Anquan Boldin Traded to the San Francisco 49ers

[Guest RBates]

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.

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.

[gabefergy]

It's just people trying to find some reason to rationalize why we made the move. Nobody wants to believe we actually gave up a big time player for a very low draft pick, so they tell themselves Boldin was done anyway. He's been fantastic, and if it wasn't for Cam (as evidenced by what Q did after Caldwell took over) he would have done even more in his 3 years here. But if it makes people feel better to bash him early on, let them vent. In a week everyone will be talking about how great he was with us.

I'm sorry, but this simply isnt true. I for one, have not bashed Anquan. I am objectively speaking the truth whether you want to admit it or not. Some of us, myself included, have been saying for months that Boldin was a likely cap casualty this offseason. The fact of the matter is he has under-performed his contract for the past 3 years, and if it wasnt for a fantastic playoff stretch this wouldnt even be a conversation.

If you watch the tape, it is readily apparent that Boldin is not very capable of gaining separation from defenders anymore. The majority of the completions are highly contested catches where he has to out-physical the defender to make a tough catch on a pin-point accurate pass. I wouldn't go to the extent of saying Boldin is washed up, because he is still very smart and crafty, and he can still play fairly well as a slot receiver.

However, for the amount he gets paid we should see more production. Not one 1,000 yard season as a Raven. 14 TDs in 3 years. You cant argue with those numbers. Of course he has made big plays at times, and he brought far more to the team than just his on the field performance, but his limitations as a WR are tangible.

It's even fair to say we probably dont win the SB this past year without him. It doesnt mean it is smart to keep over-paying him at the expense of the team's future though. Trading Boldin allows us to at least make a legitimate offer to keep Ellerbe and solidify other positions on the roster. Anquan has been one of my favorite Ravens for the duration of his stay, but this is a move that was necessary to make. I appreciate all he has brought to the team, and wish him the best of luck going forward.

[gabefergy]

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.

Go ahead and throw logic out the window and make your convoluted point. This is like saying: RBs dont need holes to run through, if they are strong enough they should just break through multiple tacklers and pick up 5 yards every time.

The job of the WR is to get open and catch the ball. If Boldin could get open more consistently the FO would never have traded him because he would be worth the money they were paying.

Boldin has great body control and makes contested catches that many WRs cant make, but it limits him just as much. How often is Flacco expected to throw to a covered receiver in the hopes that he will come down with the catch?

[Guest RBates]

Go ahead and throw logic out the window and make your convoluted point. This is like saying: RBs dont need holes to run through, if they are strong enough they should just break through multiple tacklers and pick up 5 yards every time.

The job of the WR is to get open and catch the ball. If Boldin could get open more consistently the FO would never have traded him because he would be worth the money they were paying.

Boldin has great body control and makes contested catches that many WRs cant make, but it limits him just as much. How often is Flacco expected to throw to a covered receiver in the hopes that he will come down with the catch?

All recievers on the Nfl level should be covered. Qbs are taught that if they are in single coverage to trust the receiver. So i would say very often, to answer your question.

[DMH_in_WA]

All recievers on the Nfl level should be covered. Qbs are taught that if they are in single coverage to trust the receiver. So i would say very often, to answer your question.

I'm not sure what that means. I guess you could say they "should" be covered, but the reality is that's not anywhere close to how it is. There is an expectation of receivers to get open and get separation. While Q makes plays, the lack of separation that he gets almost always means that he is tackled right away with minimal YAC. It's one of the reasons he is almost 80th in the NFL amongst receivers in Yards After the Catch. He averaged something like 3-YAC last season.

Now, I don't expect him to have some crazy average like Ray Rice who is at 7.5-YAC in receiving, but getting a little distance between himself and the defenders would have opened up a lot more for the offense. Q had the same total number of yards after catch as Smith and Torrey had almost a third fewer catches.

[rice-ricebaby]

hard move to make but had to be done. hes not worth 7 mill. we have draft picks to sign and restricted free agents to tender. by the time that is done there would of be about 3-4 million let over. then you have reed, ellerbe, mckinnie........... its a business first. sure hes going to be hard to replace but that's the way it goes.

[Ravenslifer]

I'm sorry, but this simply isnt true. I for one, have not bashed Anquan. I am objectively speaking the truth whether you want to admit it or not. Some of us, myself included, have been saying for months that Boldin was a likely cap casualty this offseason. The fact of the matter is he has under-performed his contract for the past 3 years, and if it wasnt for a fantastic playoff stretch this wouldnt even be a conversation.

