Ongoing Flacco Contract Negotiations (Merged)

**Ravenous1** · 02-10-2013, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by Raveninwoodlawn

That's not a poison pill...you can structure a contract any way you want...poison pills refer to things like "if you play X amount of games in State Y, your contract is guaranteed".

The Ravens are not about to expose Joe in anyway. The six or so million that doing so might save is so fraught with risk and pitfalls there is ZERO chance it happens. Worse case scenario they bite the bullet and take the cap hits that go with the exclusive rights tag

I feel pretty good about a deal getting done. Structure and gaurentees are the main things I see being the hold up. Depending on what they do with guys like Boldin, Jones, Ngata, Suggs in terms of restructuring/extensions may impact how they want to structure a Flacco deal. My guess is that what Steve Bisciotti said is pretty accurate, they essentially have numbers they can live with its all about how to make those numbers work best for the team both now and in the future.

**Raveninwoodlawn** · 02-10-2013, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by Ravenous1

The Ravens are not about to expose Joe in anyway. The six or so million that doing so might save is so fraught with risk and pitfalls there is ZERO chance it happens. Worse case scenario they bite the bullet and take the cap hits that go with the exclusive rights tag

I feel pretty good about a deal getting done. Structure and gaurentees are the main things I see being the hold up. Depending on what they do with guys like Boldin, Jones, Ngata, Suggs in terms of restructuring/extensions may impact how they want to structure a Flacco deal. My guess is that what Steve Bisciotti said is pretty accurate, they essentially have numbers they can live with its all about how to make those numbers work best for the team both now and in the future.

He will get the exclusive tag...every QB that has gotten the tag in the last 10 years or so has gotten the exclusive tag.

The "someone else will make the offer and give up 2 first round picks" stuff is not something new with us. Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Michael Vick (LOL), they all got the exclusive tag.

**jonboy79** · 02-10-2013, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by Raveninwoodlawn

He will get the exclusive tag...every QB that has gotten the tag in the last 10 years or so has gotten the exclusive tag.

The "someone else will make the offer and give up 2 first round picks" stuff is not something new with us. Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Michael Vick (LOL), they all got the exclusive tag.

Hopefully a QB or two does a restructure before then, because $20+Million causes a lot of problems until it is settled.

Though, I do believe we have a week to be salary cap compliant... so the deal must get done by the end of THAT week.

**Ravenous1** · 02-10-2013, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by jonboy79

Hopefully a QB or two does a restructure before then, because $20+Million causes a lot of problems until it is settled.

Though, I do believe we have a week to be salary cap compliant... so the deal must get done by the end of THAT week.

It will get done before they have to use the tag. It really sounds as if they are close on total value. With that in mind it seems to me that the benefits of getting a deal done far outweigh what little bit they could save (if they even could save) by dragging this out. The Ravens gain little or no bargaining power by putting the tag on Joe because of the negative impact it will have on the team as a whole. I do not think it is beyond Joe or his agent that it also serves Joe best in terms of what tools he will have to reach personnel goals (I gotta believe that those matter to Joe also) will be better if a deal is done before the tag is implemented. Joe is not stupid, neither is Ozzie. Ultimately there seems to be good reasons for both parties to get this done and that leads me to believe it will get done.

**jonboy79** · 02-10-2013, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by Ravenous1

It will get done before they have to use the tag. It really sounds as if they are close on total value. With that in mind it seems to me that the benefits of getting a deal done far outweigh what little bit they could save (if they even could save) by dragging this out. The Ravens gain little or no bargaining power by putting the tag on Joe because of the negative impact it will have on the team as a whole. I do not think it is beyond Joe or his agent that it also serves Joe best in terms of what tools he will have to reach personnel goals (I gotta believe that those matter to Joe also) will be better if a deal is done before the tag is implemented. Joe is not stupid, neither is Ozzie. Ultimately there seems to be good reasons for both parties to get this done and that leads me to believe it will get done.

agreed.
A few points. LInta has come right out and said they are flexible on the structure to help the team. Joe has said he prefers average annual over guaranteed money... and both the team and Joe know he will see a HIGH percentage of the total contract and play quite a while... Most likely through the end of the contract, be it 6/7 or even 8 years.

I think it DOES get done early in the process and will be in excess of $20m on an annual basis yet be team friendly in cap terms for the next few years.

