Ravens trade WR Anquan Boldin to the Niners

[Patriot Missile]

Did they even try to shop him? Was this the best offer they could get? It's not like he was a free agent and needed to be moved or anything. If I were a fan of Baltimore I'd feel betrayed for them not trying to get more to improve the organization. Something stinks there.

 

[Patsrock]

I think his base salary is 6 million. His cap for the 2013 season is 7.5 million, which is 3 million more than Llyod.

Would be for the Ravens. Not the Niners. They don't assume his signing bonus hit.

 

[tonyto3690]

Did they even try to shop him? Was this the best offer they could get? It's not like he was a free agent and needed to be moved or anything. If I were a fan of Baltimore I'd feel betrayed for them not trying to get more to improve the organization. Something stinks there.

If they don't dump his salary they likely lose 3 of their starting 4 linebackers in one offseason, along with likely starting CB and starting S.

This way they have a hope to retain Ellerby.

They needed to trade him.

 

[Sicilian]

Sure, Boldin was "garbage" last season and still ended up out producing Brandon Lloyd, while having a significantly worse quarterback throwing him the football. And "Boldin hates the Patriots and I'm sure the Patriots hate Boldin" is just plain stupid. He would make the Patriots better, period. But since we didn't have a sixth round pick, I also wouldn't have given a third for him.

Boldin: 65 rec (112 targets, 58%), 921 yds, 4 TDs

Lloyd: 74 rec (130 targets, 57%), 911 yds, 4 TDs

Neither really "out-produced" the other.

But you're right, I would have taken Boldin for a 6th absolutely, if we'd had one. No reason both Lloyd and Boldin couldn't exist on the same team.

 

[tonyto3690]

Wow, Niners are stacked.

Yes, but those rookie contracts aren't going to last forever. They're going to have to suffer turnover like we did. Also their defense is keyed off of J. Smith and we saw against the Ravens what their defense is like when he isn't dominating.

We're just going to have to hope someone knocks them off before the SB. I don't see how they're not the clear cut favorites for the next two years.

 

[tonyto3690]

Boldin: 65 rec (112 targets, 58%), 921 yds, 4 TDs

Lloyd: 74 rec (130 targets, 57%), 911 yds, 4 TDs

Neither really "out-produced" the other.

But you're right, I would have taken Boldin for a 6th absolutely, if we'd had one. No reason both Lloyd and Boldin couldn't exist on the same team.

lol I didn't even bother looking at the numbers.

Take into account Lloyd was the #4/#5 option and Boldin the #2/#1 option and it puts those numbers in even more contrast.

Then take into account how people are talking how Lloyd is overrated/overpaid and should be cut, and now those same people want to trade picks and take on an even bigger contract for Boldin?

LOL.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Jim: Congrats on the super bowl, brother.

John: Thanks man, sorry we had to beat family. Here's Anquan Boldin.

 

[The_Riddler]

Did they even try to shop him? Was this the best offer they could get? It's not like he was a free agent and needed to be moved or anything. If I were a fan of Baltimore I'd feel betrayed for them not trying to get more to improve the organization. Something stinks there.

Pretty clear here that they fully intended to cut him and the last thing the Ravens wanted to see was Boldin in a Patriots, Steelers or Broncos Uniform. Thus the 6th round give away to the Niners.

 

[JackBauer]

Solid move, though I think the general consensus re: the 49ers is a little too bullish.

 

[ivanvamp]

Solid move, though I think the general consensus re: the 49ers is a little too bullish.

Why? They had the #2 scoring and #3 yardage defense in the league last year. They had the #11 offense last year. They have a rising start at QB and just added a terrific wide receiver. They still have, what, 14 draft picks to get new players, either by drafting or by trading, or they can trade some of them away for more next year.

They are run by some of the best in the business as well. It's hard not to be bullish on them.

 

[NgataTroublemaker]

lol I didn't even bother looking at the numbers.

Take into account Lloyd was the #4/#5 option and Boldin the #2/#1 option and it puts those numbers in even more contrast.

Then take into account how people are talking how Lloyd is overrated/overpaid and should be cut, and now those same people want to trade picks and take on an even bigger contract for Boldin?

LOL.

I don't think those numbers help your #4/#5 option vs #1/#2 option argument considering Lloyd actually was targeted more.

Plus, the obviously missing thing about the comparison is that you guys have a QB that is orders of magnitude better than the Ravens'. At least as far as the regular season stats that you are comparing are concerned. Boldin was way way better in the playoffs once Flacco started playing a bit better (similar to Brady levels, if for only a handful of games). That is the Boldin you should be envisioning, not regular season Boldin.

So I don't think the people that would prefer Boldin to Lloyd are crazy at all. Though, with the money difference it becomes closer.

 

[RodThePat]

lol I didn't even bother looking at the numbers.

Take into account Lloyd was the #4/#5 option and Boldin the #2/#1 option and it puts those numbers in even more contrast.

Then take into account how people are talking how Lloyd is overrated/overpaid and should be cut, and now those same people want to trade picks and take on an even bigger contract for Boldin?

LOL.

