Who will be the next Raven to get a contract extension?

The Baltimore Ravens have built themselves a reputation as a franchise that takes care of its own players. Part of the way the Ravens do so is to extend the players which they draft and develop over several years time.

Contract extensions are often doled out to the star players upon which they would like to build the team, while ancillary players that produce but aren't franchise players by their measures are allowed to leave. Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome is somewhat selective when it comes to whom he likes to extend, so with that in mind, Baltimore Beatdown would to try and identify who that might be.

The obvious short term answer is kicker Justin Tucker.  Tucker, one of the best kickers in the NFL, is currently designated to play the 2016 season under the franchise tag.  However, he has conceded that is quite likely that he and the front office will come to a long-term agreement prior to the July 15th franchise tag deadline.

Beyond Tucker, there are a few other candidates that the Ravens could consider.

One of these candidates is right tackle Rick Wagner, whose contract will up by next season.  Wagner has been somewhat up and down in his two years as a starter, but it is hard to argue that he has outplayed his status as a fifth-round pick up to this point.  At the moment, the Ravens could likely go either way on Wagner, and the size of his next contract will depend largely on how he performs in the 2016 season.

The next candidate to receive a long-term contract is the one who is probably the most likely to receive a big money deal. That is nose tackle Brandon Williams, a 2013 third round pick, who is widely recognized as one of the best at his position across the entire league.  A blue chip player like this is a quintessential Ozzie Newsome type draft pick and the exact type of player that he seeks to extend long-term sooner rather than later.

Who do you think will be the next Raven to be awarded a long-term extension?  Let us know in the comments below.