Honest Thoughts about Flacco's Contract in 2013?

**Trackmaster** · 06-27-2018, 10:03 AM

Let's flashback to 2013. It's March, and news had just broke that we had re-signed Flacco. The details of the deal come out, and it turns out that it will be the biggest contract in NFL history at $20mil a year for six flags. Half to be paid out in the first two years, most of that guaranteed. Then we see the mass exodus that it caused and how we were pushed up against the cap.

What were your honest reactions back then? Were you relieved that Flacco was re-signed? Were you hopeful that he would grow into his contract and ride his play-off performance to multiple Pro Bowls and future Super Bowls? Were you worried about the team getting in cap hell due to the deal? Were you like "WTF, giving the biggest contract in the league to somebody who hasn't made a Pro Bowl?" Did you get made fun of at work by non-Ravens fans?

I think that we all know now that the original deal and the re-structure were both lemons. But maybe back then it was a reasonable gamble to take. Thoughts? I want honest answers about what was actually running through your mind in 2013.

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 06-27-2018, 10:17 AM

I wasn't surprised. Flacco and his agent had them by the balls. I can't think of a scenario where a guy gambled on himself like Flacco and goes out to go on an insane run and win the team a championship. In no way did I think his true value was that contract. BUT I understood why it was what it was. Someone was going to pay him, so from the Ravens perspective it was either A) Sign a franchise QB that's the first one we've ever found after a few blunders or B) Let him go and try again, which with our history was not a good option.

I don't think we took a gamble on him. Flacco put himself in a position to say it's my way or the highway.

My bigger issues with the Flacco contracts were the moves made AFTER he was signed. The 2013 draft was terrible AND we cut the best WR we had. It just made no sense. So those moves make me hate the contract.

**crabcakes** · 06-27-2018, 10:17 AM

Hindsight is 20/20. The ravens did what they had to do to secure flacco long term. He was just the first of the ridiculous QB contracts to be handed out. As for my feelings, I liked that he was locked up long term and we had stability at QB, especially after going throw the QB carousel from 1996-2007.

**trailhiker85** · 06-27-2018, 10:19 AM

[QUOTE=Trackmaster;1471941]

What were your honest reactions back then? Were you relieved that Flacco was re-signed?

I expected him to be signed all along, so "relieved" probably isn't the right word.

Were you hopeful that he would grow into his contract and ride his play-off performance to multiple Pro Bowls and future Super Bowls?

Of course. Sadly,that never happened.

Were you worried about the team getting in cap hell due to the deal? Were you like "WTF, giving the biggest contract in the league to somebody who hasn't made a Pro Bowl?"

I didn't then - and don't now - put a great deal of stock in a player's worth based on Pro Bowls. But I was definitely concerned about the prospect of cap hell.

Did you get made fun of at work by non-Ravens fans?

Nah. We have Deadskin, Steelers, Eagles, and Cowboys fans here at work, but they're not particularly obnoxious. Wish I could say that for all fans.

I think that we all know now that the original deal and the re-structure were both lemons. But maybe back then it was a reasonable gamble to take. Thoughts? I want honest answers about what was actually running through your mind in 2013.

I thought, "Good, we have him locked up long term, but man, they really back loaded that contract to get a cheap 1st year. That might come back to bite us"

**Shrubbs** · 06-27-2018, 10:28 AM

Dude. I was in my Senior year of high school when we won the superbowl. Growing up in Baltimore, everyone in my class was a Raven's fan. I was in a study hall with these kids Michael and Derrick, and the "teacher" Mr. Mercer. The four of us just argued and argued and argued every day about the Ravens, and the biggest argument was Flacco's contract. I was squarely against resigning him for a record breaking contract. When I saw what he was paid I dug in and said I don't think we make a legitimate post season run until that contract is over. I saw us get picked apart after the superbowl to make room for Flacco, and I didn't think we'd have success until our money was more evenly spread. Derrick and Mr. Mercer were super against me, while Mike layed somewhere in the middle. In retrospect knowing more about football now, the Ravens didn't have much of a choice. The following year's draft class was abysmal, not to mention we were sitting at pick 32. Free agent class was quite weak as well. Nevertheless, that was my position back then, and man did we fight about it.

