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Joe Flacco

Ravens Notes: Yanda, Osemele, Flacco, Tucker

July 10th, 2015 at 6:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Ravens took care of one impending free agent contract yesterday — locking up punter Sam Koch to a five-year extension worth $18.75MM — the club’s roster still contains several key players who will head into the year on expiring contracts, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. I profiled the two most prominent FAs-to-be, guards Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele, earlier this year, and Wilson adds that while no deal is imminent with either player, Osemele could end up being the odd man out given his injury history, including a significant back ailment suffered just last season.

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of Baltimore…

  • Kicker Justin Tucker is another candidate for a multi-year deal, according to Wilson, who writes that the former undrafted free agent could eventually become the highest-paid kicker in the league, garnering more than $9MM in guarantees. At the minimum, the Ravens would use the franchise tag on Tucker next season, but it sounds like the two sides would like to work to come to an agreement.
  • The Ravens are expected to attempt to restructure the contract of quarterback Joe Flacco between now and the start of the new league year in March 2016, writes Wilson within his story on Koch’s extension yesterday. The news is unsurprising, as Flacco’s 2016 cap number of $28.55MM is projected to be the second-highest in the league. Flacco obviously wouldn’t be sacrificing any money, but a simple restructure — converting a portion of his base salary into a signing bonus — should be able to give Baltimore some breathing room.
  • The primary motive in negotiating a long-term deal with Koch wasn’t to clear out cap space for 2015, per Wilson. I had included Koch among the AFC North candidates for release earlier this week, speculating that the Ravens might to like to clear out, or at least reduce, Koch’s 2015 cap charge of $3.1MM (although I ultimately predicted he would not be cut). However, Wilson reports that the extension was instead aimed at solidifying the contract status of a well-respected veteran, meaning the deal can be viewed more as a reward than a financial maneuver. (It should be noted, though, that Koch’s cap number for next year will decrease by $700K; Wilson has the entire breakdown of the deal here.)

AFC Notes: Ravens, Flacco, Thomas, Houston

June 13th, 2015 at 5:00pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Ravens are dealing with the loss of an all-time great defensive tackle in Haloti Ngata, and have a number of options to try to replace him. They have penciled in Timmy Jernigan in his spot, and re-signed both Chris Canty and Lawrence Guy to keep depth along the defensive line.

Additionally, the team hopes to be able to count on getting contributions from two linemen with injury histories, with both Brent Urban and Kapron Lewis-Moore making their return to the field, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

“He has practiced really well, Brent has, and so has Kapron,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “They both look like they’re 100 percent as far as the way they’re moving around, and they look like they’re going to be able to contribute for us.”

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

  • Entering his age-30 season, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco doesn’t see his career as being in decline, writes Wilson. “I don’t feel any worse because of my age yet,” Flacco said. “I think you learn more. I’m not going to be 50 and playing. I hope I’m 40, but 50, no.“
  • Demaryius Thomas has not signed his franchise tender with the Broncos, and has been absent from team facilities this offseason. They key to his deal will be who goes first between him, Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, and Julio Jones, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The first one to sign a contract will in turn set the bar for the rest of the group. He is hoping to get a long-term deal with Calvin Johnson level money, but that is unlikely.
  • The Chiefs have the pieces in place to have a very good pass rush in 2015, even without star Justin Houston who has not yet signed his franchise tender, writes Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. With Tamba Hali and 2014 first-round pick Dee Ford on the outside, and Dontari Poe and Allen Bailey inside, the team has other options in a worst-case scenario without Houston.

North Notes: Lions, Flacco, A. Brown

June 8th, 2015 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Special teams standout Brad Smith, who has played all over the field in his NFL career, will pay a visit to the Lions on Tuesday, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. While Smith has seen time at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver during his NFL career, and was a very productive kick returner a few years ago, his primary contributions at this point in his career will come in kick and punt coverage.

Meanwhile, a Lions free agent, defensive tackle C.J. Mosley, is visiting an unknown team today, per Birkett. There were conflicting reports last week on whether Detroit has interest in re-signing Mosley, and Birkett notes that while the Lions have engaged with the defensive lineman about a possible return, no agreement is imminent.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco would like to play in the NFL until he’s at least 40 years old, as he tells Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Of course, we should probably take Flacco’s comments with a grain of salt at this point, considering he just turned 30 earlier this year.
  • While the Steelers may not adjust Antonio Brown‘s contract this year, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, with the help of former NFL salary cap analyst J.I. Halsell, attempts to identify a potential extension scenario that could work for both sides.
  • Judge David Doty will hear the NFLPA’s motion to hold Roger Goodell in contempt of court in the Adrian Peterson case on August 13, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Doty ruled in favor of the NFLPA back in February, granting the union’s motion to overturn the league’s decision on Peterson’s suspension, but the NFL didn’t reinstate the Vikings running back until mid-April.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along word of a couple auditions taking place this week, reporting (via Twitter) that center/guard Ben Gottschalk is trying out for the Packers today and former Hawaii defensive end Beau Yap is working out for the Bengals tomorrow.

