Ravens in need of contract extensions

We have touched on this subject several times before, but there are a number of Ravens players’ in-line for contract extensions.

With all due respect to Derrick Mason, he is not who I have in mind.

In order of need, here are the players I think need to be extended as soon as possible by Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome:

1) Haloti Ngata
2) Terrell Suggs
3) Jared Gaither
4) Mark Clayton
5) Fabian Washington
6) Demetrius Williams

I was tempted to rank Gaither second on this list, but with Oher’s ability to play both sides of the line, Suggs moves ahead.

Let’s review the situation for each individual player.

Ngata was a 1st round pick of the Ravens in 2006, and will be entering his 4th season in the NFL.

In his three previous seasons, Ngata has not missed a game. The 25 year-old dominates at the line of scrimmage, allowing the LB core to make plays.

Ngata entered the league with a 5 year contract, making him a Free Agent after the 2010 season.

The off-season signing by the Washington Redskins of Haynesworth, is only going to up the value for DT’s across the board. It stands to reason that the Ravens would likely get the best value deal with Ngata now, before he has made Pro Bowls, and with two-full years left on his existing contract.

Suggs was a 1st round pick of the Ravens in 2003, and will be entering his 7th season in the NFL.

Like Ngata, Suggs has never missed an NFL game. An impressive reminder of which was shown in the AFC Championship Game, where he not only played injured, but performed well.

Suggs has not currently signed his franchise tender of $10.164M. At the start of the off-season, Suggs was seeking a long-term deal similar to that of Dwight Freeney’s 6 year $72M deal.

To compete in the NFL, you need a consistent pass-rush. You could argue that Suggs is not the elite of the elite, since his career high in sacks is 12 which came in his rookie season.

However, Suggs is a 3 time Pro Bowl player that has evolved into a better LB, with the ability to drop-back into coverage. Suggs did have 2 picks this past-season.

Suggs turns 27 in October, and I believe has matured a lot as a Raven. Some might think he has too many miles on his tires to be worth a long-term extension… but I would suggest that since he has not been a true DE only, that he should have a number of healthy productive years ahead of him.

I think the Ravens will remain competitive defensively long-term if they are able to get Ngata, and Suggs extended.

Gaither is one of my favorite Ravens. I have followed him, since the days he was being recruited by the University of Maryland.

When he became eligible for the supplemental draft, I was hoping the Ravens would select him, knowing the talent he possesses.

The Ravens obtained Gaither with a 5th round pick in the 2007 Supplemental Draft. This was a complete steal, as the man has 1st round abilities.

6’9, 330 lbs that was athletic enough to have a scholarship to South Carolina for basketball. He also only started playing football late in HS, which made his accomplishments at MD all the more impressive.

He is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and signing him long-term should occur.

The Ravens are aware of this, but it will come down to dollars and cents. As previously mentioned, the Ravens could move Oher to LT for the 2010 season if Gaither were to depart. With that knowledge, you wonder how committed the franchise will be to extending Gaither.

All I know is that if football teams are built through the lines, than extending the 23 year-old has to occur.

He had a shoulder injury through most of last year that limited his ability to practice… and with one arm; he routinely won his battle with DE’s.

Mark Clayton vastly improved during the 2008 season.

Clayton was a 1st round pick of the Ravens in 2005 that will be entering his 5th season in the NFL.

While he caught fewer balls in 2008 vs the 2006, and 2007 seasons; Clayton made a much larger impact.

From 2007 to 2007, his yards per reception increased from 11.1 to 17.

He has always been described as a possession receiver, with the ability to make plays after the catch; but by the end of 2008 he was making plays down the field.

I am not sure he was worthy of a 1st round pick, and I am not sure if he will ever be more than a 2nd WR in the NFL, but he is just turning 27, and you have spent the previous 4 years grooming him. He clearly is going to be a major weapon of Flacco’s again in 2009.

I think it would be horrible for Flacco’s development to spend his first two years throwing to Clayton and building a relationship, and see that come to an end after the 2009 season.

Fabian Washington was a 1st round pick of the Raiders in 2005.

He came into the NFL best known for his blazing speed at the rookie combine. He made a name for himself with some off the field issues in Oakland.

With the Ravens, he provided fresh-legs to the CB core, and valuable production. I believe the knock on him is that he is not a great-tackler. That might be true, but his cover skills are clear, and the speed is still there.

Eric DeCosta has stated that for the most part, you have to use 1st round picks to find starting CB’s in the NFL.

Well, Washington was a 1st round corner, that is slated to start opposite of Foxworth in 2009.

It was recently revealed that Washington underwent off-season surgery on his neck and shoulder. I would think that the Ravens would be in a better position now to extend him, than they would be after the 2009 season.

Demetrius Williams was a 4th round pick of the Ravens in the 2006 draft. In the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Williams has only managed to play in 16 games combined.

Still, the team remembers what he did in 2006, and thinks enough of him that they did little to improve the existing WR core prior to the 2009 season.

Williams is the big home-run threat existing on the Ravens roster. If he can stay healthy, it is quite possible to see him really emerge under the deep-passing abilities of Flacco.

After two injury-riddled seasons, would Williams be in any type of position to turn down any extension offer?

I would think the Ravens could potentially get a real steal with a 2year extension.

Again, similarly to Clayton, you are going to have Flacco working with Williams all of 2009. If they establish a connection, and are productive together, it would be tough to see Flacco have to start over again with someone else in 2010.

I did not list him, but Ben Grubbs has to be on the mind as well. A FA after the 2011 season, there is plenty of time for something to be worked out.