CULVER CITY, Calif. -- Bryant McKinnie has yet to hear from the Baltimore Ravens about a possible return in 2013. Radio silence likely will continue at least until the start of free agency on Tuesday.
On the heels of a tumultuous-but-ultimately triumphant season, McKinnie is open to returning to Baltimore. Just don't expect a sweetheart deal.
"They already got me at the discount last season," McKinnie told Around The League on Monday at NFL Network headquarters. "They bought a Maserati, they need to pay for the insurance."
McKinnie has been in the NFL for 11 seasons, but he calls this his first real free-agent experience. He recalled Ray Lewis' aggressive courtship that kept McKinnie from truly testing the market in 2011.
"He called me every day, a couple times a day," McKinnie said. "He was like, 'What's there to see, there's nothing to see.' Just come here!' "
Lewis is no longer in the picture for the Ravens. Neither is wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who was traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a sixth-round pick on Monday.
"I was very shocked. I still am," McKinnie said. "That's somebody I talked to every day, and it just caught me off guard. I always looked at Anquan as our clutch guy, our go-to guy, so I didn't expect that. That's a loss, but I guess they have a gameplan of what they'll try to do to fill that void."
McKinnie is an intriguing free agent. He believes he has three or four seasons left in him, but given his age (34 in September) and conditioning issues (his inability to stay in shape led to a $1 million pay cut in September), that could be wishful thinking.
Then again, McKinnie emerged from John Harbaugh's dog house to play a starring role in the postseason as Joe Flacco's blind-side protector. McKinnie still has talent, the question is whether there are teams willing to take what comes with it.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
