[News] Late For Work 2/18: Maybe Ozzie Newsome Wasn't Bluffing About Joe Flacco Contract

[BR News]

Pitta and former Ravens make NFL's worst contracts list. Buckner becoming popular Baltimore projection.

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[rockhill24]

Joe should re do his contract, he got enough money, make more if we make playoffs, next Derrick Henry should be our first draft choice, adds a great deal on offence, lastly noticed that most if not all free agents that leave Ravens are mostly a bust anywhere else. Smith, especial, he could catch a cold the last year he was here. Finally Chad Johnson just fade away & die, you & Owens are just plain moron losers in life

[bioLarzen]

Ozzie saying Flaccos cap figure doesn't necessarily have to be modified is like me saying maybe I could afford that Ferrari...

[757RavensFan]

11 minutes ago, rockhill24 said:

Joe should re do his contract, he got enough money, make more if we make playoffs, next Derrick Henry should be our first draft choice, adds a great deal on offence, lastly noticed that most if not all free agents that leave Ravens are mostly a bust anywhere else. Smith, especial, he could catch a cold the last year he was here. Finally Chad Johnson just fade away & die, you & Owens are just plain moron losers in life

You really don't know what our positions of needs are, do you?  A RB probably won't be drafted in the top 20.  Why would the Ravens who have 4 very good RBs waste a 6th round pick on one?

Edited February 18, 2016 by 757RavensFan

[ravenwildman]

Well....let's hope Joe restructures, and somehow Ozzie finds the money to keep KO (since Tucker will most likely get tagged). I know it is a stretch but KO is that LT the Ravens have been looking for. If they don't spend a draft pick early for a LT starter, and lose KO, then it's back to hoping Monroe can play for more than a couple games before going down again. GO RAVENS!

[Black&purple#55]

  6 minutes ago, rockhill24 said:

Joe should re do his contract, he got enough money, make more if we make playoffs, next Derrick Henry should be our first draft choice, adds a great deal on offence, lastly noticed that most if not all free agents that leave Ravens are mostly a bust anywhere else. Smith, especial, he could catch a cold the last year he was here. Finally Chad Johnson just fade away & die, you & Owens are just plain moron losers in life

You really don't know what our positions of needs are, do you?  A RB probably won't be drafted in the top 20.  Why would the Ravens who have very good RBs waste a 6th round pick on one?

agreed

[bioLarzen]

Why do i have the feeling that, wherever the two end up, DeForest Buckner will prove to be a better player than Bosa?

[budman]

Joe should re do his contract, he got enough money, make more if we make playoffs, next Derrick Henry should be our first draft choice, adds a great deal on offence, lastly noticed that most if not all free agents that leave Ravens are mostly a bust anywhere else. Smith, especial, he could catch a cold the last year he was here. Finally Chad Johnson just fade away & die, you & Owens are just plain moron losers in life

C'mon Man get real. Henry our 1st? Put down the pipe.

[billiejean]

Well....let's hope Joe restructures, and somehow Ozzie finds the money to keep KO (since Tucker will most likely get tagged). I know it is a stretch but KO is that LT the Ravens have been looking for. If they don't spend a draft pick early for a LT starter, and lose KO, then it's back to hoping Monroe can play for more than a couple games before going down again. GO RAVENS!

KO is an average left tackle. I have watched a lot of his tape and his kick slide is very stiff. His movements are almost mechanical in a way, He is just not as agile as other left tackles in the league. He has a difficult time sticking with players who cross his face. That being said he is a serviceable left tackle. But he is an above average guard which is really his natural position.

[trevorsteadman]

While I think Flacco earned his contract.. I think he realizes now that he needs to give money back to the team to win. I think more money will come of it down the road as well, if Flacco were to win another super bowl or two I think he would be in a lot more advertisements and other deals down the road after his career is over... Plus playing 16 games and winning most is a lot better than losing most. I think he will restructure and I bet Ozzie and them will ask here in a week or so. I think the reason he hasn't been asked yet is because the team is focused on the draft as of now until free agency is about to open back up.

