It has been suggested that the 2010 NFL draft pool is one of the deepest and best in recent history – perhaps even the best ever.  That is great news for the Ravens, one of the best drafting teams in the league.   However, they will have to use their draft picks wisely because they will have one less draft pick on April 24th.    In the Fall of 2008, reacting to a season ending injury to DE Dwan Edwards, the Ravens acquired DE Marques Douglas from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers … Continue reading →

The Ravens have 18 players who are presently slated to become Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) on March 5th.    RFAs are players whose contracts have expired and who have more than 3 years, but less than 6 years of accrued service time.  In order to retain rights over those players, the Ravens will have to offer those players RFA Tenders.  Once done, another team can sign the RFA to an RFA Offer Sheet, but the Ravens then have 7 days to match that Offer Sheet and retain the player under … Continue reading →

1.  FINAL 8 PLAN LIMITATIONS:  Many still seem to be confused about whether the Ravens can or cannot sign a big-money Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA).  A recent spin around the radio dial showed that many in the media are apparently confused as well.   There is a “you must lose a UFA before you can sign a UFA” provision that applies to the Ravens, however, the Ravens – by virtue of losing in the Divisional Round of the playoffs  - are also allowed to sign one big-money UFA.  The Ravens … Continue reading →

It’s the offseason and until the 2010 season begins the focus will be open augmenting the Ravens’ roster through free agency, trades and the draft. There’s also the huge issue of the collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) and the upcoming “uncapped season.” With that in mind, I asked 24×7’s capologist Brian McFarland to answer a few questions… TL: To start with Brian, let’s hone in on the CBA. Why in your opinion is the league at this crossroad and why can’t the players and owners get it together and reach a … Continue reading →

As the prospects of a CBA extension fade, it seems likely that the 2010 season will be an Uncapped year.    For a breakdown of the different rules in place during an uncapped year please visit this LINK.   The following is a breakdown of the Ravens roster if 2010 remains an uncapped year as presently slated:   The Ravens presently have the following 40 players under contract for 2010 (with 2010 base salaries):   QBs (1):  Joe Flacco ($1.66M+escalators)   RBs (3):  Willis McGahee ($3.6M), Ray Rice ($470K), Charles … Continue reading →

Now that the Ravens’ season is over and the offseason is officially upon us, the Ravens surprising victory in New England in the wildcard round of the playoffs did come with one significant drawback.  Because next season is slated to be “uncapped”, the Ravens are now subject to the Final 8 Plan which limits the types of free agent transactions that the team may pursue.  Mindful of what an “uncapped” season might look like, and the potential damage that it could do to the league’s competitive balance (i.e. parity), the … Continue reading →

NEW RULE – SIX YEARS OF SERVICE TIME TO REACH FREE AGENCY:  A player will not become an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) until after he completes his 6th “accrued season” in the league. OLD RULE:  In the past, a player with 3 years of accrued service would become a Restricted Free Agent (RFA) and a player with 4 years of service time would become a UFA.  RAMIFICATIONS:  A longer period of time before players can reach unrestricted free agency means a lot less players being available as Free Agents in … Continue reading →

  Could a Ravens’ loss on Sunday actually be better for the team’s future?   1.  THE FINAL EIGHT PLAN:  When considering what an “uncapped” season might look like and the potential damage that it could do to the league’s competitive balance (i.e. parity), the NFL Players Association and the league owners decided to create a specific set of rules that would act as a safeguard against teams going hog wild when no longer constrained by a salary cap.  Those rules, set out throughout the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”), … Continue reading →

THE MONEY CLIP:  2010 SALARY CAP PREVIEW     CAPPED OR UNCAPPED?     Heading into 2010, the big question for the Baltimore Ravens isn’t how much Cap space they will have, but whether it will even matter or not?  As it now stands, there will be no Salary Cap in 2010 and teams will be able to sign and re-sign players for as much as they want.  However, the owners and the NFL Players’ Association, mindful of the free-for-all that could accompany an Uncapped year, wrote safeguards into the … Continue reading →

1.  PRESENT SALARY CAP SPACE:  The Ravens are currently a little over $3M under the 2009 Salary Cap.  This amount includes the recent restructures of the contracts of DT Kelly Gregg and OLB Jarret Johnson.   2.  RESTRUCTURES:  The contracts of Gregg and Johnson were recently restructured by the team to create some additional Salary Cap space.  These “simple” restructures were accomplished by reducing the players’ base salaries down to the veteran minimum and giving the player the difference as a Signing Bonus.  In neither case did the player receive … Continue reading →

  NFL GLOSSARY   Accrued Season – A player earns an Accrued Season if he is on the team’s 53-man roster, Injured Reserve (IR), or Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) for 6 or more games in any one season.   Compensatory Draft Picks – Compensatory Draft Picks are awarded to teams who have suffered a net loss of Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs).  On occasion, a team that has lost and gain the same amount of UFAs will receive a 7th round Comp Pick, but only if the quality of UFAs … Continue reading →

