In a recent Ravens Insider article, via PFT, Jamison Hensley quoted an unnamed Ravens official, saying the chances the club will re-sign offensive tackle Jared Gaither in 2011 were 'slim.'
One of the issues with Gaither last year and going forward is his health. He was placed on IR in October of 2010 with a back alignment described as a 'thoracic disk injury,' which had been lingering since training camp. There were also questions about Gaither's work ethic. However, regardless of those issues, it was clear to the Ravens that without Gaither, the offense suffered.
A Ravens official said losing Gaither impacted the team's running game because the offensive line wasn't as physical without him.
It's generally though that Gaither's 'work ethic' problems stem from his being upset at the Ravens for not giving him a contract extension. He was late to Baltimore's offseason conditioning program in March of 2010, which was no different than Colts players Reggie Wayne and Robert Mathis skipping OTAs and mandatory mini-camp entirely that year.
I don't see anyone questioning those two players' work ethics.
The 'thoracic disc' injury is the bigger red flag with Gaither. Is he healthy? If he is, he's leaps and bounds better than anyone the Colts currently have as a starter on their o-line. He is well worth the effort in looking into signing should a new CBA be finalized before the start of next season.