Ravens Increasing Ticket Prices; NFL Franchise Notes

The Ravens will increase ticket prices for ’07, with club seats increasing by $25 per game, lower-level seats by $20 and upper-level seats by $10, according to Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore SUN. The average ticket will cost $82.14, up from last season’s $66.14. In a letter to season-ticket holders, the Ravens said that they “need their average ticket price to be in the top half of the NFL to stay competitive.” The team last season ranked 18th out of 32 teams. The Ravens, who “typically raise their ticket prices every two years, announced that they will keep the figures the same for the 2008 season” (Baltimore SUN, 2/3).

Kraft Says Patriots Will Spend To The Salary Cap In ‘07

PATRIOTS: Patriots Owner Robert Kraft “guaranteed the team will spend to the salary cap” in ’07. Kraft: “We’re not one of those teams that puts the money in our pockets. We’re committed to spending.” In Boston, John Tomase noted the Patriots began the ’06 season with “roughly $10[M] in cap space, the result of failed contract negotiations with [CB] Ty Law and [WR] Deion Branch.” When those players left, the Pats “went to Plan B, spreading their money around.” The Pats “could have as much as $30[M] in salary cap space” next season. Kraft: “We’re different than some teams. We’re not just planning for this year. We’re trying to be good for a number of years” (BOSTON HERALD, 2/3).

FALCONS: Falcons Owner Arthur Blank said that he “recently met privately with [QB] Michael Vick in part to discuss the recent water bottle incident.” Blank said that there would be “no disciplinary measures by the league or team, and he said the behavior policy that’s already in place with the team is enough.” Meanwhile, Blank said that the Falcons would be “judicious in free agency and fortify the roster through the draft” this offseason. He added that the team, which will enter free agency about $10M under the cap, “is taking this approach philosophically, not as a cost-cutting measure” (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/3).

DOLPHINS: Dolphins Owner Wayne Huizenga is vowing a “hard-line approach” to dealing with rookie holdouts. Huizenga: “I’m telling you — mark my words — if that guy is not in camp on the first day, he will sit out for the year. The Dolphins are going to take a stand. We are not going to pay some guy a whole bunch of money and he comes in five weeks late.” In Miami, Barry Jackson wrote Huizenga “insists it’s no idle threat,” but the “problem is, no agent would believe Huizenga’s threat” (MIAMI HERALD, 2/4).

JAGUARS: Jaguars Senior VP/Stadium Operations & CFO Bill Prescott said of the team’s financial status, “We have the resources to invest in the players to field a competitive football team. ... But we need to grow our local revenue sources. We need to keep our club seats filled, our regular seats filled and we need to be competitive in attracting sponsorship dollars. At the league level, we need the appropriate revenue sharing” (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 2/3).