Baltimore Ravens salary cap outlook: Michael Oher, Terrence Cody are key free agents in 2014
The "Shutdown Countdown" has entered the home stretch. In addition to previewing each team, Shutdown Corner will be taking a brief look at each team's salary cap situation heading into the 2013 season and beyond. We continue the series with the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.
2013 Adjusted Cap Number: $122.88 million (27th in the NFL in 2013)
2013 Cap Room Remaining: $7.819 million (16th in the NFL, as of July 29). That number does not include the contract for fullback Vonta Leach, who re-signed on Monday.
[Related: Lack of passing weapons could limit Ravens]
Best Bargain: Marshal Yanda is one of the best guards in the NFL, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors after each of the last two seasons. According to the Football Outsiders Almanac 2013, Yanda did not have a blown block that led to a sack and had just one blown block on a run play. Yanda is due $4.5 million in base salary this season, which ranks outside the Top 10 among current guard contracts in the NFL.
Potential Camp Cap Casualty: The Ravens did most of their cutting earlier this offseason by releasing Brendon Ayanbadejo, Bobbie Williams and Bernard Pollard for salary cap purposes. With over $7 million in cap space, the cap won't be much of a factor when the Ravens are shaping their 53-man roster. One player who might have been a cap casualty is cornerback Corey Graham, a player who joined the team last season as a core special teams player, but played, and played well, when Lardarius Webb went down with an injury. Graham is due $2.05 million, but is likely too important to the defense to cut this summer.
Looming Contract Issue: The Ravens have a few players who are due new contracts either this season or next offseason. First and foremost is Michael Oher, who will earn $3.875 million in the final year of his rookie contract. Oher returned to his more natural position at right tackle late last season and that is probably where he will remain moving forward. Second on the Ravens' "to-do" list is tight end Dennis Pitta, who will earn $2.023 million under the restricted free agent tender while he spends the 2013 season rehabbing from hip surgery. The direction the Ravens take with Pitta hinges upon the progress he makes over seven-plus months and the long-term prognosis from the team's medical staff.
Other players who will hit free agency in 2014 include tight end Ed Dickson, nose tackle Terrence Cody, defensive lineman Arthur Jones, wide receiver Jacoby Jones and offensive lineman Ramon Harewood.
Long-Term Cash/Cap Outlook: Not including fullback Vonta Leach, who reportedly received a two-year deal on Monday, the Ravens have 56 players under contract for the 2014 season. The "Top 51" contracts comprise $120 million in salary cap commitments, plus the Ravens will be carrying $1.5 million in "dead" money after designating Bernard Pollard as a "post-June 1" release. So if the league-wide salary cap remains flat, the Ravens will be pressed up against it a little bit, though they will have a few million in space they can "carryover" from 2013 into next season. Giving his weight, conditioning issues and advancing age, left tackle Bryant McKinnie, who turns 34 in September, is certainly at a "year-by-year" stage of his career. McKinnie has a $500,000 roster bonus due on the fourth day of the 2014 league year and releasing him would clear $3 million in cap space for the 2014 season. The Ravens could look to Haloti Ngata's contract to free up cap space as his base salary swells to $8.5 million and cap number reaches a team-high $16 million in 2014.
Previous salary cap outlooks
32. Oakland Raiders
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
30. Arizona Cardinals
29. Buffalo Bills
28. Cleveland Browns
27. Tennessee Titans
26. Kansas City Chiefs
25. New York Jets
24. San Diego Chargers
23. Philadelphia Eagles
22. Miami Dolphins
21. St. Louis Rams
20. Minnesota Vikings
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
18. Dallas Cowboys
17. Detroit Lions
16. Pittsburgh Steelers
15. Indianapolis Colts
14. New Orleans Saints
13. Chicago Bears
12. New York Giants
11. Carolina Panthers
10. Washington Redskins
9. Cincinnati Bengals
8. Atlanta Falcons
7. Houston Texans
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