Ravens Standout LB Zach Orr Coming Out Of Retirement. Free Agent

[krunk]

Wonder if Ballard is considering?  He's only 25

 

Ravens standout linebacker Zach Orr announced Wednesday his intention to return to the NFL on Good Morning Football after he was forced to briefly retire due to a congenital spine condition. With his football career seemingly on the verge of being revived, where will he end up?

Orr will be an unrestricted free agent, and although he still needs to be cleared by an individual team doctor, he immediately becomes a priority for teams hungry for help at linebacker. Orr had 30 more solo tackles than the next-closest Raven last season and led the team with 130 total. A perfect complement to former first-round pick C.J. Mosley, Orr was in line to become the next great inside linebacker to come through the Ravens' system.

 

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000817698/article/zach-orr-considering-a-return-to-nfl-after-new-health-prognosis

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000817707/article/where-will-zach-orr-play-next-lb-eager-to-see

 

 

[Yoshinator]

If he's healthy, I would like the pickup. At worst, we cut him, at best, he can become an excellent contributor to the team and maybe even a starter.

[PrincetonTiger]

Could be interesting

 

 

*

[Carlos Danger]

If I were Chris Ballard, I'd be doing everything possible to keep him out of Baltimore...

 

Keep the Mayflowers idling, Mr. Irsay!

[krunk]

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  Lions | Zach Orr to visit Lions    Wed Jun 28, 11:08 AM

Free-agent LB Zach Orr (Ravens) will visit the Detroit Lions Thursday, June 29.

Link to story
Zach Orr player page

[krunk]

My gut says we'll stay with the guys we have, but who knows?

[Valpo2004]

This is a little weird to me.  

 

He announces his retirement due to his spine condition in January of 2017.  

 

Now 6 months later he's ready to play again?  

[krunk]

2 hours ago, Valpo2004 said:

This is a little weird to me.  

 

He announces his retirement due to his spine condition in January of 2017.  

 

Now 6 months later he's ready to play again?  

Doctors gave him more encouraging reports on the situation.   Guess they are giving him the green light to play.

[krunk]

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  NFL | Several teams interested in Zach Orr    Wed Jun 28, 02:42 PM

Free-agent LB Zach Orr (Ravens) has been contacted by eight teams since announcing he is looking to return to the NFL.

Link to story
Zach Orr player page

 

Wonder if we are one of the 8 teams?

[WarGhost21]

Honestly, I could see him going to the Raiders. They still need a ILB and playing alongside Khalil Mack and the new highest-paid player in the NFL, Derek Carr, is very intriguing for many free agents. I want him here though if at all possible. So much talent

[PrincetonTiger]

4 minutes ago, krunk said:

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  NFL | Several teams interested in Zach Orr    Wed Jun 28, 02:42 PM

Free-agent LB Zach Orr (Ravens) has been contacted by eight teams since announcing he is looking to return to the NFL.

Link to story
Zach Orr player page

 

Wonder if we are one of the 8 teams?

I hope so

[PrincetonTiger]

Just now, WarGhost21 said:

Honestly, I could see him going to the Raiders. They still need a ILB and playing alongside Khalil Mack and the new highest-paid player in the NFL, Derek Carr, is very intriguing for many free agents. I want him here though if at all possible. So much talent

and still young

[krunk]

The plus with Indy is he'd be in the same system and wouldn't be learning an entirely new defense like in Oakland.

[krunk]

The 24-year-old linebacker told NFL Network's "Good Morning, Football" that he is considering a return to football after being told that he isn't at any more risk of injury than anyone else in the NFL.

 

"I had my mind made up. I was like man, the doctors told me I was done. This is a serious issue. So I'm going to leave it alone," Orr said. "But I just kept hearing that from multiple people and some were telling me to just go check out and seek out some more opinions and things like that and come to find out my condition, it is rare -- .01 percent of the people have what I have -- but there's no actual evidence or facts that I'm at a higher risk than any other player. And it's actually been documented that a college player who had the exact same thing that I have that returned to play with no problems."

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/taking-a-look-at-some-of-the-best-possible-fits-for-all-pro-linebacker-zach-orr/

 

 

[krunk]

So with Orr free to pursue employment elsewhere, where might he go? In a vacuum, there are plenty of teams who could use his help. During the 2016 season he recorded 130 tackles (solo and assisted), five passes defensed, three interceptions, one forced fumble and two fumbles recoveries. Those are numbers that will help teams, and according to Dan Graziano of ESPN, eight different teams have reached out to him since his appearance on NFL Network this morning. 

[Buck Showalter]

Already gonna be some interesting competition to see who rises to the top for the Colts linebacking core, one more added to the mix wouldn't hurt I guess...

 

 

[ColtsBlueFL]

6 hours ago, Valpo2004 said:

This is a little weird to me.  

 

He announces his retirement due to his spine condition in January of 2017.  

 

Now 6 months later he's ready to play again?  

 

4 hours ago, krunk said:

Doctors gave him more encouraging reports on the situation.   Guess they are giving him the green light to play.

