titans
With two interviews behind him (Lions and Redskins), Offensive Coordinator Jim Caldwell is now scheduled to interview with the Titans, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
The head coaching job became available in Tennessee after the team fired Mike Munchak Saturday.
"We think the Titans are a pretty good shot for Jim," Fritz Pollard Alliance Chairman John Wooten told The Baltimore Sun. "He's deserving of all of this. Jim's a great teacher. He's won as a head coach. He's developed quarterbacks. He's been a good overall coach. He'll get in there later this week and sit down with the Titans."
While Caldwell is stacking up the interviews, he has plenty of solid competition, as all three teams are also reportedly interested in Chargers Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and Bengals Offensive Coordinator Jay Gruden.
In addition to Whisenhunt and Gruden, NFL.com's head coach tracker names eight other candidates between the three teams : New York Giants Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell, Cowboys Special Teams Coordinator Rich Bisaccia, Seahawks Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell, Panthers Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott, Bengals Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer, 49ers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman, 49ers Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio and Vanderbilt Head Coach James Franklin.
Losing Austin Would Be Blow To Ravens
As I noted yesterday, if Caldwell lands a job, word on the street is that his top candidate for defensive coordinator would be Teryl Austin.
Ravens fans may not be too familiar with Austin, but he's been the Ravens' secondary coach the past three years and has been instrumental in the development of cornerbacks like Lardarius Webb, Cary Williams and Jimmy Smith.
"Austin’s] departure would also be a [blow to the Ravens," wrote The Sun's Jeff Zrebiec.
"Much like Chuck Pagano, who was formerly the Ravens' secondary coach before he became their defensive coordinator and then later was hired as the Colts' head coach, Austin is viewed around the league as a future defensive coordinator."
Even if Caldwell doesn't land a head coaching gig, Zrebiec believes there's still a good chance that Austin could get scooped up with so many teams' coaching staffs still in flux.
Ravens Need Rangy FS To Complement Elam
With veteran James Ihedigbo playing so well at strong safety, rookie Matt Elam was forced to play out of his natural position at free safety.
Both play best near the line of scrimmage, but there's only room for one safety there.
If the Ravens want to get the most out of their top 2013 draft pick, they need to find a true free safety to complement Elam, says The Baltimore Sun's Matt Vensel.
"Elam doesn't have the ideal range to be that single-high safety on the majority of the snaps, but he could be a plus player in coverage if paired with the right free safety," Vensel wrote. "His nose for the football and aggressive tackling could be better utilized near the line, perhaps similarly to how the Pittsburgh Steelers use play-making strong safety Troy Polamalu.
"That's why the Ravens should try to find a rangy free safety in either free agency or the draft – the draft is [the] more likely endeavor – so they can move their 2013 top pick to strong safety, where he could potentially thrive."
Quick Hits
- Any updates on Run Game Coordinator Juan Castillo, Zrebiec? "It appears that both sides are open to a parting of ways and Castillo, who has long been regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in the game, shouldn't have a problem finding a role elsewhere. One possibility would be Castillo rejoining his former boss in Philadelphia, Andy Reid, the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. If Castillo leaves, it's unclear if the Ravens would hire another offensive line coach/run game coordinator, or just let Andy Moeller resume the responsibilities and the authority that he had before Castillo's arrival." [The Baltimore Sun]
- Jamison Hensley is doing a countdown of the top five plays that ruined the Ravens season. No. 5 was a 3-yard, fourth-down catch made by Cleveland Browns receiver Davone Bess. With a stop the Ravens would have taken over at midfield only needing a field goal to tie the game. Instead Browns kicker Billy Cundiff solidified the win after the Browns converted. [ESPN]
- The Ravens defense set an “unwanted” team record by allowing 134 points in the fourth quarter, the most in team history. "It was strange to see the Ravens defense play solid for three quarters and fall apart when the team needed it the most," Hensley wrote. "In the first three quarters, the Ravens had the sixth-best defense in the red zone (allowing touchdowns 48.4 percent of the time). In the fourth quarter, the Ravens had the fifth-worst defense inside the 20-yard line (66.7 percent)." [ESPN]
- @RavensInsider: Buccaneers signed former Ravens draft picks Marc Anthony, Tommy Streeter to reserve-future deals [Twitter]
- @RavensInsider: Patriots signed former Ravens practice squad running back Jonas Gray to reserve-future deal [Twitter]
- Of course! It was good (detailed) stuff … @RavensSalaryCap: Thanks to @ravens for featuring my offseason Salary Cap preview article in today's Late For Work (LFW) story!!! [Twitter]
- Nope, but good luck! Planning weddings is brutal. … @jtuck9: Anybody know a good wedding planner in Austin? Planning a wedding may be a daunting task to say the least haha! #SoMuchPinterest [Twitter]
