The Baltimore Ravens are signing cornerback Tavon Young to a contract extension. It’s a deal that surprises many because Young was already under contract through the 2019 season. But general manager Eric DeCosta has talked about being smarter with the salary cap, and by signing players before they’re set to hit free agency, the team could save money long-term.
Let’s take a look at a few other potential early signings we could see this offseason.
Matthew Judon | OLB
Judon is the only consistent pass rusher Baltimore has. With Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith set to hit free agency this offseason, the Ravens could look to their young players to step up and fill the void. In that case, Judon’s 15 sacks over the last two seasons would be a good baseline for the Ravens to build on.
Pass rushers are expensive, and signing Judon a year before his rookie deal is up could save the team money if he has a true breakout season in 2019.
Ronnie Stanley | T
Much like Judon, premier left tackles are a commodity in the NFL and they make serious money because of it. Letting Stanley play through the final year of his deal and hit free agency would put the Ravens in the middle of a bidding war for his services they likely can’t win financially. Signing him early would give Stanley a little security if another injury pops up in 2019 while letting Baltimore keep one of their important young players for the long haul.
On a second level, it would keep bookend tackles around quarterback Lamar Jackson for the foreseeable future. With right tackle Orlando Brown Jr. earning the starting role last season as a rookie, the Ravens could solidify their offensive line for the next three years.
Willie Snead IV | WR
Snead is signed only through the 2019 season. While Baltimore hasn’t hit on many of their free agent pickups or draft picks, Snead did a good job in proving himself down the stretch in 2018 in the Ravens’ run-heavy offense.
In the final seven games of the season, Snead caught 17 passes for 203 yards. Both numbers led Baltimore wide receivers through that stretch as Jackson often looked Snead’s way.
Signing Snead to an extension early would give Jackson a weapon he knows he could develop with through the early part of his career. It’s something Baltimore never did for Joe Flacco and undoubtedly something they regret. At only 26 years old, Snead is still just hitting his prime. Signing Snead early would also be a huge vote of confidence in the young wide receiver to keep growing himself.
Justin Tucker | K
Tucker is the best kicker in the NFL, period. No one will convince me otherwise. So why not lock up the best kicker in the league on another long-term contract?
The New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski is due for a new contract, which could make him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL. Beating them to the punch with Tucker could force the Patriots to pay Gostkowski even more (though they could designate him with the franchise tag). It could even save Baltimore some money since Gostkowski’s or potentially Mason Crosby’s new contracts would raise the price tag for when the Ravens need to negotiate next offseason.
