Baltimore signed the face of the franchise to a three year deal worth between $20-25 million.

Fellow free agent Terrell Suggs had suggested that Lewis and other Ravens players should offer the team a home town discount to stay together, but Lewis insisted that he’d accept the best offer he received.

However, after the Ravens lost linebacker Bart Scott to the Jets, and Lewis received less interest than expected, the two sides came together quickly on a deal that allowed all involved to claim victory.

While the deal has not been finalized the St. Louis Post Dispatch is reporting that a deal is “imminent.”

Brown, a former Raven, is widely considered the best center of the free agent class and had received an offer of $6 million per year to stay in Baltimore but was said to be seeking a deal in the range of $8 million a year. He’d received interest from the Redskins, Dolphins, and Vikings as well as the Rams but appears to have chosen the Rams, who have just five wins between the last two seasons.

Financial details of the likely deal have not been mentioned.

The New York Jets have reportedly offered Ravens linebacker Bart Scott a 5 year, $40 million deal.

Scott had previously been offered a 5 year deal to stay with the Ravens but told the team late last night that he wanted to test the free agent market, and it didn’t take long for offers to start coming in.

ESPN.com is reporting that the Jets offer has been agreed to in principle by Scott’s agent and that the deal is Scott’s approval before becoming official. If Scott does end up in New York, it will be a huge blow to the Ravens defense which could lose leader Ray Lewis to free agency as well.

Naturally, the NY Daily News is reporting that the Jets are likely to pursue Lewis but will target Scott should the bidding for Lewis shoot out of their price range.

The Jets have plenty of cap space, having released tight end Chris Baker and moving towards releasing guard Brandon Moore, and Ryan is going to be expected to drastically improve the Jets’ D.

Last year, the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets made a big off season splash by trading for Brett Favre from the Green Bay Packers. This year, with Favre retired (he claims for the last time) and Eric Mangini run out of town following the Jets’ second half collapse, the Gang Green need to establish their new identity.

Although he’s sure to be pricey, a Ray Lewis signing would set the tone early for Rex Ryan’s tenure, and would instantly solidify the Jets as a defense first team.

Suggs would receive a guaranteed salary of $10.2 million for the coming year and has expressed a desire to stay in Baltimore, suggesting fellow free agents Ray Lewis and Bart Scott should give the Ravens a “hometown discount” to keep the vaunted defense together.

Suggs made his third Pro Bowl appearance this year, led the team in sacks, and is still just 26 years old.

For a look at this move from the Baltimore perspective, be sure to check out Total Gridiron’s take.

McAlister had been with the Ravens since the team drafted him in 1999 and made the Pro Bowl in 2003, 04, and 06. However, he had missed significant time due to injury over the past two seasons and didn’t seem to fit in with new coach John Harbaugh.

The Ravens, with several high profile defensive players including Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Bart Scott set to hit free agency, is in need of all the salary cap space they can get, and McAlister’s $8 million is a good start. However, with Ray Lewis openly proclaiming that he won’t be signing for the hometown discount that Suggs had suggested, the Ravens will likely be forced to make even more cuts if they hope to retain the anchors of their impressive defense.

You can read more about Baltimore’s move at over at TotalGridiron.com