Quote:Or they could have waited until now and got him anyway without giving up draft picks?

Actually, they would have had to wait until free agency began and then compete with every other interested team for his services which greatly diminishes the chances of Monroe ever signing with them.

 

The ravens can offer him a fair deal and get him signed next week before any other team gets the opportunity to one up them. The whole point of the trade from the ravens point of view was to give them a chance to sign him without him ever going on the open market. The odds are pretty good in favor of that happening.

 

Kind of like paying an option premium. The trade gave them the right of first refusal.

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