[Blogs] Report: Zbikowski Headed To Indy

[BR News]

The Ravens lost both of their unrestricted free-agent backup safeties in the same day.

And they’ve also now had two defenders follow former Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to Indianapolis.

Tom Zbikowski has agreed to terms on a contract with the Colts, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Dan Pompei. If true, Zbikowski would join defensive end Cory Redding in Indianapolis as Pagano retools his roster. 

Zbikowski would be the fifth unrestricted free agent to leave Baltimore since free agency opened on Tuesday, including the fourth on defense.

Safety Haruki Nakamura signed a three-year deal with the Carolina Panthers earlier in the day Friday, leaving the Ravens without a backup safety currently on the active roster behind starters Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard.

Drafted by the Ravens in the third round in 2008, Zbikowski was Baltimore’s top backup safety. He also spent time as the team’s kick returner.

When Reed missed the first six games of the 2010 season, Zbikowski stepped in as the starter and helped keep the secondary among the top in the league. When Reed missed four straight games near the end of 2009, Zbikowski started and made two interceptions.

Zbikowski, 26, began last year as the starting strong safety, but was overtaken by free-agent addition Pollard four games into the season.

Zbikowski finished the year with 23 tackles and one sack. The former Notre Dame standout averaged 23.2 yards on nine kick returns and was fourth on the team with seven special-teams tackles. He could also return punts.

A gritty player who took up professional boxing during last season’s lockout, Zbikwoski will be in line to start in Pagano’s secondary, which had David Caldwell and Antoine Bethea as its two starting safeties last season.

The Ravens do have reserve safety Emanuel Cook as an exclusive rights free agent. After signing him midway through last year after he was cut by the New York Jets, Cook was active for the final seven games.

[url=http://blogs.baltimoreravens.com/2012/03/16/report-zbikowski-headed-to-indy/]View the full article[/url]

[sami]

SHOCKER!

[mason85]

No safety help!

[Berkeley_Raven]

OK. Now we need safety depth. Who's the next man up? Because, unless there's something I'm missing, there is none. Whatever the master plan is, I'm not getting it...

[Nick04263]

Bye Zibby. BTW, you really should retire. You are one good hit from drooling in a wheelchair. How many concussions are too many?

[rmcjacket23]

So far, everything that most people expected has come true. We are losing the players we knew we were going to lose.

[adam713]

I beat the dead horse with this plea but here it goes again.

MARK BARRON, MARK BARRON, MARK BARRON.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TnM7CIHATw

[ravefan52]

We have lost a lot this offseason, Pagano, JJ, Redding, Grubbs, Nakamura, and Zibby. Only addition was Dean Pees and a 35 year old center. I still trust in ozzy though.

[SBXXXV]

If I read one more in Ozzie we trust I think my head will explode. You can have all the talent in the world and are still not guaranteed a ring. For all the home runs Ozzie hit in the draft there have been as many busts in the draft and free agency. We talk about the great Oz like we have 5 championships. Even GM%u2019s lose their edge and maybe become complacent. Let%u2019s face it on paper the talent is there year after year but yet it%u2019s always another team holding up the Lombardi.

[ravefan52]

Its hard to see all these guys leave... especially to indy

[rmcjacket23]

SBXXXV:

I would challenge you to go 1 to 1 on the "draft hits vs busts" classification you just made.

And of course, we can base that mostly on players drafted in the first 2-3 rounds, so no logical person would base anything off of what a GM does in the last 3-4 rounds. Sure there's some top tier guys that come from there, but they are the minority.

The bottom line is... there are certain people in this board who just simply won't get it. They think everything is roses and daisys, and that everybody stays on the same teams all the time. Great teams draft and keep great core players. The bad teams pay more to get those players when they become available.

Say what you will about any of the guys we've lost, but nobody would classify them as "core" players. We turned a late 1st round pick into a Pro Bowl guard who got a huge payday. I expect we will do that again.

At the end of the day, theres a certain level of expectation. This isn't fantasy football. Certain players leave, other players come in. We saw this last year, we see this every year.

If you think these are bad moves, then feel free to lay out a detailed plan on how you would have done things differently. I'll go ahead and assume that nobody will do that, because they don't really know what they're talking about.

[SBXXXV]

If I read one more in Ozzie we trust I think my head will explode. You can have all the talent in the world and are still not guaranteed a ring. For all the home runs Ozzie hit in the draft there have been as many busts in the draft and free agency. We talk about the great Oz like we have 5 championships. Even GMs lose their edge and maybe become complacent. Lets face it on paper the talent is there year after year but yet its always another team holding up the Lombardi.

[Ravensfan4life2010]

omg this blows he was a solid back up for ed reed now we have no one to back up if our starters go down can't trust no rookie backing up Ed Or pollar. Ozzie im disappointed

[GregRaven]

I keep hoping that someone will offer CAM a new free agent contract.

