Jamal Lewis Super Bowl Ring Auctioned For $50K
Jamal Lewis wasn't on the Super Bowl XLVII team, but he got a ring as a gift from Owner Steve Bisciotti.
That ring just sold for $50,820 on Goldin Auctions.
"It's a tremendous price for a retired player who got it as an honorary gift, as opposed to being an active member of that team," Goldin Auctions founder Ken Goldin told The Baltimore Sun. "On the flip side, the purchaser is able to get a ring of a long-term superstar and potential Hall of Famer and able to get a Super Bowl ring with a player with that player's name on it. Obviously, as we've learned, the better the player is, the more valuable the ring is."
Lewis was one of five former players to whom Bisciotti gifted a ring because he is a member of the Ravens Ring of Honor. Michael McCrary, Peter Boulware, Jonathan Ogden and Matt Stover all received rings, too.
The ring is nearly the exact same as all the others given to active players. It features 243 round cut diamonds and is crafted in 10-karat white gold, holding a total weight of about 3.75 carats.
The single difference is on the side of the ring that displays Lewis' name. Instead of a players' jersey number, the letters "ROH" are displayed under the Ravens coat of arms, representing Lewis' place in the Ring of Honor.
Goldin told ESPN in the video below that he estimates the actual value of the ring on a jewelry basis in the neighborhood of $15,000. So why did the ring go for $35,000 more than its raw value?
"First of all, it’s a beautiful ring," said Goldin. "The Ravens ring that year was one of the best Super Bowl rings that has ever been produced. He was a star player – a Hall of Fame-caliber player. Even though he was not an active player on the team, it is a players' ring. So a chance to own a future Hall of Famer ring from a Super Bowl championship team is very enticing to ring collectors."
Goldin said the ring was "hotly contested" and saw a lot of interest from Ravens fans.
Lewis was a key player on the Super Bowl XXXV team during the 2000 season. He played with the Ravens until 2006 and is the franchise's all-time rushing leader. He then he went on to play three more years for the Cleveland Browns until he retired in 2009.
Trade For Vincent Jackson? Sign Jordan Cameron?
'Tis the season of roster dreams.
The season is over, big-name free agents are about to hit the market and trades can be made. So, it's time for Ravens fans to envision some new faces in the purple and black.
The two players that fans asked ESPN's Jamison Hensley about this weekend are Bucs wide receiver Vincent Jackson and Browns tight end Jordan Cameron.
Hensley noted last week that Jackson could be asalary cap casualty – given his $12.2 million salary cap number – but the prevailing thought among Tampa Bay analysts is that Jackson won't be cut. If that's true, a trade would be Jackson's only route to Baltimore, and the Bucs would have to be open to it.
"The Ravens have been willing to trade for wide receivers in the past," wrote Hensley. "They did so in 2010 with Anquan Boldin, and in 2011 with Lee Evans. So, you can't rule it out.
"The Buccaneers might be inclined to do a trade] considering Mike Evans is going to become the No. 1 wide receiver. The biggest problem for the Ravens is Jackson's salary. He is making $9.7 million in base salary in 2015 and 2016. The Ravens [don't have the salary-cap room to take that contract right now."
Cameron is more likely to be available, considering he's a pending unrestricted free agent and he reportedly doesn’t want to return to Cleveland. He is considered one of the top two tight ends set to hit the market (along with Broncos' Julius Thomas), and the Ravens may have a huge hole if Dennis Pitta can't play and they don't re-sign Owen Daniels.
That said, signing Cameron would be a surprise considering the Ravens are tight against the salary cap and the unrestricted free agent would hurt General Manager Ozzie Newsome's chances of getting compensatory picks next year.
"Even if the Ravens wanted Cameron, they don't have the salary-cap room to pursue him unless they make some roster moves to create space (it would have to start with cutting defensive tackle Haloti Ngata).
"Cameron would be a great addition for Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense, because he is athletic and can stretch the field. The concern with Cameron is his health (three concussions in three seasons) and a down season in 2014 (24 catches for 424 yards). The Ravens are going to have to sign a tight end this offseason, but I don't believe it's going to be Cameron."
4 Players Ravens Could, But Probably Won't, Franchise
By the looks of things now …
Pernell McPhee appears destined to get a big payday on the free-agent market, pricing himself out of Baltimore. Justin Forsett and Torrey Smith seem to be 50-50 on their chances of sticking around. Justin Tucker seems like a lock, as long as the Ravens assign a first or second-round tender to the restricted free agent.