**GOTA** · 06-27-2018, 10:34 AM

Flacco didn't just play his best football in the 2012 playoffs. He put together one of the best performances by any QB ever. The Ravens had to decide if that was a hot streak or the start of the new normal. They obviously thought the latter because they had no problem getting rid of Boldin who was his biggest weapon during that playoff run. That tells me that they had tremendous faith in Flacco being that QB we saw in the 2012 playoffs for the foreseeable future. Under those assumptions, which were reasonable, that contract makes sense. The structure still sucked by the dollars really were market value.

**Bhcforlife** · 06-27-2018, 10:37 AM

My only problem with it was the structure. Flacco was playing well, sure he wasn't Rodgers or Brady but he was consistently good over a five year period, they had just won a SB, most of us probably believe they should have been in back to back SBs, there was no way they weren't going to pay him in line with other top QBs. To suggest they should have done otherwise to me is just silly and not based in reality. Hindsight of the highest magnitude.

The extension or whatever it was after 2015 I believe was far worse than the 2012 contract IMO.

**BcRaven** · 06-27-2018, 10:41 AM

I was still on a high from the Super Bowl victory. The Ravens had just participated in five playoffs in a row, winning at least one game each year. Joe came off a great 2012 run and was still in his 20's. Signing him made me happy, although I did think the price was high. My vision was Flacco leading the Ravens to the playoffs on a regular basis and thinking he should have another Super Bowl in his/our future. I was glad then, but not so much now... Bc

**Shrubbs** · 06-27-2018, 10:41 AM

I also think the Ravens were just scared not to sign Flacco. They thought Grbac would be an upgrade, and Ray Lewis said they should've stuck with their superbowl winning QB. I recall some article where Ray said he'd have more rings if they'd kept Dilfer going. I don't know if that's true or not, but that was obviously a sentiment amongst the players. I think the Ravens might have been afraid to repeat a potential mistake. Not to mention just about anyone would hold the opinion that Flacco was better than Dilfer.

**wickedsolo** · 06-27-2018, 10:54 AM

I was fucking pumped when we re-signed him. The guy had just come off one of the greatest playoff performances in the history of the NFL. Frankly, I wish that they had gotten him into a deal sooner.

QB's don't grow on trees, even mediocre ones and we had just slogged through the last decade with guys like Anthony Wright, Kyle Boller, Steve McNair, Stoney Case, and so many other terrible players.

The biggest error the Ravens made was paying Joe all of that money and then not surrounding him with as much talent as possible. I'm not suggesting they should have broken the bank for anyone in particular, but they really thought they could get by with just Dennis Pitta and some scrub receivers until they signed a 36-yr old Steve Smith.

Bottom line is they tried to keep the magic of a Ray Lewis-led defense on the field and, lo-and-behold, they weren't able to find another Ray Lewis or an Ed Reed. Weird.

**srobert96** · 06-27-2018, 11:05 AM

I was good with the signing. I was good with the dollars and the term. I was not excited about the structure. The Ravens pissed away that contract in just every way possible since. After the SB run the team needed one good salary cap purge which they never did. Using Flacco's contract structure to sign aging over priced vets. They went from 1 bad OC to the next with the exception of one year. They also signed retread weapons year after year. Hindsight 20/20, they should never have signed Flacco if they were going to do what they did.

**Corey** · 06-27-2018, 11:12 AM

I was happy that he was re-signed. I was on the fence about the dollar amount and I hated the structure. I certainly didn't want to lose him. I, like most others, was fooled and thought that Joe had finally arrived and was going to go to the next level. But in my gut, I didn't trust him and I wanted the Ravens to make him prove it again on the franchise tag.