Justin Tucker - Pro Football Rumors

Justin Tucker Signs Franchise Tender

March 4th, 2016 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has signed the franchise tender assigned to him last week, the team confirmed today (via Twitter). The move guarantees Tucker a base salary of $4.572MM for the 2016 season.

Technically, Tucker had been a free agent while his franchise tender remained unsigned. But signing a franchised player requires parting with two first-round picks, so obviously the league’s other 31 teams would have stayed away from Tucker, making it logical that he wouldn’t waste much time signing the tender.

Although signing the franchise tender secures Tucker for the 2016 season, he and the Ravens could still reach a longer-term agreement anytime between now and July 15th. A year ago, we saw the Patriots use their franchise tag on Stephen Gostkowski, who signed the tender days later, then agreed to a multiyear contract on July 15th. The long-term extension reduced Gostkowski’s present-day cap hit while giving him a more significant guarantee up front. I’d expect the Ravens to explore a similar scenario for Tucker, who may be looking to exceed Gostkowski’s four-year, $17.2MM deal.

For his career, Tucker has connected on 130 of 148 field-goal attempts (87.8%), with 12 of those 18 overall misses coming from 50 yards or longer. He has also nailed an impressive 10 game-winning field goals, including three in 2015.

Tucker and Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins have now signed their franchise tenders. The other eight players who received franchise or transition tags earlier this week have yet to sign them.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ravens Use Franchise Tag On Justin Tucker

February 26th, 2016 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Ravens have formally placed the franchise tag on kicker Justin Tucker, agent Robert S. Roche announced today (via Twitter). Since the salary cap for 2016 has not yet been set, the exact franchise salary for Tucker is not yet known, but it’s expected to be at least $4.5MM.

For his career, Tucker has connected on 130 of 148 field-goal attempts (87.8%), with 12 of those 18 overall misses coming from 50 yards or longer. He has also nailed an impressive 10 game-winning field goals, including three in 2015.

At the end of the 2015 regular season, Tucker indicated that Roche and the Ravens had been engaged in contract discussions, “on and off, for a better part of a year, year and a half.” Despite the fact that the two sides had been talking about a potential extension for some time, the franchise tag always seemed to be a probable outcome, with general manager Ozzie Newsome suggesting multiple times in recent weeks that the tag would be in play if the team couldn’t lock up its kicker by March 1st.

Now that Tucker has been officially franchised, he can sign his tender and lock in his $4.5MM+ salary for 2016. Whether or not he does that anytime soon, he’ll also have until July 15th to work out a longer-term agreement with the Ravens. If the two sides don’t figure something out by mid-July, Tucker will play the 2016 season on his one-year franchise deal, and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency again in 2017.

Technically, until Tucker signs his franchise tender or works out a multiyear deal with Baltimore, he remains a free agent, and could sign an offer sheet with another team. But signing a franchised player requires parting with two first-round picks, so obviously the league’s other 31 teams will be staying away from Tucker.

By using their tag on Tucker, Newsome and the Ravens also take it out of the equation for free agent offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele. The price tag for Osemele would have approached $14MM, so that was never considered likely, but it formally takes one option off the table as the team attempts to re-sign its top free agent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ravens To Franchise Justin Tucker If No Deal

February 24th, 2016 at 6:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome confirmed that he will use the franchise tag on Justin Tucker if he cannot reach a deal with him before the start of free agency, as Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com writes. Tucker is a pending unrestricted free agent.

For his career, Tucker has connected on 130 of 148 field-goal attempts (87.8%), with 12 of those 18 overall misses coming from 50 yards or longer. He has also nailed an eye-popping 10 game-winning field goals, including three in 2015.

