Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens: 3 Former Players Still Being Paid In 2017

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:09 p.m. ET

Fansided, Joe Schiller/FanSided via Ebony Bird

Here are 3 former Baltimore Ravens that are still being paid in 2017

No team ever wants to have to pay dead money.

Dead money is salary that is paid to players who have been cut or released from a team. The team must still pay the remaining money left on their contracts. It is frustrating for NFL teams, but it ensures that the players are paid the money that they were guaranteed when they signed their contracts. The Baltimore Ravens are dealing with this problem going into the free agency.

According to Spotrac, the Ravens rank 4th in the NFL in dead money for the 2017 season. They are tight on cap space as it is and have key free agents that they need to bring back this offseason. A total of $5.4 million is owed to 9 different players. There are three former players who take up the majority of this dead money.

Terrence Brooks

The Ravens drafted Terrence Brooks in 2014 to add depth to the secondary. He appeared in 23 games in two seasons for the Ravens, but injuries and inconsistencies held him back. Brooks suffered a major knee injury late into his rookie year. The injury set him back and he was never able to fully develop as a key defensive player for the Ravens.

Shortly before the beginning of the 2016 season, the Ravens cut Brooks. The addition of Eric Weddle was a sign that the Ravens had moved on. Brooks was eventually claimed off of waivers by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Brooks is the cheapest out of the three players that are featured, but money is money. The Ravens will be paying him $151,594 for the upcoming season. This money is what is left of his rookie contract that he signed back in 2014.

Justin Forsett

After bouncing around with four different teams, Justin Forsett had a career revival in Baltimore. Under offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, Forsett rushed for over 1,200 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2014. He was on pace to have a decent 2015 season but it was cut short because of a broken arm that he suffered. In the following offseason Forsett was cut because of roster moves, but then resigned on a 2 year $6 million deal.

Unfortunately, the marriage did not last any longer. The Ravens chose to cut Forsett after a week 4 loss to the Oakland Raiders. He was already at the age of 31 and the team seemed more content with younger options. Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon took over the responsibility in the backfield.

This season the Ravens will be paying Forsett $700,000 from his signing bonus.

Eugene Monroe

Eugene Monroe was traded to the Ravens from the Jaguars during the 2013 season. He came in to replace left tackle Bryant McKinnie, who’s services were no longer needed by the team. Monroe finished out the season strong and earned a big contract. After signing the contract, injuries plagued the left tackle and his time in Baltimore became short lived. He only started 11 games in 2014 and 4 in 2015. Frustration began to boil and a move needed to be made.

The Ravens tried to trade Monroe in the summer of 2016, but talks fell through. He was eventually released before the start of the season. According to Ravens staff report Ryan Mink, the move freed up $6.5 million in cap space at the time, but the Ravens would have to suffer from dead money in 2017. The time has finally come and that is exactly the case.

Monroe will be receiving a good chunk of money this season. The Ravens owe him $4.4 million in 2017. That is around 2% of their total cap space. This money is left over from a 5 year deal that Monroe signed in 2014. Obviously this hurts the Ravens significantly. $4 million is a lot to pay a player that is not in the league anymore.