Flacco/Ravens deal: highest paid NFL player

[CGI_Ram]

Flacco? Flacco! Flacco?!

<a class="postlink" href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9006059/joe-flacco-baltimore-ravens-reach-agreement-according-source" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/90060 ... ing-source</a>

Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a six-year, $120.6 million contract that will make the quarterback the highest-paid player in NFL history, a source familiar with the deal told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Friday.

The two sides will work on the contract language this weekend, and Flacco is expected to sign the deal Monday in Baltimore, sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

Fox Sports was the first to report that Flacco and the Ravens had agreed to a deal.

Drew Brees is currently the highest paid player in the NFL, averaging $20 million per year.

Flacco played out his rookie contract this past season for $6.76 million. Now, based on the $120.6 million deal, he will make an average of $168,908 each day of the regular season for the next six years.

Reaching agreement with Flacco before Monday's 4 p.m. franchise deadline means the Ravens are assured of retaining their starting quarterback and don't have to take a salary cap hit of approximately $19.5 million.

On Feb. 7, Newsome said, "If we are able to get a deal done, it will allow us to participate more in the (free agent) market, if we so choose."

Newsome also now can turn his attention toward re-signing free agents Ed Reed, Paul Kruger and Bryant McKinnie.

Ravens running back Ray Rice took to Twitter to congratulate his teammate Friday night.

"Dinner and a few nights on Joe Flacco when we get back well deserved #Ravens," Rice tweeted.

Joe Flacco tied Tom Brady this past season for most playoff wins by a quarterback in his first five seasons. Flacco's 63 wins in the regular season and postseason are the most by a QB in his first five seasons in the Super Bowl era.

Capping a perfect postseason, the unassuming and unheralded Flacco completed 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards and three first-half touchdowns, earning Super Bowl MVP honors for leading the Ravens to a 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

He wrapped up Baltimore's four-game run to the title with a record-equaling 11 TD passes and zero interceptions, going 73 of 126 for 1,140 yards. It was an impressive streak that included road victories against two of the game's most respected quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, and a first-round home win against No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Luck.

The 28-year-old Flacco, a fifth-year pro, threw for 22 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in the regular season. He has thrown for 17,633 yards, 102 touchdowns and 52 interceptions in 80 career games.

Flacco is the only quarterback to win a postseason game in each of his first five pro seasons. He also holds the record for playoff road wins with six.

Before the Super Bowl, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti expressed confidence that Flacco would be the Ravens' quarterback of the future.

"We've never lost a great, great franchise player from the beginning," Bisciotti said. "I'm just very comfortable that it will get done."

Had Flacco been franchised, he would have earned at least $14.896 million this season.

Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, ESPN.com's Darren Rovell and The Associated Press was used in this report.

 

[-X-]

That's a shit ton of money right there. Over a 168K .... per day?
He's a good QB with a lively arm, but sheesh. Way to help perpetuate the "QB driven league" agenda.

 

[CGI_Ram]

That's a shyte ton of money right there. Over a 168K .... per day?
He's a good QB with a lively arm, but sheesh. Way to help perpetuate the "QB driven league" agenda.

My first thought was; who did the Ravens think they were competing with?

I mean, did they really believe another team would make Flacco the highest paid player in the NFL?

 

[CGI_Ram]

My second thought was; soon might be a good time to sign Sam Bradford to a win-win extension before we start winning playoff games.

 

[brokeu91]

That's a shyte ton of money right there. Over a 168K .... per day?
He's a good QB with a lively arm, but sheesh. Way to help perpetuate the "QB driven league" agenda.

My first thought was; who did the Ravens think they were competing with?

I mean, did they really believe another team would make Flacco the highest paid player in the NFL?

You don't think teams like the Cardinals, the Browns, the Jags would have ponied up some dough for this guy? Heck, I think even KC would have done so and told San Fran to try and rape a different team.

He may have been overpaid in comparison to other QBs, but the fact is, he's young, ascending and there are some teams with horrible, horrendous QB situations. This IS a QB driven league and there are some desperate teams that would have gladly overpaid for him.

 

[CGI_Ram]

That's a shyte ton of money right there. Over a 168K .... per day?
He's a good QB with a lively arm, but sheesh. Way to help perpetuate the "QB driven league" agenda.

My first thought was; who did the Ravens think they were competing with?

I mean, did they really believe another team would make Flacco the highest paid player in the NFL?

You don't think teams like the Cardinals, the Browns, the Jags would have ponied up some dough for this guy? Heck, I think even KC would have done so and told San Fran to try and pwn a different team.

He may have been overpaid in comparison to other QBs, but the fact is, he's young, ascending and there are some teams with horrible, horrendous QB situations. This IS a QB driven league and there are some desperate teams that would have gladly overpaid for him.