The franchise salary for Tucker will depend on where exactly the salary cap lands, but it will be by far the least expensive of any position besides punter. Based on a $154MM cap, kickers and punters would be in line for a 2016 salary of $4.534MM on the non-exclusive franchise tag. Considering GM Ozzie Newsome has previously said he’s willing to use the tag to keep Tucker in the mix, it’s no surprise that the team appears to be preparing for that possibility as the franchise window opens.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ravens Likely To Franchise Justin Tucker

February 16th, 2016 at 8:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens are likely to use the franchise tag on Justin Tucker if they can’t reach a new deal with him soon, writes Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. Teams can begin assigning the franchise or transition tag to their own players as of today, though most clubs planning on using a tag will likely wait until closer to the March 1st deadline.

[RELATED: 2016 franchise tag candidates]

“He’s a great candidate for this year and next year to be franchised if they can’t come to an agreement,” one industry source with knowledge of the Ravens’ salary cap situation said of Tucker.

“A long-term deal for him, he’s going to be paid as a top two or three kicker, which means he’s going to be close to $20MM, which is the [Stephen] Gostkowski money. Do you want to give him $20MM or do you want to just give him the one-year franchise tag and see how it goes? It’s the obvious move, and history has shown it. There is no other viable candidate and he’s the most valuable commodity.”

For his career, Tucker has connected on 130 of 148 field-goal attempts (87.8%), with 12 of those 18 overall misses coming from 50 yards or longer. He has also nailed an eye-popping 10 game-winning field goals, including three in 2015.

The franchise salary for Tucker will depend on where exactly the salary cap lands, but it will be by far the least expensive of any position besides punter. Based on a $154MM cap, kickers and punters would be in line for a 2016 salary of $4.534MM on the non-exclusive franchise tag. Considering GM Ozzie Newsome has previously said he’s willing to use the tag to keep Tucker in the mix, it’s no surprise that the team appears to be preparing for that possibility as the franchise window opens.

I identified Tucker as one of the NFL’s stronger possibilities for a franchise tag in my Monday look at the candidates. If the Ravens can lock up their kicker to a longer-term deal prior to March 1, offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele could also be a candidate to be tagged, though he’s viewed as more of a long shot.

Zach Links contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Gordon, Megatron, Ravens

February 6th, 2016 at 12:39pm CST by Ben Levine

During his Super Bowl press conference, Roger Goodell acknowledged that he had received Josh Gordon‘s application for reinstatement. The commissioner now has 60 days to determine whether the Browns wideout should be reinstated. Before he makes a decision, Goodell wants to see whether the embattled receiver has changed his ways.

“The process is we will go back and look at how he’s conducted himself over the last several months, what he’s done to make sure it’s consistent with the terms of his suspension, and at some stage we’ll have a report on that, and I will engage with our people to understand where he is, where he’s been, but most importantly, where he’s going,” Goodell said (via Tony Grossi ESPN.com).

“When these things happen, it’s about trying to avoid them in the future. Our No. 1 issue here is to prevent these things from happening.

“I’m hopeful that Josh understands that he’s going to have to conduct himself differently going forward to be a member of the NFL and to be representing the Cleveland Browns — or any team in the NFL. So, our job is to try to get people to understand that, try to make sure that they live by the policies that we have, and ensure that this is what all of us want and also what the fans want. Our fans want everybody playing by the same rules.”

The Browns wideout was suspended indefinitely last February, and the 24-year-old didn’t play a single game this past season.According to the report, Gordon’s party “is confident he has met terms of his indefinite suspension to merit reinstatement.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

Jets wideout Brandon Marshall respects Calvin Johnson‘s decision to potentially walk away from the game. “Awesome. I think that he’s strong,” Marshall told Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post. “I think it takes a lot of strength and courage to walk away from the game. I think all of us face that time when we question ourselves or question our passion and love for the game, and if we want to move forward. I think most of us stick around a year or two or three too long.”
The Ravens have traditionally avoided big-name free agents, but ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley believes if the team were to spend this offseason, they’d pursue a wide receiver. According to the writer, potential options include DeSean Jackson, Vincent Jackson, Victor Cruz and Roddy White.
Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is the “overwhelming favorite” to receive the team’s franchise tag, writes Hensley.

