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 On February 17th 2010, the Baltimore Ravens made their first move in the free agent market by signing 8 year veteran wide receiver Donte Stallworth to their squad. Baltimore wanted to make a quick move to help their wide receiving corps this off-season by signing Stallworth to a one-year, $1.2 million contract. The deal includes a $900,000 salary and an additional $300,000 in incentives. Donte Stallworth who stands at 6 feet and weighs 200 pounds has been out of football for an entire year due a year-long suspension for killing a pedestrian in Miami while driving intoxicated. Stallworth was then reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Sunday February 7 and released by the Cleveland Browns the following day. Right now, Donte Stallworth is looking forward to getting a second chance and starting things over. "There was a time I felt the mistake I made was the end of the world for me," said Stallworth. "I will never get that morning back," he continued. "It weighs on me every day and will for the rest of my life. What I can do is move forward, try to be a better person, try to convince others not to do what I did and warn others about the dangers of drinking and driving. I have to show otherwise that what happened doesn't reflect who I am. I have to prove that, and, hopefully, I'm on my way to doing that." After Donte was reinstated he got right to work trying to make a name for himself and was invited to tryout with the detroit Lions before he got the phone call from the Ravens. "So, when teams started inviting me for workouts and the Ravens called, I was excited. It means a lot that they would be willing to take a chance with me." The Ravens' staff looked into Stallworth's background and with no prior issues, they believed he would work hard to put his past behind him and prove he still can play in the league at a high level. Coach John Harbaugh has had a history with Donte when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles and attested that he is a great athlete, a great teammate, and won't be a liability. "Our goal is to become a better team, and we work on that every day," said head coach John Harbaugh. "Adding Donte' gives us the opportunity to improve. I observed him and interacted with him for a year when we were both in Philadelphia. He's the kind of person and player who can help us. It's clear that he is determined to play, that he has been working hard and that he wants to have a positive impact off the field, too. We're looking forward to working with him." Director of player personnel, Eric DeCosta, was impressed what shape he came to the team in and caught the ball extremely well. DeCosta believes Stallworth will be the deep threat he was looking for to stretch the field and help their young QB Joe Flacco. NFL Network Video. Posted by: Mark Prichep |
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