If you watch the tape, it is readily apparent that Boldin is not very capable of gaining separation from defenders anymore. The majority of the completions are highly contested catches where he has to out-physical the defender to make a tough catch on a pin-point accurate pass. I wouldn't go to the extent of saying Boldin is washed up, because he is still very smart and crafty, and he can still play fairly well as a slot receiver.

However, for the amount he gets paid we should see more production. Not one 1,000 yard season as a Raven. 14 TDs in 3 years. You cant argue with those numbers. Of course he has made big plays at times, and he brought far more to the team than just his on the field performance, but his limitations as a WR are tangible.

It's even fair to say we probably dont win the SB this past year without him. It doesnt mean it is smart to keep over-paying him at the expense of the team's future though. Trading Boldin allows us to at least make a legitimate offer to keep Ellerbe and solidify other positions on the roster. Anquan has been one of my favorite Ravens for the duration of his stay, but this is a move that was necessary to make. I appreciate all he has brought to the team, and wish him the best of luck going forward.

I'm not calling anyone out specifically. I'm just saying that a lot of people are suddenly acting like trading Q for a 6th round pick was some kind of bargain because he was "done" anyway. I don't think that was the case at all, I think it was a pretty fair trade for both sides - they got a receiver with terrific hands, ability to catch in traffic, and a great attitude, for a 6th round pick, and we cleared salary cap space that might help us resign some important free agents. But to sit here and say Q is going to be a bust for the 9ers and we fleeced them, I don't think that's true, and I don't think many people think that. What I see is a bunch of people who might be in kind of a shock given we traded a guy who was so huge in the playoffs for basically a shot in the dark 6th round pick, so they are trying to rationalize it to themselves by saying the front office knew he was done and the 49ers were tricked. I don't see it that way, I see it as, for whatever reason, the FO was going to cut Q rather than pay him, and when the opportunity came to turn it into a pick, that's what they did.

[DWplayer]

hard move to make but had to be done. hes not worth 7 mill. we have draft picks to sign and restricted free agents to tender. by the time that is done there would of be about 3-4 million let over. then you have reed, ellerbe, mckinnie........... its a business first. sure hes going to be hard to replace but that's the way it goes.

I don't know Bro...not worth 6 or 7 mil? The Steelers offered that much to Mike Wallace this past year and he turned it down. Wallace is a one trick pony. He can out run the coverage and that's about it. Doesn't have great hands, dropped alot of passes last year. Not a great work ethic, doesn't really spend the time watching tape learning his oponent, and he's going to get anywhere from 10-13 mil from either the Dolphins or Vikings. I'd take Boldin over Wallace 7 days a week especially at 6 or 7 mil.

[ratedr]

I don't know Bro...not worth 6 or 7 mil? The Steelers offered that much to Mike Wallace this past year and he turned it down. Wallace is a one trick pony. He can out run the coverage and that's about it. Doesn't have great hands, dropped alot of passes last year. Not a great work ethic, doesn't really spend the time watching tape learning his oponent, and he's going to get anywhere from 10-13 mil from either the Dolphins or Vikings. I'd take Boldin over Wallace 7 days a week especially at 6 or 7 mil.

There's no GM in the league who would take Boldin over Wallace. None. Zero.

[DWplayer]

There's no GM in the league who would take Boldin over Wallace. None. Zero.

Well we'll agree to disagree on that one. Apparently you didn't see many Steeler games this past season. Anyone who pays 10+ mil for Mike Wallce should seek help.

[runamuk]

I'm not calling anyone out specifically. I'm just saying that a lot of people are suddenly acting like trading Q for a 6th round pick was some kind of bargain because he was "done" anyway. I don't think that was the case at all, I think it was a pretty fair trade for both sides - they got a receiver with terrific hands, ability to catch in traffic, and a great attitude, for a 6th round pick, and we cleared salary cap space that might help us resign some important free agents. But to sit here and say Q is going to be a bust for the 9ers and we fleeced them, I don't think that's true, and I don't think many people think that. What I see is a bunch of people who might be in kind of a shock given we traded a guy who was so huge in the playoffs for basically a shot in the dark 6th round pick, so they are trying to rationalize it to themselves by saying the front office knew he was done and the 49ers were tricked. I don't see it that way, I see it as, for whatever reason, the FO was going to cut Q rather than pay him, and when the opportunity came to turn it into a pick, that's what they did.

well said .

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

I don't know Bro...not worth 6 or 7 mil? The Steelers offered that much to Mike Wallace this past year and he turned it down. Wallace is a one trick pony. He can out run the coverage and that's about it. Doesn't have great hands, dropped alot of passes last year. Not a great work ethic, doesn't really spend the time watching tape learning his oponent, and he's going to get anywhere from 10-13 mil from either the Dolphins or Vikings. I'd take Boldin over Wallace 7 days a week especially at 6 or 7 mil.