Ravens Rumors: Eagles, Harbaugh, Flacco

January 7th, 2016 at 2:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome and head coach John Harbaugh addressed reporters minutes ago in Baltimore. Here’s a look at the highlights:

The Eagles have not called the Ravens about Harbaugh, owner Steve Bisciotti said, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The Baltimore head coach was viewed as a long shot target for Philadelphia, but it appears the Eagles recognize Harbaugh isn’t leaving the Ravens.
Newsome is hopeful that team can reduce Joe Flacco‘s cap number in 2016 but he said the team has to have a plan of putting together a roster if Flacco’s cap number remains at $28.55MM, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes.
Linebacker Terrell Suggs is coming back in 2016, Newsome says (via Hensley). Suggs told him that he doesn’t want to leave game like he left Denver with Achilles injury. The former first-round pick has played his entire career in Baltimore, making six Pro Bowls and winning the defensive player of the year award. Prior to his 2015 injury, the 33-year-old missed only 11 games during his career, including eight in 2012 when he tore his right Achilles.
When discussing the cap situation further, Newsome explained that the team had dead money with Ray Rice last year and he indicated that tight end Dennis Pitta could call for more dead money in 2016, as Zrebiec tweets. Pitta is dead set on returning to the field next year, despite his constant hip problems. “I’m a football player and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” said Pitta back in November. “I have a sense of duty to my teammates, the team and to this organization. This organization has given me a lot over the last few years.” The tight end has played in only three games since receiving a five-year deal with $16MM guaranteed in February 2014. One has to wonder if he might be forced to retire at this point.
Newsome said trying to extend Justin Tucker is a priority and if it gets to the point where they have to, they will use franchise tag on him, Zrebiec tweets. Tucker, 26, has been a little shakier during the last two seasons than he was in his first two years, missing five field goal attempts in 2014 and seven in 2015. However, all but one of those misses came from 50+ yards, and he converted all 29 of his extra-point tries in 2015, so he’ll be in line for a nice raise from Baltimore.
Owner Steve Bisciotti said that team exec Eric DeCosta is still committed to the organization, Zrebiec tweets. “He’s got too much at stake here in his relationship with Ozzie [Newsome],” Bisciotti said. The owner added that DeCosta probably could have had 10 different GM jobs by now if he wanted them. Bisciotti said that he doesn’t see either exec going anywhere for “many years” (link).
Harbaugh said that the team is definitely looking to add a pass rusher, Zrebiec tweets.
When asked about his free agency approach, Newsome said, “I don’t think we’ll be as busy as some teams are in March. We never have” (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun). Newsome said that the Ravens will have money available if a free agent they like is out there (link).
Newsome said that he feels the team needs to add one more, if not two more, wide receivers early on in the draft or in free agency (Twitter link via Zrebiec).

North Notes: Tucker, Tobin, Steelers, Bears

January 5th, 2016 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran kicker Justin Tucker is eligible for free agency this offseason, but it sounds like the Ravens plan to keep him in the fold. Tucker confirmed on Monday that negotiations between the team and his agent have been ongoing for quite some time, according to Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun.

“My agent [Robert Roche] and these guys have been talking, on and off, for a better part of a year, year and a half,” Tucker said. “At this juncture, I’m kind of letting it all just unfold how it’s going to unfold.

“I’m optimistic that something will get done, but at the same time, like I said, the only thing that I can really concern myself with as a player is just improving and making sure that wherever I end up, I know I’m going to end up where, God willing, I’m supposed to end up, but the only thing that I can take care of is my own personal business, and that’s making myself the best kicker possible.”