[rmcjacket23]

Just so I got this straight...

You guys wanted to pay a backup safety (who is one concussion away from certain retirement) starter money for depth?

And you wonder why we can't lock up Rice or Flacco to long-term deals, and why we let other players go.

You guys should really listen to yourselves before you speak. Perhaps that will stop you from doing so.

[RobFuseRaven]

Let's get something straight. It's not really Ozzie's fault when someone leaves. He can't force someone to sign a contract. All he can do is give an offer. If Zibby wants to go somewhere else, there's nothing stopping him. There is the draft and free agency to address Ed's back up, not to mention we could probably switch Chykie Brown or Danny Gorrer over to safety. You guys are acting like we are going into the 2012 season with a backup safety. The Ravens have plenty of time to get their priorities straight. This happens every year. Either a lot of you are new to this or you're not really looking at this whole thing in depth. Every one of the free agents left could leave and we'd still be fine. I will repeat what has been said over and over. In Ozzie we trust. And it's not just Ozzie. We have an incredible organization of people who develop and bring in amazing talent.

[RavensRevenge]

there goes my favorite Raven...darn!

[SBXXXV]

@rmcjacket23

What team are you watching. We lost 4 starters from last years team. If thats not core you tell me what is!

[SuperBowlDreamin]

Whoa. Who here thought Zibby was going to start here next year. He wants to play, just like Haruki. You cannot blame them for wanting to start on other teams, because they weren't starting here. Add to that the Salary Cap and losing everyone so far has not been a shocker. We have replacements everywhere, except Guard. And, if you stop looking at the Ravens, but at the league as a whole, the Salary Cap makes it go this way. You try to get the best player for the money that fits in your cap, not the best player period. No team can afford that. It does blow that Mathis isn't already signed here.

[The Greek]

have fun

[boldtown]

ok last year the ravens got rid of offensive players. this year the ravens are letting players just go without challenge. are the ravens wanting hometown discounts? today's free agency doesn't allow for that. or, at least the agents of today. however, to tell the truth, i am only upset about jj not coming back.

[rmcjacket23]

Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Marshall Yanda, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Ray Lewis, Lardarius Webb, Ed Reed, Terrence Cody, Anquan Boldin.

Those are the core guys.

Tom Zbikowski is not a core guy, just like Jameel McClain is not a core guy. They've been starters on this team for all of two years.

We lost Mason, Heap, McGahee, and a starting offensive lineman last offseason. And six months later, nobody even noticed.

Do I really need to rattle off the list of defensive players we've lost to FA in the last 10 years, and we still manage to be in the top 5 in most years?

I think that list will shock you.

[riseNConquer81]

Saw him leaving...honestly didnt think it would be to the Colts though.
in any case, Safety depth: shot.

Guess we kinda hafta go for Mark Barron if we can get him...though i dont think we will. First two picks are probably gonna be Oline and LB (of some sort, MLB or OLB). Probably draft dbs and WRs after that

[SuperBowlDreamin]

SBXXXV - Core are not starters. Core are the top players that the FO feels you can build a competitive team around. From there, you need a bunch of cheap players to fill the gaps that everyone has. Does anyone feel we are not talented? Does anyone here feel the team as it is shaping up is lacking so much that there is another team that we simply can not beat? I will never forget the years from 2002 until 2008 that we absolutely knew we could not beat the Pats or the Colts. They were simply too good. And, we couldn't keep up. I don't think that is true anymore.

[bioLarzen]

Sorry, but Zbikowski was one of our players I was never really sold on... He's one of the players I'm sure we could have kept if we really wanted to (the same as Nakamura), I guess we didn't want it THAT hard.

bio

[SuperBowlDreamin]

And, certainly not at low end starter money. I am sure Zibby and Ruki got nice deals from Indy and Carolina. Way too much for us to keep them.

[bioLarzen]

Zbikowski was anything but a "core" player in Baltimore. In the four seasons he was here, he started in 14 regular season games out of the possible 64. That's not a core player. That's a backup player.

bio

[The Mom Gene]

@riseNConquer81... Safety Depth Shot??? Are you forgetting about Ed Reed... Why would you say that... You have Jimmy Smith at Corner, You have Ladarius Webb back there... Cary Williams still here... come on... Stop acting like we're dying here.

The secondary will be fine... Ozzie has something in mind.

[SBXXXV]

No question Ozzie does an amazing job. But I think as fans we have a right to vent.
When you have a team thats on the verge of a Super bowl and for all intent and purpose looks like a rebuilding mindset one has to wonder why. I guess only time will tell.

[The Mom Gene]

@SBXXXV Time will tell... everybody thought that last year when we released Heap, Mason, Housh, and all of the offensive guys...and we only signed Lee Evans... We did pick up Pollard on D and Leach on the Offense... but we'll be OK. Trust in Ozzie...