Baltimore Ravens Early Offseason Plans: Retain Koch, McClain,and Gaither

The Baltimore Ravens offseason officially began this week, after the New Orleans Saints won this year's Super Bowl.

After reaching the playoffs, and receiving a second round exit by the Indianapolis Colts, many questions began to rise within the Ravens front office as to what upgrades will be made through the draft or free agency.

However, before free agency starts on March 5th, Baltimore must focus on three specific guys on the roster: Le'Ron McClain, Sam Koch, and .

Both McClain and Koch could be potential free agents, and seem as if they want to return to the 'Crabcake" city.

McClain has proved to become one of the better fullbacks in the league, making two straight appearances in the Pro-Bowl at that position. Le'Ron has fit the mold of what the Ravens want to do running the ball, and has been used in the right way for the past two seasons.

On the other hand, we have Sam Koch, one of the more underrated punters in the game. Koch has been within the top 10 for the past few years now in punt yardage, especially within the 20 yard line.

With the uncapped year, the talk begins with the potential biggest free agents on this team. Surely one of them may get the franchise tag if a deal can't be reached to Ozzie Newsome's liking.

While you may think McClain may automatically be up for the franchise tag, don't be surprised if you actually see a punter get some additional money.

Overall, my thinking is both will be in a Ravens uniform next season. Both love the team and the city to much, and Ozzie will put together an agreement that will satisfy all parties.

The Ravens also need to make Jared Gaither a top priority this offseason. A gem that was found a few years ago within the NFL Draft, Gaither has developed so well he has been the starting left tackle for this young offensive line.

With the addition of rookie Michael Oher,who made a great impact in his rookie season, it can become a complicated situation if Gaither can't return at a fair price.

In the event Gaither doesn't return, the front office will probably continue to do one of the better jobs in the NFL at developing talent.

Gaither is a young, proven tackle who will be fresh from the offseason.

If the Ravens are one piece or two away from being a Super Bowl contender, their first priority must be to bring all three of these guys back, who will make a positive impact on the 2010-2011 NFL season.

Matt Miselis is an NFL writer for BleacherReport.com. He is also a Featured Columnist for the Baltimore Ravens. Follow him on twitter: twitter.com/MattMiselis