Adam Schefter: On Ravens/flacco Deal "joe Flacco Will Be The Highest Paid Qb In Nfl History"

[g-dawg]

Let's hope that Matt Ryan wants to be more like Tom Brady than Joe Flacco.

With the salary cap, these $20 million/yr player contracts - the QB has to decide if he wants to be paid the extra 10-15% premium while hamstringing the team and the talent around him.

I just think with the salary cap staying relatively flat the next three years would like to see Matt take (a little) less.

What I think is reasonable:

6yrs, $108 million, $60 million guaranteed ($18mm/yr average).

If Flacco gets $20mm/yr then Matt deserves that as well - I just think sometimes you don't have to get every dollar - just because you can. Flacco is showing he is all about Flacco - in fairness, he made much, much less than Matt Ryan the last 6 years as he was drafted 18th overall versus Matty Ice's #3.

I'm sure from a pure ego/competition thing he would want to get paid more. You guys are seeing the Saints melting down under salary cap now - part of it is because of Drew Brees' contract - Falcons are going to face similiar squeeze in future years once Matt signs his. Brady took less and he has talented stars around him - he took a lot less this contract he just agreed - of course Brady's wife makes oodles of money as well.

[xSICKxWITHxITx]

FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reports the Ravens and Joe Flacco have agreed to a long-term deal, and it will be signed on Monday.

Terms of the deal are not yet known, but the Ravens beat the deadline with one of their star players once again. CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora talked to a few contract negotiators around the league earlier in the day and speculated a deal could range anywhere from five years and $90 million to six years and $108 million. Of course, neither of those average the $20 million annually that Flacco is said to be seeking, so those could be conservative numbers. Our own Evan Silva predicted seven years and $140 million. The main thing is the Ravens have locked Flacco up long-term without having to use the franchise tag and tying up major cap space as a result. Baltimore can now move on to free agents Dannell Ellerbe, Paul Kruger, and Ed Reed. Stay tuned for further updates.

[Radiohead]

Good thing Ryan's agent won't have the old, "Superbowl MVP" speech to flop onto the negotiation table...

[xSICKxWITHxITx]

Good thing Ryan's agent won't have the old, "Superbowl MVP" speech to flop onto the negotiation table...

Whatever Flacco gets just helps the QBs better than him get more money. There's at least 5 and Ryan is one of them.

[FalconsIn2012]

I say we guarantee more money but offer $110 million over 6 years. I'm really surprised such a great GM like Newsome caved. They are going to be in a mini- rebuild mode anyways with all the pieces they have to replace. Flaccid is worth, max, 15 million. If the Chargers stopped Rice on 4th & 29, Baltimore misses the playoffs and Flacco is still an above average player. They have just relegated themselves to mediocrity over the life of his contract or until he is a CAP casualty.

[Aftermath]

good thing the Ravens already won a SB because they won't be winning another one with a 20M a year QB.

[Radiohead]

Whatever Flacco gets just helps the QBs better than him get more money. There's at least 5 and Ryan is one of them.

Flacco established the benchmark, and Ryan will certainly be close, but cheaper.

I guarantee you.

[xSICKxWITHxITx]

Flacco established the benchmark, and Ryan will certainly be close, but cheaper.

I guarantee you.

I could easily see the better QBs get more. I just hope Matt doesn't ask though.

[RS91]

I really hope Ryan doesn't use this to try and get 20 million himself.

[Kizu_7]

not surprised ... congrats joe, you won one Super Bowl and now your team is crippled financially for years

[J-Wall]

The thing about the Brady talk he has cashed in big time once and then again and just restructured his last deal. You have to take the big payday as a football player. Granted you want to help the team and that's something I'm willing to bet Ryan would do if he was in his late 30s but he is not he is 27 so this will be his chance at really breaking the bank. And when his 3rd contract comes up when he is only 33 then I could see him taking a little less. But not now and he shouldn't.

Edited March 2, 2013 by J-Wall

[mumblesjr]

extend ryan now before the price goes to 160m for 6 years.

[xSICKxWITHxITx]

Updating a previous item, Joe Flacco's new deal with the Ravens is for six years and $120.6 million.

The $20.1 million annual average over six years makes Flacco the highest-paid player in NFL history, slightly more than Drew Brees' five-year, $100 million deal signed last offseason. There's still no word on how much is guaranteed, what the signing bonus is, or what the total payout will be over the first three years. These numbers are all far more important than the years and potential total amount over the life of the deal. For now, Flacco is the top dog.

[muskokas finest ©]

[TheDirtyWordII]

I think the notion that Flacco is about Flacco is off. Fact is, the guy deserves at this point to get that last dollar. Weren't a heck of a lot of people in his corner even as recently as December. Now he's got a ring.