Well, you did answer my question. They must have thought someone would.

I guess; I just don't view Flacco in the same league as Brees and Manning. I mean, it's Flacco!

 

[-X-]

You don't think teams like the Cardinals, the Browns, the Jags would have ponied up some dough for this guy? Heck, I think even KC would have done so and told San Fran to try and rape a different team.

He may have been overpaid in comparison to other QBs, but the fact is, he's young, ascending and there are some teams with horrible, horrendous QB situations. This IS a QB driven league and there are some desperate teams that would have gladly overpaid for him.

I have no doubt they would. And *overpay* is the operative word too, so thanks for pointing that out.

No other sport relies on the collective efforts of the team more than football. The truth is that one player rarely determines the overall success of the team; but even if they did, it's not always a QB that does so. Take Ray Lewis, in his prime, off of the Ravens and what do you get? Take Polamalu off of the Steelers, and what do you get? What if the Vikings had no Peterson and the Lions had no Sanders? All of those teams are lesser degrees of what they once were. That doesn't make it a safety-driven league, or a RB driven league, does it?

Nobody's arguing that you don't need a good QB. It's ALWAYS better to have a good one than a bad one. But paying them obscene money doesn't advance the chances of a team getting to the show when they're all too reliant upon 10 other guys for one-third of the team's success. QBs can't do anything when special teams allows a Patrick Peterson to run back two punts for TDs. QBs can't do anything when their defense is ranked 32nd in the league because of the absence of a playmaking corner or defensive end.

The history of the NFL debunks the myth of the NFL being a "quarterback driven league." We all know about Montana and Elway, but we forget that Super Bowl history is littered with quarterbacks who have led their teams to the big show, despite not being anywhere near HOF caliber. Billy Kilmer, Vince Ferragamo, Ron Jaworski, Stan Humphries, Neil O'Donnell, Chris Chandler, Jake Delhomme, Donovan McNabb, Colin Kaepernick, and Rex Grossman have all started Super Bowls. Maybe they didn't *win* a Superbowl, but Jim McMahon, Jeff Hostetler, Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, and Joe Flacco all did. Those five have the same number of Superbowl rings as Peyton Manning, and one more than Dan Marino. Why do you suppose that is? Those guys had the good fortune of QBing some great TEAMS, while Manning, and especially Marino, often have had to play with lesser teams at the time.

Having a great QB who can make plays is clearly beneficial, but no more beneficial than having a great wide receiver, running back, or safety who can make plays and change the course of a game. IMO (and this is closer to the truth than it being a QB-driven league), to be a dominant NFL team, you have to be a team with greatness at several spots on both sides of the ball and have strong special teams units.

 

[CGI_Ram]

You don't think teams like the Cardinals, the Browns, the Jags would have ponied up some dough for this guy? Heck, I think even KC would have done so and told San Fran to try and pwn a different team.

He may have been overpaid in comparison to other QBs, but the fact is, he's young, ascending and there are some teams with horrible, horrendous QB situations. This IS a QB driven league and there are some desperate teams that would have gladly overpaid for him.

I have no doubt they would. And *overpay* is the operative word too, so thanks for pointing that out.

No other sport relies on the collective efforts of the team more than football. The truth is that one player rarely determines the overall success of the team; but even if they did, it's not always a QB that does so. Take Ray Lewis, in his prime, off of the Ravens and what do you get? Take Polamalu off of the Steelers, and what do you get? What if the Vikings had no Peterson and the Lions had no Sanders? All of those teams are lesser degrees of what they once were. That doesn't make it a safety-driven league, or a RB driven league, does it?

Nobody's arguing that you don't need a good QB. It's ALWAYS better to have a good one than a bad one. But paying them obscene money doesn't advance the chances of a team getting to the show when they're all too reliant upon 10 other guys for one-third of the team's success. QBs can't do anything when special teams allows a Patrick Peterson to run back two punts for TDs. QBs can't do anything when their defense is ranked 32nd in the league because of the absence of a playmaking corner or defensive end.

The history of the NFL debunks the myth of the NFL being a "quarterback driven league." We all know about Montana and Elway, but we forget that Super Bowl history is littered with quarterbacks who have led their teams to the big show, despite not being anywhere near HOF caliber. Billy Kilmer, Vince Ferragamo, Ron Jaworski, Stan Humphries, Neil O'Donnell, Chris Chandler, Jake Delhomme, Donovan McNabb, Colin Kaepernick, and Rex Grossman have all started Super Bowls. Maybe they didn't *win* a Superbowl, but Jim McMahon, Jeff Hostetler, Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, and Joe Flacco all did. Those five have the same number of Superbowl rings as Peyton Manning, and one more than Dan Marino. Why do you suppose that is? Those guys had the good fortune of QBing some great TEAMS, while Manning, and especially Marino, often have had to play with lesser teams at the time.