[billiejean]

29 minutes ago, rockhill24 said:

Joe should re do his contract, he got enough money, make more if we make playoffs, next Derrick Henry should be our first draft choice, adds a great deal on offence, lastly noticed that most if not all free agents that leave Ravens are mostly a bust anywhere else. Smith, especial, he could catch a cold the last year he was here. Finally Chad Johnson just fade away & die, you & Owens are just plain moron losers in life

derrick henry isn't even the best rb in this draft class.  I would only take him in the second round.  

[The Greek]

i like henry as well but only in the later rds if available. there are a couple of rb's i have my eye on as potential 3-4th rd guys that could be steals. 1st 2 rds must focus on areas of concern than we can go with the bpa method afterwards. osemele is the key to what we do in that 1st rd

[jravens13]

Flacco's record since his contract: 22-22, 1 Playoff appearance in 3 years. 1 playoff win in 3 years. He is now overpaid, but so are most QB's in the NFL. The real issue is the fact that we have not addressed the defensive side of the football near enough since we won the Super Bowl. We have attempted patch up work on major flaws in our defense that have failed us when it matters. We have given some players and coaches too much time to continue to be let downs (Pees, Webb, A. Brown, M. Elam, C. Upshaw, A. Jackson, ). Accept the fact that CB's can only play at a high level for 3-5 years. The Webb contract was just as bad as the Pitta contract. We have drafted only 2 CB's in the first three rounds in 8 years under Harbaugh, and we wonder why our CB's can't cover!!!

Edited February 19, 2016 by jravens13

[rmcjacket23]

11 minutes ago, trevorsteadman said:

While I think Flacco earned his contract.. I think he realizes now that he needs to give money back to the team to win. I think more money will come of it down the road as well, if Flacco were to win another super bowl or two I think he would be in a lot more advertisements and other deals down the road after his career is over... Plus playing 16 games and winning most is a lot better than losing most. I think he will restructure and I bet Ozzie and them will ask here in a week or so. I think the reason he hasn't been asked yet is because the team is focused on the draft as of now until free agency is about to open back up.

Yeah I don't see it. He can get an extension that lowers his cap number and still pays him market value. 

If fans are expecting some sort of a "pay cut", start prepping for disappointment. The starting point in negotiations for a player like him in this market is $20M a year. I'd be surprised if any deal he signs is worth less than that.

The advertisement part doesn't really mean much, because if he wants advertising revenue, he can go get it right now and in the future. That's not hard to do. Right now, I think he has virtually no interest in that.

[PalmBayRaven]

Joe hasn't played that well since signing that big contract. Over throws, under throws, back foot lobs. I for one would like to see improvement in all those areas and a little more consistency. Yes, he had a great run in playoffs in 2012 but since then has been mediocre at best.

[757RavensFan]

3 minutes ago, PalmBayRaven said:

Joe hasn't played that well since signing that big contract. Over throws, under throws, back foot lobs. I for one would like to see improvement in all those areas and a little more consistency. Yes, he had a great run in playoffs in 2012 but since then has been mediocre at best.

I disagree.  He had his best year as a pro in 2014 (under Kubiak).  He did regress IMO this past season.  

[Ravens07]

Linta has been holding the Ravens hostage from the beginning. He knows he has all the leverage. If Joe truly wants to get a team-friendly deal done, he'll have to override his agent. Please, Joe! Insist Linta give up a little ground!

[trevorsteadman]

  18 minutes ago, PalmBayRaven said:

Joe hasn't played that well since signing that big contract. Over throws, under throws, back foot lobs. I for one would like to see improvement in all those areas and a little more consistency. Yes, he had a great run in playoffs in 2012 but since then has been mediocre at best.

I disagree.  He had his best year as a pro in 2014 (under Kubiak).  He did regress IMO this past season.  

The only reason I would agree he regressed last season was because of the change around him. Aaron Rodgers struggled a lot without Jordy Nelson and that was just Jordy Nelson. Steve Smith is our caliber of guy we could compare to Jordy Nelson because he was our #1 guy. We lost all our receivers on our roster to injuries we started the season with except Aiken. That along with the offensive line also struggling with injuries... I just don't understand what people expect to do in a situation like that with the first 5 of 7 away from M&T bank stadium.

