ravensdfan

Yup, still hate this move! HATE it!

I hate it as well. I really thought we'd work something out with Boldin. Fact is though, with Boldin's cap savings added in we're only $5.5 mil under the cap after we tendered our RFAs and the David Reed signing. There was no money to take Boldin's $7.5 mil cap hit. I have a feeling (if Boldin can be believed and knew nothing of anything going on) that his agent played everyone and forced the FO's hand.

I dont like when we make off the cuff decisions regarding good players. Aging WR? That couldnt get separation? You dont need separation as a reciever as long as you possess the body control aspect of the game, which Boldin has shown he has mastered.

Alright, what would you have liked them to do? With the cap savings from the Boldin trade already added in, after we've paid our players, our RFA tenders and done one little David Reed signing, we are only $5.5 mil under the cap. Where do you see that $7 mil cap hit for Boldin getting paid? Do we not tender our RFAs? Do we cut half our roster? Do we restructure Ngata or Suggs and push the money back so we can be like the Steelers every season? And the $5.5 mil is before we've drafted anyone, or even picked up a vet minimum FA. We just did not have the funds. Period.

This and Meds post. Yes. Cut the crap. Q was great for the Ravens. Period.

No one is discounting what he did for the Ravens. I've seen nothing but love for the man and calling him a beast in the playoffs. Just because some of us understand not taking a $7.5 mil cap hit for a WR on the backside of 30 that struggled to get separation from #2 coverage and is only going to give you one more year doesn't mean we're discounting him. We're merely understanding the business side of it. There is a big difference. You can't argue the separation factor. Sure he made up for it by fighting for contested balls, we all know that, but it just isn't a different situation than Mason & Heap. It is exactly the same minus a SB appearance. That is the only thing making this situation different but that SB win does not change the business side of it come off season. Love Boldin. Wish he could have finished his time here. It just isn't going to have that fairy tale ending.

Patriots, look at the money Brady freed up restructuring his contract. I just hope Anquan is able to still continue having great success out in San Francisco and gets another ring before he retires.

I don't necessarily. I go into every single season believing we'll be there in the thick of things in the post season. I won't spend my time wishing another ring on Q if we're the other team in the SB.

Q for a sixth round pick! You should have just gave the man away. SMH Go ahead and hook little brothers team up.

Im disgusted!!!!

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.

We have plenty of receiver depth even though no one here seems to believe it. I'd like to have two starting receivers who both command double-teams.

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.

looks good but you forgot Ed Reed

As much as people malign our defense they still showed up despite the inconsistant officiating our defense is as much to thank for this SB as our offense is. You need a complete team to win in this league

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwyEUuRC2lk

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 that Cam wasnt using him, or the rest of the offensive weapons as well as could have been, but at the same time I watch Boldin struggling to get open against any decent CB and I understand why the FO wants him to take a pay-cut.

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.

Another option we could go with is keep Boldin, Leach and re-sign McKinnie (or a FA LT) and Pitta (maybe Dickson. I want to keep our whole offense together as much as possible. Let's build the defense up through the draft. Let's look at the needs of defense:

DE-NT-DE

DE:Art Jones, Pernell Mcphee

NT: NEED, Terrance Cody

DE: Haloti Ngata, Bryan Hall

I think we need an elite NT so we can raise the level of play with guys like Ngata and McPhee. If we have a force at NT, they will get better matchups and be able to excel in run defense AND pass rush.

OLB-ILB-ILB-OLB

Rush: Suggs, NEED

Will: Albert McClellan

Mike: Jameel McClain, NEED

Sam: Upshaw

Ideally we want to draft an ILB. But we have seen these guys play and it would take pressure off of signing Ellerbe to a lot of money. We could get an inside linebacker or OLB in the 2nd, and get depth in the 3rd.

CB-S-S-CB

CB: Lardarius Webb, Chykie Brown, Asa Jackson

FS: Christian Thompson, Omar Brown

SS: Bernard Pollard, NEED

CB: Corey Graham, Jimmy Smith

Yay, Webb will be back! We look pretty solid at Corner. MAYBE add another one in later rounds. Pollard is solid. Free safety is the biggest hole and we will see what we have with Omar and Christian.

While I am not saying this is going to be the best defense for us, it let's us have the cap space to put forward the best offense.

As many of you might now, I am a huge fan of defense. I love defense. But I think it would be best at this point, to put the money in the offense so they can stay consistent while we replace Ray, Reed, Ellerbe (in this option), Cary, Ma'ake and Kruger.

Again, I trust the front office, but this is something that could help us keep the guys we want (with exception of Ellerbe).

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.

Arent we talking about a 1 postseason for Boldin? Because he has been awfully dissappointing for 3 years. The biggest difference is Ellerbe is young, and a potential future star on our defense. He stepped up his game this year when he was finally given the opportunity to start. Boldin is at the end of his career and is gone after next season unless he wants to take an extension for less. I'm not even sure if the FO is interested in keeping him around longer than this next year tbh.

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.

It has nothing to do with "over-paying", it's what his value to the team is. There are other teams who want Ellerbe and he is extremely important to the future of the organization. If we don't make a reasonable offer he will go elsewhere. Maybe you dont like him for some reason, but he was probably our defensive MVP this year, I'm not sure why people are overlooking what he means.

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.

This. Someone else brought it up how we replaced the guys we let walk, well we can let Ellerbe walk and get a ILB in the draft for cheaper. Then the money we didn't use on Ellerbe can be used to figure out this Boldin situation.

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.

Ed "Board Hands" Dickson? smh.

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.

In all fairness he never said anything about Flacco's cap hit or contract. He just said pay him $2M from out of his pocket.

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?

I wish Flacco would shut up about any free agency move from here on out.....

Since he wants Boldin so bad maybe he'll pay him 2million out of his pocket

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.

What I've found interesting is that I've never read anything about discussing a contract extension with Boldin to lower his salary for this season. All the talks have been take a " pay cut " makes me think of how McKinnie contract was cut before the season.

Boldin doesn't seem willing to budge, and I don't blame him, it seems that if they can't reach an agreement the FO will have to cut him, because otherwise the next time the FO approaches a player to take a pay-cut they simply say well if this worked for Boldin I'll try it also.

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.

Boldin is slow as molasses, no arguing about it. Doesn't mean he can't make tough catches, but every single one is contested because the dude cant get open.

The question is who do the Ravens want Ed Reed or Q?

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.

Something in Ellerbe's approach to free agency is starting to erily remind me of Grubbs!

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

i agree with you the nt is a must so ngata and get and stay healthy . i think we need to clean the dead weight and keep folks that matter. I'm not objective about boldin, reed or suggs so i'm trying to stay out of it .

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.

We arent talking about a one year investment here. Boldin's contract is up after this year. He is likely to retire. If he wanted to play longer they could do an extension, but that doesnt seem like an option. You would rather have 1 year of Boldin than 5 years of Ellerbe? Thats incredibly shortsighted.

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.

This guy has given his all for the Ravens. Very few on this board were able to understand the domino effect of the Flacco contract.....and we aren't even in year four yet... Boldin's biggest games are when the Ravens need him most hopefully something can be worked out to keep him in this uniform but if they have to part ways look no further than number 5's insistance that he be the highest paid quarterback in the league , yet states " it was never about the money."

I'd be happy to see Boldin sign a three year extension but a pay cut tells me he may not be in the plans after next season.

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.