But, if Baltimore really wanted to keep any of the four, they could do it, via the franchise tag.
CSNBaltimore.com's Bo Smolka named each as a leading candidate for the tag, which can be assigned to NFL players across the league beginning Feb. 16.
While the Ravens have used the tag plenty of times in the past – Ray Rice, Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs, to name a few – this doesn't appear to be a year they'll use it again.
"[I]t seems highly unlikely the Ravens will use the franchise tag on anyone," wrote Smolka. "The cost would seem to be just too prohibitive, especially given the Ravens' salary cap constraints. As usual, the Ravens expect to be right up against the cap."
The franchise tag numbers haven't been officially released, but Smolka estimates the cost based off last year's tag figures (the average salary of the top 5-paid NFL players at the position):
1) McPhee: $11.4 million for outside linebackers, $13.1 million for defensive ends (he could try to argue the latter)
"The Ravens aren't going there," Smolka wrote.
2) Smith:$12.3 million
"In [the Ravens'] eyes, he's not a $12 million man, nor can they afford him to be."
3) Forsett:$9.5 million
"The Ravens would love to bring Forsett back, and it will certainly cost more than the veteran minimum of $730,000 that Forsett made last year, making him perhaps the bargain of the year. Still, if the Ravens bring Forsett back, it will be on a longer-term deal with a cap number way less than the $10 million or so the tag would cost."
4) Tucker:$3.5 million
"[I]t doesn't make much sense. The Ravens can assign him a second-round tender for about $2.1 million … even if the Ravens assign Tucker a first-round tender ($3.1 million), which would probably scare off any potential suitors, it would still be cheaper than the tag."
Wilcox: Book A Ticket To Denver For Forsett
Forsett could be a hot commodity on the open market if the Ravens don't strike a deal with him before free agency opens on March 10.
NFL Media's Solomon Wilcox has Forsett listed as his No. 4 top free agent running back heading into the offseason, and sees Forsett signing with Denver, not Baltimore.
"Remember, Gary Kubiak had him in Houston. Gary Kubiak had him with the Baltimore Ravens. Coaches love players who know their system, who have proven to be productive in their system," Wilcox said.
"Might as well go ahead and get him a bus ticket to Denver right now to join Gary Kubiak with the Broncos, where he's much-needed to help Peyton Manning have a balanced offense."
The 29-year-old back rushed for over 1,200 yards last season. Teams will have to consider his age and balance it with the fact he hasn't had a lot of wear and tear. Last year was his first season as a starter, and he didn't get banged around very much.
The Broncos do already have C.J. Anderson, who rushed for 849 yards and eight touchdowns, and youngster Montee Ball.
The top 5 free-agent running backs this season, per Wilcox, are Ryan Mathews (San Diego), Forsett, Shane Vereen (New England), Frank Gore (San Francisco) and DeMarco Murray (Dallas).
Ray Lewis Delivers Impassioned Speech To Bad Coaches
"Coaching Bad" premiered last night on Spike TV, a show that highlights Ray Lewis doing what he does best: motivational speaking.
Lewis met with horrible, horrible coaches. There was a baseball coach that attacked one of his own players, a 47-year-old former NFL player that likes to show up his own players, and coaches that brawled on their first day of training. Lewis' job is to help these teachers break their bad habits and show them what real coaching is.
The snippet below shows Lewis giving an impassioned speech with a question that we've heard before: "What will be your legacy?"
Quick Hits
- Washington state filed criminal charges against former Ravens defensive lineman Sam Adams, citing he failed to pay taxes and stole wages from workers at fitness clubs he ran in Seattle and Tacoma. [ESPN]
- The Ravens are one of the most "fascinating" teams to watch this offseason. "When it comes to building a team, Ozzie Newsome, Eric DeCosta and the Ravens could teach a master class," wrote Adam Schein. "Baltimore had the Patriots beat in the Divisional Round – holding two different 14-point leads – but the Ravens couldn't finish the job. Still, this team is ready to rock in 2015 ... if Newsome and DeCosta can improve the defensive backfield. Baltimore always runs the draft. A few key moves this offseason, and we could be talking about the Ravens getting back to the Super Bowl." [NFL.com]