Tucker, 26, has been a little shakier during the last two seasons than he was in his first two years, missing five field goal attempts in 2014 and seven in 2015. However, all but one of those misses came from 50+ yards, and he converted all 29 of his extra-point tries in 2015, so he’ll be in line for a nice raise from Baltimore.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s North divisions:

Bengals personnel chief Duke Tobin received requests for general manager interviews from both the Lions and Titans, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Schefter though, Tobin intends to remain in Cincinnati long-term.
DeAngelo Williams may not be able to play against the Bengals this weekend, but the Steelers don’t intend to bring in a veteran running back for the game, head coach Mike Tomlin said today. According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link), the Steelers would roll primarily with Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Todman if Williams can’t go.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace, who is entering his second year as Chicago’s GM, says that he may have to rely on free agency more in the program’s early stages because of the team’s needs, tweets Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. Hopefully, the GM added, that reliance on free agency will diminish over time.
Pace made some other interesting comments during his conversation this week with the media, giving quarterback Jay Cutler a vote of confidence and insisting there’s no rift between the team and tight end Martellus Bennett. Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times has the story on the Bears‘ plans to build around Cutler, while Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com passes along the GM’s comments on Bennett.

North Notes: Peterson, Bengals, Tucker

July 22nd, 2015 at 5:36pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Adrian Peterson‘s new deal with the Vikings yesterday, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports took an in-depth look at Peterson’s offseason. According to Robinson, before the Vikings running back rejoined the team and got his new contract, he thought at length about a trade, retirement, and even the possibility of returning to his sprinting roots and making a run at the 2016 Olympics. That last idea may have been more of a dream than a plausible alternative, but it’s a moot point now, as Peterson ultimately decided to return to the Vikings for at least the 2015 season.

Of course, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman ensured that returning to Minnesota was the most viable solution for Peterson, with sources telling Robinson that Spielman “never wavered” on his stance to hang on to the former MVP. While Spielman’s position may have been a result of a lack of legit trade offers for Peterson, Robinson says that some inside the franchise believe that even a massive offer wouldn’t have made the GM change his mind.

Let’s check in on a few more items from out of the NFL’s two North divisions….

Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter) feels that the Bengals failed to address their tight end depth this offseason. While Tyler Kroft could be capable of producing in 2015, it’s hard to count on a rookie to contribute right out of the gate. The lack of depth for the Bengals puts added pressure of Tyler Eifert to give the Bengals a full, healthy season, something he hasn’t been able to do so far, Dehner tweets.
Now that Stephen Gostkowski has received a long-term deal from the Patriots, it should just be a matter of time before the Ravens and Justin Tucker work out a similar deal, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll happen soon though, as Hensley observes, noting that the franchise tag is a possibility for the Baltimore kicker in 2016, if he has yet to sign an extension by March.
The Packers opened up their own books this week and that info revealed that NFL teams each received $226.4MM from the NFL as part of revenue sharing from the 2014 fiscal year, Darren Rovell of ESPN.com writes. The total surpassed $7.2 billion and comes mostly from the league’s television deals.
Earlier today, we continued our Offseason in Review series with an examination of the Bears‘ moves over the last few months.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Houston, Tucker, Dez, Los Angeles

July 18th, 2015 at 12:27pm CST by Ben Levine

It took a while for the Chiefs and linebacker Justin Houston to agree to a lucrative extension, but the three-time Pro Bowler was always confident a deal would get done.

“When the season ended, coach Reid pulled me into the office saying, ‘It’s going to get done, just be patient,’” Houston told BJ Kissel of KCChiefs.com. “So that’s what I did.”

Houston was clearly thrilled that the team inked him to the richest deal in franchise history.

“It just made me feel like they really believed in me,” Houston said. “For them to do this, just like your family back home, your mom, your parents, they believe in you. It gives you an extra edge on the field when you know you’ve got people really believing in you and what you can do.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the league…

Following Stephen Gostkowski‘s extension with the Patriots, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun believes the Ravens and kicker Justin Tucker now have a framework that they can work with. Tucker will be a free agent following the season, and Wilson says it will “cost a lot of money” to retain the accurate kicker.
The Cowboys didn’t add any “special protections” to Dez Bryant‘s contract, reports Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Instead of loading up the contract with opportunities to void guaranteed money (like Dallas did with Byron Jones), Bryant’s contract instead includes the “standard language for voiding guaranteed payments.”
Angels Stadium in Anaheim likely won’t be submitted as an option to become a temporary home for a relocating NFL team, reports Scott M. Reid of The Orange County Register. The stadium was previously the home of the Rams.

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.)