[Report] Flacco becomes highest paid player in NFL history

[metaldude26]

http://www.tsn.ca/nfl/story/?id=417147

Something in excess of $120 million over six years and likely escalating to help them with the short term cap.

Personally I don't hate it because Flacco while flawed proved that his ceiling is capable of winning a championship especially with the direction the NFL is going. His skill set: tall so he can see over the pass rush, capable of throwing the deepest of deep balls as well as of forcing the tough pass that often generates pass interference penalties is perfectly suited to winning in this league. He's definitely not the best player in the NFL but he's easily in the top 20 and the dude got paid what the market demanded.

Simply put, as a Ravens fan I do not want to try to go forward and win without him because it probably doesn't happen. You need a QB to win and now they've got one for six years. The Ravens have a smart management group that makes tough cap decisions every year and every year they manage to fill the holes because they are incredibly smart and know where the market inefficiencies are.

You also have to accept that it won't be long before the Luck, RG3, Kaepernick and Wilson group are all making more than him. So he's just the guy who got hot at the perfect time and was paid accordingly.

But that's my take less than a month after seeing Flacco lead my boys to their first Super Bowl in over a decade so I'm obviously tainted. Let's hear it, naysayers.

[hockeyrobot]

I just threw up in my mouth a bit....

[Zorro]

Ok, this is going to come back to bite the Ravens in the POOPER very soon.. Unreal..

[metaldude26]

Ok, this is going to come back to bite the Ravens in the POOPER very soon.. Unreal..

Worse than not signing him and having to go with Tyrod Taylor at QB?!?!

[Zorro]

Worse than not signing him and having to go with Tyrod Taylor at QB?!?!

I guess they were in a tough spot, but $120 million for Flacco..

Maybe they should have tried for Shane Falco??

[metaldude26]

I guess they were in a tough spot, but $120 million for Flacco..

Maybe they should have tried for Shane Falco??

It's inflation and timing. Dude won the Super Bowl MVP in a contract year - he had to get paid. The smart teams know where to spend their money and QB is one of those positions. The Ravens are competitive every year because they always make tough cap decisions. They'll be fine even with this huge deal. And like I said, all the top young guys are gonna make even more.

[hockeyrobot]

I hear ya MD.....teams gotta do what they gotta do sometimes....just shocking to see Flacco at the top of that list now.

[metaldude26]

I hear ya MD.....teams gotta do what they gotta do sometimes....just shocking to see Flacco at the top of that list now.

Yeah, it's an overpayment but it's not unreasonable. And believe me, I'm shaking my head too. I remember just a few months ago sending all my buddies, "FUUUUUUCK FLACCO!" texts as he tossed another super shitty interception against the Broncos. And then he went off and never looked back.

[hockeyrobot]

Im worried for him mid season when he's not putting up numbers like other top QBs and everyone starts coming down on him for the contract. He won't put up the numbers but we all know he wins game and they'll be in the playoffs at the end of the year.

[metaldude26]

Im worried for him mid season when he's not putting up numbers like other top QBs and everyone starts coming down on him for the contract. He won't put up the numbers but we all know he wins game and they'll be in the playoffs at the end of the year.

There could definitely be some backlash for the contract but there won't be too much out of Baltimore or at least there shouldn't be. I'm a firm believer in a five year grace period after a championship. Just suck it up and enjoy the ride. Flacco's a rollercoaster.

[Bomm Bastic]

Ironically, still a middling fantasy QB.

[TheWhale]

I think Flacco is nowhere near what he thought he was worth but he's worth whatever the ravens decided to pay him. The guy is a 20 td/60% completion type of guy and we should never see his name anywhere close to the names of brady, manning, etc on any list....... But the ravens had to lock up the qb position and because newsome is one of the best (if not the best) gm's in the league, the players they lose as a result will have little effect. The ravens might take a step back in the next year or two (still playoff calibre team) but will be back in business shortly after. It's much easier to fill the holes on your roster when you have your qb cemented for the foreseeable future. Even if it is Joe Skinny

From the pen of a Steelers fan who officially declared 2012/13 as the worst year of football ever

[dmvincent]

Flacco is a winner and an elite quarterback, but this is ridiculous.

The Ravens caved into his agents demands IMO.

[metaldude26]

Flacco is a winner and an elite quarterback, but this is ridiculous.

The Ravens caved into his agents demands IMO.

It was a no-win situation though because if they franchised him at the high tag then the cap hold would screw them in free agency and if they franchised him at the low tag then other teams would have signed him to this sort of deal or higher and then they'd have just matched.

This is one of those situations where if the Ravens had gambled a year or two ago that what they had in Flacco was someone capable of playing at an elite level then they'd have avoided this situation. Now it would seem that Flacco did a bit of gambling on himself and it paid off but the Ravens easily could have saved $20 million or more had they locked him up sooner. But that's easy to say in hindsight.

And just to put this into context. Drew Brees got $100 million for five years at 33 years old and Peyton Manning got $96 million for five years at 36 years old and a broken ****ing neck. Now is Flacco as good as those guys? No but I don't think he's that far behind at the point where they signed their deals AND Flacco is only 28 and this deal was signed a year after those guys signed so inflation counts.

[dmvincent]

It was a no-win situation though because if they franchised him at the high tag then the cap hold would screw them in free agency and if they franchised him at the low tag then other teams would have signed him to this sort of deal or higher and then they'd have just matched.

This is one of those situations where if the Ravens had gambled a year or two ago that what they had in Flacco was someone capable of playing at an elite level then they'd have avoided this situation. Now it would seem that Flacco did a bit of gambling on himself and it paid off but the Ravens easily could have saved $20 million or more had they locked him up sooner. But that's easy to say in hindsight.

And just to put this into context. Drew Brees got $100 million for five years at 33 years old and Peyton Manning got $96 million for five years at 36 years old and a broken ****ing neck. Now is Flacco as good as those guys? No but I don't think he's that far behind at the point where they signed their deals AND Flacco is only 28 and this deal was signed a year after those guys signed so inflation counts.

I agree, they should have locked him up much sooner. From the moment he came into the NFL, I knew the Ravens were set at quarterback. The kid played with such poise and flew under the radar until this year. I mean, think about it. Flacco's resume is mighty impressive and his agent did a great job promoting all the value he can bring to the Ravens long term. All the players were behind him too, everyone had his back.