Next, we turned our attention to the effect this might have on the organization and team. Although it sounds quite mercenary, our focus had to turn to the possibility that we might have to go into the ensuing season without our best player. From an organizational standpoint, it put us in a very difficult position. If we decided to pursue a top-flight linebacker in free agency, two things could have happened: 1) It would have appeared that we did not truly believe Ray and were abandoning him at his time of need; 2) if we had expended the type of finances necessary to secure a top linebacker, and our faith in Ray was borne out and he did return for the season, we would have spent a huge amount of money on a backup. By the same token, if we did not have a contingency plan in place, we could be left very vulnerable should the situation not allow Ray to return. We decided to keep an eye on the existing linebacker market, but do nothing to actively pursue one until we had a better idea of what might happen. Although this would mean passing on some potential replacements, we felt it was our only prudent course of action. In addition to these concerns, we needed to address the atmosphere that would emerge around the organization -- and ultimately, around Ray -- as events unfolded.