Ravens Reportedly Nearing Contract Extension With John Harbaugh
Ravens officials and Head Coach John Harbaugh's agent are in talks about a contract extension, and a deal is expected to be completed in a few weeks, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. Harbaugh is entering the final year of a four-year deal.
"This will mark Harbaugh's sixth contract extension with Baltimore, which has become one of the most stable teams in the league," Hensley wrote.
In 14 seasons with the Ravens, Harbaugh's record (including the playoffs) is 148-96 (.607), the fifth-best winning percentage among active coaches with at least 90 games.
With the retirement of New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton yesterday, Harbaugh is now the NFL's third-longest tenured head coach, behind only the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick (22 seasons) and Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin (15).
Shannon Sharpe: Antonio Brown Is Antithesis of What a Raven Should Be
Yesterday, I wrote about how Antonio Brown said he wants to play with Lamar Jackson next. Yesterday, Brown made it even more clear that he would love to put on a Ravens uniform next season.
Several pundits have made it clear that Brown's feelings for the Ravens should not be reciprocated. Former Raven Shannon Sharpe was adamant that Brown and the Ravens are not made for each other.
"He's nothing like the Ravens' culture. … He's the antithesis of what a Raven should be," Sharpe said on FS1's "Undisputed." "I get Lamar Jackson is showing support for his South Floridian brother. But if I'm the Ravens, I'm staying far away from Antonio Brown."
Sharpe and ESPN's Stephen A. Smith both pointed out that Brown has had unceremonious departures from all four teams that he's played for. Smith also cited Brown's numerous off-the-field issues as to why teams should steer clear of the seven-time Pro Bowler.
"I don't believe that Antonio Brown should get a job offer from anybody in the NFL," Smith said on "First Take." "I believe that his NFL career may be over, because he can't be trusted. He has turned against everybody who has ever done anything for him."
Meanwhile, during Brown's recent interview on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," his attorney said that Brown is considering taking legal action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over his release.
Reports: Ravens Interview Two Candidates for Vacant Defensive Coordinator Job
The Ravens have conducted a Zoom interview with Saints Defensive Backs Coach Kris Richard for their vacant defensive coordinator position, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports and USA Today.
Anderson added that the Ravens are expected to wrap up their search for Wink Martindale's successor "within a week or so."
The Ravens are not the only AFC North team apparently interested in Richard. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers have requested permission to interview Richard for their vacant defensive coordinator job.
Richard, 42, who was the Seattle Seahawks' defensive backs coach from 2012-2014 and defensive coordinator from 2015-2017, helped build the team's famed Legion of Boom secondary.
Meanwhile, the Ravens also interviewed Run Game Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach Anthony Weaver for the defensive coordinator job, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Weaver, 41, a defensive end for the Ravens from 2002-2005, was the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans in 2020.
Bradley Bozeman Is No. 31 in ESPN's Free Agents Rankings
Bradley Bozeman is the only Raven on ESPN’s rankings of the top 50 free agents. The center came in at No. 31.
"He ranked No. 2 among centers in ESPN's pass block win rate metric in 2021 (97.2%) and No. 7 in run block win rate (71.5%)," ESPN's Kevin Seifert wrote. "The Ravens will try to find a way to keep him, but if he hits the open market, he would make a big impact on his new team's offensive line."
Bozeman has made it clear that his preference is to re-sign with the Ravens, but the reality is that the team may not be able to afford him.
Defensive tackle Calais Campbell did not make the Top 50 but was listed as one of the free agents to watch, along with outside linebacker Justin Houston.
Former Ravens offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. of the Kansas City Chiefs is No. 7.
"He's in line for a major payday," Seifert wrote. "It would be really surprising if the Chiefs didn't retain him in some fashion after sending the Ravens four draft picks to get him, including their first-round selection in 2021."
Pundit Says Jackson's Contract Negotiations 'Could Be a Roller Coaster Ride'
Speaking of contract extensions, Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr listed the negotiations between the Ravens and Jackson on a long-term deal as one of the biggest non-Super Bowl storylines to follow.
Orr said the negotiations "could be a roller coaster ride." If a deal isn't reached this offseason, Jackson would play under a fifth-year option that pays him $23 million.
"Lamar Jackson is self-represented and is an extraordinarily unique player, not only in terms of skill set, but in how a front office might gauge his long-term value," Orr wrote.
Orr suggested that Jackson's 1-3 record in the playoffs could be a factor in the negotiations.
"Know that I would hand him $40 million a season right now without a second thought," Orr wrote. "I think Jackson is transcendent; a face-of-the-franchise player who, like all quarterbacks, could use a little luck in the injury department, a boost on the skill position player front and some schematic diversity.
"My point in circling his postseason stats with a red pencil is that … this is what negotiating with a team is like! They're going to poke holes in his impressive body of work to try and hammer him well underneath the $45 million threshold set by Patrick Mahomes. It's going to be weird and uncomfortable."
Orr believes that a long-term deal ultimately will get done.
"He's too special to let go of," Orr wrote. "That said, we don't necessarily have a precedent for this kind of extension, especially for a player who, as of now, is not utilizing the services of an agent to handle the grimy work."
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