Ravens Owner On Ngata, Yanda, Flacco

April 1st, 2015 at 6:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier tonight, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti hosted a conference call with season ticket holders and touched on a wide range of issues. Here’s a look at some of the highlights with all links going to Twitter..

  • Bisciotti didn’t rule out potential scenario of new Lions defensive tackle Haloti Ngata returning to the Ravens as a free agent in 2016, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets. Ngata is in the final year of his current pact. I can’t help but think that Bisciotti’s comments could lead to tampering accusations. Bisciotti added that Ngata rejected an extension offer that would have reduced his annual salary (link).
  • The owner identified cornerback and pass rusher as the two positions he’s looking at with the No. 26 overall pick, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The owner indicated that the Ravens can carve out more cap space by extending the contracts of Marshal Yanda, Jimmy Smith, and Justin Tucker, Hensley tweets. Yanda, who has started 78 of his 80 games with Baltimore over the past five years, is entering the final year of his deal and is set to earn $5.5MM in base salary in 2015.
  • Bisciotti is confident that the Ravens can make it a “win-win” for the team and Joe Flacco when it comes to getting a new deal done after this season, Hensley tweets. Even with the pending contract restructuring next season, he’s not concerned about Flacco’s future in Baltimore, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • Bisciotti says he is still “praying” that tight end Dennis Pitta comes back from hip surgery, Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com tweets. That language doesn’t sound too encouraging when it comes to the veteran’s chances of getting back on the field.
  • The owner said that you can’t do it with two pass rushers anymore and knows that the team has a need there too, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets. “I would be just as pleased with a pass rusher. Quietest need we have,” Bisciotti said. He’d like to see Baltimore take a pass rusher in the first round, but things are wide open at this stage (via Wilson on Twitter).
  • Bisciotti said domestic violence issues have changed the Ravens’ approach to who sign in free agency and who they draft, according to Hensley (on Twitter). He added that if the team had seen the Ray Rice video sooner, the running back likely would have been released earlier, according to Zrebiec (link).
  • Bisciotti said Lardarius Webb is a much better player than he showed in first half of last year and pointed to his lower back issues as a reason for his 2014 struggles, Wilson tweets. Webb reworked his deal with the Ravens this offseason in order to stay on board.
  • Bisciotti says he wants to see the Ravens acquire another Pernell McPhee type, Wilson tweets. McPhee, of course, joined up with the Bears on a five-year deal worth just under $40MM.
  • Bisciotti knows the Ravens need a corner but he’s not desperate for a wideout, Wilson tweets. The Ravens, he says, absolutely need a tight end but they’re not exceptionally desperate for a wideout (link). He identified in-house names like Michael Campanaro, Kamar Aiken, and Marlon Brown as players who could help fill that WR need from within.
  • Bisciotti also identified safety as an area of need, Zrebiec tweets.
  • The Ravens are more likely to take a tight end in the third or fourth round rather than the first or second round, Zrebiec tweets.
  • Biscotti added that the Ravens might target wide receivers in the third round, Zrebiec tweets.
  • Bisciotti said there’s not one issue in seven years that GM Ozzie Newsome and coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t come to a resolution on, even after disagreeing vehemently, Hensley tweets.

Ravens Owner, GM, HC On Roster, Free Agency

February 24th, 2015 at 3:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Earlier today, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, general manager Ozzie Newsome, and head coach John Harbaugh spoke to the media in Baltimore, and Jeff Zrebiec and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com were on hand to document the pair’s comments. Let’s take a look at the highlights, with all links going to Twitter:

GM Ozzie Newsome

  •  The Ravens have only $5.7MM in cap space at the moment, meaning the club might have to make moves to expand that figure. “We will exhaust every avenue that we have to get as much cap flexibility as we can,” said Newsome. “We’ve been working at it.”
  • Newsome said the Ravens have discussed quarterback Joe Flacco‘s cap figure for 2015, and will address it at some point. Flacco will count nearly $15MM against Baltimore’s cap next season.
  • The club is working to retain free agent running back Justin Forsett, notes Newsome. The 29-year-old Forsett is likely to draw interest from the Falcons if he isn’t retained in Baltimore.
  • It doesn’t sound like the Ravens are planning on re-signing defender Pernell McPhee, as Newsome stated “you can’t pay everyone market value.”
  • Newsome believes that embattled former Raven Ray Rice will find out before April if he’ll be able to land an opportunity with another team, and said that he was happy Rice was ultimately reinstated. Newsome also indicated he helped testify to get Rice reinstated.
  • Newsome acknowledged the team is in “wait-and-see” mode with tight end Dennis Pitta, who missed most of 2014 with a dislocated hip. The GM did indicate the Ravens would add TEs, whether through free agency or the draft.

