Will the Ravens Be Able to Keep Mark Andrews for the Long Term?
Looking at recent headlines, it's evident just how impressive the Ravens' 2018 draft class turned out to be, as speculation about contract extensions for players from that class has become a hot topic.
General Manager Eric DeCosta said recently that he will be talking to Lamar Jackson soon about a contract extension. During that same press conference, DeCosta also said he was open to discussing long-term extensions with tight end Mark Andrews and offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. All three are heading into the final year of their rookie deals.
The flip side of hitting on draft picks is that the salary cap makes it nearly impossible for a team to keep everyone in the fold it would like to. The expectation that the salary cap will decrease this year makes the challenge even greater.
As noted in yesterday's Late for Work, Brown's "I'm a LEFT tackle" tweet could be an indication that he's not going to be in Baltimore for the long haul, but Ebony Bird's Chris Schisler wrote that even if Brown ends up elsewhere, there's no guarantee the Ravens will be able to afford to lock up Andrews.
Andrews has been Jackson's top weapon. Over the past two seasons, Andrews has averaged 61 catches and 776.6 yards per season and scored 17 touchdowns.
"It sounds almost laughable that the Ravens would let one of the best tight ends in the NFL even come close to slipping away," Schisler wrote. "It is however realistic that the Ravens will be worried about that possibility this time in 2022."
Andrews and fellow tight end Nick Boyle are integral components to the success of the Ravens offense. Last week, Boyle signed a two-year extension, which reportedly provided the team with immediate salary cap-relief.
Schisler said that if the Ravens and Andrews do reach an agreement on an extension, it's unlikely to happen this offseason.
"Ironing out a long-term deal with Andrews right now would make sense, but Andrews has to get in line," Schisler wrote. "The first player from his draft class getting an extension is going to be the MVP quarterback. The Ravens have a lot to do this offseason and Andrews has one more year of affordability for Baltimore. Don't expect an extension this offseason.
"The franchise tag will be an option heading into the offseason next year. That would be a cap hit over $10 million. There's going to be no scenario where the Ravens saying goodbye to Andrews is going to be preferable."
While acknowledging that "you can't sign everybody" because of the salary cap, DeCosta said: "We are a tight end-centric offense, and Mark Andrews, in my opinion, is one of the better tight ends in the entire NFL. He's a Pro Bowl tight end, in my opinion. So, we would be foolish to not want to try and keep him. Those discussions will start up at some point. Hopefully, we can make progress and get some deals done."
February 02, 2021 at 09:43PM
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Late for Work 2/2: Will the Ravens Be Able to Keep Mark Andrews for the Long Term? - BaltimoreRavens.com
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