BALTIMORE TO HAVE 10TH TOUGHEST SCHEDULE WITH FOUR WESTERN TRIPS
OWINGS MILLS -- Despite returning to the playoffs for a 10th time in the last 15 seasons, the Ravens will enter their 20th campaign in 2015 on the heels of several offseason challenges:
- With a schedule rotation that will see them playing the NFC West and AFC West, the Ravens will have a schedule ranked among the 10 most difficult in the league. It includes four western trips and a record-tying-low 12 games to be played in the Eastern time zone.
- A rather large free-agent class has several key players as its highlights, including run-game pacesetter Justin Forsett, tight end Owen Daniels, pass-rush linebacker Pernell McPhee and wide receiver Torrey Smith.
- Training camp could be longer and even more of a grind this year -- with the Super Bowl not being played until Feb. 7 and all the usual season landmarks taking place one week later than normal as a result.
- Currently, the Ravens hold six draft picks, including none in the fifth round. That is certainly subject to change before the selection meeting begins April 30, but the team has little bargaining power with so few picks. The total is the league's second-fewest, bottomed only by St. Louis' five picks. Cleveland currently has the league's most, with 10.
- Thanks to their advancement to the Divisional playoff round, the Ravens will be drafting 26th in the first round, nine spots lower than last year, making it difficult to possibly tab the impact cornerback, tight end or receiver they need.
If the Ravens stay in that position, it will be the second time they will have drafted 26th. The first time was in 1996, when they drafted Miami linebacker Ray Lewis with the second of two first-round picks.
Here is your Ravens' guide to the offseason, complete with their list of free agents, 2015 opponents, the first-round draft order, the leaguewide calendar and the 2015 schedule-strength standings.
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RAVENS 2015 FREE-AGENT CLASS
(free-agent signing period starts when new league year begins March 10)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (14)
(four or more years of experience, can sign with another team with no compensation to the Ravens; years of experience in parentheses)
CB Antoine Cason (7), NT Terrence Cody (5), LS Morgan Cox (5), TE Owen Daniels (9), RB Justin Forsett (7), CB Danny Gorrer (5), LB Pernell McPhee (4), S Jeromy Miles (5), G Will Rackley (4), G Jah Reid (4), CB Aaron Ross (8), WR Torrey Smith (4), S Darian Stewart (5), QB Tyrod Taylor (4)
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (8)
(three years of experience, can be tendered offer sheet by other club, Ravens would have seven days to match)
WR Kamar Aiken, DT Christo Bilukidi, CB Chris Greenwood, DE Lawrence Guy, S Will Hill, CB Anthony Levine, S Brynden Trawick, K Justin Tucker
EXCLUSIVE-RIGHTS FREE AGENTS (2)
(two years of experience, player has no negotiating leverage)
LS Patrick Scales, TE Phillip Supernaw
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2015 RAVENS OPPONENTS
(Dates, kickoff times and TV networks to be released in mid-April)
HOME: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis, Jacksonville (placement game)
AWAY: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Oakland, Denver, Arizona, San Francisco, Miami (placement game)
SCHEDULE NOTES: The two placement games are determined by a team's finish the previous season. The Ravens finished third in the AFC North in 2014. … The placement opponents are defined as those who had the same finish in the standings as the Ravens in divisions from the same conference the Ravens aren't already playing in their entirety this year. ... The Ravens are playing the entire AFC West and NFC West in 2015. … The Ravens will have seven games against 2014 playoff teams. … The team will play 12 games in the Eastern time zone, tying a team-record low set on six other occasions.
