EASIER SCHEDULE, NOT MANY FREE AGENTS ARE POSITIVE SIGNS
The Ravens may have missed the playoffs for the second time in three years, but the looming offseason does have a few encouraging signs:
- Next year's travel schedule won't be nearly as arduous. Since the Ravens are playing the AFC East and NFC East, according to the schedule rotation, they will be playing 15-of-16 games in the Eastern time zone, the exception being a trip to Dallas. The 2015 season featured three West Coast road games and another in Denver; it was tied for the 10th-toughest in the league. Next year, the schedule is tied with Houston's for the 19th-toughest.
- The free-agent class, principally the one consisting of unrestricted players, is rather small. Thanks to a few pre- and in-season deals -- most notably the Marshal Yanda extension -- the biggest names to go on the market in March include kicker Justin Tucker, guard Kelechi Osemele and linebacker Courtney Upshaw. Also on the list are backup quarterbacks Matt Schaub and Jimmy Clausen.
- Currently, the Ravens hold six draft picks, including none in the fifth and seventh rounds pending the assignment of a conditional pick from San Francisco after the September trade of center Nick Easton. That is the second-lowest number in the draft, bottomed only by the five each for Atlanta and Dallas. However, the Ravens are sure to get at least three compensatory picks at the scouting combine in February.
Here is your Ravens guide to the offseason, complete with their list of free agents, 2016 opponents, the first-round draft order, the leaguewide calendar and the 2016 schedule-strength standings.
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Ravens 2016 Free-Agent Class
(free-agent signing period starts when new league year begins March 15)
Unrestricted Free Agents (10)
(four or more years experience, can sign with another team with no compensation to the Ravens; years of experience in parentheses)
QB Jimmy Clausen (6), LS Morgan Cox (6), LB Chris Carter (5), WR Chris Givens (4), LB Albert McClellan (5), G Kelechi Osemele (4), QB Matt Schaub (12), K Justin Tucker (4), LB Courtney Upshaw (4), CB Shareece Wright (5)
Restricted Free Agents (6)
(three years experience, can be tendered offer sheet by other club until April 22, Ravens would have seven days to match)
WR Kamar Aiken, WR Marlon Brown, TE Chase Ford, LB Zachary Orr, TE Allen Reisner, S Brynden Trawick
Exclusive-Rights Free Agents (13)
(two years or less experience, player has no negotiating leverage)
WR Daniel Brown, WR Jerome Butler, WR-RS Kaelin Clay, G-C Ryan Jensen, RB Terrence Magee, WR Chris Matthews, CB Sheldon Price, DT Micajah Reynolds, TE Konrad Reuland, CB Jumal Rolle, T De'Ondre Wesley, RB Terrance West, DB Jerome Whitehead
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2016 Ravens Opponents
(Dates, kickoff times and TV networks to be released in April)
Home: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, Buffalo, Washington, Philadelphia, Oakland (placement game)
Away: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, New England, New York Jets, New York Giants, Dallas, Jacksonville (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 2015, the third straight year they have finished in that spot. … 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 in the coming year. The Ravens are playing the entire AFC East and NFC East in 2016. … The Ravens will have seven games against teams with winning records in 2015, as well as six games against playoff teams: two each against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, as well as Washington and New England.
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2016 First-Round Non-Playoff Team Draft Order
(team, 2015 record and opponents' 2015 win percentage; ties determined by weaker schedule strength; order of positions 21-32 to be finalized by playoff results; Super Bowl winner to pick at No. 32)
1. Tennessee Titans: 3-13 overall record (.492 strength of schedule)
2. Cleveland Browns: 3-13 (.531)
3. San Diego Chargers: 4-12 (.527)
4. Dallas Cowboys: 4-12 (.531)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-11 (.473)
6. Baltimore Ravens: 5-11 (.508)
7. San Francisco 49ers: 5-11 (.539)
8. Miami Dolphins: 6-10 (.469)
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-10 (.484)
10. New York Giants: 6-10 (.500)
11. Chicago Bears: 6-10 (.548)
12. New Orleans Saints: 7-9 (.504)
13. Philadelphia Eagles: 7-9 (.508)
14. Oakland Raiders: 7-9 (.512)
15. St. Louis Rams: 7-9 (.528)
16. Detroit Lions: 7-9 (.536)
17. Atlanta Falcons: 8-8 (.478)
18. Indianapolis Colts: 8-8 (.500)
19. Buffalo Bills: 8-8 (.508)
20. New York Jets: 10-6 (.441)
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2016-17 Ravens/NFL Calendar
(dates, times of events subject to change)
Jan. 7 -- "State Of The Ravens" press conference featuring majority owner Steve Bisciotti, Under Armour Performance Center
Jan. 12-13 -- Special NFL Owners' Meeting to determine Los Angeles relocation candidates
Jan. 18 -- Deadline to declare for early-entry draft eligibility
Jan. 23 -- East-West Shrine Game, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Jan. 30 -- Senior Bowl, Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
Feb. 1 -- Waiver system begins for 2016
Feb. 22 -- First day to designate franchise or transition players
Feb. 23-29 -- NFL Combine Timing and Testing, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
March 7 -- Deadline for clubs to designate franchise and transition players (4 p.m.)
