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When T.J. Houshmandzadeh signed his one-year deal for the veteran minimum with the Baltimore Ravens on Monday after they set their 53-man roster on Saturday, no one realized that someone had to go. The last person that came to people's mind was a good man who was a friend to many and a major contributor to the communities of Baltimore City, wide receiver Mark Clayton. But football is still a business and changes have to be made.
"Mark is a good person who did everything he could to help the Ravens on and off the field," said Ravens' general manager and vice president Ozzie Newsome on Monday afternoon in a statement. "In the end, we have to do what we think is best for the team, but letting Mark go hurts. He was first class all the way, even when we met with him about the trade. This is a tough part of the business." Clayton was the 22nd overall draft pick in 2005 and unfortunately, he never panned out for the Ravens offense he was drafted to jumpstart.
The Ravens traded Clayton to the St. Louis Rams for a disclosed draft pick to clear a space for Houshmandzadeh. It's never easy to let someone go who is highly-regarded, but hopefully Clayton can become that number one receiver in St. Louis to help fellow Sooner, quarterback Sam Bradford, transition to the pro game.
"You never reach a point when it's easy to release or trade a player you respect," said Newsome. "Everyone here has the highest regard for Mark. He'll help the Rams, and it's good for him that they reached out to get him."Houshmandzadeh is a talent that the Ravens couldn't pass up. According to USA Today, Houshmandzadeh credit his signing with the Ravens to linebacker Ray Lewis. According to a report, Houshmandzadeh was pursued by six teams, but Lewis called him up and said if you want to win, come here. That's the only thing Houshmandzadeh needed to hear and he will officially sign with the Ravens on Tuesday after he passes his physical, the team that wanted him a year ago.
"The first things that pop out at you about T.J. are that he has been very productive and durable in his first nine years in the NFL," said Newsome. "Plus, we saw him more than we wanted making a lot of plays against us. We had interest in him a year ago when he first became a free agent before he signed with Seattle (Seahawks). He's another proven weapon for our offense – a big receiver with good hands and toughness. The one other thing that every coach and player we talked with about him indicated is that T.J. is a driven player with an excellent work ethic."
Ravens Trade Mark Clayton to Rams to Make Room for T.J. Houshmandzadeh
Sep 7, 2010 – 10:18 AM
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