Exclusive or Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag for Flacco?

[Coastergenius]

It wouldn't have to be that much. It would just have to be whatever Flacco is looking for. If the Browns pay his number, which let's assume is $20 million a year with a Brees like $40 million guaranteed, and the Ravens instead offer him a 1 year Franchise tag with $14 million guaranteed, which would he take? $40 is a hell of a lot more than $14. If the Ravens aren't willing to pay Flacco what he wants after winning the Super Bowl, being the MVP and 8 TDs with no picks in the playoffs this year then they never will.

Flacco is going to have a tough time topping that. He'd be nuts not to take the money because his value will most likely never be higher. Not too many players would risk losing $100+ million for a 1 year $14 million deal with the promise to try and come to a deal in the future.

Rediculous argument. Forget about the $14 million. The Ravens will give him $20 million a year, that's fine. The exclusive vs. nonexclusive argument comes into play if he wants a lot more than that. I also don't know people keep focusing on us needing to "match" another team's offer. If we're going to keep Flacco, we're not going to be able to match another offer from the free market. We keep him based on the goodwill that we've built with him, our offense, and the fact that his legacy will be mud if walks away from a Super Bowl winning team.

That should be worth a few mil a year. So think about it this way. Browns at $24 mil per year, might be about equal to Ravens at $20 mil a year (assuming everything else about the contract is the same). So they'd have to offer about $25-26 mil per year to perk his interest. Would the Browns be willing to pay $25 mil per year for Flacco and give up 2 first rounders? Would we lose too much sleep over not having to put $20 million a year into one position and having four 1st rounders in the next two years?

Think about this another way. The exclusive tag is probably even more restrictive at this point. Sure, $20 million for 2013 is fine, but that number goes to $24 million in 2014, and completely out of hand after that. With that tag, we'd be saying "Please sign with us, if you don't, you'll be an unrestricted FA next year with no compensation for us besides a 3rd round comp pick."

[Dirt1]

Everyone seems to think that Flacco has all of the leverage in this negotiation. I agree that Flacco is in a good position, but say the Ravens use the exclusive franchise tag on him? That is going to be about a $20 million cap hit for 2013 for just Flacco. To total cap for the entire team will be about $122 million. If the Ravens then have to cut 7-8 good players to get under the cap, then it will all fall on Flacco in 2013 for the Ravens to win. What if he has a down year, due to a lack of supporting talent on the team? Flacco's value will go down as a result. Flacco will never have more leverage than he does right now. He needs to tell his agent to get the best deal he can from the Ravens and sign a long term contract.

[GOTA]

Rediculous argument. Forget about the $14 million. The Ravens will give him $20 million a year, that's fine. The exclusive vs. nonexclusive argument comes into play if he wants a lot more than that. I also don't know people keep focusing on us needing to "match" another team's offer. If we're going to keep Flacco, we're not going to be able to match another offer from the free market. We keep him based on the goodwill that we've built with him, our offense, and the fact that his legacy will be mud if walks away from a Super Bowl winning team.

That should be worth a few mil a year. So think about it this way. Browns at $24 mil per year, might be about equal to Ravens at $20 mil a year (assuming everything else about the contract is the same). So they'd have to offer about $25-26 mil per year to perk his interest. Would the Browns be willing to pay $25 mil per year for Flacco and give up 2 first rounders? Would we lose too much sleep over not having to put $20 million a year into one position and having four 1st rounders in the next two years?

Think about this another way. The exclusive tag is probably even more restrictive at this point. Sure, $20 million for 2013 is fine, but that number goes to $24 million in 2014, and completely out of hand after that. With that tag, we'd be saying "Please sign with us, if you don't, you'll be an unrestricted FA next year with no compensation for us besides a 3rd round comp pick."

Brees and the Saints had a lot of goodwill built up as well. You remember how ugly that got? There was a reason why the Saints used the exclusive tag on Brees. They didn't want any other team to catch him on a bad day and make him and offer he didn't want to pass up.

The Ravens either have to get a deal done or use that exclusive tag. No matter how lovey-dovey everyone is now they can't let other teams have any crack at signing Flacco.

[alienrace]

No matter how lovey-dovey everyone is now they can't let other teams have any crack at signing Flacco.

Exactly. Too many people here are assuming that Flacco just loves the Ravens so much that he'd stay here for less money. Got news for yinz all....it's a business.

[The Excellector]

None of the Ravens previous stars took a discount.

Talk about legacy, could you imagine how heralded he would be if he went to Cleveland and just made them a playoff team? Let alone a Super Bowl Contender.

It took the Ravens coaching staff and front office four years to listen to Flacco's advice that they needed to take a more aggressive approach to the passing offense. They finally got rid of Cameron and Flacco proved his point. Flacco made this offense what it is. You can say that the offensive line played a major role. However, you'd have to recognize that Cleveland has an even better offensive line under contract for the 2013 season.

What good is having these so called weapons if you don't have someone who can drive the machine? Flacco goes and what does this offense become?

Flacco can change the culture in Cleveland, just like he changed the culture here. This wasn't always an ideal place for QBs. Flacco himself had to deal with being put on the backburner, for a few years, in favor of the rush offense and defense, while other QBs such as Brady, Brees and Rodgers, had entire offensive systems that catered to making them great.

So, now Flacco's supposed to marvel at this great organization that made him or something?

[The Excellector]

What do these so called weapons become without Joe Flacco? Do really think that Anquan Boldin would be able to go off the way he did in the playoffs, with even ten of the QBs in this league? For one thing, he doesn't get separation. So, even though he has steel hands when he gets into a rhythm, the ball placement is crucial. Look at where Joe puts his passes to Boldin. He puts them in places where only Boldin can get them, but the coverage is so tight that they have to be pinpoint.

Boldin isn't having that type of success without a QB who can make those throws and there aren't ten of them in this league.

The Browns are about to enter a flooded FA pool, with money to spare. Josh Gordon going deep, they would need a WR and TE, while they still have the draft after FA.

[The Excellector]

Go ahead and put that man out there, and watch what happens. You'd never get another front office job again. We are only thinking about Cleveland.

Think about how many teams would want Flacco, first off:

Buffalo
Miami
New York
Cleveland
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Kansas City
Oakland
Arizona

Then, look at how many of them would have the money to sign Flacco

Then, look at how many would be able to add a piece or two around him.

They are lucky Buffalo doesn't have the money and you know the Jets would damn sure make a move if they weren't trying to cut dead weight. If they could move up for Sanchez, when everyone and their mother said he wasn't ready, I think they can make some moves for Flacco.

Miami seems to be willing to develop Tannehill, but you could never be too sure. It is Miami.

Jacksonville is a team that could make a move.

Tennessee might not have everything necessary to pony up.

The only thing Kansas City is really missing is a QB.

Oakland is still trying to cut dead weight

Arizona could do it if they weren't so cheap.

[B-more Ravor]

FWIW......

Evan Silva ‏@evansilva
ESPN's Adam Schefter on Joe Flacco talks: "A lot of ppl around the league believe the sides will get a deal done by the end of the Combine."

[The Excellector]

FWIW......

It's the only way.

[bmoreraventerp]

FWIW......

Good to hear. Flacco needs to be locked up asap and paying pretty much most of what Flacco and his agent are asking for seems reasonable considering the circumstances now.

[pslholder96]

FWIW......

Good stuff. The sooner the better. We're already 5 weeks behind in offseason, get Joe to an extension and then we can start diving deeper into our roster to see who we draft, cut and extend.

[The Excellector]

There really aren't too many holes on this team, compared to what's available in FA and what will be available in FA. Sign Flacco and build your team around him.