Other than this past year when he was at odds with the Steelers, I'm pretty sure Wallace put up more yards and TD's than Boldin.... and he's younger.

I know stats dont mean everything, and I personally like Boldin better, but Wallace is definitely the more valuable player. That one trick of taking the top off defenses is a pretty great trick because it makes the other receivers jobs, heck even the QB's and rb's jobs easier bc having the respect that speed creates a ton more space underneath.

Q has other value as well - blocking (hey diddle diddle), leadership.... but the fact is you're face with a choice. Hang on to Boldin for this last year in the hopes that you do the near impossible and repeat, or accept reality, shed the salary, even get a pick out of it, and try to lock up as many of your young players as possible who will be here to help you contend for the next 4-5 years.

[blackbird29]

I'm sorry but I have to come out and say I am not happy with this move at all. Anquan proved himself as a valuable assett to this team since he came from Arizona. Led all Baltimore receivers in yards in the past three seasons and we give him up for a sixth round pick?? I usually accept the stuff the front office does but we lost a great player and the Niners got a steal. I hope I am wrong but I don't agree with this. Now we have Jones, Smith, Reed, Doss, Streeter and Thompson. Who is going to be the leader of the Receiving corp now? I think we should have at least gotten a higher draft pick. I know I will get alot of flack for saying this but I don't agree with this move. Now if it works out I will be the first one here to eat crow but in my mind and my opinion we didnt gain too much while the NIners did.

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

We have to look at this a certain way, the way the front office HAS to look at it. Based on reality - the chances of us winning another Superbowl this year are slim to none... I'm not saying its impossible, and it still isnt but it is highly unlikely.

This year is all we would have kept Anquan for anyways.

Now you've got Ellerbe who can be a key piece that helps you stay in contention for the next 4-5 years. Granted we probably could have signed Ellerbe even without cutting Q, but that would have been it.

So, you downgrade one position for this year (when in reality youre just accepting the inevitable earlier and giving yourself an extra year to prepare for that inevitability), in the hopes of upgrading 2 or 3 positions for years to come. It's the same concept as when we let Redding and JJ go. Did our Dline struggle? Our run defense? ABSOLUTELY.

But it helped us sign Jacoby, resign Ray Rice long-term, Corey Graham, and upgrade our special teams. The players who stepped up in the vacancies left definitely werent as good, and those positions dropped in strength for us... But the strength of the team OVERALL increased to the point where we finally got over the hump, put things together and won the Superbowl.

Without cutting Mason, Torrey Smith never gets the playing time to surpass Anquan and become our #1 receiver. Without cutting Heap, we don't know about our American Express card until probably too late. I mean, Ellerbe and Kruger were mainly labeled as rotational backups at best and now they headline the free agent market at their respective positions.

Anquan going is just going to allow us to upgrade a couple other positions, maybe bring in a value FA who helps us get over another hurdle, and gives an opportunity to some young player who would have never gotten it otherwise and surprises us all. Maybe its Doss, maybe its Reed, Streeter Thompson or Laquan.

-Who knows? But all is not lost my friends, we'll find out soon enough. We are the Ravens. Even if some of these decisions do lead to a down year so be it.

We kept guys around too long after the SB in 2000 and look how long it took us to get back to the dance. Ozzie & Co. have learned from those mistakes... they dug a hole that took 10 years to get out of. Extending past their prime players for sentimental reasons, or going "all-in" during that window is what held us back until recently. That window is still wide open and it may close a little from year to year, but the front office is guaranteeing that its never shuts entirely.

[fistfullwales]

We were ready to cut Boldin and get nothing. The 9ers and Vikings knew that and weren't going to offer us any more than a sixth or a seventh because they knew we wouldn't get anything if we didn't accept the sixth. Our options were to overpay Boldin, cut him and get nothing or get a sixth round pick for him. I think we did the right thing and got SOMETHING for him.

I hear people saying, "What are the Ravens doing? Boldin dominates in the Super Bowl and they trade him away for a sixth? He is worth way more than that!"

Boldin is definitely worth more than a sixth round pick, however with all of the other aspects that non-Ravens fans/followers are unaware of, the Ravens are better off getting the sixth than overpaying or releasing him.

[757RavensFan]

Reading Boldin's tweets is like a kick in the gut. You can tell he truly loved the organization, the city and the fans. Best of luck Q.

https://twitter.com/AnquanBoldin

[ravensfan520]

Q's leadership and toughness will certainly be missed, but the Ravens have made moves like this before and it's almost always worked out. Right player, right price. Boldin's "right price" was about $4M, and he wouldn't budge (and rightfully so). Now we're gonna be loaded with draft picks that we can play with and maybe move up or use them to trade for someone else.

