Tag: Matthew Judon contract

What’s next for Ravens and OLB Matthew Judon

With the franchise-tag deadline passed, locking the Ravens into a $16.8 million cap hit in 2020 for OLB Matthew Judon, where do they go now?

The Baltimore Ravens and outside linebacker Matthew Judon saw the franchise-tag deadline come and go without inking a deal. With a deal not done in time, Judon is locked in to play the 2020 season under the one-year franchise tag amount of $16.8 million. But what does this now mean for the team and their top pass rusher moving forward?

In such a tumultuous offseason where the coronavirus pandemic has made the simplest of deals a headache, we’re in uncharted territory. Baltimore and Judon are certainly not alone right now, with 11 other franchise-tagged players sitting in the same position, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Though the lack of a deal by the deadline doesn’t necessarily mean an extension won’t still happen this year, it does bring about more question marks than answers at a time when there’s so much uncertainty in sports and the NFL in specific.

Judon, in a video call with reporters back in June, said he’s “happy to be a Raven,” while he also acknowledged the business side of the sport and what Baltimore needs to juggle in regards to big contracts. But as the clock ticked passed the 4:00 p.m. deadline, Judon took to Twitter and Instagram, posting a “Spongebob” meme and a video of him blowing raspberries at the camera and to his child.

However, the missed deadline doesn’t necessarily mean doom and gloom either. There’s a precedent of things working out for Baltimore with the franchise tag. Of the six other players in franchise history to get the tag, only two players — Terrell Suggs and Chris McAlister — played on the franchise tag in back-to-back seasons before getting an extension worked out. Wally Williams is the only player in Ravens history to not sign an extension with Baltimore after receiving the tag in 1998, leaving in free agency the following offseason.

There’s also plenty of plausible reasons why a deal didn’t come together before the deadline. From the coronavirus potentially spreading agents and front offices thin to a lack of other deals getting done to set the bar for Judon’s extension, this offseason has been unusual, to say the least. At the same time, the Ravens weren’t really under much pressure to get an extension done once the bigger names in free agency signed elsewhere, while Judon said he’s “blessed to have to play under this tag.”

The only real short-term ramification of Judon not getting an extension in time is to the Ravens’ salary cap. There was hope Baltimore could use a long-term extension to free up cap space for the 2020 season, either signing some more free agents or using the extra money in extensions for other big-name players like cornerback Marlon Humphrey and offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley.

Long-term, Judon not being signed to an extension makes the future a little more uncertain. The 2021 salary cap is already under fire due to the expected loss of revenue from the COVID-19 restrictions, and Judon not already being signed means Baltimore is missing one more piece of that salary-cap puzzle. Furthermore, there’s a lot of doubt with the Ravens’ pass rush as it stands right now and without Judon locked up for the next few years, it remains the team’s biggest personnel question mark in 2021 and beyond.

With this deadline come and gone, the focus returns to the 2020 season and Baltimore’s Super Bowl chances. The next real deadline for Judon and the Ravens is next offseason when he’ll become an unrestricted free agent once again. With roughly eight months before free agency starts for the 2021 season, there’s plenty of time to work something out and Baltimore has been proactive about getting deals done ahead of time under general manager Eric DeCosta.

At this point, things are in a bit of a standstill. There’s no reason to believe Judon will hold out in training camp or the regular season. And until other deals get signed to set the market for Judon or the Ravens know the salary-cap situation for the next few years, they’re right to be cautious. Something has to budge but there’s too much time for anyone to force their hand early.

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Ravens miss contract deadline with OLB Matthew Judon’s franchise tag

The Baltimore Ravens are locked into a $16.808 million pricetag on OLB Matthew Judon for 2020 after not getting a deal done in time.

The Baltimore Ravens and outside linebacker Matthew Judon are locked into a franchise tag amount of $16.808 million for the 2020 season, after failing to agree to a long-term contract extension in time.

