For pending free-agent defensive tackle Michael Pierce, Baltimore presents an opportunity to win in a familiar setting, reason enough to want to stick around for years to come.
Oh, and he would also prefer not to have to pack up his stuff.
“If they’ll have me, I do not want to move. I don’t care to move my house,” Pierce said on Glenn Clark Radio Jan. 20. “I don’t care to move my stuff. But more importantly, I’m familiar with the organization, from our owner on down. Familiarity and just the roster that we have here, I don’t see anywhere that I could know my role, play well and know what to expect from a team and a coach. Continuity is everything in this league. If we can work that out, that would be a dream come true and we won’t have to move and we’ll know what to expect going forward.”
Of course, Pierce has presented himself with plenty of options once free agency opens in March. Teams seeking to improve their run defense will likely take a long look at Pierce, whom Pro Football Focus rates as the No. 34 free agent in the class. Pierce, who had a breakout season in 2018 as a run stuffer and interior pass rusher, followed that up with another solid season this year, with 35 tackles and two tackles for loss.
