Marshal Yanda. Jimmy Smith. Kelechi Osemele. Justin Tucker. The list of players on the last year of their contracts (or on one-year deals) is long for the Baltimore Ravens, so like every year, the Ravens will have tough decisions to make during the 2016 offseason. They can make their lives easier, though, by extending some of those guys this offseason. The rumor mill is already churning, with analysts speculating on who will be first in line for an extension. Let’s take a look at the candidates.

 Discuss in the BSL Forums here

Jimmy Smith, CB

Purely in terms of importance to the team, Jimmy Smith should be the top priority. Smith will turn 27 this summer, so he had about four years of prime football ahead of him, a safe bet for the Ravens. Accordingly, a five-year deal is a safe bet.

The problems with Smith are glaring though: He has only played a full season once in his career, and the market for cornerbacks could make Smith too expensive for the Ravens. If Byron Maxwell can get $10 million-plus per year, what can Smith get?

There are six cornerbacks making more than $10 million per year in the NFL: Darrelle Revis, Patrick Peterson, Richard Sherman, Joe Haden, Maxwell, and Brandon Carr . All but one (Maxwell) have stronger resumes than Smith, who really only has a year and a half of quality play to his credit. 

If the Ravens approach Smith with an extension offer this offseason, they need to keep that in mind. Smith belongs in the second tier of corners moneywise, alongside guys like Aqib Talib and Vontae Davis. An $8-10 million per year deal with roughly 40 percent in guarantees is a good starting point for the negotiations. 

If Jimmy Smith values money more than playing in Baltimore, though, he should avoid signing an extension and bet on himself. With another above-average year, Smith would earn more on the open market than the Ravens could pay.

The Ravens should still try to get this done, but the probability of Smith extending is low.

What Ravens should offer: 5 year, $45 million, $20 million guaranteed

Chances it gets done this offseason: 10 percent

 

Marshal Yanda

Unlike most of the guys on this list, who are going for their first big pay day, Yanda will be looking for his second big contract as he heads into his ninth season. The Ravens can and should get this done.

Yanda is coming off a season in which he was the best offensive lineman in the league, and it wasn’t close, as he paved the way for a career year from Justin Forsett and keeping Joe Flacco safe. Most impressively, Yanda did it while shuffling between guard and tackle, something he does better than any player in the NFL.

There are a handful of huge guard contracts, and almost all of them were regrettable. Logan Mankins and Andy Levitre are the highest earning guards in the league in terms of average per year. That’s not a great top two, and Yanda is definitely better than those guys. If the Ravens can lock him into a deal worth slightly less than those two outlandish contracts, it would be a good move.

The downside here is that Yanda is turning 31 this year. A five-year deal is probably not wise, but some team would probably be willing to hand Yanda one should he hit the open market.

Whether Yanda will take a home-town discount is hard to say, but I have a hunch that he will. If he does, this deal could get done very quickly.  A high percentage of guaranteed money should entice Yanda to stay in Baltimore.

What Ravens should offer: 4 year, $30 million, $18 million guaranteed

Chances it gets done this offseason: 50 percent (Jamison Hensley likes his chances too)

 

Kelechi Osemele

Yanda’s counterpart at guard, Kelechi Osemele, is in line for a monstrous raise after playing out a rookie contract and being set to make less than $1 million this year. Like Yanda, Osemele is a guard who can play some tackle but should be compared to other guards. Unlike Yanda, Osemele only has one really good season on his resume, making him a bit more of a risk.

Osemele is a mauler, but he’s gotten by on his physical skills, rather than his technical acumen. As he continues to develop, Osemele could become a bonafide star, though that is somewhat of a projection. Osemele should have a lot of good football ahead of him, as he’s entering his prime this year when he turns 26 in June. A five or even a six-year deal isn’t out of the question.

That said, I wouldn’t bet big money on a guy with one above-average season on his resume. Not yet. Osemele is not Yanda, and he shouldn’t be paid like it. Propose a deal in line with the second-tier of guards ($5-6 million per year on average), and if Osemele rejects it (which he should), let him play out the year.

What Ravens should offer: 5 year, $27.5 million, $12 million guaranteed

Chances it gets done before the season: 5 percent

 

Justin Tucker

Disclaimer: I do not believe in spending a lot of resources on specialists. Kickers and punters are both a dime a dozen, though the Ravens have historically been willing to shell out for specialists.

That said, there is no question that Justin Tucker is a special kicker. He has nailed more big kicks in his first three years than most guys do in their careers. Remember that playoff game winner in double overtime against the Denver Broncos? How about the 61-yard game winner against Detroit? Remembering those, I will make an exception to my disdain for big deals given to kickers. 

Tucker is the best kicker in the league, but even so, he’s not worth the nearly $4 million per year some of the best kickers in the league are getting. No kicker is worth that. At most, I would go up to $3 million per year, which is only a possibility if the Ravens provide a very long-term deal. Dan Bailey’s deal with the Cowboys, a seven-year, $22.5 million deal, is a good starting point for the negotiations. Get Tucker to agree to a similar deal, and I would accept it. Any more than that, and the Ravens should pass. I would guess Tucker would accept a deal like Bailey’s.

What Ravens should offer: 7 years, $21 million, $8 million guaranteed

Chances it gets done: 40 percent

There are some other guys on the last year of their deals, including Courtney Upshaw and Will Hill, who are contributors. Let them play out their deals. Hill is a question mark off the field, and Upshaw is a question mark on it.

Shawn Brubaker
Shawn Brubaker

Shawn began his writing career with Bleacher Report as a Ravens featured columnist and Breaking News Team writer. He moved on to write for Yahoo! and work on the Ravens Central Radio podcast. Most recently, he was an Editor at the Baltimore Wire. Shawn is a 2013 graduate of the Catholic University of America.

X