Ozzie Newsome Losing Patience With Two Possible Contract Extensions?
When a fan asked Ozzie Newsome last week about player contract extensions, the Ravens General Manager mentioned guard Marshal Yanda and kicker Justin Tucker as two targets.
Neither was surprising seeing as the Ravens had previously said multiple times they wanted* *to get both players new deals, along with cornerback Jimmy Smith. But what Newsome said next caught at least one reporter's attention.
"If we don't get it done, we'll move on to the next," Newsome told PSL season-ticket holders on a conference call.
Smith's deal was done nearly a month ago. The other two are still lingering.
"F]or the first time, you could sense that Newsome is [losing some patience," wrote ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "The next man up on that list should be guard Kelechi Osemele."
This marks the second time Yanda is going through a contract extension process with the Ravens, and the first time took until the end of July to get done. Based off that timetable, there's still two months to work with.
In early April – before Smith got his extension – Hensley thought Yanda would be the first to get a new deal. In order to keep Yanda as one of the top-5 paid guards in the league, Hensley thought a four-year extension worth $30 million and $12 million guaranteed (which would more than double Yanda's 2015 salary) would be a solid offer.
"This would be a win-win for the Ravens and Yanda," Hensley wrote in April. "The Ravens can make sure they'll have one of the NFL's best offensive linemen for the next four to five years, and Yanda can double what he would earn this year."
Both Yanda and Osemele are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents next March, and together they make up one of the best guard tandems in the NFL.
"It remains to be seen if the Ravens figure out a way to re-sign both Yanda and Osemele, who are both entering the final year of their contract. But for next season, the Ravens can feel good about the unit in front of Flacco," wrote CSNBaltimore.com's Clifton Brown.
For Osemele, it would be the first time of his NFL career entering free agency. He's been a very inexpensive player the last four years under his rookie contract, averaging less than $1 million annually. He will be looking for a hefty pay increase.
The same can be said for Tucker. Tucker, a 2013 Pro Bowler, currently stands as the most accurate kicker in NFL history among those with at least 100 field goal attempts. He has been clutch in high-pressure moments, knocking down seven game-winning field goals over his career.
There are 10 kickers averaging $3 million or more per season with the game's two highest-paid kickers– Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski and Chicago's Robbie Gould – averaging $4.6 million and $3.7 million, respectively.
Four Ravens Make Top 100 NFL Rookies List
Four Ravens made NFL.com's Top 100 Rookies list, based on who will make the biggest impact in Year 1.
Judging by this list, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the best draft with six rookies making the cut, followed by the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints with five.
While the Ravens are one of six teams to have four rookies make the top 100, Baltimore is the only team with all four in the top 55. Not even Tampa Bay or Atlanta had that many.
Wide receiver Breshad Perriman – the Ravens' first overall pick – is not the highest-ranked on this list. Both tight end Maxx Williams (Round 2) and running back Javorius Allen (Round 4) are believed by NFL.com and College Football 24/7 writer Bryan Fischer to have a bigger impact, at least this season.
Here are Fischer's write ups on of each Ravens rookie that made the list:
No 13: TE Maxx Williams
"Joe Flacco's new best friend will be Williams, who might not finish with a ton of yards but should rack up catches and touchdowns as a starter."
No. 30: RB Javorius Allen
"His ability to do it all will earn him reps early and he could quickly become Justin Forsett's running mate."
No. 34: WR Breshad Perriman
"It might take a while before the raw prospect gets fully up to speed, but he can create mismatches right away."
No. 54: DT Carl Davis
"No Ngata, no problem. Davis can be a nice complement to Timmy Jernigan."
Alex Smith Is Ranked Ahead Of Flacco?
Alex Smith? Really?
We're used to Joe Flacco not getting much love in these top-10 quarterback lists, but it's a little surprising to see the Kansas City Chefs' Alex Smith being ranked ahead of Flacco. That's how NFL Network's Elliot Harrison ranks them, specifically ordering quarterbacks heading into the 2015 season.
"I'm not saying that [Smith's] career resume is the 10th best because I think you can make an argument for Joe Flacco, who has won a Super Bowl," said Harrison.
But Harrison feels the help the Chiefs have given Smith this offseason via the draft and free agency propels Smith ahead of Flacco and others who didn't make the list, including Matt Ryan and Cam Newton.
Below is the full top-10 list entering the season:
No. 1: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
No. 2: Tom Brady (Patriots)
No. 3: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
No. 4: Drew Brees (Saints)
No. 5: Tony Romo (Cowboys)
No. 6: Andrew Luck (Colts)
No. 7: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
No. 8: Peyton Manning (Broncos)
No. 9: Philip Rivers (Chargers)
No. 10: Smith
Quick Hits
- Can Buck Allen eventually become a starter for Baltimore? "Buck Allen has the potential to be a starting running back in the league," wrote Hensley. "The reason is his ability to catch the ball as well as run it. In Marc Trestman's offense, he wants running backs who can catch the ball. Matt Forte caught 176 passes in two seasons under Trestman. But expectations have to be tempered. Allen isn't a ready-to-go prospect like Todd Gurley or Melvin Gordon. He'll likely be a situational player this season, and the Ravens will expand his role next year based on how he fares as a rookie." [ESPN]