1ST ROUND PICK – OT MICHAEL OHER   Status:  SIGNED - 5-year deal worth a total max value of $13.795M, which contains $7.82M in “guaranteed” money.  The deal has a base value of $8.805M, with a 2009 Roster Bonus of $940,000 and a 2010 Option Bonus of $4,680,000.  The deal includes base salaries of $310,000 (2009), $395,000 (2010), $630,000 (2011), 865,000 (2012) and $985,000 (2013).  The deal also has a $1.89M one-time PTI (playing time incentive) and salary escalators that could total up to $3.1M.    Oher’s Salary Cap charges … Continue reading →

  1.  TERRELL SUGGS AGREES TO TERMS:  Based on various media reports, it appears that Terrell Suggs’ Salary Cap charges will be as follows:   Year Signing Bonus Roster Bonus Base Salary Cap Charge 2009 10,100,000   5,000,000 7,020,000 2010   23,000,000 1,900,000 8,520,000 2011     3,400,000 10,020,000 2012     4,900,000 11,520,000 2013     6,400,000 13,020,000 2014     7,900,000 12,500,000     ProFootballTalk.com reports that Suggs receives:              $15.1M in 2009                                                                                                                 EPSN reports that Suggs receives:             $33.1M in “guaranteed” money $40M in the 1st … Continue reading →

  Reportedly – actually, straight from Terrell Suggs’ own mouth – the Ravens and Suggs are very close to agreeing to terms on a long anticipated multi-year contract extension.  Any extension must come early this week, because as of 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15th, the Collective Bargain Agreement prohibits teams from signing a player who has been franchised to a long term contract extension.   While Suggs suggested that his deal would be less than that of the deal received by Colts Defensive End Dwight Freeney (6 years, $72M, … Continue reading →

1ST ROUND PICK – OT MICHAEL OHER   Status:  UNSIGNED.   Oher’s Salary Cap charges will be as follows:   Year Signing Bonus Roster Bonus Base Salary Cap Charge 2009         2010         2011         2012         2013             2nd ROUND PICK – DE PAUL KRUGER:   Status:  UNSIGNED.   Kruger’s Salary Cap charges will be as follows:   Year Signing Bonus Base Salary Cap Charge 2009       2010     … Continue reading →

1.  ROOKIE SALARY CAP:   The Ravens have a rookie Salary Cap number of $3.372M.  This means that the 2009 Salary Cap numbers of the 6 Ravens draft picks must fit under that number.  However, that does not mean that the team needs that amount in overall Cap space to fit their rookies under the Cap.  Why? Because at this time of year only the top 51 Salary Cap numbers and all prorata shares of bonus money, count against the Cap.    Presently, the 51st Cap number belongs to Haruki … Continue reading →

  Last May, when the NFL owners exercised their option to end the CBA a year earlier, a new set of Salary Cap rules for 2009 and possibly 2010 were triggered.  These rules are part of the CBA and dictate how Salary Cap matters are to be handled if the league reaches the “last capped year” and the “uncapped year”.  At present – barring a newly agreed upon CBA – 2009 will be the “last capped year” and 2010 will be “uncapped”.  Many fans have been fearful that if the … Continue reading →

  Yesterday, the NFL announced each team’s Rookie Salary Cap for their 2009 draft class. The Ravens’ Rookie Cap number for this year has reportedly been set at $3.372M.           The Rookie Salary Cap is often referred to as “a cap within a cap” because it limits the amount that teams can allocate to their rookies in the year they were drafted.  But, beyond that, there is a lot of confusion about the Rookie Salary Cap and exactly how it works.  Even some in the media do not … Continue reading →

  1.  CHRIS CARR CONTRACT DETAILS:  Beyond reports that Cornerback Chris Carr signed a 2-year, $5M deal to play for the Ravens, the exact details of the structure of his contract – especially the allocation of bonus money – have never been disclosed.  According to the NFLPA website, his base salaries are $1M in 2009 and $2M in 2010.   Based on that, there’s $2M in bonus money that must be accounted for.  In the past, that amount would likely have all been paid in the form of a signing … Continue reading →

  1.  RAY LEWIS’ “MYSTERIOUS” CONTRACT DETAILS:  When it was announced last week that Ray Lewis had agreed to terms on a 3-year, “incentive-laden” $22M contract, it was reported that the terms had to be approved by the NFLPA and the Commissioner’s Office before becoming final.  The explanation for this was that the incentives were highly complicated.    On its face, an incentive-laden, “pay for play”, contract sounded like a pretty good deal for the Ravens because Lewis would have to earn his money and, given his age, protected the … Continue reading →