 

3 hours ago, krunk said:

The 24-year-old linebacker told NFL Network's "Good Morning, Football" that he is considering a return to football after being told that he isn't at any more risk of injury than anyone else in the NFL.

 

"I had my mind made up. I was like man, the doctors told me I was done. This is a serious issue. So I'm going to leave it alone," Orr said. "But I just kept hearing that from multiple people and some were telling me to just go check out and seek out some more opinions and things like that and come to find out my condition, it is rare -- .01 percent of the people have what I have -- but there's no actual evidence or facts that I'm at a higher risk than any other player. And it's actually been documented that a college player who had the exact same thing that I have that returned to play with no problems."

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/taking-a-look-at-some-of-the-best-possible-fits-for-all-pro-linebacker-zach-orr/

 

 

 

Orr is only a UFA instead of an RFA because the Ravens didn't extend a tender to him within the required time frame. Orr didn't file retirement papers in January and the Ravens didn't place him on their reserve/retired list because no one expected him to play again, thus no tender extended.

 

On to the medical...  Orr may well  not pass many teams physicals.  Yet, there are a few out there that gives Orr some Hope.  He was advised to see Sanford Emory ( http://orthodoc.aaos.org/sanfordeemerymd/ ) and received a more hopeful prognosis.  This is not unexpected, there is always going to be some difference in opinion for different difficult medical conditions.  When differences appear, doctors don't always have the last decision.  Yet, there may be many teams that will not pass him on a team physical. In addition, those doctors giving Orr hope by mentioning there is no confirmed facts or studies proving he is more at risk also told Orr their only concern would be if he played with herniated discs.

 

Yet lare last year, after making eight tackles and an interception in a critical Week 16 game in Pittsburgh, Orr suffered two herniated discs near the end of the game. They were right next to each other at the top of his vertebrae. What if they weren't discovered and there were plenty more games still on the schedule?

 

The herniated discs he suffered last season have since subsided. But there is no guarantee he won't get more, or suffer consequences playing with them. 

 

Both he and teams must tread with caution, but as we all know, there is always a team ready to push their chips in and throw the dice...

[akcolt]

4 hours ago, krunk said:

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  NFL | Several teams interested in Zach Orr    Wed Jun 28, 02:42 PM

Free-agent LB Zach Orr (Ravens) has been contacted by eight teams since announcing he is looking to return to the NFL.

Link to story
Zach Orr player page

 

Wonder if we are one of the 8 teams?

I hope so I would think Ballard would be all over this and Monachino  would be in his ear. If he clears medically why not? He would definitely make the team better at our weakest position group. 

 

We don't have a lot of talent here We are hoping guys play much better than the have in the career, finally stay healthy, or both.

 

Spence has played at a starters level but he has the injury history.  

Bostic has been a disappointment and injured since going in the 2nd round 

Jackson we hope he makes a jump. He flashed but his ceiling on a top D may be a reserve  

Morrison is slow can't cover. He can't really move. He's just bad.

Rhodes small school kid. We are hoping after a year his play makes a big jump.

Walker our final pick in the 5th The word was we could expect the 2015 player if he got his weight right. Last check he was back up over 240lbs.  

 

Those are our options at ILB. Orr should come in a compete  to start. Can there be a place with an easier path to the field? We have to be an attractive option. We run a 3-4 that's very similar to Baltimore's and his former position coach is our DC. We have cap space. This feels like a no brainer for another Ballard 3 year deal that we can get out of after one. 

[Synthetic]

No way. He is a major risk and him returning to the NFL could pit him with bad consequences given his health concerns. 

[AZColt11]

I have to admit I don't even remember this guy.  Was he some big deal I didn't hear about because all these media peeps are just beside themselves that he's coming back?  I don't even remember him.

[King Colt]

He is talking to the Jets and Colts. You do the math.

[ColtsBlueFL]

When I see someone (NFL Team) pass him in a physical, I'll pay attention to his possible playing again.  Dr. Chao is optimistic some team, a team, any team, is out there and they will eventually pass him and let him play.  I'm slightly less optimistic.  Should he get cleared to play, signed, and then suffer a major head/neck injury (at any time, now or in the future) that results in (any amount of) paralysis, or even become fatal, that would be horrific for the team that signed him and the league as well.  I'll be interested on seeing which team doctor is willing to take on that potential burden and sign off on that player with that potential outcome ever looming deep in the background.

 

My next question, him knowing what he does now... will he play with unbound zeal and reckless abandon, or be self protective and less than 100% go?

[dgambill]

If he passes the protocols I could see a 1 or 2 year incentive laden deal. No reason to get too crazy but also if he understands the consequences and is willing to work...let the man work.

[Valpo2004]

On 7/1/2017 at 7:28 PM, King Colt said:

He is talking to the Jets and Colts. You do the math.

 

If he's really just narrowed it down to the Jets and the Colts, I would be a little surprised if he picked the Jets.

 

Jets are clearly trying to get the #1 pick this year.  They are essentially trying to forfeit the season.  

 

Who would want to sign and be a part of that??  Unless they just blow the Colts out of the water with the money they are offering, I don't know why he would.