Ravens' Cary Williams finds himself low on team's priority list
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| The Ravens have told cornerback Cary Williams that they have bigger priorities than signing him. (USATI) |
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Cary Williams will become an unrestricted free agent March 12, and the 28-year-old doesn't seem confident he'll remain in Baltimore.
“The team reached out to me and told me what the top priorities were, and those obviously were the quarterback position and the middle linebacker position," Williams told the Carroll County Times. "Everything outside of that would have to be a bonus I guess, so it is what it is. … We have a lot of depth at corner and a lot of depth in the defensive backfield, so I just think I'm not necessarily a priority right now.”
The Ravens have several players heading to free agency, and it appears the vibe Williams got from the team is that the front office is more concerned with locking up those players -- including Joe Flacco and Dannell Ellerbe -- before worrying about Williams. In the end, the Ravens may run out of time and be forced to release the six-year player.
"They said if it wasn't for the situation they're in now that I would be a priority and that I am a priority," Williams told the paper. "But it's just a situation where they have some big needs right now that they have to fill in the quarterback position and the linebacker position, and those are more dire needs, and they don't necessarily know if they'll have the money or have the time to get me a deal.”
Williams was offered a three-year deal before the 2012 season worth $15 million, but he says he deserves more than that.
“I know I'm worth more than what the deal was worth before,” Williams said. “I'm not going to throw out a number and say what the range I'm looking for is, but I feel like a team, whoever that is, whether it's the Baltimore Ravens, will pay me for what I'm worth. And I think that three-year, $15 million [deal] is something that I outplayed and that I'm worth more than that."
Williams started all 16 games the past two seasons in Baltimore, making 75 tackles and four interceptions this year. Despite his posturing for more money, Williams was clear with regards to where he wanted to play in 2013.
“Staying in Baltimore is the most ideal situation,” Williams said. “My heart's there. It's always been there. But this is just the business aspect of this game."
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