The Ravens initially applied the franchise tag to Judon back in March, compromising on a salary that will pay him between a linebacker and defensive end. Judon signed his tender in May but Baltimore had until today at 4:00 p.m. ET to get him locked up to a long-term contract in order to alter his 2020 salary cap cost. After failing to get a deal done in time, Judon and the Ravens have locked in his 2020 cap hit.

Now, that’s not to say a contract extension still couldn’t happen before next offseason when Judon will become an unrestricted free agent again. We’ve seen the Ravens hand out contract extensions early, especially under new general manager Eric DeCosta, who has made it a priority to create a maintainable salary cap since taking over for Ozzie Newsome last offseason. However, any deal won’t impact his salary for 2020 or free up cap space for Baltimore to use this season. Then again, with the top free agents already signed this offseason, the Ravens haven’t been under any immense pressure to get Judon signed.

Still, Baltimore has been able to turn the franchise tag into contract extensions nearly every time they’ve used it previously, giving plenty of hope to Judon eventually getting a long-term deal done too. The Ravens have used the franchise tag eight times (six different players) prior to Judon, coming to terms on a long-term extension with all but Wally Williams following his franchise tag in 1998.

There are plenty of good reasons for Baltimore and Judon not being able to get a contract ironed out yet, even if one eventually happens.

It’s been a tumultuous offseason given the coronavirus pandemic. It’s had huge ramifications on free agency, the 2020 NFL Draft, and now in the preparation for the regular season. It seems plausible that both the Ravens’ front office and Judon’s agent have been stretched thinner than they normally would have been, making negotiations take longer than usual.

Of course, the lack of qualifying deals this offseason likely also further complicated negotiations and meant it has been harder to accurately set Judon’s value. It was expected Judon’s deal would mirror that of top free agent Jadeveon Clowney. But Clowney is currently unsigned with just a few weeks before training camps kick off around the league. Many of the other top pass rushers also received the franchise tag instead of contract extensions, again failing to create an accurate bar for a potential deal for Judon.

There’s also some concern about how the coronavirus pandemic will impact the salary cap next season. As teams have already announced significantly reduced capacity for home games this season, there will be less revenue this season and subsequently less growth in the 2021 salary cap. Teams are likely hesitant to hand out massive contracts in light of that uncertainty while agents don’t want to leave money on the table simply to get a deal done right now.

It would have been nice for the Ravens to free up some cap space this offseason or to at least know where they stand with one of their top players. But Baltimore has plenty of time to get Judon under contract, even if it didn’t happen by the deadline.

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Matthew Judon ‘blessed’ to play under franchise tag, not worried about contract talks

Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Matthew Judon isn’t sweating the franchise tag or long-term contract talks, happy to just be playing.

The Baltimore Ravens placed the franchise tag on outside linebacker Matthew Judon this offseason. While other players have balked at the one-year deal, Judon said he’s “blessed” to play under the franchise tag.

“I’m blessed to have to play under this tag,” Judon said in a video call with reporters Monday. “I get to play this game, and as long as I continue to play this game, I’m going to feel blessed. If I have to play under the tag, that’s good for me, because it’s another year.”

Though Judon has signed the franchise tag deal already, he did note there’s still about a month remaining to get a long-term contract figured out. The Ravens and Judon have until July 15 at 4:00 p.m. ET to work out a long-term extension or they’ll be locked into the $16.808 million salary-cap hit they compromised on for 2020.

While many of the questions focused on Judon’s contract status, he made it a point to say he isn’t really in the know. Judon said the talks have been between his agent and the team, with him finding out information well after the fact. Judon even joked that media members know more about his contract status than he does.

“I don’t think you all understand how it goes. I really didn’t know how contracts go, but they don’t really, too much, talk to me. People are like, ‘Judon asked him for this amount [of] money.’ I’ll find out when you all find out, because they aren’t talking to me that much.

“I really wish I had more insight into the contract talks, but it’s like I get third-hand information from my agents,” Judon continued. “I don’t know if that’s how everybody does it – if everybody sits on calls and stuff – but I trust my agents. So, I don’t really know. I feel like you would have more insight on that, because you all know stuff before I know stuff – for real.”

