"Neon" Deon Sanders to the Ravens??

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Neon Deion striving for more bling
By Boomer Esiason
Special to NFL.com

So I hear my former CBS colleague Deion Sanders is considering a comeback with the Baltimore Ravens. Sitting next to Deion for the past two years, I often wondered why he retired so early. He can run faster backward than I can run forward.

I think he can pull it off, and it would make sense for the Ravens. I would bet Deion is at least as good, if not better, than 65 percent of the cornerbacks who will make their teams' final rosters. He is certainly more experienced with football savvy.

Also, he's no dummy. He knows the Ravens have the best defense in football and he would be asked to play only in nickel packages. The other interesting thing about Deion is he always goes to those teams he thinks can win the Super Bowl. That's why he played with San Francisco and Dallas as opposed to San Diego and Arizona. He even thought that when he signed his contract with the Washington Redskins they had a chance to go to the Super Bowl.

With his friendship with the NFL's best player, Ray Lewis, I can easily see Deion lining up with the Ravens, assuming they can compensate the Chargers, who now own Deion's rights. That would mean Deion's good buddy Marty Schottenheimer would have to release him. THIS will be fun to watch. (Remember, it was Marty who blocked Deion from going to the Raiders back in 2002 for their playoff run when the Chargers claimed him off waivers after the Redskins released him.)

I do have a warning for head coach Brian Billick: Deion told us last year he wanted to be a head coach. I'm not so sure that quest is out of his system yet. Either way, I can't wait to analyze his performance on Sundays. Good luck, Deion, I'll miss you. And by the way, did you lose my phone number?

 

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Ravens want Sanders, but will he play?

David Ginsburg / Associated Press

WESTMINSTER, Md. (AP) - The Baltimore Ravens are excited about the prospect of having Deion Sanders come out of retirement and be a part of their defensive backfield.

The question now is: Will he take them up on their offer?
The Ravens have told Sanders that if he wants to end his retirement of three years, he would be welcome to join the team. Sanders is working out at his Dallas home in an effort to determine if his 37-year-old body can take the punishment of playing in the NFL.

"He's obviously doing his due diligence to see if this is something he really wants to do," Ravens coach Brian Billick said Wednesday. "Certainly we'd love to have him in, and when we get to that point, he'll be in."

Ravens safety Corey Fuller, a good friend of Sanders, isn't so sure that Sanders is ready to put on a helmet and shoulder pads for the first time since 2000, when he was a member of the Washington Redskins. Sanders formally announced his retirement the day before the Redskins opened camp in 2001.

"I talk to him every day," Fuller said. "I know what he's going to do. The man said he's not coming. He's got four kids. It's not because he can't play anymore. It's just that the man has a lot going on outside of football."

But the Ravens are convinced that Sanders has yet to arrive at a final decision, and they're prepared to let him take his time in deciding if he wants to join the team.

"It's far enough along that when he feels he's ready, he's in," Billick said. "Deion is a professional. He doesn't want to come in here unless he's ready to go. We'll give him that kind of space, and when he feels he's physically at the right spot, then we'd love to have him."

Will the Chargers, who own Deon's rights, give it up for nothing? Not a chance. If anything, the Chargers will now get more from a division opponent like Cleveland just to to go against the Ravens. Remember, the Chargers picked up Deon's rights just to keep him from the Raiders.

 

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Deion says he expects to be 'busy on Sundays'
/ The Sporting News
8/27

In the strongest indication yet that he's returning to the NFL, Deion Sanders told James Brown, "I think I will be busy on Sundays" this fall.

Sanders has been working out at his Dallas home to see if he'd be able to end his retirement and come back to join the Baltimore Ravens' secondary.

And in an interview on Sporting News Radio, Brown asked Sanders, "So does this mean your speaking engagements at area churches are going to be picking up considerably in Baltimore?"

"I don't know JB, I think I will be busy on Sundays," Sanders said.

"I am going to be premature and say welcome back home," Brown said.

Sanders (screaming): "JB, let's do it! Let's do it JB!"

Sanders is 37 years old and has been out of the NFL for three years. But the Ravens are interested in having the future Hall of Famer join one of the league's best defenses as a nickelback.

Former NFL receiver Tony Martin has been working out with Sanders and says "Prime Time" looks as good as ever.

"It's been incredible, really. I was really impressed," Martin said. "He could always cover, but to take that layoff like he did and come back, it's like he never lost a step."

If Sanders does play for the Ravens, defensive coordinator Mike Nolan would happily draw up a game plan that would include him in the backfield.

"Adding depth is one thing, but adding quality depth is a whole different thing," Nolan said. "A player like that comes along, we'll do what fits that player. It will allow us to be more aggressive than we already are. A player like that allows you to do just about anything."

Most of the Ravens are excited about the possibility, too.

"Deion brings excitement to the game," linebacker Adalius Thomas said. "I used to watch him as a kid, and now you get a chance to sit down with him and pick his brain. It will be very exciting when he does, uh, if he does come back."