ravensdfan

When are you not disgusted? Seriously, it's old. I love Boldin but he's an aging WR who couldn't get separation to save his life last season playing versus #2 CBs because Torrey commanded the #1 coverage. I wish he could have finished his contract here. It wasn't to be. Either they are going to pay Ellerbe more than he's worth or they have their eye on someone in FA. We'll know soon enough.

Hello voice of reason. How are you this evening? lol Good grief. This is probably the biggest chicken little thread I've read since joining this site 3 years ago. We have a lot of talent at the WR position. I figure JJ will take over #2 until or unless one of them shines in pre-season and TC and earns it. I heard someone talk about JJ's hands and how he isn't a #2, really? I disagree. I think he'll be fine at #2. He balled out this post season too you know. Doss, Streeter, Williams....one of them will earn the #3 spot. I do believe there were mentions how JJ stole that spot from all of them at the beginning of this season. The truth is, Ozzie pulled one out of his butt on this trade. We were going to cut him people. That means zero, zip, nada for us. This way we have another draft pick. Plus it insured he doesn't wind up in the AFC. We're talking about someone who was only going to be here for another season. Yes, he's a fan favorite. Yes, we all loved him. Yes, it is sad to see him go. But it isn't the sky is falling.

Our defense was horrid. The only good thing to be said about them this season was that they stepped it up in the red zone. You can say it was injuries, you can say that the officials picked on us, whatever you like, but they were bad. They let Charlie Batch march down the field and eat up the clock doing it for a loss. Sure, they had a great goal line stand in the SB to win it, but you can't ignore the fact that they allowed a 2nd year phenom to march his team down the field in the final minutes of the SB to even be put in that position.

I agree he does not get separation against good CBs but he makes up for it with his grabs and Flacco trusts him to fight for the ball and puts it where only Q can go up and get it. The point is we do not have a solid history of drafting WRs. We do draft well for lineman. One more season with Boldin gives our receiving corps time to develop and step up. And this is all I'm saying. I'm not willing to sacrifice Boldin for a position where we have a solid history of drafting well. Sure, our defense might suffer some but we've seen the offense is ready without the hindrance of Cam to carry more of the load.

Oh come now. You know he wasn't being utilized correctly by Cam. We sat here week after week after week for those 3 seasons talking about it. Bye Cam and bring in someone who knows how to use our players' strengths and voila! Suddenly not only Flacco but the offense as a unit has stepped it up. It isn't a coincidence. We're talking about a $7 mil cap hit for one season to keep Boldin's veteran leadership and ability to fight for the ball around for one more season. Time many of our young WRs appear to need in order to develop. Ellerbe, we are talking about a player who has had one good season of what? four? or is it five? and is looking for a contract of $30 mil or better. Too much for possible potential. It was the reasoning with Grubbs, with JJ, even with Gaither. None are playing at the level they did here.

Not overlooking his performance or what other teams will offer him. Let's keep in mind though that we are talking about a one season performance. IMO, and that is really all it is, he is being way overvalued in terms of who would be more easily replaced.

I think that is what bothers me the most about this situation. If we needed the money to make a respectable offer to Ed Reed (mostly for his leadership/locker room presence) that I could probably live with, however, to lose Boldin because we are trying to overpay Ellerbe, well, that will tick me off.

His hands have been improving though. Not everyone is going to get it right out of the gate and he did lose the starting gig to Pitta so he didn't get as many targets to prove himself. If I do recall, many here were calling Torrey a bust, he had no hands, he couldn't run routes, etc. College is not the NFL. Some get it earlier than others.

I'm not going to argue semantics. If he expects Flacco to pay him $2 mil from his pocket, clearly he believes Flacco is responsible if we don't pay Boldin. Otherwise, why would he expect Flacco to pay it?

Get out of here with that completely false and misinformed crap. Flacco's cap hit this season is under $7 mil. In fact it is a split hair above his cap hit last season. This is Boldin's last year under contract, so Flacco's deal does not affect this decision in the least. If you want someone to blame, go talk to Ellerbe who is asking more than a guy who has had one good season is worth and pushing the Ravens' backs against the wall because it's a position where we have no depth.

The Ravens rarely ask a player to take a straight out pay cut. Usually the cap is reduced through an extension, with the FO figuring that the last year could likely be dead money. I have no issue with Boldin sticking to his guns for his pay, however, HE is the one who stated he would retire before play for another team if he was cut. Now, he is changing his stand on that point. I don't respect that in the least. The last time I got royally upset about cuts was when we let Heap & Mason go. I will be upset to see Boldin go, but I just don't think we're sunk, we're doomed, OMG no one else will ever catch a Joe Flacco pass again. Doss will step it up, or he won't and he'll be replaced. We'll move on like we always do and we'll be right there in the thick of things come post season. Edit: I feel the need to add these blasts from the past when we cut Mason. They might sound familiar if you've read this thread lol "you let go one of the best hard hitting TE's in the game along with a super solid WR who single handedly won you some games last year? unreal. here's to the ravens NEVER figuring out they have good players til way after they've cut/ traded em. they'd have a superbowl by now if they woulda stuck with chester taylor." "After the embarrassing personnel decisions made by the Ravens yesterday, I am now convinced what I have suspected for years – the Ravens are in bed with the Steelers, and are being paid off by creepy old Dan Rooney himself to make personnel decisions that my two year old would have known better to avoid. Why would you cut Mason and Heap? So who do we throw to now besides Boldin? Tandon Doss? Ed Dickson? How about I polish the AFC North trophy and just hand it to Pittsburgh now. This is why we are always a bridesmaid and never the bride – we are being paid by the Steelers to make these types of decisions."

Well, as Boldin has backed off his word about retiring if cut (he used the word cut so he knew it was a distinct possibility), how he's a Raven for life, would never put on another uniform, blah blah blah, yeah well, I'm now 50/50 on his situation. Stay, great. Go, fine. We'll be alright.

I love Boldin for his toughness but this is absolutely correct. Boldin gets no separation at all from defenders. Joe just trusts him enough to fight for the ball that he is willing to throw into those situations. I know we can live without Boldin. I know it seems like a slap in the face, but no more a slap in the face as it was to Heap & Mason, both balled out for this team, but we cut them because we had the youngblood coming up and we needed cap room. I hope Boldin doesn't take this personal. Selfishly, I also hope he's a man of his word and retires if they can't work something out.

Exactly! Grubbs left for just shy of $1 mil more a season. Wonder how he feels about that decision now.

It is possible they are trying to free up some money to make a respectable offer to Ed Reed as well. Personally, though I would like to keep Ellerbe, I'd much prefer to have Boldin & Ed Reed back if it comes down to that choice.

Ellerbe is injury prone (so far) and has only one good season under his belt. There are no guarantees he will continue to perform at last season's level. It could have very well been just one good season. We've seen it before. I would like to keep Ellerbe, but I don't want to overpay for him. As for Boldin, 2 years extension to lower this year's cap hit, guarantee him his full $7 mil so it would leave us with $3.5 dead money if he only plays for one more year. Not the best of things, but not too terrible either. Boldin is a great locker room guy, great tough WR, but he IS on the downside of his career. We can't sacrifice the future because we'd all love to keep him around.

Flacco's cap hit this year is under $7 mil. Very close to the same cap hit he had last season so no, it has nothing to do with his contract. This is about Ellerbe IMO, wanting more than one good year is really worth. The only reason the Ravens are even entertaining overpaying him is because we have no reliable depth at that position.