Flacco extension talks will begin at the Combine

[NewMarketSean]

No problem, I seem to be good at that. But since you obviously do not agree with me, I have a couple questions. Are you okay with Flacco getting at least top ten money even though he is not a top ten quarterback? His attitude does not bother you at all? By this I am mainly talking about his complaining in the press. It just really does not leave a good impression on me.

He's not a top 10 QB in your mind. Stats are not the end all be all when it comes to rating QB's or else Big Ben wouldn't be top 10 either.

I don't think he was complaining. A reporter asked him a question and he responded. I would give him some crap if he didn't go out and play well in the playoffs this year but he did. So he backed up what he was saying with solid performances in the playoffs.

I think your fantasy football teams are interfering with your outlook on reality. Did you have Flacco on one of your teams?

Let me put it this way. Say Lee Evans holds onto that ball and we make the Super Bowl. Regardless of if we win, don't you think Flacco should be paid as a top 10 QB???

[mattman0182]

He's not a top 10 QB in your mind. Stats are not the end all be all when it comes to rating QB's or else Big Ben wouldn't be top 10 either.

I don't think he was complaining. A reporter asked him a question and he responded. I would give him some crap if he didn't go out and play well in the playoffs this year but he did. So he backed up what he was saying with solid performances in the playoffs.

I think your fantasy football teams are interfering with your outlook on reality. Did you have Flacco on one of your teams?

Let me put it this way. Say Lee Evans holds onto that ball and we make the Super Bowl. Regardless of if we win, don't you think Flacco should be paid as a top 10 QB???

Your points are well taken. I run two fantasy teams and he was on one, Tom Brady was on the other. The won with Flacco is actually the one that won my league lol.

To answer my question, I do not think Flacco should be paid top ten money. I don't want the Ravens to give into his demands if it means that much less resources elsewhere.

About the whole complaining thing: Perhaps I need to separate what comes out of Flacco's mouth and what comes out of his agent's mouth. I will also concede that he did back up his
words during the playoffs this year.

[NewMarketSean]

For me it comes down to valuing what we have over what we don't have.

If you get caught up in all the Brees/Manning/Brady/Rogers stuff, you'll try to find the next one and likely fail.

I think Ravens fans have gotten spoiled with Flacco and the teams he's played on. Yeah we haven't gotten there yet, should have this year, but we're always in the hunt.

I would give Flacco a very fair deal so that the team nor Flacco feels like they won. I don't think Flacco is making outrageous demands.

[JohnnyK27]

Your points are well taken. I run two fantasy teams and he was on one, Tom Brady was on the other. The won with Flacco is actually the one that won my league lol.

To answer my question, I do not think Flacco should be paid top ten money. I don't want the Ravens to give into his demands if it means that much less resources elsewhere.

About the whole complaining thing: Perhaps I need to separate what comes out of Flacco's mouth and what comes out of his agent's mouth. I will also concede that he did back up his
words during the playoffs this year.

Flacco will want top 10 money if not more. So what do the Ravens do with him if he's adamant?

[SouthRider]

I wouldn't get caught up in paying Joe top 10 money or not. What ever they agree on may be top 10 today but probably won't be by the end of the contract. Joe deserves to get paid and I'm sure he will. It would be stupid for the Ravens not to sign him long term.

I've come to just ignore what the main stream media has to say about Joe. Bob Ryan was on the Tony K show this morning and he asked him about Joe's contract. Ryan's response was that all the wins Flacco has accumulated account for very little due to the Ravens defense. I mean really. Very little? As if the Ravens still have the 2000 defense. Ryan is a tool. Let these clowns think what they want. I'll take Flacco and the wins he contributes to for the next 5 years.

[Floater]

If Matt Cassell gets top 10 money, Flacco will get top 10 qb money. It doesn't necessarily means he is a top 10 qb but he will get paid somewhere in the top 10 of QB salaries.

[primetime]

[QUOTE=mattman0182;2682046]

I want a quarterback who knows where he stands, not one who diminishes the contributions of his team mates. He has not come out and directly done this, but his constant whining
about not getting enough respect makes it seem as though he feels as though he is the primary reason for the team's success. Also, I want a QB that knows he has to get better. You
cannot correct flaws unless you know you have them. Does Flacco realize that every dollar he demands from the team is a dollar they can no longer use to make the team better in other
areas? Flacco should be paid like the average QB that he is. Yes he has won in the playoffs every year, but even Dilfer got a ring with us. I am thankful that we have an average QB,
many fans would kill to even have that, but that does not mean he should be paid like a top five or top ten QB when he clearly is not. Between his whining about respect and demanding
money, why is it so hard to see why he has not won the hearts of a good amount of fans? He leaves the impression that he is worried about himself, nobody else, not even the team
that is responsible for the majority of "his" wins.

We ask athletes to be candid, we say we get sick of politically correct, non committal sound bytes, then when athletes speak their mind, they're "whining". You can't have it both ways.