[PalmBayRaven]

  11 minutes ago, PalmBayRaven said:

Joe hasn't played that well since signing that big contract. Over throws, under throws, back foot lobs. I for one would like to see improvement in all those areas and a little more consistency. Yes, he had a great run in playoffs in 2012 but since then has been mediocre at best.

I disagree.  He had his best year as a pro in 2014 (under Kubiak).  He did regress IMO this past season.  

Well he is not the Elite QB that warrants that kind of paycheck. Is he a good QB? Yes. Does he have a strong arm? Yes. Can he read Defenses? Questionable. Don't get me wrong I like Joe Flacco but I have expected more from him and gotten so much less especially last year before getting injured. Yes he did have a good year under Kubiak but still blew it in the playoff game with New England. We had a little time and we didn't need to go for it all on that pass to Torrey. Again famous over throw/under throws and considering what we do pay him I personally don't think he has lived up to it.

[stixfix69]

don't you love the off-season...ha ha ha....

[rmcjacket23]

14 minutes ago, PalmBayRaven said:

Well he is not the Elite QB that warrants that kind of paycheck. Is he a good QB? Yes. Does he have a strong arm? Yes. Can he read Defenses? Questionable. Don't get me wrong I like Joe Flacco but I have expected more from him and gotten so much less especially last year before getting injured. Yes he did have a good year under Kubiak but still blew it in the playoff game with New England. We had a little time and we didn't need to go for it all on that pass to Torrey. Again famous over throw/under throws and considering what we do pay him I personally don't think he has lived up to it.

1. Obviously, arguing over the subjectivity of classifying somebody as "elite" isn't smart.

2. Regardless, by TODAY's standards, the contract he's currently playing under is no longer classified as an "elite" contract. He now ranks 8th in yearly salary average, and thats behind some of the QBs I think he is as good as or in the same group of (Eli, Big Ben, Rivers, Matt Ryan). All four of those QBs now make more money in AAV than Joe does, so the market has shifted. He also could likely fall out of the top 10 highest paid QBs by the time the season starts, since both Brees and Luck are likely to sign extensions for more money.

[Ugly Ball]

Ozzie saying Flaccos cap figure doesn't necessarily have to be modified is like me saying maybe I could afford that Ferrari...

More likely a corvette at a Ferrari price.

[ellicottraven]

To really understand the deep doo doo we're in you need to listen to Russell Street Report's Tony Lombardi in the link I'll provide at the end of this post. It may very well be true that Ozzie wasn't bluffing and they truly intend to stick with Joe's ridiculous cap number - 28.55MM or thereabouts. But, to be effective in building a reasonable roster with available cap space is near impossible unless of course we cut players indiscriminately.

As much as this entire board dislikes and even loathes Drew Rosenhaus for his shady deal making, Linta seems far worse. This guy depends on Joe for his livelihood and will eke out every last penny from the Ravens and make life hell for them. Conversely he'll end up impacting Joe's popularity among Ravens fans (inevitably) because Joe isn't somebody who's likely to fire a guy that made him the richest QB in history for a bit. So here's the conundrum: We may very well live with Flacco's cap number this year, but what happens to the rest of the roster? Which important player do we have to cut or not re-sign because of this situation?

It is just a terrible situation we find ourselves in. This Linta dude is disrespectful of the front office based on post contract comments he made gloating over how the Ravens front office were dumb, etc. There will be little motivation for the Ravens to acquiesce to his agent's unreasonable demands for an extension (Believe me, it will be a ridiculous ask). Why? Because Joe's his bread and butter period.

You need to listen to this from Tony Lombardi who I think is right on the money on this issue.

http://www.russellstreetreport.com/2016/02/11/word-on-the-street/flacco-deal-could-choke-ravens-plans/

Edited February 18, 2016 by ellicottraven

[ryananth]

I say we get Carl Nassib late 2nd (via swap) or with our 3rd rounder. He still looks like he's improving and has tons of upside. Also sounds like a Raven with his work ethic and high engine.

[757RavensFan]

32 minutes ago, PalmBayRaven said:

Well he is not the Elite QB that warrants that kind of paycheck. Is he a good QB? Yes. Does he have a strong arm? Yes. Can he read Defenses? Questionable. Don't get me wrong I like Joe Flacco but I have expected more from him and gotten so much less especially last year before getting injured. Yes he did have a good year under Kubiak but still blew it in the playoff game with New England. We had a little time and we didn't need to go for it all on that pass to Torrey. Again famous over throw/under throws and considering what we do pay him I personally don't think he has lived up to it.