March 12-15 -- 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 15 -- Before 4 p.m., clubs must exercise options for 2016 on all players who have option clauses in their 2015 contracts.
March 15 -- Before 4 p.m., 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 15 -- Before 4 p.m., clubs must submit a minimum salary offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2015 contracts and who have fewer than three seasons of free agency credit.
March 15 -- All 2015 player contracts will expire at 4 p.m. All clubs must have their top 51 players under the salary cap before 4 p.m., and the 2016 league year, trading and free agency period begin at 4 p.m.
March 20-23 -- Annual League Meeting; Boca Raton, Fla.
April 18 -- Ravens offseason conditioning program beings, Under Armour Performance Center
Mid- to late April -- NFL Regular-Season Schedule Released
April 22 -- Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets
April 27 -- Deadline for prior club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents
April 28 -- NFL Draft; Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University, Chicago; 8 p.m. (Round One)
April 29 -- NFL Draft, Day Two, 7 p.m. (Rounds Two and Three)
April 30 -- NFL Draft, Day Three, noon (Rounds Four through Seven)
May 9 -- Rookie Football Development Program begins
May 23-25 -- NFL Spring League Meeting, Charlotte, N.C.
May-June (dates TBA) -- Ravens' organized team activity practices and mandatory minicamp, Under Armour Performance Center
June 1 -- Final day tender offers can be made to unrestricted free agents for exclusive negotiating rights
June 2-4 -- Ravens Summer Bash, Ravens Roost Convention and Parade, Ocean City, Md.
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 19-25 -- 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 mid-July if Ravens are selected to play in the Hall of Fame Game)
Aug. 6 -- Hall of Fame Class of 2016 Induction Ceremony; Tom Benson Stadium; Canton, Ohio; 6 p.m. (NFL Network)
Aug. 7 -- 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 2016
Aug. 11-14 -- First preseason weekend
Aug. 18-21 -- Second preseason weekend
Aug. 25-28 -- Third preseason weekend
Aug. 30 -- Roster cutdown deadline to maximum of 75 players (4 p.m.)
Sept. 1 -- Final slate of preseason games
Sept. 3 -- Roster cutdown deadline to maximum of 53 players (6 p.m.)
Sept. 4 -- Teams may begin to establish 10-man practice squads at noon.
Sept. 8 -- 97th NFL Regular Season begins with Super Bowl 50 champions hosting first regular-season game vs. opponent TBA, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Sept. 11-12 -- Kickoff Weekend: first Sunday-Monday regular-season games
Sept. 13 -- Players still on the active roster on this date after having been on the roster for one regular-season game are guaranteed their full 2016 salary.
Oct. 9 -- Week Five; flex scheduling begins
Nov. 1 -- Trading period ends at 4 p.m.
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 2017 season
Jan. 1 -- Week 17; final regular-season games
Jan. 7-8 -- Wild Card Weekend (ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox)
Jan. 14-15 -- Divisional Playoff Round (NBC, CBS, Fox)
Jan. 22 -- NFC Championship Game, 3 p.m. (Fox); AFC Championship Game, 6:40 p.m. (CBS)
Jan. 29 -- Pro Bowl; Aloha Stadium, Honolulu; 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 4 -- Announcement of Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2017, Houston
Feb. 5 -- Super Bowl LI; AFC champion vs. NFC champion; NRG Stadium; Houston; 6:30 p.m. (Fox)
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2016 Strength Of Schedule
(listed from most difficult to easiest with 2016 opponents' win percentage in 2015)
T1. Atlanta Falcons .554
T1. San Francisco 49ers .554
3. St. Louis Rams .550
4. New Orleans Saints .546
T5. Seattle Seahawks .542
T5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers .542
7. Buffalo Bills .535
T8. New York Jets .531
T8. Arizona Cardinals .531
10. New England Patriots .523
11. Miami Dolphins .515
12. Carolina Panthers .511
13. San Diego Chargers .507
14. Denver Broncos .503
15. Oakland Raiders .500
16. Kansas City Chiefs .496
17. Washington Redskins .492
18. Minnesota Vikings .488
T19. Baltimore Ravens .484
T19. Houston Texans .484
21. Cleveland Browns .480
22. Indianapolis Colts .476
T23. Jacksonville Jaguars .472
T23. Tennessee Titans .472
T23. Pittsburgh Steelers .472
26. Philadelphia Eagles .468
T27. Cincinnati Bengals .464
T27. Dallas Cowboys .464
T27. Detroit Lions .464
30. Chicago Bears .460
31. New York Giants .460
32. Green Bay Packers .457