The Ravens are expected to cut running back Willis McGahee this offseason. According to a source, Baltimore plans to make the move because the reserve will make $6 million next season. When asked about McGahee's future, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said that no players would be cut before the current collective bargaining agreement expires on March 3. McGahee signed a seven-year deal with Baltimore in 2007. He is under contract for 2011, but 2012 ($6.5 million base salary) and 2013 ($7.2 million) are option years.

Sergio Kindle is hoping his NFL career will begin for real next season. He missed his rookie season with the team because of a hairline skull fracture suffered before training camp. "It's going well," Kindle said, "I'm just preparing for whenever this lockout issue is settled so when we do go back I'll be prepared and ready to go." Three days before camp started he fell down two flights of stairs at a friend's house, fracturing his skull. He was not under contract and was signed to a one-year, $320,000 deal before spending the year on injured reserve.

The Ravens have elected to apply the franchise tag to defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, the team announced Tuesday. Ngata registered 65 tackles and was second on the team with a career-high 5? sacks in 2010. "The tender allows us to secure Haloti as a Raven right now," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said. "As we have said, our intention is to enter into a long-term contract with him. We want him to be a Raven."

Jared Gaither wants to remain with the Ravens, but his status remains up in the air. He isn't sure if he'll be a restricted or unrestricted free agent this offseason. "I have no control over that, and I just hope everything gets worked out," Gaither told the National Football Post in a telephone interview. "However that works out, if they do tender me or don?t, there?s not that much I can do about that. I?m prepared for anything. You just don?t know what?s going to happen. "It was an unfortunate injury. It kind of took me for a whirlwind. I?m really looking forward to the season. This was just another bump in the road. I hope I?m with the Baltimore Ravens and I?ll come back even stronger next year."

The Ravens have agreed to a contract extension with head coach John Harbaugh. Harbaugh's contract, a $12 million deal, is through the 2014 season, according to a source. Since his original contract was through 2011, it's a three-year extension at $4 million per year. "This is much appreciated and I am thankful to Steve [Bisciotti]," Harbaugh said. "I want to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him, Ozzie [Newsome], Dick [Cass], our players and everyone else in the organization as we work to bring championships to Baltimore. We have a lot of great people who are Ravens. I'm proud to be part of this. We all push each other and pull together. I said it when I came here: 'It's about the team.' And, we plan to be a championship team."

The Ravens have signed wide receiver Brandon Jones. Jones, 28, sat out last season after being released by the Seahawks during the final round of cuts. He's the seventh receiver on the roster whose rights are owned by the Ravens. His best season came in 2008 when he made 41 receptions for 449 yards and a touchdown. Jones had just one catch the following season in San Francisco before heading to Seattle.

The Ravens signed defensive back Marcus Paschal. Paschal, 26, spent time with the Ravens in 2009, starting in two games. He was an undrafted free agent out of Iowa in 2007, when the Eagles picked him up.

Ravens center Matt Birk, who had to have one of his knees drained every week this past season, told coach John Harbaugh this week that he plans to return next season. "I told them I would be good to go," Birk told The Baltimore Sun. The six-time Pro Bowl selection has not missed a game during his two seasons in Baltimore despite battling knee, neck and elbow injuries. He has a year remaining on his contract.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has refuted a Baltimore Sun report that players were upset with increased playoff practice time and threatened to complain to the union about it. In fact, Newsome said coach John Harbaugh actually started reducing practice time in November to keep his players fresh. "I am here for every practice, year-round, and John informs me about the structure of practices, including length and repetitions," Newsome said. "I know practices were shorter, not only the week of the Steelers playoff game, but the weeks before, through our successful run to the postseason in December. The coaches made sure the players were ready to play at their best by gameday."

In the week leading up to Baltimore's playoff game with Pittsburgh, a number of Ravens players were upset by coach John Harbaugh's lengthy practices, according to The Baltimore Sun. The Sun reports that Harbaugh and his players forged an agreement about practice time in the days before their game at Heinz Field, but only after growing tension led some players to threaten contact with the union and the media over limited rest time. The Ravens fell to the Steelers 31-24 after leading 21-7 at half.