BIG LAUNDRY LIST AFTER CURRENT SEASON

By Joe Platania

Even though the Ravens have a relatively small number of players whose contracts run out after next season (2013), they have reportedly opened discussions with one of them.

Tackle Michael Oher, the Ravens' 2009 first-round draft pick from Mississippi, and the team have begun preliminary talks on a contract extension (he will have played out his five-year rookie deal after next season ends).

Other offensive standouts whose contracts run out the same time as Oher's are wideout Anquan Boldin, wideout Jacoby Jones and fullback Vonta Leach.

Oher has spent most of his time at left tackle this year and has committed a mere three of the Ravens' league-leading 57 penalties, having been called for two false starts and a holding penalty.

Also, Oher and the rest of the line have been out-maneuevered for 18 sacks, including four during last week's loss at Houston. But the line did not charge after any of the five penalties the Ravens committed during that game.

Oher may be the top priority at the moment, but as far as the coming offseason is concerned, the Ravens have quite a laundry list of players to accommodate. Currently, there are 33 of the team's 70 active-roster, injured reserve and practice-squad players whose deals expire after 2012.

The official start of the league year -- that time when the free-agent signing period begins and the salary cap is put in place -- is usually in late February or early March.

But teams can begin signing their own free agents without competition from other teams as of Dec. 31, giving them roughly a two-month window to get deals done.

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BALTIMORE RAVENS CONTRACT STATUS CHART

(year indicates final season of contract; practice-squad and injured reserve players included)

2012 (33)
QB Joe Flacco, QB Dennis Dixon, S Ed Reed, TE Ed Dickson, TE Dennis Pitta, TE Billy Bajema, RB Bobby Rainey, RB Damien Berry, WR Deonte Thompson, WR David Reed, T Ramon Harewood, T Bryant McKinnie, G Jack Cornell, G Antoine McClain, NT Ma'ake Kemoeatu, NT Ryan McBean, DE Arthur Jones, DT Bryan Hall, LB Paul Kruger, LB Sergio Kindle, LB Albert McClellan, LB Dannell Ellerbe, LB Ricky Brown, LB Josh Bynes, LB Adrian Hamilton, LB Nigel Carr, S James Ihedigbo, S Emanuel Cook, S Sean Considine, S Omar Brown, S Anthony Levine, CB Cary Williams, LS Morgan Cox

2013 (9)
WR Anquan Boldin, WR Jacoby Jones, WR LaQuan Williams, T Michael Oher, G Bobbie Williams, FB Vonta Leach, NT Terrence Cody, CB Corey Graham, DE Michael McAdoo

2014 (13)
C Matt Birk, LB Terrell Suggs, LB Brendon Ayanbadejo, LB Jameel McClain, CB Jimmy Smith, WR Torrey Smith, T Jah Reid, WR Tandon Doss, WR Deonte Thompson, DE Pernell McPhee, CB Chykie Brown, QB Tyrod Taylor, K Justin Tucker

2015 (13)
DT Haloti Ngata, LB Ray Lewis, G/T Marshal Yanda, S Bernard Pollard, P Sam Koch, LB Courtney Upshaw, G/T Kelechi Osemele, RB Bernard Pierce, G/C Gino Gradkowski, S Christian Thompson, CB/RS Asa Jackson, WR Tommy Streeter, DE DeAngelo Tyson

2016 (1)
RB Ray Rice

2017 (1)
CB Lardarius Webb

Posted Oct. 25, 2012