Judon reiterated he’s “happy to be a Raven” and wants to “stay here for as long as I play.” But he also acknowledged the business side of the sport and specifically said he understands the team has a bunch of young players in need of contract extensions.

While he ultimately didn’t provide much more insight into the contract talks, Judon seemed at peace with where things stand right now.

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Ravens can now use franchise tag on OLB Matthew Judon, but will they?

The Baltimore Ravens can officially slap the franchise tag on OLB Matthew Judon to keep him from free agency, but will they?

After the NFL pushed back the start date and deadline for the franchise tag by two days, we’ve finally hit the glorious day when it’s open to all 32 teams to use. The Baltimore Ravens could be among the teams using the franchise tag with outside linebacker Matthew Judon set to hit free agency when it opens on March 18.

But the question now on everyone’s mind is will they?

The Ravens have until 4:00 p.m. ET on March 12 to make that decision but according to general manager Eric DeCosta, it’s an option that remains on the table. Baltimore has still been trying to work on a long-term contract extension in an effort to not have to use the franchise tag. But as the deadline creeps closer, the pressure to retain Judon will increase.

Simply put, the Ravens cannot allow Judon to enter the free-agent market. With an estimated $30.74 million in salary-cap space, according to Over The Cap, Baltimore sits around the bottom third of the league in available funds. Much like we saw last offseason with Za’Darius Smith and C.J. Mosley, if Judon hits the open market, he’s likely going to get a massive deal the Ravens can’t afford to match. And just as we’re liable to see this offseason, the compensatory pick formula might not be a good enough return on letting Judon leave.

Yet, the franchise tag comes with a hefty cost and salary-cap hit. At an estimated $16.27 million for 2020, according to OTC, it would put a huge dent in Baltimore’s ability to be active in free agency. It would take the Ravens down to around $14.98 million available, which would rank as the eighth-least amount of cap space if no other moves are made.

If Baltimore can’t work out a long-term contract with Judon before the deadline hits, the franchise tag buys them some much-needed additional time and leverage. As I’ve covered before, if DeCosta and the Ravens believe they won’t be able to lock up Judon on a manageable long-term deal, trading him might be in their best interest, which wouldn’t be nearly as easy to pull off without using the franchise tag on him first.

With no obvious answer to replace Judon if he leaves via free agency or trade, that’s not likely a scenario Baltimore wants to see play out. But if Judon’s less-than-cryptic tweet is any indication, it seems as though he and the team are still pretty far apart in negotiations.

While the team seems eager to work out a contract extension, every day we get closer to the deadline without a deal being signed, the more likely it becomes that Baltimore uses the franchise tag to their advantage. At this point, there appear to be just two options — contract extension or franchise tag.

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Ravens hopeful they can sign Matthew Judon to long-term deal without franchise tag

Baltimore Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said the team is still in talks with OLB Matthew Judon on a new before free agency, franchise tag

Before the Baltimore Ravens can really figure out what they’re doing this offseason, they’ve got to come to a decision on outside linebacker Matthew Judon. That decision could come down to the franchise tag to help keep Judon in Baltimore for at least another year and provide a little more leverage in either getting a long-term deal done.

At the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, general manager Eric DeCosta said that the team has had productive talks about a long-term contract with Judon. That news provides a little hope that the Ravens might be able to avoid the franchise tag entirely and still keep Judon in purple and black.

Baltimore can first use the franchise tag on February 27 and have a final deadline of March 12. Using the franchise tag on Judon is expected to cost the Ravens $16.27 million for 2020, according to Over The Cap.

It would be in both Baltimore and Judon’s best interest to get a long-term deal worked out without the franchise tag. For the Ravens, they could better manage their salary cap by potentially keeping Judon at a lower cap hit in 2020, which would free up space to be more active in free agency. For Judon, a long-term deal would come with guaranteed money and a signing bonus, which he could get up front.

However, the Ravens are likely going to have to make any offer a competitive one. If Judon hits the free-agent market, he could see multiple teams show interest and have his value skyrocket in a bidding war, which Baltimore would have trouble matching.

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