According to Ravens.com, the team has already made a few plans in the near future when rosters can begin to be changed. The team has informed current players Derrick Mason, Todd Heap, Willis Mcgahee and Kelly Gregg that they will be granted their release. To the dismay of many fans, the drudges of the new NFL salary cap have hit twice as hard; not only are the Ravens being forced to play tough hands, but all the moves are being shown in one, heaping pile of disappointing crap.

Financially, Baltimore needs to make the moves. They are only $5 million under the new 2011 salary cap which leaves little room for the team to pursue an impact defensive player. The rest of the teams around the league will certainly follow suit, trimming the fat from the rosters as quickly as possible due to the time constraints caused by the approaching season. With the Ravens, it may not even be the last of the bombshells; Any cap room is a positive thing since the new CBA rules are more than likely going to create a free agent feeding frenzy.

However, the facts don’t ease the pain. Todd Heap has spent the last 10 seasons in Baltimore and has grown into a fan favorite. The chorus of “Heeeeeap” that can be heard throughout the stadium whenever he touches the ball will be one of the greatest aspects that Ravens’ fans may not hear again. His work ethic and hard nosed attitude is a hard attribute to find a replacement for, and whoever steps up as the new starting tight end will have big shoes to fill.

Derrick Mason will also be a tough loss. After all of his work for the team as player representative, his role in running team workouts during the lockout, and his charity work with local organizations, his release is a tough pill to swallow. Some people think that a deal can be worked out that will allow him to come back for less money. However, the real question is whether there will be a spot for him this year. Baltimore seems pretty confident in a young group of wide receivers, including Torrey Smith and Justin Harper.

The scenery is changing, and with the small window of time for teams to make changes, fans will get to experience all the joy and heartbreak of the off-season squished into just a few weeks. Thanks to the lockout, the carousel of moves will spin much faster than we’re used to. Hopefully for Baltimore, the changes can bring results on the field- it’s the only way the people off of it will forgive and forget.