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2015 FIRST-ROUND DRAFT ORDER
(team, 2014 record and opponents' 2014 win percentage; ties determined by weaker schedule strength; order of positions 29-32 to be finalized by playoff results)
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-14) .486
2. Tennessee Titans (2-14) .506
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-13) .514
4. Oakland Raiders (3-13) .570
5. Washington Redskins (4-12) .496
6. New York Jets (4-12) .543
7. Chicago Bears (5-11) .529
8. Atlanta Falcons (6-10) .482
9. New York Giants (6-10) .512
10. St. Louis Rams (6-10) .531
11. Minnesota Vikings (7-9) .475
12. Cleveland Browns (7-9) .479
13. New Orleans Saints (7-9) .486
14. Miami Dolphins (8-8) .512
15. San Francisco 49ers (8-8) .527
16. Houston Texans (9-7) .447
17. San Diego Chargers (9-7) .512 (tiebreaker loss to Kansas City)
18. Kansas City Chiefs (9-7) .512
19. Cleveland Browns (9-7) .516 (from Buffalo)
20. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6) .490
21. Cincinnati Bengals (10-5-1) .498
22. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) .451
23. Detroit Lions (11-5) .471
24. Arizona Cardinals (11-5) .523
25. Carolina Panthers (7-8-1) .490
26. Baltimore Ravens (10-6) .475
27. Dallas Cowboys (12-4) .445
28. Denver Broncos (12-4) .521
29. Indianapolis Colts (11-5) .479
30. Green Bay Packers (12-4) .482
31. New England Patriots (12-4) .514
32. Seattle Seahawks (12-4) .525
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2015-2016 RAVENS/NFL CALENDAR
(dates, times of events subject to change)
Date TBA -- "State Of The Ravens" press conference featuring majority owner Steve Bisciotti, Under Armour Performance Center
Feb. 2 -- Waiver system begins for 2015
Feb. 16 -- First day to designate franchise or transition players
Feb. 17-23 -- NFL Combine Timing and Testing, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
March 2 -- Deadline for clubs to designate franchise and transition players (4 p.m., EST)
March 7-10 -- Clubs are permitted to enter into contract negotiations with certified agents of players who will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the current league year.
March 10 -- Before 4 p.m. (EST), clubs must exercise options for 2015 on all players who have option clauses in their 2014 contracts.
March 10 -- Before 4 p.m. (EST), clubs must submit qualifying offers to their restricted free agents with expiring contracts and to whom they desire to retain a right of first refusal/compensation.
March 10 -- Before 4 p.m. (EST), clubs must submit a minimum salary offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2014 contracts and who have fewer than three seasons of free agency credit.
March 10 -- All 2014 player contracts will expire at 4 p.m. (EST). All clubs must have their top 51 players under the salary cap before 4 p.m. (EST), and the 2015 league year, trading and free agency period begin at 4 p.m. (EST).
March 22-25 -- Annual League Meeting; Phoenix
April 20 -- Ravens offseason conditioning program begins, Under Armour Performance Center
April 24 -- Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets
April 29 -- Deadline for prior club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents
April 30 -- 80th Annual NFL Selection Meeting (aka "The Draft"); Roosevelt University, Chicago; 8 p.m. EST (Round One)
May 1 -- NFL Draft, Day Two, 7 p.m. (Rounds Two and Three)
May 2 -- NFL Draft, Day Three, noon (Rounds Four through Seven)
May 11 -- Rookie Football Development Program begins
May 18-20 -- NFL Spring League Meeting, San Francisco
May-June (dates TBA) -- Ravens' organized team activity practices (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp, Under Armour Performance Center
May 27-30 -- Ravens Summer Bash and Ravens Roost Convention and Parade, Ocean City, Md.
June 1 -- Final day tender offers can be made to unrestricted free agents for exclusive negotiating rights
June 15 -- Deadline for old teams to withdraw original qualifying offer to restricted free agents and maintain exclusive negotiating rights with submitted tender of 110 percent of previous year's salary
June 21-27 -- NFL Rookie Symposium; Aurora, Ohio
Mid-July (date TBA) -- NFL Supplemental Draft
July 15 -- Deadline for designated franchise free agents to sign multi-year extensions. After this date, players can sign only one-year contracts and cannot sign extensions until after the team's last regular-season game.