Owner Steve Bisciotti

  • Bisciotti is aware that Baltimore might not be able to afford free agent receiver Torrey Smith, and even referenced Mike Wallace‘s $12MM per year contract as an outlier. “I don’t think anyone thinks that’s a good deal,” said the owner.

Head coach John Harbaugh

Ravens Notes: McPhee, Johnson, Flacco

February 22nd, 2015 at 8:33pm CST by Rob DiRe

Ravens pass rusher Pernell McPhee is set to be the surprise star of free agency, despite starting only six games since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Due to his age and versatility, Chris Wesseling of NFL.com writes that he has hit the “free agency jackpot.”

Wesseling cites reports that McPhee could be in line for a deal with between $8MM and $10MM in annual salary. That type of contract is reliant on more than one year of part-time pass rushing prowess. McPhee’s potential comes from being 26 years old, having great size at 6’3″ and 280 pounds, and the ability to line up all over the field, rushing the passer from outside linebacker, inside linebacker, defensive end, and nose tackle in 2014.

The Colts, Falcons, Browns, and Raiders are all considered potential landing spots for his services, according to Wesseling. The Ravens’ cap situation will make it nearly impossible for them to compete for his services in free agency.

Here are some other notes from around the Ravens organization as free agency approaches:

  • Since the Jets declined Chris Johnson‘s option for 2015, there has been a link made between the former 2,000 yard rusher and the Ravens. This link has been made due to the team’s interest in Johnson last offseason, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Hensley notes that the team was looking for insurance after Ray Rice‘s down 2013 season, but Johnson decided to go to the Jets where there was a clearer path to a starting job. However, this offseason the Ravens will likely avoid Johnson, who is declining and is coming off legal issues of his own.
  • Hensley also examines the contract situation of quarterback Joe Flacco, who has a large cap number that will restrict the team’s ability to maneuver the roster. Hensley writes that his cap number is manageable at $14.55MM this year, but the team will look to address it next offseason before it jumps all the way to $28.55MM, which would be the highest in the NFL for 2016.
  • The Ravens have a few needs on offense, but the biggest position of need on defense is in the secondary, specifically at cornerback. Unfortunately for them, this looks to be a limited market of available corners, and there will be plenty of suitors driving up the price of the few top options, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson sees Byron Maxwell setting the market at between $8MM and $10MM per year, with other options such as Kareem Jackson, Buster Skrine, Davon House, and Brandon Flowers all falling in just behind those numbers as teams become more desperate to land a top tier corner.

Extra Points: Goldson, Cowboys, Draft, Titans

November 14th, 2014 at 9:23pm CST by Rob DiRe

As free agency and cap management is becoming more notable in teambuilding, Kevin Seifert of ESPN takes a closer look at six of the league’s most inflated contracts and the effects they are having on their team’s roster. He dissects the contracts of Jay Cutler, Ndamukong Suh, Joe Flacco, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Tony Romo, and how each team will likely deal with the large cap numbers going forward.

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

  • The Buccaneers put together one of the most high profile secondaries out of nowhere before the 2013 season, signing Darrelle Revis and Dashon Goldson and drafting Mark Barron at the top of the first round. Not long after, Revis was released and Barron was traded, leaving only Goldson on the roster, and he may be the next to go, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. Goldson has played less as the season goes on, and with large money attached to his contract, the team may choose to go younger and cheaper at the safety position.
  • Much has been made of the Cowboys as they approach their decision on what to do with offensive stars Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, with many pundits and fans expecting long-term extensions for both. Murray also seems like an obvious franchise tag candidate, but Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News could see the Cowboys surprising us and rewarding Murray with the long-term deal while franchising Bryant at the higher tag price.
  • Although the 2015 NFL draft order has not even been set, Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay of ESPN are already working hard to evaluate both the prospects available as well as the needs of NFL teams. They look at the possibility teams like the Raiders, Jets, Buccaneers, and Titans would take a quarterback such as Marcus Mariota of Oregon or Jameis Winston of Florida State at the top of the draft, and look at other questions surrounding the draft.
  • The Titans may be in position to draft high at the top of the first round, but in no way will that be on purpose, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “It is ludicrous to me. Fans don’t understand the situation we go through as players,” said tight end Delanie Walker. “No one wants to lose games for better picks. It just doesn’t happen. It would never happen. Just the thought is ludicrous.”

