"The Baltimore Ravens were built to win now, which is why it's no surprise the team is running into contract issues. Beginning this offseason, the Ravens will have several core players seeking big-money deals within the next year.

Starting quarterback Joe Flacco brought the issue to the forefront this past weekend when he expressed disappointment with playing out the fourth year of his rookie contract in 2011. Flacco, who is signed for two more years, led Baltimore to three consecutive playoff appearances and set career highs in yards (3,622), touchdowns (25) and passer rating (93.6) last season. It's understandable that Flacco has his sights set on a new deal. But looking at Baltimore's big picture, it's also easy to see why the team wants to wait until 2012.

This year alone, the Ravens have to re-sign one of the biggest free agents available in Pro Bowl defensive lineman Haloti Ngata. He was given the franchise tag, but it's unknown if the tag will stick when the new collective bargaining agreement is reached. Either way, the Ravens plan to make Ngata one of the highest-paid players at his position. That will not leave much for the team to hand out big-money deals to outside free agents, let alone Flacco. "