Extensions to Come...

[baltimore_hokie]

From the Sun:


General manager Ozzie Newsome is ready to seize on some built-in advantages of the uncapped year, like the fact it will take six years for a veteran to become an unrestricted free agent instead of four. He said he's already looking at extending some players with four- or five-year contracts, and that it would happen over the next five months.

Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, a four-year veteran, just finished his first contract with the Ravens, but won't be unrestricted for two more years. He'd be a high priority for the Ravens to extend. So, too, are four-year players like offensive linemen Marshal Yanda, Ben Grubbs and Jared Gaither. Wide receiver Mark Clayton, a five-year vet, could get an extension as well.

My only gripe with Ozzie (other than not giving Flacco any weapons) is his apparent refusal to lock guys up before they hit free agency. Maybe he will buck that trend with Ngata and the offensive line.

As for the blurb about Clayton at the end...yikes.

[RavenScallywag]

As much as we all would be glad to see Clayton go, he makes sense to stay here. He's cheap, he's not totally a bust at WR...As long as we bring in a guy to beat him out as starter, he's always been pegged as a guy who could replace Mason as a possession WR...The key is if we extend him and then use that as an excuse not to bring in a better WR. That is unacceptable.

[Jeremiah W]

I think it is pretty hard to get a guy locked up long term early, save a ton of maoney and still have a happy and productive player. The Ravens likley save as much or more than they would by making everyone play out the contract than they would by extending some guys early. If you open the door to that policy then you have a lot of guys who want extentions and ten feel underpaid, but if youhave a hard line policy of no extending anyone under contract then you may have to pay top dollar at the end to keep the guy but you did not pay early and did not piss them off by treating them different than the "core" players or stars the coaches like more.

With the uncapped year, it would be a great idea to extend guys with huge money upfront that would not hurt future caps.

[Carey]

I'd personally just move on from Clayton but i cant get everything i want, as long as we get a couple new WR's this offseason i can live with it

[baltimore_hokie]

As much as we all would be glad to see Clayton go, he makes sense to stay here. He's cheap, he's not totally a bust at WR...As long as we bring in a guy to beat him out as starter, he's always been pegged as a guy who could replace Mason as a possession WR...The key is if we extend him and then use that as an excuse not to bring in a better WR. That is unacceptable.

Clayton isn't terrible, but keeping him here would make the FO think there is not as much of a need there. He brings nothing to the table consistently, so I see him as nothing but a backup that can be available if injuries occur.

[Dont Know]

Clayton is a #3 / slot receiver and I think he knows it too. How else does one explain that bizarre comment at the end of the season where he basically said that the team needs a big-play receiver on the outside?

[srobert96]

What I have read is that they need a big play wr on the outside. Someone not on the roster. They are trying to bring back Mason. So bringing back Clayton means he is a number 3. I am ok with that. They will probably also tender Dwill and bring him back as well. I am ok with all of that as long as they get the big play wr.

[Thrall]

Judging from Harbs comment on Dwill on the state of the Ravens, he won't be coming back.

[jonboy79]

Judging from Harbs comment on Dwill on the state of the Ravens, he won't be coming back.

I agree with that conclusion.

[Brtnder81]

I think if we dont bring Dwil back it will come back to bite us. I still think he will be a very good WR in this league

[trailhiker85]

I'm guessing Clayton is more likely to return than D-Will. Like others have said, I'm OK with that if we also get a true No. 1WR.

[Jeremiah W]

I do not see why any of the RFAs would not at least get tendered and brought to camp. They can always still be cut or traded before they have to be paid anything.

Williams and Clayton never turned into consistant playmakers but made enough plays to keep on the cheap until some one better comes along.

[jonboy79]

The Ravens have typically tendered all available RFA's, and the main reason not to is gone(cap concerns).
IF a RFA doesn't get tendered thsi year, it's clear the team would liek to go in a different direction.

[braven98]

Harbs should know how to handle the cap he came from philly and you never hear of them in cap hell. sign the average players to long term deals before they become studs

[Rxdoxx]

There may be some added incentive/leverage for locking up players.
Bonus money.
As things get closer to a lockout, there will be added incentive for some players to sign bargain deals with an up front payout, a last minute cash infusion covering the spectre of a year without pay.
Not saying everybody, but possibly players like Dwan Edwards (salary $610,760 hope my figure is accurate) may be open to signing for a 1-2mil up front bonus and a 2 or 3 year vet minumum.
Not saying it will happen, just tossing out a possibility.

[psuasskicker]

I think if we dont bring Dwil back it will come back to bite us. I still think he will be a very good WR in this league

And he's shown us that by having fewer receptions and yards every subsequent year since coming into the league four years ago!

I made this exact argument with Mark Clayton last off-season. Please don't make me reiterate it. Receivers almost never break out after their fourth year if they haven't shown any sign of breaking out prior to that. Williams has less than a third of the receptions and less than 40% of the yards Clayton had after his fourth season. The odds Williams even produces at Clayton's level are very low, and likely his only legit shot is to go to one of the few NFL teams that have a worse WR corps than we currently have.

The argument that guys like him don't get a chance are also not valid, because guys that have good talent don't simply sit on the sideline. On exceptionally rare occasion that might happen, but there is typically a reason a guy that doesn't produce isn't getting on the field...it's cause he can't play at the same level of the guys on the field. It's highly likely - more than 99% - that DWill simply doesn't have what it takes to get on the field with any consistency.

- C -

[ravenjoe]

My only gripe with Ozzie...is his apparent refusal to lock guys up before they hit free agency.

This has always annoyed me as well!

[Mike B]

Harbs should know how to handle the cap he came from philly and you never hear of them in cap hell. sign the average players to long term deals before they become studs

Harbs was a ST coach not sure how much he had to do with the Eagles cap.
Cass runs it here. If harbs ran it we would have 80% dedicated to guys who can play ST.