Ravens interested in retaining Bryant McKinnie

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Raven's left tackle Bryant McKinnie’s performance during the playoffs has the Ravens interested in trying to retain the veteran offensive lineman and impending free agent, Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times reports.

McKinnie didn’t start a single game during the regular season, but his insertion at left tackle for the playoffs – and the subsequent shuffling that went along with it – helped transform the Ravens’ offensive line from a unit that had struggled in pass protection during the regular season into a group that quarterback Joe Flacco said earlier this week was “unbelievable” in pass protection during the playoffs.

Baltimore’s expected to have only limited money to spend under the salary cap, but McKinnie said Ravens coach John Harbaugh twice approached him during the postseason expressing his interest in having McKinnie return to Baltimore even after the conclusion of the season.

“It was two different times [Harbaugh] mentioned it,” McKinnie said in a phone interview Friday. “One was after like the New England game. He was like, ‘After we play in the Super Bowl, we need to talk about you for next year.’ … And then when we were out at the Super Bowl, he came up to the table with me for lunch or something and he kind of mentioned again, ‘You know, we want to see what’s going on with you after the Super Bowl."

Baltimore’s not expected to have much money to spend under the salary cap and Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome hinted Thursday that McKinnie’s play during the postseason could earn the left tackle a bigger payday elsewhere than what Baltimore’s willing to spend.


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(theredzone.com)
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