The Facts:
The Ravens have plenty of questions this offseason, one of them being how the organization plans to keep several of its 13 unrestricted free agents with little salary cap space. And could those plans include using the franchise tag to make sure Pitta, one of those free agents, stays in a Ravens uniform at least one more year?
Reported by the Baltimore Sun
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
As Sun staffer Jeff Zrebiec notes, the Ravens have shown a willingness to use the franchise tag, which essentially binds an unrestricted free agent to the team for at least one more year on a set salary. They’ve used it seven times in team history, most recently with running back Ray Rice (2012) and nose tackle Haloti Ngata (2011). In all but one of those instances, the designated franchise player has ultimately agreed to a long-term deal to stay with the team. Zrebiec went on to suggest that's obviously the hope with Pitta, whose importance to the offense and to QB Joe Flacco was never more evident than it was this season when the tight end missed the first 12 games after sustaining a dislocated and fractured right hip. Pitta returned and caught 20 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown in four games, and was targeted 33 times by Flacco. Pitta has good hands, superb athleticism and wide receiver-like route-running ability and the Ravens clearly don’t have another player on the roster that does what he does or Flacco trusts as much. In fact, all three of the tight ends on the 53-man roster to end the season are free agents, and Ed Dickson and Dallas Clark are unlikely to be back. Pitta, on the other hand, wants to stay in Baltimore. He and Flacco are best friends, and he’s extremely comfortable and fond of every aspect of being a Raven. However, that certainly doesn’t mean that he’ll take significantly less money on a contract extension to make it happen.
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