Ravens sign Justin Tucker to long-term deal

The Baltimore Ravens will keep prolific kicker Justin Tucker in Baltimore.

In an age where kicking is becoming harder and harder, the Ravens decide to pay their excellent kicker Justin Tucker and keep him around.

The Ravens beat the clock by less than an hour to keep Tucker in Baltimore. The details of his extension are unknown as of right now. The last time the Ravens faced a deadline, they signed now-disgraced running back Ray Rice with less than 10 minutes to go.

Tucker had reportedly grown disillusioned with the Ravens after contract negotiations turned south, and was likely headed out of Baltimore if a deal could not be struck at 4 PM today.  In a year where teams seem to be low-balling key members, the Raven couldn’t afford to lose Tucker this late into negotiations.

You might find yourself asking, “why are the Ravens spending money on a kicker?” Well, the answer is simple. The NFL’s new regulations on extra points has made finding accurate kickers at the forefront of franchise’s minds, and Tucker is one of the best.

He’s connected on 87.8 percent of his field goals throughout his career and made four kicks of beyond 50 yards just last season, with 18 on his career. He only missed two extra points in the new, more difficult format.

The Ravens weren’t likely to find anyone better, so they were forced to pay Tucker or risk not having a starting kicker.

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