But, this is a guy who made sure his contract status was not a distraction to his team. He bet on himself and he bet on his ability to lead his team and the bet paid off big. The fact if the matter is that the salary cap strain between a QB deal that averages $18M vs. $20M is not going to be all that much different. It can certainly be managed.

As it relates to Ryan, this is how I thought it would play out. What's fair doesn't matter. What the market dictates does. Like with Sam Baker...with Will Beatty signing, now the LT market has been set. Is the downside of overpaying Sam Baker relative to his worth less or more than not having a starting caliber LT.

With Ryan, we can wait until next year, but the Ravens are a perfect example of why you don't do that. They did not pay what the market dictated and now they paid a lot mor for it.

Pay Ryan now.

[g-dawg]

I think the notion that Flacco is about Flacco is off. Fact is, the guy deserves at this point to get that last dollar. Weren't a heck of a lot of people in his corner even as recently as December. Now he's got a ring.

But, this is a guy who made sure his contract status was not a distraction to his team. He bet on himself and he bet on his ability to lead his team and the bet paid off big. The fact if the matter is that the salary cap strain between a QB deal that averages $18M vs. $20M is not going to be all that much different. It can certainly be managed.

As it relates to Ryan, this is how I thought it would play out. What's fair doesn't matter. What the market dictates does. Like with Sam Baker...with Will Beatty signing, now the LT market has been set. Is the downside of overpaying Sam Baker relative to his worth less or more than not having a starting caliber LT.

With Ryan, we can wait until next year, but the Ravens are a perfect example of why you don't do that. They did not pay what the market dictated and now they paid a lot mor for it.

Pay Ryan now.

I disagree. Flacco definitely deserves to get paid but the whole "he won a superbowl" thing to me should be a factor but should not jolt you up to Manning/Brady/Brees status - flat-out, he is not in their class - the numbers bare it out.

If Manning/Brady/Brees are $20mm/yr players - then Matt Ryan should be an $18mm/yr player and Flacco should be $17mm/yr player.

If winning a SB makes you a $20mm/yr player then Trent Dilfer is a $20mm/yr player - obviously I am exaggerating but you get my point. Flacco is very good - but still not great. Paying Flacco "great" money is wishful thinking and betting on the come.

of course "the market is the market" and Ravens just "set the market" for 2nd tier QBs at $20mm/yr.

hate to say it, but that is what Matt is going to get - and it will cripple the team. Doubt Ryan's agent will take less.

[liverpool_champions_of_europe]

This is just crazy, with the rookie pay scale teams that draft a good QB or hit the little like the Seahawks did with Wilson are just going to have a massive advantage.

Every team wants a franchise QB but maybe it makes more sense to build your team around the D and get timely pieces on O with a competent QB.

You can't build a successful winner constantly with a chance of a Lombardi paying one guy $20m

[g-dawg]

This is just crazy, with the rookie pay scale teams that draft a good QB or hit the little like the Seahawks did with Wilson are just going to have a massive advantage.

Every team wants a franchise QB but maybe it makes more sense to build your team around the D and get timely pieces on O with a competent QB.

You can't build a successful winner constantly with a chance of a Lombardi paying one guy $20m

agreed. this acutally gives an advantage to teams like Niners, Seahawks and Redskins who have very good QBs on their rookie contracts.......Those teams are paying their QBs less than $2mm/season - Falcons/Ravens will be at $20mm/season - that is a HUGE difference. Eventually those teams will have to pay up but they have 4 more years of cheap, cheap, cheap...

[Tuggle'2]

It kind of makes me think about us and the rest of our division. Brees is getting paid , Ryan will get paid , and Freeman will probably lose his job. I wonder what the Panthers will pay Scam when his contract comes up. I imagine he will eventually become better but as of right now he is as overrated as they come. He has one of those personalities that makes me think he will go for the gusto even if he hasn't really earned it.

I hate that QBs make that much. I really do. It drives me nuts.

[g-dawg]

one of the reasons i thought the Colts only got over the hump once (winning SuperBowl) is they were a little too "top heavy" with their mega-star(Manning) and just few other stars(Marvin Harrison/Dwight Freeney) - while the remaining starters were below average.

Falcons are going to have to start hoarding draft picks and getting more and more draft picks to build up the bottom of this team - this would be the perfect year to trade back - Falcons need to build for the future now - even at the expense of the present - if they want to stay relevant with a $20mm+/yr QB.

[xSICKxWITHxITx]

I think the notion that Flacco is about Flacco is off. Fact is, the guy deserves at this point to get that last dollar. Weren't a heck of a lot of people in his corner even as recently as December. Now he's got a ring.

But, this is a guy who made sure his contract status was not a distraction to his team. He bet on himself and he bet on his ability to lead his team and the bet paid off big. The fact if the matter is that the salary cap strain between a QB deal that averages $18M vs. $20M is not going to be all that much different. It can certainly be managed.