Having a great QB who can make plays is clearly beneficial, but no more beneficial than having a great wide receiver, running back, or safety who can make plays and change the course of a game. IMO (and this is closer to the truth than it being a QB-driven league), to be a dominant NFL team, you have to be a team with greatness at several spots on both sides of the ball and have strong special teams units.

That's a good post there, X.

And while Flacco is a good player; he's surrounded by good players (Boldin, Rice, Torry Smith, Billy Bajema , etc.). As was the case with those tier two SB winners.

 

[brokeu91]

You don't think teams like the Cardinals, the Browns, the Jags would have ponied up some dough for this guy? Heck, I think even KC would have done so and told San Fran to try and pwn a different team.

He may have been overpaid in comparison to other QBs, but the fact is, he's young, ascending and there are some teams with horrible, horrendous QB situations. This IS a QB driven league and there are some desperate teams that would have gladly overpaid for him.

I have no doubt they would. And *overpay* is the operative word too, so thanks for pointing that out.

No other sport relies on the collective efforts of the team more than football. The truth is that one player rarely determines the overall success of the team; but even if they did, it's not always a QB that does so. Take Ray Lewis, in his prime, off of the Ravens and what do you get? Take Polamalu off of the Steelers, and what do you get? What if the Vikings had no Peterson and the Lions had no Sanders? All of those teams are lesser degrees of what they once were. That doesn't make it a safety-driven league, or a RB driven league, does it?

Nobody's arguing that you don't need a good QB. It's ALWAYS better to have a good one than a bad one. But paying them obscene money doesn't advance the chances of a team getting to the show when they're all too reliant upon 10 other guys for one-third of the team's success. QBs can't do anything when special teams allows a Patrick Peterson to run back two punts for TDs. QBs can't do anything when their defense is ranked 32nd in the league because of the absence of a playmaking corner or defensive end.

The history of the NFL debunks the myth of the NFL being a "quarterback driven league." We all know about Montana and Elway, but we forget that Super Bowl history is littered with quarterbacks who have led their teams to the big show, despite not being anywhere near HOF caliber. Billy Kilmer, Vince Ferragamo, Ron Jaworski, Stan Humphries, Neil O'Donnell, Chris Chandler, Jake Delhomme, Donovan McNabb, Colin Kaepernick, and Rex Grossman have all started Super Bowls. Maybe they didn't *win* a Superbowl, but Jim McMahon, Jeff Hostetler, Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, and Joe Flacco all did. Those five have the same number of Superbowl rings as Peyton Manning, and one more than Dan Marino. Why do you suppose that is? Those guys had the good fortune of QBing some great TEAMS, while Manning, and especially Marino, often have had to play with lesser teams at the time.

Having a great QB who can make plays is clearly beneficial, but no more beneficial than having a great wide receiver, running back, or safety who can make plays and change the course of a game. IMO (and this is closer to the truth than it being a QB-driven league), to be a dominant NFL team, you have to be a team with greatness at several spots on both sides of the ball and have strong special teams units.

That's a good post there, X.

And while Flacco is a good player; he's surrounded by good players (Boldin, Rice, Torry Smith, Billy Bajema , etc.). As was the case with those tier two SB winners.

Hey, I totally agree with you guys. Flacco had a great situation in Baltimore. But he just won the Superbowl and showed that in the clutch he can perform. He also showed that he is heads and shoulders above guys like Sanchez, Cassell, Kolb, etc.

I was just saying that I firmly believe that Flacco would have made more than that if he became an unrestricted FA. I can see some really QB needy teams willing to throw ridiculous amounts of money at him. QB desperate teams will do desperate things. Heck, while I think Alex Smith is better than some believe, he still brought two second round picks (one essentially being a first rounder) which is much more then I ever thought the whiners would get for him. I still think DC completely overpaid to go up four spots to grab RG3. Whether it's fair or not, QBs will demand a lot if they are available.

 

[jap]

. . .

Having a great QB who can make plays is clearly beneficial, but no more beneficial than having a great wide receiver, running back, or safety who can make plays and change the course of a game. IMO (and this is closer to the truth than it being a QB-driven league), to be a dominant NFL team, you have to be a team with greatness at several spots on both sides of the ball and have strong special teams units.

Agreed! I made a similar post on another board when forum members were going nuts over their expectations of Sam due to his high rookie salary.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Bradford's going forward average is $4.5 million/yr lower than Flacco.

These numbers are just mind blowing.

 

[Barrison]

Bradford's going forward average is $4.5 million/yr lower than Flacco.

These numbers are just mind blowing.

So with Brady restructuring his deal to help his team, is it possible for Sam to restructure or does the rookie contract not allow any restructures? Bradford dropping his contract number would have us sitting quite nice.