My argument was never about him being elite. I really don't want to engage in that no-win discussion today. 

I just stated he regressed this past season, more-so b/c of his fundamentals. He threw off his backfoot way more this past 

season than he did in 2014.  A good majority of those throws ending in a pick.  Joe was on pace to have almost a career

high in picks before he got injured. 

[Space11jams]

12 minutes ago, 757RavensFan said:

My argument was never about him being elite. I really don't want to engage in that no-win discussion today. 

I just stated he regressed this past season, more-so b/c of his fundamentals. He threw off his backfoot way more this past 

season than he did in 2014.  A good majority of those throws ending in a pick.  Joe was on pace to have almost a career

high in picks before he got injured. 

It's not all on Joe. Lets get that straight. Our offensive line was shaken up. Yanda and KO was the only consistent starter hence the reason why we need to do everything we can to retain KO. Even if that means reconstructing Monroe's contract because he's been very durable for us and he can move up and down the line. You can't let a quality player like that go and if history states anything, Ravens rarely let that happen. In order for Joe to utilize his mechanics, he needs protection and if he's not getting protected, he WILL throw off his back foot, sacked, throw INT, force passes and not see defenders sitting in throwing lanes. 

[RavensDieHard21]

Flacco has a ring and a 10-5 record in the playoffs, if he wants to enter real elite company in those categories then an extension will almost need to happen unless we gut the roster and hope that young guys instantly produce, which I am not fond of. I know his deal was meant to help the cap early on, but Ozzie needs to seek an extension that keeps his number consistently between $18-20 million a year simply because that's what Franchise QBs are getting these days. Anywhere between $6-8 million in savings would do wonders.

[RavensDieHard21]

Flacco's record since his contract: 22-22, 1 Playoff appearance in 3 years. 1 playoff win in 3 years. He is now overpaid, but so are most QB's in the NFL. The real issue is the fact that we have not addressed the defensive side of the football near enough since we won the Super Bowl. We have attempted patch up work on major flaws in our defense that have failed us when it matters. We have given some players and coaches too much time to continue to be let downs (Pees, Webb, A. Brown, M. Elam, C. Upshaw, A. Jackson, ). Accept the fact that CB's can only play at a high level for 3-5 years. The Webb contract was just as bad as the Pitta contract. We have drafted only 2 CB's in the 8 first round three rounds in the 8 years under Harbaugh, and we wonder why our CB's can't cover!!!

I think that we must add one vet receiver and a young one in the draft on offense and use the rest of the draft to find gems on the defensive side of the ball. There are a lot of disruptive lineman in this draft so I hope we get a pass rusher or corner in the early rounds then in the next rounds load up on BPA on defense and if Pees can't make something happen then it is undeniably on him and we need to move on. He is not terrible, but inconsistent and has dealt with a lot of injuries.

[rmcjacket23]

19 minutes ago, Space11jams said:

It's not all on Joe. Lets get that straight. Our offensive line was shaken up. Yanda and KO was the only consistent starter hence the reason why we need to do everything we can to retain KO. Even if that means reconstructing Monroe's contract because he's been very durable for us and he can move up and down the line. You can't let a quality player like that go and if history states anything, Ravens rarely let that happen. In order for Joe to utilize his mechanics, he needs protection and if he's not getting protected, he WILL throw off his back foot, sacked, throw INT, force passes and not see defenders sitting in throwing lanes. 

Correct, he will. I've also seen several of the "elite" QBs in this league do the exact same thing many times as well. That's the whole point. Its not like these mechanical or decision making issues are singularly attributable as just Joe Flacco traits. 

We've all seen Rodgers do it, we've all seen Brady do it, etc.

[RavensDieHard21]

Why do i have the feeling that, wherever the two end up, DeForest Buckner will prove to be a better player than Bosa?

I think the teams matter tremendously, whether it is based on the talent around them or the scheme they're being put into. I think they both have very high ceilings and floors as well.