Suggs Named Defensive Player of the Year

OLB Terrell Suggs has just been awarded one of the most prestigious awards in the NFL. Suggs has been named the AP 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Suggs nabbed 21 of the 50 votes, the next closest player was Minnesota's Jared Allen with 14.

It was a career year for Suggs. He totaled a career-high 14 sacks and 7 forced fumbles, and also added  two interceptions. The sack totals are especially impressive considering the team didn't have another legitamite pass rusher, so opposing teams frequently keyed on Suggs.

Although Suggs would surely rather this season ended with a Super Bowl berth, the DPOY award is a long-awaited and well-deserved honor. He joins Ed Reed (2004) and Ray Lewis (2000, 2003) as other members of the Ravens defense who have previously earned the award.

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 Hire Martindale to Coach ILBs

The Baltimore Ravens have filled the vacancy left at inside linebackers coach when Dean Pees was elevated to defensive coordinator. The team announced Wednesday they have hired former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale as their new inside linebackers coach.

Martindale did not coach in the NFL last season, but was the defensive coordinator for the Broncos in 2010. Prior to that he coached the linebackers for the Broncos in 2009, and the linebackers for the Oakland Raiders from 2004-2008.

"He’s known for his hard work, intelligence and thorough teaching, and his players have always responded well to his coaching," Head coach John Harbaugh said of Martindale. "He’ll earn the respect of our players. I’m confident about that."

Ravens lose Maalouf, Anderson to Colts

When Chuck Pagano left the Ravens to become head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, it meant the Ravens would probably lose at least an assistant coach or two with him. Head coaches typically like to bring people they're familiar with when taking on a new job.

It has now been confirmed that Ravens assistant coaches Marwan Maalouf and Roy Anderson are joining Pagano in Indianapolis.

Maalouf has been an assistant special teams coach for the last four years in Baltimore. Anderson has been with the Ravens for seven years, originally starting in the personnel department, and most recently assisted with coaching the secondary.

Maalouf will be the special teams coordinator in Indy, and Anderson will coach the safeties.

Ravens Hire Caldwell as QB Coach

On Monday the Ravens officially announced former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell as the teams new quarterbacks coach.

Caldwell was the Colts head coach for the past three seasons, and even made an appearance in Super Bowl XLIV, but he was fired after this years 2-14 debacle. Prior to being the head coach in Indianapolis, he was the Colts quarterbacks coach from 2002-2008.

The Ravens went without a QB coach this past season, instead opting for offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to lend additional attention to the position. This move frees Cameron up to focus on other areas of the offense, and Joe Flacco should only benefit from the presence of Peyton Manning's former tutor.

"I am really excited to work with Coach Harbaugh, Cam and the rest of the coaching staff," Caldwell said in a statement released by the team. "It's a great fit for me, and I'm happy they saw it that way. I can't wait to get started with the Ravens, an organization that from top to bottom is one of the NFL's best. I'm looking forward to coming to Baltimore."

This looks like a great fit for both parties. The Ravens needed to add an experienced quarterbacks coach, and Caldwell returns to a coaching position that he excels at.

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.

Ravens Sign Two to Reserve/Future Contracts

The Ravens announced today they have signed two players to reserve/future contracts. C/G Howard Barbieri and LB Cody Glenn (pictured).

Barbieri went undrafted out of Rutgers this past year and spent his rookie season on the Texans practice squad.

Glenn was a fifth-round pick of the Redskins in the 2009, but was cut after training camp of that year. He was then claimed by the Colts, where he remained until being waived/injured this past November.

Barbieri and Glenn join seven other players who the Ravens signed to reserve/future contracts. The rest are:

C/G Cecil Newton (you may know his younger brother Cam)
WR Rodney Bradley
WR Phillip Livas
WR Paul Williams
RB Damien Berry
TE Davon Drew
DT Bryan Hall