SALARY CAP ANALYSIS: Signs point to franchise tag for Flacco in 2013

**Boulderraven** · 12-05-2012, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by JustaslowZ06

And replace him with whom exactly?

Alex Smith, 70% completion percentage is a possiblity. Would like Vick as well his days are numbered in Philly. Anyone but Flacco, tying up the cap and plays worse as the season progresses. Joe isn't going to get it done.

**pslholder96** · 12-05-2012, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by Boulderraven

Alex Smith, 70% completion percentage is a possiblity. Would like Vick as well his days are numbered in Philly. Anyone but Flacco, tying up the cap and plays worse as the season progresses. Joe isn't going to get it done.

LOL

**redmike34** · 12-05-2012, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by pslholder96

LOL

I'm absolutely fine with Joe Flacco being the Ravens QB... as long as it's at the right price.

You may LOL at Boulderraven (and actually, I want nothing to do with Vick either), but consider this: would you rather have Flacco as the Raven QB on a $100 M contract, or Smith as Raven QB at, say, $70 M?

Given those numbers, and considering that I want the Ravens to be able to keep signing other good players... that Smith deal does not look bad in context. I'm no cap expert, but I think that Smith is probably close enough to Flacco that cap savings of that magnitude would benefit the team overall more than if that money went straight into Flacco's coffers.

**leachisabeast** · 12-05-2012, 11:23 PM

Alex Smith was heavily protected by the system when he was the starter, I would put money on even Tyrod Taylor having high comp % in that offense, while throwing for 120 yards every week... I am a huge supporter of the way Jim runs that offense. They run the ball so effectively with an over the hill back, I can only imagine how great Rice would look over there behind that Oline.

Alex Smith would be a colossal disaster if he got traded to Baltimore. Grback anyone? Think worse than him. Smith is a below average QB who can just about manage the game in the most efficient offense I've seen in the last decade, while having one or two stinkers every month, and cannot be relied upon in the play offs, which is why Jim changed QB's. Alex Smith would set this franchise back to the 2001-2005 years.

IF Flacco is in a different uni next season for whatever reason, which is highly unlikely. I heard that Philip Rivers may be on the trade block in 2013, I'm wondering if that's a possibility. A change of scenery with a new OC (Not Cam) may get him back to playing all pro level football.

**Haloti92** · 12-05-2012, 11:46 PM

Smith had a great playoffs last year.

He went 36/68 for 495 yds, 5 TDs and 0 INTs. Rating of 101.0

I agree he is a manager, but the possible discussion is over whether we go cheap and find a manager or we pay through the nose for manager-like results.

Personally, I don't like Smith either, and I think he would look terrible trying to do what Joe is asked to do, but I don't think it makes sense to assume that whoever we might get has to play in the same offense we are currently running. Even if Cameron were to stay, a switch to a game-manager would likely force him to run the ball more (a la 49ers or even the Chargers when Cameron was there).

I have no idea what we will do, but I think the decision is a very big one, and I think it isn't quite a no-brainer like many feel it is.

**leachisabeast** · 12-05-2012, 11:52 PM

If you go back to complete ball controlled offense, and get Alex Smith, it would at least allow us to fix all our other issues on the Oline and on defense.

**Captain Silver** · 12-05-2012, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by StingerNLG

From the article:How can you fire the OC of a team that has made the playoffs 5 years in a row? And that's not my thinking, I want him gone.

Steelers seem to do fine this year without Arians.

But it really doesn't matter who's under center as long as we have Cam: Would you like your shit sandwich on whole wheat or rye?

**JohnBKistler** · 12-06-2012, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by Captain Silver

Steelers seem to do fine this year without Arians.

Do you just make shit up? Arians had an above average offense. This year, they are 20th.

**Captain Silver** · 12-06-2012, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by JohnBKistler

Do you just make shit up? Arians had an above average offense. This year, they are 20th.

Injuries, not that hard to fathom.

**Corey** · 12-06-2012, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by JAB1985

I dont consider manning, rivers, ryan, vick (seriously?), or cutler and even roethlisberger (at least as a passer) "elite" qbs. I see them as comparable players. Again comparing him to manning, brees, rodgers and brady hes not going to stack up to well but saying hes not worth 100 mil compared to those others i dont see how he isnt. Cutler and ryan are unknowns since their deals are up too but is anyone really taking vick over flacco? Have we not seen the statistics eli has put up compared to flacco being damn mirror images (without the talented wrs hes benefited from), and anyony that wants rivers and his 35ints the last two years while complaining about flaccos decision making is delusional. Fact is flacco is still in that second tier and ill continue to argue that hes doing it with a shittier offense and less weapons than any of the others. Hes worth without question a 100+/- contract similar to those others as is. If it saves money to improve a flawed team as well then its really no question.

I think the problem is that it is all projection. Flacco has his flaws, lets not pretend that he doesnt. With the teams lack of trying to provide him with decent OL talent and Cam's shitty system, we really don't know how much is Flacco and how much is the environment around him. Thats the risk.

**Corey** · 12-06-2012, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by Captain Silver

Injuries, not that hard to fathom.

Actually, they were pretty damn bad even before the injuries to Jenny and Brown. Didn't the Steelers start the season below .500?

**JohnBKistler** · 12-06-2012, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by Corey

Actually, they were pretty damn bad even before the injuries to Jenny and Brown. Didn't the Steelers start the season below .500?

Yeah, but they got Tomlin, and he's never lost to a 3rd string QB, but he has lost to (heck, got eliminated by) Tim Tebow, but that was on the road. And he's also "unleashed hell".