You're not going to find a player in the NFL that's going to say "pay me less so you can improve the team in other areas". Sorry but that's just about as big of a farce as I've ever heard. NFL players have a very short shelf life and very dangerous occupation, they have a very small window of opportunity to make life changing money; for what they put in, what they generate for a franchise/city and what they sacrafice, they deserve to go make it. You find me one player that will give that chance up and it will be the first player in history that has.

Average QBs don't do the things that Joe Flacco has already done in his career. As a raw, project of a QB out of a 1AA college that ran a spread offense, he was forced into a starting role in the 3rd game of the preseason his rookie year and hasn't looked back.

Does he have areas where he needs to improve? Of course, what player doesn't need to work on something. However, anyone who can't see how Flacco has progressed from year 1 to year 4 is kidding themselves.

Here's a question.....say you were running the Ravens and you low-ball Flacco, which judging by your posts you would, what's your plan at QB? Tyrod Taylor? Try to hit the draft lottery again?

[primetime]

For me it comes down to valuing what we have over what we don't have.

If you get caught up in all the Brees/Manning/Brady/Rogers stuff, you'll try to find the next one and likely fail.

I think Ravens fans have gotten spoiled with Flacco and the teams he's played on. Yeah we haven't gotten there yet, should have this year, but we're always in the hunt.

I would give Flacco a very fair deal so that the team nor Flacco feels like they won. I don't think Flacco is making outrageous demands.

Playing the comparison game with QBs is also a fool's errand, it's apples to oranges.

Brees, Manning and Brady have all been in the league over a decade, they all have the luxury in being in pass first offenses and have been fortunate enough to have outstanding talent at the pass catching positions year in and year out.

Aaron Rodgers got the opportunity to sit for 3 years behind a HOF QB in Favre and all the while had the chance to work on the nuances of the position at the NFL level, as well as have his mechanics rebuilt, under the tutelage of Mike McCarthy. Plus he got to do all of this with zero pressure on him because he didn't have to do that annoying thing called winning.

To bemoan what Flacco has or hasn't done and compare him to any of those "elite" level QBs is simply an exercise in futility. He's exactly what this franchise needs in a QB. He's great for what we do now (ie; run first, play good D, make plays when you're asked to) and he's got the potential and all the physical tools to be the centerpiece of the offense when the torch is inevitably passed from the defense to the offense.

I don't see what the problem is, offer Flacco $30 mill guaranteed over 6-7 years and be done with it. Backload the contract, the total value is irrelevant and when we need cap relief in year 4 or 5, rip up the deal and start over. Done and done.

[ccbird]

Any updates on Joe and an extension??? I haven't heard news on this lately but haven't really been looking for any either. Just wondering if there has been an update in the last few days by Aaron Wilson or the Sun etc considering the combine was this past week.

[Sports Guy]

Jets gave Sanchez a big extension tonight. Paying him 20m guaranteed. Top 10 qb in terms of earnings. Joe is happy tonight.

[JohnnyK27]

Jets gave Sanchez a big extension tonight. Paying him 20m guaranteed. Top 10 qb in terms of earnings. Joe is happy tonight.

Wow and I personally think Sanchez stinks. We could certainly be a lot worse off. That said I like Joe but I don't think hes consistent from game to game. I guess you could blame some of it on the WR and some on the putrid line play. I dont see how the Ravens can pay Rice and Flacco top tier money and stay the defensive minded team they claim they want to be.

[NewMarketSean]

Jets gave Sanchez a big extension tonight. Paying him 20m guaranteed. Top 10 qb in terms of earnings. Joe is happy tonight.

Wow, pretty crazy. I thought the Jets would release him. Instead they give him 20 mil.

[JohnnyK27]

Wow, pretty crazy. I thought the Jets would release him. Instead they give him 20 mil.

It certainly will be the end of Rex Ryan ...Live & die with the wrong QB ...ala Billick.

[BaltimoreTerp]

According to PFT, they would have paid him around $17 million over the next two seasons (when the money is guaranteed in the new deal) anyway, plus there are essentially three team option years (no guarantees).

It doesn't sound like this is any kind of big deal, and the Jets can get out with almost no penalties.

[primetime]

Wow and I personally think Sanchez stinks. We could certainly be a lot worse off. That said I like Joe but I don't think hes consistent from game to game. I guess you could blame some of it on the WR and some on the putrid line play. I dont see how the Ravens can pay Rice and Flacco top tier money and stay the defensive minded team they claim they want to be.

It's all in how long Joe's contract will be, which of course allows the bonus money to be spread out. Ditto for Rice.

Also, we'll be seeing Ed and Ray ride off into the sunset soon and replacing them with younger, much cheaper talent.

Of course they'll be a drop off in production and leadership but the ramifications of the new rookie wage scale are huge for NFL franchises, especially for a team like the Ravens that draft and develop so well.

This year's #1 pick for us should be a deal at 4 years and like $6ish million (not sure of the guaranteed money). If we continue to be successful and pick in the 20s, we'll be landing good young talent on the cheap.

Also, I think that's a part of the reason why you've seen big deals for free agents so far this offseason. However, for the Ravens, the limits on rookies salaries should allow us to further retain our own players and not force us into as many tough choices.