Ravens 2012 free agency update

Let's get you caught up on the Ravens offseason thus far. We went over the Ravens free agents last month. So far five Ravens players have signed with new teams. Those players are:

LB Jarrett Johnson (pictured)
The perennially underrated Johnson signed a four-year deal with the San Diego Chargers.

G Ben Grubbs
The pro-bowler and former first-round pick signed a five-year $36 million contract with the New Orleans Saints.

DE Cory Redding
As we speculated, Chuck Pagano wanted to bring some of his defensive players with him to Indianapolis. Redding signed a three-year $10.5 million deal with the Colts.

S Tom Zbikowski
Zbikowski also followed Pagano to Indy, signing a three-year deal as well.

S Haruki Nakamura
Nakamura signed a three-year contract with the Carolina Panthers.

The Ravens have only re-signed one of the unrestricted free agents thus far, C Matt Birk signed a three-year deal to remain in Baltimore.

Birk Named Walter Payton Man of the Year

Ravens center Matt Birk has been named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.

Each year, every NFL team selects one player for his distinguished work in the community, along with his excellence on the field. Each nominee receives $1,000 towards their respective charity. Birk was selected as one of the three finalists of the 32 nominees. The two finalists who are not selected as the winner earn $5,000. As the league-wide winner of the prestigious award, Birk will receive a $25,000 donation to his charity.

Birk has been a nominee seven times prior to this year, and was a finalist in 2008, but this is his first time winning the award.

The Harvard grad has not only been a force on the field for the Ravens, but has also immersed himself in the community since arriving in Baltimore in 2009. He used his H.I.K.E. Foundation (hope, inspiration, knowledge and education) as a platform to launch the "Ready, Set, Read!" campaign in the Baltimore area to encourage children to read at home, and has been an advocate for children's literacy programs.

Ravens Free Agent Analysis

Now that the Ravens season has ended, the team has 21 players who have expiring contracts and will become free agents.

Of the 21, 13 of those players will be unrestricted free agents, meaning that if the team and player do not reach an agreement on a new contract by March 13th, the player will be free to sign with any team. Players must have completed four or more accrued seasons to become UFAs.

Four players will be restricted free agents, in this case the Ravens can offer the player a tender, attached to a draft pick. The Ravens would have the option to match any offer another team makes to the player and retain his services. If they decline to match the offer, the Ravens would obtain the draft pick attached to the tender by means of the other teams forfeiture. RFAs have completed three accrued seasons in the league.

Four more players will be exclusive rights free agents, which, you guessed it, means the Ravens have exclusive rights to the player. Baltimore is the only team that can make them an offer, and if the player declines the offer, they will be released. These players have completed two or fewer seasons in the league.

Here's the complete list of Ravens free agents, and on the UFAs and RFAs we've included a 1-5 COR (chance of returning) scale, with 1 being as good as gone, and 5 being almost certain to stay.

Birk Is Ravens Walter Payton Man of the Year

Center Matt Birk has been named the Baltimore Ravens 2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year.

Each year, all 32 teams in the NFL select one player from their team for his distinguished work in the community along with his excellence on the field. Each nominee receives $1,000 towards their respective charity. The top three finalists will be named from the 32 nominees and will receive a $5,000 donation, and the winner will receive a $25,000 donation.

Birk was the Minnesota Vikings nominee seven times and was a finalist in 2008. The Harvard grad has immersed himself in the community since arriving in Baltimore in 2009. He used his H.I.K.E. Foundation (hope, inspiration, knowledge and education) as a platform to launch the "Ready, Set, Read!" campaign in the Baltimore area to encourage children to read at home, and has been an advocate for children's literacy programs.