[News] Justin Tucker 'Optimistic' About Deal With Ravens

[BR News]

One of the Ravens’ biggest unrestricted free agents ‘definitely’ wants to stay in Baltimore.

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[boldtown]

...like tucker, but over $4.5 mil a year for a kicker? doesn't sound like something the ravens will pay. i can see the ravens paying about $3 mil. a year. there are a few good kickers available in the draft if a deal can not get done. tucker in another uniform is hard to imagine...

[The Greek]

i do not see him going anywhere but how much is too much for a kicker. he is definitely one of the few game changing kickers but you cannot handcuff your roster by paying him a ridiculous amount.

[NCMan]

I like Tucker, also. However, paying that ridiculous salary for a kicker is crazy. I know, I know, people are going to neg like crazy. Too bad. The same people will be whining next year (count on it)as they watch, as always, some really good players waltz out the door because of "salary cap issues". This team has signed it's share of bad contracts through the years w/dead money ashes to show for it. Then we have to "settle" for over the hill rejects from other teams. Count on more of that, also. We can't sign them all, folks!!

[757RavensFan]

Not trying to imply that Tucker will leave, but for the most part everyone was pretty "Optimistic" that Ngata was going to re-sign as well. Business happens.

Edited January 4, 2016 by 757RavensFan

[n#7]

Tucker must be re-upped. When rebuilding a team has to start out on a solid foundation and aside from Joe, the Tuckman is that foundation.

[bmoraven]

J Tuck will be back. He had a solid season, but didn't light it up like some players do on their big payday season.

[ellicottraven]

I think he deserves to be paid top 5 kicker money or the average of top 5 money as an extension for sure. Not sure if we can afford to make him the highest paid kicker considering his performance and huge misses this year. But, he is an integral part of our team and hope he gets resigned at a fair price. We are in Cap hell already and can't afford highest paid players at all positions.

[The Mom Gene]

We need a Hashtag... #KeepTuck9

[ALPHA]

Pay the man, at least he showed up this season.

[FloridalovesRavens]

We need consistency in some positions so let's get him signed quickly and move on to the next one. Looking forward to draft.

[WNC-Raven]

If he wants 4.5 million a year I would rather put that $$ towards a pro bowl receiver and score more touchdowns with less of a need for FG's.

[ellicottraven]

I truly believe the Ravens will offer him a fair contract and it will be up to Tucker to accept it or move on. I don't know if the franchise tag may be something they use on him absolutely.

[descent into the maelstrom]

We beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl by 3 points with a kicker who was perfect under that pressure. The previous year, we lost the AFC Championship game because our kicker couldn't hit from 32 yards under pressure. We beat the Steelers this year in our first meeting only because our kicker was far superior to theirs. Tucker has hit from 61 yards to win the game with that pressure on him. Kickers are missing more extra points than ever while Tucker has been perfect. I could go on and on. I think those who think he is not worth the money to keep either have zero memory or have no clue how crucial a great kicker can be to a team's success.

[Ravensfan4life2010]

We cannot afford to pay him 4.5mil/year it is impossible for our team that has glaring needs on defense and in offense. If we cannot resign him there are some college kickers out there that are solid, remember Justin Tucker came out of nowhere.

[ravens4life86]

@Ravensfans4life2010... Tucker is going nowhere. Whether it be a longterm extensiom or Franchise tag which it low for kickers. You dont just thriw away best kickers in nfl. And if you dont agree, im sure plenty of others do.

Secondly, I just looked on Overthecap, at Ravens 2016 situation ragarding possible cap casualties and where they can save money.

The 2 biggest players they can save money on would be Monroe and Pitta. To maximize savings both would have to be Post June 1 cuts, because that knocks Dead money down to 2 million for each player, and cap savings of 11 million total. 5 million for 1, and almost 6mil in savings for other.

Webb isnt really Cap friendly because if you Cut him before June 1, its 6 mil dead money...after June 1 its still 4 mil dead money..