Ozzie Newsome Reflects On Ravens Offseason

June 27th, 2014 at 12:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Most team executives feel pretty good about themselves following an eventful offseason, and Raven general manager Ozzie Newsome is certainly included in that bunch. The Hall of Fame tight end talked to Kevin Byrne, the team’s Senior Vice President of Public and Community Relations, about some of his transactions. Here are a few of the notable tidbits…

His assessment of the current roster and where it’s most improved:

“We feel pretty good right now. We could tweak the roster a little between now and the start of the regular season, but, overall, we accomplished a lot since the end of last season.

We’ll be better on offense. I really like Gary (Kubiak’s) schemes. It’s very precise. It’s physical. I think we’ll run the ball better, we’ll keep the ball more and we’ll have big plays. You can tell the players, especially guys like Joe (Flacco), like it – and they can see that we have a good chance to be a lot better.”

On the contract extension for linebacker Terrell Suggs and the status of Haloti Ngata‘s contract talks:

“We wanted two things from these contracts. The first is to create some cap room and the other is to try and make sure these two players remained Ravens forever. We got ‘Sizzle’ done and we’re still hopeful with Haloti.”

On losing cornerback Corey Graham and defensive end Arthur Jones:

“We lost Corey when we thought we could get him, but (the Bills) paid a premium. We knew we couldn’t sign Arthur Jones. He earned a huge salary and the Colts gave it to him. We couldn’t go there and sign other players we needed. The $10 million increase in the salary cap helped us get the others done.”

Thoughts on team’s additions at wide receiver and offensive line:

“We landed Steve Smith, who is not your typical aging player. He’s a special competitor, driven to show everyone he can play at a high level. You saw him during the camps. He’s going to help.

“Getting Jeremy Zuttah was a bonus. He wasn’t on the front burner at the beginning of the offseason. But, like Steve Smith, he was on a list we’ve developed of guys who are late in their contracts and might be available. We asked the question and they (the Buccaneers) were willing to move him. He’s a good player.”

Extra Points: Draft, Irsay, Carr, Incognito

June 7th, 2014 at 12:46pm CST by Matt Feminis

The NFL draft has become a behemoth, so much so that rumors of its location changing have become headlines. Meanwhile, small details such as, ya know, the players involved, tend to get lost in the shuffle. After 36 of 98 underclassmen who declared early eligibility (i.e. giving up collegiate eligibility) went undrafted, and Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage is calling for reform.

Speaking to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Savage advocates for pushing back the declaration deadline in order provide teams with more evaluation time and prospects for more thorough, insightful feedback:

“The bottom line is we have to figure out a way to make it more attractive to stay in school for one more year for some of these guys [and] give them a chance to go from being a sixth-round pick to a third-round pick. . .Some of these kids are going to come out regardless. They weren’t going to be going back to school or they have families to support or something else. But a lot of them think they run a 4.5, and then get to the combine and they run a 4.75 and they’re surprised and disappointed with what happens. That kind of information, maybe that helps reduce the numbers. Maybe we can give them a window where they’re really assessed, then understand it and then they say, ‘I really need to go back to school.'”

Here’s a handful of miscellaneous links from around the league:

  • “People around the league” think Colts owner Jim Irsay will be suspended six to eight games and be fined $1MM, according to Pro Football Talk, who cites a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
  • Ravens insider Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun compares the contracts of Joe Flacco and 49ers trigger man Colin Kaepernick. While Flacco’s $120.6MM deal and Kaepernick’s $126MM deal seem similar on the surface, Wilson says, “the reality is that the deals are vastly different and the original reports about Kaepernick’s financial windfall are fairly misleading.” Wilson calls Kaepernick’s contract “extremely team-friendly” and characterizes it as “pay-as-you-go.”
  • In a video piece for NFL Network, Albert Breer reports, “There is now an internal belief” Raiders projected starter Matt Schaub will be pushed by second-round rookie Derek Carr.
  • Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr could be playing for his Cowboys future in the opinion of ESPN’s Todd Archer, who thinks a good season could lead to a contract restructuring, while a bad season could spell the end. Carr is in the third year of a five-year, $50MM deal which includes $25.5MM guaranteed and has cap hits of $12.2MM in 2014, $12.7MM in 2015 and $13.8MM in 2016. Last season, Carr managed an overall grade of -0.9, according to Pro Football Focus, including a -5.0 coverage rating.
  • Whether or not Richie Incognito gets another shot in the NFL “is going to be a football decision, not an emotional one,” thinks Bleacher Report’s Michael Schottey.

Extra Points: Flacco, Ford, Falcons, Jags, Pats

April 2nd, 2014 at 7:40pm CST by Matt Feminis

Here’s a few miscellaneous news-and-notes items from around the league:

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