**phacts** · 02-10-2013, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by jonboy79

agreed.
A few points. LInta has come right out and said they are flexible on the structure to help the team. Joe has said he prefers average annual over guaranteed money... and both the team and Joe know he will see a HIGH percentage of the total contract and play quite a while... Most likely through the end of the contract, be it 6/7 or even 8 years.

I think it DOES get done early in the process and will be in excess of $20m on an annual basis yet be team friendly in cap terms for the next few years.

Agreed.

This is an opportunity for the quality of our organization to shine through. I think it gets done.

**leachisabeast** · 02-10-2013, 04:42 PM

The best possible outcome over the next few weeks:

1. They re-sign Flacco, without having to use the tag, and get his cap number to a low amount for 2013.

2. They re-sign Boldin and Jacoby to 3 year deals, adjusting their cap numbers for 2013.

3. They re-sign Ellerbe and Ed Reed. Reed takes a 3 year, Bernard Pollard type deal, Ellerbe takes a similar contract to Curtis Lofton.

4. They manage at least 2 or 3 average to solid FAs (Terrence Knighton for example).

5. They either restructure Suggs' contract, or add one or two years onto his original deal.

**BcRaven** · 02-10-2013, 04:56 PM

I know I won't be popular with this, but I'd let Ed Reed go. He's done his job in Baltimore for 12 seasons, gotten paid very well, and has lost a step or two. He'd be wise to go Ray Lewis' way and retire on top. If not, I would not resign him. Let's see what low price Safetys like Omar Brown and Christian Thompson (perhaps a high draft choice?) can do. The $alary Cap is not the Ravens ally, my friends... Bc

**Paintballguy** · 02-10-2013, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by BcRaven

I know I won't be popular with this, but I'd let Ed Reed go. He's done his job in Baltimore for 12 seasons, gotten paid very well, and has lost a step or two. He'd be wise to go Ray Lewis' way and retire on top. If not, I would not resign him. Let's see what low price Safetys like Omar Brown and Christian Thompson (perhaps a high draft choice?) can do. The $alary Cap is not the Ravens ally, my friends... Bc

No argument from me. Honestly, I hope he just retires and makes it easier on all of us. What more does Reed have to prove? He's got a ring now to cap off a HoF career.

**jonboy79** · 02-10-2013, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by Paintballguy

No argument from me. Honestly, I hope he just retires and makes it easier on all of us. What more does Reed have to prove? He's got a ring now to cap off a HoF career.

thirded... if that's a word.

**admartian** · 02-10-2013, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Paintballguy

No argument from me. Honestly, I hope he just retires and makes it easier on all of us. What more does Reed have to prove? He's got a ring now to cap off a HoF career.

I would say we would lose the play recognition ability of Ed and it's not like he's molasses out there (like Ray was).

But I would just prefer if he retired (of all the options) myself than have to face him (say against the Pats for example).

**B-more Ravor** · 02-10-2013, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by RavensRule21215

Move the goalposts? Just answer the question. How much of the cap did Ngata and Suggs take up in 2012? What's the problem in answering a simple question, dude? Don't take it personally or anything. You're the cap expert, right?

Because to a non cap expert, it appears as if, heading into 2013, Suggs is taking up $13M, and Ngata is taking up $11.5M. So that's 24.5M. For 2 players, who aren't quarterbacks. Hmmmmmmmmm....

Yes, you moved the goalposts. First, you said that no one complained when Suggs, Ngata, etc were signed to huge contracts, but people are now complaining about Flacco - then when it's pointed out that those deals were signed when the Cap was higher, when the team had more Cap space and that NONE of those deals were anywhere near the cost of Flacco's, you then start talking about how much Suggs and Ngata cost against the Cap NOW. So, are we're talking about why no one complained when those guys signed or are talking about NOW?

As JB and others have basically said - so what? What does that have to do with your point that people are being unfair to Flacco when they didn't express the same sentiments when others were signed?!?!?

Lastly, 2013 will be the 5th of the 6 years of Suggs' deal. It will be the 3rd of 5 for Ngata. Base salaries and Cap numbers are almost always higher in the later years of the deal. If Flacco gets a deal that averages $20M a year, his Cap number in the later years (like where Suggs and Ngata are now) will be in the $25M+ range. That dwarfs anything that Suggs or Ngata will count.