[ravens4life86]

So if the Ravens cut Pitts and Monroe, post june 1..only take a 4 million dead money hit.. save about 11 million.. Flacco Rescructures... down to a team friendly cap hit of 15-18 mil avg.. Ravens should have plenty of cap space

[cobrajet]

I hope the two sides come to a fair and reasonable agreement.

[MTRavensFan]

Tucker =points=money. Pay the man.

[budkretz]

Tucker will be a Raven next year and the years to come. Along with Morgan Cox and Sam Koch, Tucker gives the Ravens the best special teams squad in the league. Period!!! Ozzie may have missed on a couple draft picks lately but he won't let Tucker get even near the door. The franchise tag will be used if we can't get him to do a five year deal at about $4 mil per season. How many games has he won for us and when hasn't the other team started anywhere other than the 20. If we can find a real good return man we'd be set at special teams for the next few years (Clay is okay but not elite. best of all he doesn't fumble)

[LNB]

Tucker =points=money. Pay the man.

I second that.  And pay him well.  What did Joe say during the first Steelers' game this year - "send Justin in and let him win this thing so we can go home".  

[LNB]

We beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl by 3 points with a kicker who was perfect under that pressure. The previous year, we lost the AFC Championship game because our kicker couldn't hit from 32 yards under pressure. We beat the Steelers this year in our first meeting only because our kicker was far superior to theirs. Tucker has hit from 61 yards to win the game with that pressure on him. Kickers are missing more extra points than ever while Tucker has been perfect. I could go on and on. I think those who think he is not worth the money to keep either have zero memory or have no clue how crucial a great kicker can be to a team's success.

Or they could be Steelers fans trolling our website.  That makes about as much sense as saying Tucker isn't worth the money!

[LNB]

We have so many question marks going into next year: Joe's knee, receiving corps, can the defense learn to play all 4 quarters in a game and not konk out halfway through. But the one thing that is rock solid is the Wolf Pack. Koch, Cox, and Tucker are always dialed in and on the money. They push themselves to do more. Our FO would have to be nuts to ruin the one part of the team that currently has nothing wrong with it!!

[OzzieBisciotti]

I hope we can keep Tuck, but I'm not sure we can afford it considering all the holes we have on this team. I'm not sure if his agent wants #1 money, but if so, then I say we let him walk. Top 3-5 money is more reasonable, considering that he wasn't as automatic in his contract year. We let Torrey and Pernell go last year, so it wouldn't be a surprise if we let Tuck go- personally, and as much as I like Tuck, I think we can find another reliable kicker (draft one if needed) at a fraction of the cost. If we were stacked and winning and had money to burn, at all costs should we keep Tuck, but at this point, we have way too many holes to fill, and I think saving this money would be in our best interests.

[Crusader]

Tucker is the only guy on the Ravens that has a pesonality that makes you laugh. Tucker and Suggs are the two players I hope stay with the Ravens next year.

[Space11jams]

It's no way Tucker walks in FA.....it's no reason Ozzie does not strike a deal with that man

[Fastynart]

I like Tucker, but I am beginning to worry. Seeing him miss field goals constantly to the right is more than just missing them. It appears as if he is not getting behind them and they are drifting. Whether he is injured or not no one is saying, but it is alarming. Even the field goal he made against the Bengals was hit too high and barely made it over the goalposts. The Ravnes cannot afford to pay him ridiculous money so they must either franchise him, work out a reasonable deal, or say good bye.

[777Tarheel]

Ravens: Don't even think about not signing Tucker....ggggrrrrrr

[OUravensfan]

Since we all experienced Billy Cundiff, I think we know the importance of a kicker that is money.

[OUravensfan]

Or they could be Steelers fans trolling our website. That makes about as much sense as saying Tucker isn't worth the money!

Remember when Haushka (sp?) was going through a mechanical glitch where he hooked everything and it cost us an epic comeback against Brett Favre and the Vikings, and yea Billy Cundiff essentially ends this debate.

I'll never forget that night.