As it relates to Ryan, this is how I thought it would play out. What's fair doesn't matter. What the market dictates does. Like with Sam Baker...with Will Beatty signing, now the LT market has been set. Is the downside of overpaying Sam Baker relative to his worth less or more than not having a starting caliber LT.

With Ryan, we can wait until next year, but the Ravens are a perfect example of why you don't do that. They did not pay what the market dictated and now they paid a lot mor for it.

Pay Ryan now.

Flacco pretty much robbed the Ravens. He didn't win the SB he was a part, but he didn't carry the team and never has. The D and the run game always have. The D was weak some during the season, but came on strong in the playoffs.

This to me would have been like paying Alex Smith this contract if he'd still been the starter for the Niners and they won the SB instead. If course Flacco is a little better, but Flacco is still arguably not a top 10 QB. So now you are paying non elite QBs this much?

[Big Bubba]

It kind of makes me think about us and the rest of our division. Brees is getting paid , Ryan will get paid , and Freeman will probably lose his job. I wonder what the Panthers will pay Scam when his contract comes up. I imagine he will eventually become better but as of right now he is as overrated as they come. He has one of those personalities that makes me think he will go for the gusto even if he hasn't really earned it.

I hate that QBs make that much. I really do. It drives me nuts.

If he keeps along his current path, I believe the Panthers give Cam around $22M a year when his time comes. His 9,600+ total yards and 62 total TDs over 2 years, is most ever by a qb in his first two years. If he somehow manages to get close to 15k total yards and 100 total TDs within his first 3 years... he'll get paid through the nose, despite the team not being that good. Similar to Ryan eventually getting paid like Flacco and Brees, despite the Falcons not having nearly the success those teams have had.

I believe a base pay should be around $15M a year for qbs. The new generation of qbs will probably get around $30M a year, and that's just stupid.

[yahoomas]

If the Chargers stopped Rice on 4th & 29, Baltimore misses the playoffs and Flacco is still an above average player.

Why do people keep saying this? You know how to count don`t you?

The Ravens would have made the playoffs either way. There were no 9-7 teams in the AFC. Baltimore could even have made the playoffs with an 8-8 record. The Steelers were the only 8-8 team in the AFC, and they had screwed their division record by losing to Cleveland. Infact the Ravens could have lost up to 3 more games, and still made it, aslong as they beat Cincinatti in the final when Baltimore rested their starters, and still almost beat them.

[TheDirtyWordII]

I disagree. Flacco definitely deserves to get paid but the whole "he won a superbowl" thing to me should be a factor but should not jolt you up to Manning/Brady/Brees status - flat-out, he is not in their class - the numbers bare it out.

If Manning/Brady/Brees are $20mm/yr players - then Matt Ryan should be an $18mm/yr player and Flacco should be $17mm/yr player.

If winning a SB makes you a $20mm/yr player then Trent Dilfer is a $20mm/yr player - obviously I am exaggerating but you get my point. Flacco is very good - but still not great. Paying Flacco "great" money is wishful thinking and betting on the come.

of course "the market is the market" and Ravens just "set the market" for 2nd tier QBs at $20mm/yr.

hate to say it, but that is what Matt is going to get - and it will cripple the team. Doubt Ryan's agent will take less.

The market dictates what a player is worth. Dilfer was so valued by the Ravens, that they thought Elvis Grbac was a better option. So the comparsion, while you even admit is an exageration, isn't even that suitable.

Flacco is coming off one of the best post-seasons in NFL history. In addition, the option to simply franchise tag wasn't on the table for the Ravens because a bottom-feeding team would have gladly given 2 1st round draft picks for him. So Flacco was headed for the exclusive tag - which was in excess of $20M in 2013. The only positive for the players as it relates to the franchise tag is that it sets the top of the market.

At the end of the day, Flacco was earning $20M in 2013 regardless unless the Ravens chose to not do anything with him which simply wasn't going to be an option because he is not Trent Dilfer. He's a valued commodity at the QB position. That's why it's crystal clear that Ryan is soon going to be joining him in that club.

And the notion that our salary cap is going to be destroyed at $20M/year, but not $18M/year is sounding the fake catastrophe alarm. What always puzzled me about the Brees contract standoff was how at the end of the day, the contract wound up being where everyone thought it should. The suprise in that negotiation was that it took as long as it did.

Did Flacco time his SuperBowl as fantastically as possible? Absolutely...but he delivered the goods. I have no issue with his contract - he deserved it. And Ryan will too when it's announced prior to the draft.

[Mr. Right]

Perhaps Falcons will be smart and trade Ryan and draft a rookie QB. Rookie QBs are underpriced while veteran QBs are overpriced, should be an obvious move. Buy low sell high.

Edited March 2, 2013 by Mr. Right