Mcgahee's rumored exit could hurt Ravens.

Rumors have begun to circulate that running back Willis Mcgahee will be traded from the Baltimore Ravens before the beginning of training camp. Despite Mcgahee's apparent abundance of talent, he has been used only as Ray Rice's compliment for goal line and short situations. His contract will require the Ravens to pay him $6 million in base salary in 2011 if he stays so releasing him would be a cost-efficient move.

If Mcgahee were to leave now, the only running back on the roster available to fill his role is Jalen Parmele. The 5'11" 220 pounder is a bruising boulder of a man who accelerates with authority and hits opponents with considerable force. In the 2010 regular season, Parmele returned 24 of the Ravens' 55 kick returns but didn't carry the ball at all as a running back. There is a serious lack of experienced depth at that position, Parmele's very short resume is evidence of that.

2010 was a good season for Ray Rice partly because he had a larger, often fresher Willis Mcgahee on the bench ready to rotate in whenever he got tired. Rice acquired five touchdowns with 307 carries last season; Mcgahee hit the endzone the same number of times but with only a third of Rice's carries. In the previous season, Mcgahee tied with LaDanian Tomlinson for fifth-most touchdown runs in the league with 12.

Mcgahee is a valuable scoring piece in the offense so the coaching staff will have to configure a way to effectively utilize his skills if he stays and find a player to replace his productivity if he goes.