July 22 -- Veteran free-agent signing periods ends here, or first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later.
July 22 -- Signing period ends for unrestricted free agents to whom a June 1 offer was tendered and for transition players with outstanding tenders
Late July (date TBA) -- Ravens Training Camp Opens, Under Armour Performance Center (could be one week earlier if Ravens are selected to play in the Hall of Fame Game)
Aug. 8 -- Hall of Fame Class of 2015 Induction Ceremony; Tom Benson Stadium; Canton, Ohio; 6 p.m. (NFL Network)
Aug. 9 -- Hall of Fame Game; Tom Benson Stadium; Canton, Ohio; teams TBA; 8 p.m. (NBC)
Aug. 12 -- Deadline for under-contract players to report to earn a season of free-agency credit; unsigned rookies acquired in the draft that have not signed by this date may not be traded to another club in 2015
Aug. 13-15 -- First full preseason weekend
Aug. 20-22 -- Second full preseason weekend
Aug. 27-29 -- Third full preseason weekend
Sept. 1 -- Roster cutdown deadline to maximum of 75 players (4 p.m. EST)
Sept. 3 -- Final slate of preseason games
Sept. 5 -- Roster cutdown deadline to maximum of 53 players (6 p.m. EST)
Sept. 6 -- Teams may begin to establish eight-man practice squads at noon EST.
Sept. 10 -- 96th NFL Regular Season begins with Super Bowl XLIX champions hosting first regular-season game vs. team TBA, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Sept. 13-14 -- Kickoff Weekend: first Sunday-Monday regular-season games
Sept. 15 -- Players still on the active roster on this date after having played one regular-season game are guaranteed their full 2015 salary.
Oct. 11 – Week Five; Flex scheduling begins
Nov. 3 -- Trading period ends at 4 p.m. (EST)
Nov. 15 -- Signing deadline for unrestricted and restricted free agents who were tendered a qualifying offer before June 1; signing deadline for transition and franchise free agents who remained unsigned by another club
Dec. 31 -- Teams may begin signing their own free-agent players for the 2016 season
Jan. 3 -- Week 17; Final regular-season games
Jan. 9-10 -- Wild Card Weekend (ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox)
Jan. 16-17 -- Divisional Playoff Round (NBC, CBS, Fox)
Jan. 24 -- AFC Championship Game, teams TBA, 3 p.m. (CBS); NFC Championship Game, teams TBA, 6:40 p.m. (Fox)
Jan. 31 -- Pro Bowl; Aloha Stadium, Honolulu; 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 6 -- Announcement of Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2016, San Francisco
Feb. 7 – 50th Super Bowl; NFC champion vs. AFC champion; Levi's Stadium; Santa Clara, California; 6:30 p.m. (CBS)
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2015 STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
(listed from most difficult to easiest with 2015 opponents' win percentage in 2014)
1. Pittsburgh Steelers .579
2. St. Louis Rams .574
3. Cincinnati Bengals .563
T4. Arizona Cardinals .555
T4. Seattle Seahawks .555
T6. Oakland Raiders .545
T6. Kansas City Chiefs .545
8. Cleveland Browns .543
9. Denver Broncos .541
T10. Baltimore Ravens .539
T10. Minnesota Vikings .539
12. San Francisco 49ers .535
13. Chicago Bears .531
T14. Detroit Lions .527
T14. Green Bay Packers .527
16. San Diego Chargers .518
17. Miami Dolphins .492
18. New York Jets .488
19. Buffalo Bills .484
T20. Washington Redskins .477
T20. New England Patriots .477
T20. New York Giants .477
23. Philadelphia Eagles .473
24. Dallas Cowboys .467
25. Jacksonville Jaguars .463
26. Tennessee Titans .435
27. Carolina Panthers .434
28. New Orleans Saints .426
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers .422
30. Houston Texans .417
31. Indianapolis Colts .416
32. Atlanta Falcons .406
Joe Platania is in his 21st season covering professional football.