Ravens extend Chuck Clark: 3 big things to think about

2. This continues a trend:

Last offseason the Ravens made deals with Tavon Young and Nick Boyle. Under Eric DeCosta the Ravens like to give contract extensions to their players. This is especially true of the players that they drafted, developed and allowed to become important pieces of the roster. That’s what Young, Boyle and Clark all have in common. They were day three draft picks, players who other teams ignored or passed up too many times. They were all players who exceeded the value of their draft stock. Every team loses free agents, but DeCosta isn’t about losing home grown talent to free agency. With these three players he never even let free agency become a problem.

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Making a deal like this gives the Ravens a day’s worth of headlines and then everybody forgets about it. While the Ravens may have more pressing things on their hands, deals like the one Clark just got help the team. The Ravens were able to identify a player they didn’t want to lose. Moves like this aren’t about making a big splash or owning the offseason (Looking at you Cleveland Browns). Moves like this are about keeping a good thing good and rewarding a player that the team values.

If and when the Ravens sign an extension with a player like Ronnie Stanley or Matt Judon, it will make a much bigger buzz. Stanley is a building block of the organization, a franchise left tackle. Judon is a big name at a premium position. Clark is a safety that may not have big name recognition out of Baltimore. He’s an under the radar star in the making and the Ravens jumped at the opportunity to keep him in Baltimore for a good chunk of time.