As Ed Werder of The Doomsday Podcast reported Wednesday, the Ravens made Bryant a multiyear offer and it was declined by the three-time
Pro Bowl receiver. According to Werder, Bryant only wants a lucrative one-year deal that would give him a chance to hit the free-agent market next year and be in better position to cash in if he has a strong season in 2018.
That contract structure wouldn’t work with the Ravens, who while they were negotiating with Bryant, had only about $10 million in salary cap space available and needed a chunk of that to pay their draft picks and maintain roster flexibility during the season.
It’s fair to question whether the two sides couldn’t have figured something out if the interest was mutual by both parties. However, the general feeling was that Bryant, who remains unsigned, had his eyes on other opportunities and not one in Baltimore.