The status of Byant McKinnie as a Ravens is up in the air, according to multiple reports.
A report from The Baltimore Sun suggests that the team is in negotiations with McKinnie in an attempt to restructure the left tackle’s contract and get him to take a pay cut. McKinnie is reportedly due $3.2 in base salary.
The Sun reports that the Ravens have requested a 50-percent paycut, and say McKinnie is willing to accept some cut, but not that much.
McKinnie's original tweet and text messages to reporters seemed to indicate negotiations were already over, but he now indicates that they are still talking.
"Decision is made! I'm gone!" McKinnie tweeted at 11:47 a.m Tuesday morning.
The NFL Network's Albert Breer got more of an explanation from McKinnie via text.
"We couldn't come to an agreement on a contract restructure, which leads to me being released," McKinnie told Breer.
Then 14 minutes later, Breer tweeted: "Ok. Another text from McKinnie: 'Not officially over yet just got a call' #staytuned."
The team has not made any announcements at this time.
If McKinnie is indeed done, that would mean Michael Oher would presumably move to left tackle and rookie second-round pick Kelechi Osemele would start at right tackle.
Even though it's just six days before the regular-season opener against Cincinnati, the Ravens have practiced with that lineup for much of the summer considering McKinnie wasn't always present.
McKinnie started all 16 games last year, but had a tumultuous offseason.
He told reporters that the Ravens wanted him to lose weight, which he was doing until he said he tripped and hurt his back at his home days before training camp opened.
McKinnie missed the first three practices of camp. When he returned, he was not immediately placed into the starting rotation. He only recently earned that job back in training camp and preseason games.
Osemele has been impressive in his young career thus far, both as a guard and tackle. The 6-foot-5, 335-pounder held his own against the St. Louis Rams' Chris Long in the fourth preseason game last Thursday.
"It feels like I'll have a pretty substantial role as far as what my coaches have been saying," Osemele told reporters Monday.