Also, now we have cap space to bring back Reed and possibly Ellerbe.

It was a necessary move.

I hear that Reed may be following Q to San fran. If that happens they will resemble the Ravens football mystique more than the Ravens do. They have a great defense although it was shredded by Boldin and adding a free lance safety to go with their pass rush could make them unbelievable. Watch out NFC.

[Free Agent]

Well we'll agree to disagree on that one. Apparently you didn't see many Steeler games this past season. Anyone who pays 10+ mil for Mike Wallce should seek help.

Paying Wallace 10 million a year is one thing, but taking a veteran WR with a couple more seasons left in the tank over a young, blazing fast, playmaking WR with more than half of his career ahead of him would be crazy.

[SecretAgentMan]

Paying Wallace 10 million a year is one thing, but taking a veteran WR with a couple more seasons left in the tank over a young, blazing fast, playmaking WR with more than half of his career ahead of him would be crazy.

Not according to most of these fans

[ravensdfan]

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.

[UMDan]

Ravens posted this on Facebook page today and it helped me.

At the end of the day this is a business and we're trying to get younger. I get it and I still trust in Ozzie.

[JoeyFlex5]

san fran is the same team we were a few years ago. dominant defense, young and promising qb, top 3 rb, top tier tight end, and a boatload of possession receivers with no speed. ill bet their season turns out like ours did too, wild card, loss in the divisional round to seattle, just like we lost to pitt 3 years ago. im calling it!

[BMORElegacy]

The way I see it, the 49ers are going to look a lot like the 2010 Ravens when we had Mason and Boldin. They now have Crabtree and Boldin. Two receivers with identical skill sets. They can't gain separation and they don't have burner type speed. They're route running possession guys and they won't be able to benefit from each other like Boldin benefited from Torrey stretching the field. This isn't going to help Kaepernick at all because he simply doesn't deliver balls like Flacco can. He throws footballs on ropes and he won't be able to deliver them in a way for a guy like Boldin to go up and get them under tight coverage. And with that Seattle secondary mugging them in tight man-to-man coverage I don't foresee those two games fairing well for the niner offense.

[Purple Nurple]

Ravens posted this on Facebook page today and it helped me.

At the end of the day this is a business and we're trying to get younger. I get it and I still trust in Ozzie.

My new lock screen, thanks.

[SecretAgentMan]

The way I see it, the 49ers are going to look a lot like the 2010 Ravens when we had Mason and Boldin. They now have Crabtree and Boldin. Two receivers with identical skill sets. They can't gain separation and they don't have burner type speed. They're route running possession guys and they won't be able to benefit from each other like Boldin benefited from Torrey stretching the field. This isn't going to help Kaepernick at all because he simply doesn't deliver balls like Flacco can. He throws footballs on ropes and he won't be able to deliver them in a way for a guy like Boldin to go up and get them under tight coverage. And with that Seattle secondary mugging them in tight man-to-man coverage I don't foresee those two games fairing well for the niner offense.

Agreed completely

[jus'_crAzy]

apropos:

http://youtu.be/joY-ty1gqPg

[Raven522092]

When I read about this last night I was disappointed, to say the least.

To give Flaccos top target the ultimatum "Take a pay-cut, or be cut" was a horrible way to go about this.

Now we lose Boldin for a 6'th Rd pick, and have no true #1 reciever unless we get one in Free agency.

Ugh, makes me sick just thinking about it.

[hawkprey]

When I read about this last night I was disappointed, to say the least.

To give Flaccos top target the ultimatum "Take a pay-cut, or be cut" was a horrible way to go about this.

Now we lose Boldin for a 6'th Rd pick, and have no true #1 reciever unless we get one in Free agency.

Ugh, makes me sick just thinking about it.

Anquan wasn't a true #1

[BMORElegacy]

Anquan wasn't a true #1

But he was getting paid like one... hence the trade.

[blackandpurplesacks]

I may be way off here, I hope I am, actually. Boldin was my favorite player on this team.

However, I kind of feel like he is playing the media a bit so that he comes out completely as a victim in all of this. First saying he would be a Raven or retire. Then saying the team didn't come to him to ask about a pay cut. Then saying he never knew the trade was happening.

I really feel like he is playing the media to be on his side and kind of make the front office look bad by not keeping him up to date on everything and let him know he was being traded, not holding up their end of the deal. As much as I love Q, I hope he isn't trying to just drum up the media to make himself look like a victim and the FO look bad.