Stallworth signs with the Ravens

[HaydenFox]

@jrb12711 said:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4921333

If I were an NFL team i wouldn't of signed him but hey, good for him getting another shot.

He already signed officially a one year deal yesterday. terms of the contract were undisclosed. This is proabally a really good signing for the ravens with minimal risk and possibility for a high reward with a team offensively that may just be a couple of recievers away from being a very good offense. Probally a good fit for stallworth and one of the best situations and teams he could have gone to.

[TheClevelandSound]

This would happen.

Now hes gonna light it up against the Browns 2 times a year.

[daydawg19]

Former Cleveland Browns' Donte Stallworth signs with Ravens

By Mary Kay Cabot

February 17, 2010, 12:31PM

AP photoBrowns wide receiver Donte Stallworthsigned Wednesday with the Baltimore Ravens.

Updated 1:20 p.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Receiver Donte Stallworth won't be playing for the Browns anymore, but he will be playing against them at least twice in 2010 after signing with the Ravens today.

Stallworth, whose contract was terminated by the Browns last week following his season-long suspension, signed a one-year contract with the Ravens, general manager Ozzie Newsome announced in a release. The deal is worth $900,000, including another $300,000 in incentives, according to profootballtalk.com.

The Ravens will not hold a press conference, but will make Stallworth available at the start of the team's offseason program next month.

“We want Donte’ to spend some time with our coaches and his new teammates before he meets with the media,” Browns general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a news release.

Stallworth, who was suspended for all of 2009 after killing a pedestrian while driving drunk, was contrite in his remarks in the release -- his first public comments since being re-instated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Feb. 8.

“There was a time I felt the mistake I made was the end of the world for me,'' he said. "I’ve had trouble putting it into words. So, when teams started inviting me for workouts, and the Ravens called, I was excited. It means a lot that they would be willing to take a chance with me. I have a lot of people I am thankful for, and that now includes the Ravens. I can’t let any of these people down, including my family, Commissioner [Roger] Goodell and the Ravens.

"I will never get that morning back. It weighs on me every day and will for the rest of my life. What I can do is move forward, try to be a better person, try to convince others not to do what I did and warn others about the dangers of drinking and driving. I have to show otherwise that what happened doesn’t reflect who I am. I have to prove that, and, hopefully, I’m on my way to doing that.

“I know my apology will never be strong enough for some, but I’ve made changes, and I’m trying to be a positive influence. It’s an honor and privilege to play in the NFL, and I’m so thankful for this opportunity. I will make the best of it, and some people may listen to me because I will be playing. I hope I can do some good in delivering a message that could help someone or prevent someone from doing what I did.

He said he knows a number of Ravens coaches from his Saints, Eagles and Patriots days, including coach John Harbaugh and assistants Dean Pees and Jim Hostler.

"They know me. They stood up for me. They’ve shown faith. I can’t let them down,'' Stallworth said. "I’ve spent the last six months working hard with a trainer in case I got an opportunity to come back. I felt I had to work extra hard since I wasn’t with a team. I’m ready to try and help the Ravens.”

Newsome said, "we've given a lot of thought to this, and we’ve done extensive research into Donte’ beyond football. He made a huge mistake. There’s no doubt about that. He has paid a significant price for that and, as he has said, he carries a heavy weight. As [Ravens owner] Steve [bisciotti] said, we believe in second chances, and Donte’ does deserve that. But, we’ve signed him because we want to get better, and we think he has a chance to help us. We worked him out, and it’s obvious he is working hard to be effective. We thought it was important to sign him now, because other teams were pursuing him, and we want him in our offseason program, which starts next month.”

Harbaugh, who spent the 2006 season with Stallworth in Philadelphia, said he thinks Stallworth will enhance the team's offense, which finished 13th in the league.

“Our goal is to become a better team, and we work on that every day,'' said Harbaugh in the release. "Adding Donte’ gives us the opportunity to improve. I observed him and interacted with him for a year when we were both in Philadelphia. He’s the kind of person and player who can help us. It’s clear that he is determined to play, that he has been working hard and that he wants to have a positive impact off the field, too. We’re looking forward to working with him.”

Receivers coach Hostler coached Stallworth as a rookie in 2002 in New Orleans when Stallworth caught 42 passes for 594 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns. He was the 13th pick overall out of Tennessee.

"Donte’ has talent and ability,'' said Hostler. "That’s why he was a high first-round choice. He’s a player with the type of potential to make defenses pay attention to him. He was very productive as a rookie when he played 13 games. I know what kind of person he is, and I respect him. We all know the tragic mistake he made, but I believe he has grown from that, and we’re looking forward to seeing him grow more. His second chance can be good for the Ravens. We plan to get the best out of him, and I’m confident he will give us his best.”

Stallworth, 28, was under contract with the Browns through 2014 at the time of his termination. He originally signed a seven-year, $35 million contract with Cleveland in 2008, with almost $10 million guaranteed. He ended up playing only the 2008 season for the Browns and suffered from a pulled quad muscle most of that season. He finished with 17 catches for 170 yards, which works out to about $565,000 per catch.

[jrb12711]

@theclevelandsound said:

This would happen.

Now hes gonna light it up against the Browns 2 times a year.

or he'll hurt himself again and be on the IR haha.

[ClevelandFanForLife]

does this mean that we are off the hook for the remainder of his contract? how much do we still owe him?

[daydawg19]

@jrb12711 said:

or he'll hurt himself again and be on the IR haha.

He's good at pulling quads during warmups.

[Tim Couch Pulls Out]

@jrb12711 said:

or he'll hurt himself again and be on the IR haha.

He's going to get 150 yards and 2 scores against us in at least one game. That's just how these things work.

[The Gipper]

Well, that will put 2 killers in the Ravens lineup. Donte and Ray

Perhaps an appropriate legacy for a franchise who still has some of the Modell stain on it: 2 people who have taken the lives of other human beings.

[jrb12711]

@tim-couch-pulls-out said:

He's going to get 150 yards and 2 scores against us in at least one game. That's just how these things work.

haha most likely man, that's how it works with the browns anyway.

[Mark O]

More likely is that he'll ride more miles on the exercise bike on the sideline during the season than a cyclist completes in the entire tour de france.

[yosemitejam]

Come league play we should have several corner bangers who can shut this guy down. That even if he makes the team. Go Browns