Are you accounting for the fact that we have Tom Brady, and not Joe Flacco at quarterback? Brady threw for 1000 yards and 12 TDs more than Flacco in 2012, that's a great WR season's worth of production. That's not even taking into account the fact that Boldin is a guy who makes tough catches, plays well in big spots and can absolutely take over a game (as we've seen first hand). Tell me one game the Patriots won that you came out of it thinking "boy, were it not for Brandon Lloyd we'd be hard pressed to win that one". Boldin had about 3 of those games in the playoffs alone. And exactly how many times this season was Lloyd the Patriots' "#4/#5 option" considering the amount of injuries we had to Gronk, Hernandez, or Edelman? He was, at worst, the Patriots #3 option for about 95% of the season. His numbers in the end don't look bad, and his contract is certainly affordable, but that doesn't overshadow the fact that he's a slow outside receiver who's on the ground before the football even gets to him because he apparently will explode in a puff of smoke if a defender makes any sort of physical contact with his body.

 

[Rob0729]

I wouldn't have minded if the Pats signed him if he was free, but he certainly wasn't the missing piece in the Pats' Super Bowl pie and isn't the missing piece in the 49ers' Super Bowl pie. He is a decent #2 WR at this point just like Lloyd. Both have their strengths and weaknesses.

As for the 49ers being stacked, they better hope they do not acquire the ironic "Dream Team" moniker from the last team that was supposedly stacked with talent. Sometimes acquiring a lot of names is not the way to win Super Bowls. In fact, it can have the opposite impact.

 

[RodThePat]

I wouldn't have minded if the Pats signed him if he was free, but he certainly wasn't the missing piece in the Pats' Super Bowl pie and isn't the missing piece in the 49ers' Super Bowl pie. He is a decent #2 WR at this point just like Lloyd. Both have their strengths and weaknesses.

As for the 49ers being stacked, they better hope they do not acquire the ironic "Dream Team" moniker from the last team that was supposedly stacked with talent. Sometimes acquiring a lot of names is not the way to win Super Bowls. In fact, it can have the opposite impact.

The difference is the 49ers have gotten to the NFCCG and the Superbowl in back to back seasons and they'll have pretty much the same squad back in 2013, with the addition of Boldin and a whopping 14 draft picks. The "Dream Team Eagles" hadn't done squat when Vince Young gave them that moniker.

 

[JackBauer]

Why? They had the #2 scoring and #3 yardage defense in the league last year. They had the #11 offense last year. They have a rising start at QB and just added a terrific wide receiver. They still have, what, 14 draft picks to get new players, either by drafting or by trading, or they can trade some of them away for more next year.

They are run by some of the best in the business as well. It's hard not to be bullish on them.

Just with respect to the Bolden acquisition. Good move, but I don't view him as a "terrific receiver."

And to clarify, I wasn't saying its wrong to be bullish on the Niners.

 

[supafly]

If they don't dump his salary they likely lose 3 of their starting 4 linebackers in one offseason, along with likely starting CB and starting S.

This way they have a hope to retain Ellerby.

They needed to trade him.

I think trading him is way better than allowing him to be cut and hitting free agency, so I'd definitely agree with you about that.

Of course if the "2 million" reports are true as far as what they wanted him to lower to stay, then they may have gambled a bit too much in order to play hardball, since that potential 2 million wouldn't have been enough to sign all of the players you're talking about. It's seems as though neither party wanted to budge, so that 2 million salary cut looks pretty big right about now.

You'd have a point though, that they saved themselves more money by moving his salary and also avoided him going to a competitor in the process.

I think they made a good move under the circumstances if they were sticking to their guns. There are other decent WRs that will be coming out in the draft, and they may have done the whole "better to move him a yr early rather than a year too late" thing.

 

[patsinthesnow]

This is great for the us though. The ravens hardball just lost Flacco his safety blanket/#1 WR.

As of now, their starting WRs are Smith and Jones. They have enough FAs to worry about to sign a good WR, so they are probably stuck with them starting. I don't understand why the Ravens just did that, talk about weakening your team for really no good reason.

 

[DocHoliday]

This is great for the us though. The ravens hardball just lost Flacco his safety blanket/#1 WR.

As of now, their starting WRs are Smith and Jones. They have enough FAs to worry about to sign a good WR, so they are probably stuck with them starting. I don't understand why the Ravens just did that, talk about weakening your team for really no good reason.

they really had no choice. Some teams manage their rosters in boom bust cycles. See - Jest, while others rarely if ever mortgage the future to get a good two three year window (Patriots).

The Ravens are nowhere near the Jest, but that roster's time was up.

 

[Rob0729]

The difference is the 49ers have gotten to the NFCCG and the Superbowl in back to back seasons and they'll have pretty much the same squad back in 2013, with the addition of Boldin and a whopping 14 draft picks. The "Dream Team Eagles" hadn't done squat when Vince Young gave them that moniker.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything. The Pats were a better team this past season than they were in 2011 and they went backwards in terms of the playoffs. As we saw last year when he got injured if Justin Smith gets injured again or hits the age wall, their defense takes a major step back.

Also, Boldin is no guarantee of being a major impact at his age and declining production. A good risk on the 49ers' part, but no guarantee.

Odds are good they will still be a contender, but there is no guarantee.

 

[IndianPat]

In the meantime, let us celebrate Baltimore's loss!!!