Shefter: Ravens could release WR Anquan Boldin

[supafly]

I just hopped on the Ravens site to check out the cap situation. Ray Ricee is gettng a new contract and they know there are going to be some serious cap casualties if they sign Flacco to a 14 to 17 million a year contract. Many are suggesting losing at last 2 or the 5 starters on there O-line. There team is definitely going ot look different next year.......

Ray Rice's deal started last season, as he was one whose franchise tag deal went all the way down to the July 16th deadline. They agreed on a 5 yr/40 million dollar deal on the last day of July 16th, which then took away the franchise tag number on a longer term deal.

And Flacco, his agents, and his camp are claiming that he actually had a better season than any of the "elite" QBs like Brees, Brady, Manning etc, so he should be paid above the 20 million dollar mark. At least that is their argument anyway, good luck to them.

If they're over 5 million on the cap number right now and they haven't even took Flacco's deal into account, they will certainly have to get creative with some moves. What extent that will have on their future remains to be seen, and I'm sure that there will be some casualties somewhere. That said, we've also seen plenty of teams shave off 10-15 million off their hit in a period of a couple of days, and I'm sure they'll want to do everything they can to retain Anquan Boldin for at least another year or two. It wouldn't be like he'd be the first guy to go.

I'm doubting that Boldin will be going anywhere myself just yet, but it definitely bears an attentive eye.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

yeah i don't see boldin leaving that team..they have a good core of WRs. But their team will look much much different next year...

 

[YearbookCurfew]

Meh, I'll pass.

 

[Brady2Moss]

He's had a good post season otherwise has been average for his entire time with Baltimore. Let's not go about scouting him like we did Shaun Ellis. 2 TDs against us we have to have him!, just like we had to have Ellis after his skeleton wrecked havoc on us in the 2010 playoffs.

 

[Kontradiction]

Is he a legit deep threat?

He's one of the only receivers I've watched in this year's draft that threatens every level of the defense. Very big bodied receiver and should be a decent red zone threat.

 

[IndianPat]

Boldin is not playing for anything less than 8 to 10 million/year. He is a tough customer when it comes to the business side of the game. He is not going to have half the production of Welker and will only replicate what we have in Gronk and Ahern in the red zone. (We just need ALL our weapons to be healthy).
He might be an impressive weapon for Baltimore, but only redundancy for us.

 

[TriplecHamp]

He's one of the only receivers I've watched in this year's draft that threatens every level of the defense. Very big bodied receiver and should be a decent red zone threat.

Amazing to think that Tennessee had Hunter, Paterson and Rodgers at one point.

 

[manxman2601]

Amazing to think that Tennessee had Hunter, Paterson and Rodgers at one point.

Not in a game. Patterson joined the Vols this year and Rogers was kicked out before the season started.

 

[supafly]

Boldin is not playing for anything less than 8 to 10 million/year.

I don't really agree with those numbers myself. I think that estimate is pretty high. 8-10 million? He's not seeing that kind of money anymore, not did he see it a few years ago either.

Boldin signed a 4 yr / 28 million dollar deal way back in the spring of 2010, when his production and reputation were much better than they are now.

He was coming off of seasons that topped 1000 yds two years in a row and had TD's of 9 and 11. He was having regular seasons that produced catches in the mid-to-high 80's range. He was also obviously much younger at a total of 3 yrs.

Since then he has had back to back years of 3 TD's (2011) and 4 TD's (2012), with production dipping significantly. His reception rate is now in the high 50's/low 60's for three years in a row. Obviously, the age factor now comes much more into play too as he is 3 yrs older and will turn 33 a few games into the season.

I couldn't possibly see anyone wanting to offer him much more than about 6 million per year max, and that would be on a deal for a shorter term. Hell, Reggie Wayne just got about 5-6 million per year last offseason.

I'd have no problem with Boldin as the WR3 on a shorter term pact, but I don't think that the money will really be there even at approx. 6 million per. Of course some here would lobby for him to replace Llyod, but I don't think that happens at all.

The salary cap era just prevents these kinds of signings, as we've have way too much money wrapped up in the WR position (Welker, Llyod, and Boldin would be cap hits of at least 17 million total). Of course that assumes that Welker will be retained. If that doesn't happen then it's a whole new ballgame for predictions as to what may take place.

 

[Sivy]

Can he rush the passer?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Boldin is not playing for anything less than 8 to 10 million/year. He is a tough customer when it comes to the business side of the game. He is not going to have half the production of Welker and will only replicate what we have in Gronk and Ahern in the red zone. (We just need ALL our weapons to be healthy).
He might be an impressive weapon for Baltimore, but only redundancy for us.

What we actually lacked this season is that redundancy...same thing we lacked last season. Can't count on having two healthy TE's going forward. Have to have plan B. Lloyd didn't turn out to be Plan B.

At 32, same age as Lloyd, he's not going to command that kind of money. His last deal signed at 29 was for 4 years $28M. He put up similar numbers to Lloyd playing on a team with an offense that cut it's coordinator down the stretch this season. In the playoffs...playoffs he averaged 5+ receptions for 91 yards and a TD a game.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

yeah i deff see lloyd back...2nd year with TB throwing to him..mcdaniels still likes him..vise versa..we need another chance to see what he can do..and you can always count on him for those unbelievable catches for 1sts on the sidelines. He had close to 1,000 yards his first year here...

We need another chance are famous last words. By the time they are 30, guys are who they are and Lloyd is who he is. He had ample opportunity to step up huge in the absence of Gronk or Hernandez for much of the season. If they are somehow both healthy for a full season, I see his targets evaporating. And the problem with those unbelievable catches on the sidelines is you couldn't count on them more than half of the time which is why we didn't see many in the second half. Lloyd caught 57% of the passes TFB was targeting at him. Boldin caught 58% of the passes Flacco was throwing up for grabs. Boldin will draw more coverage, and you can never have too many big, tough red zone targets.

 

[IllegalContact]

unless they let welker walk, I don't believe the pats will be able to compete with the $$ other teams could throw at him. there are too many other places for him to go. and if they do let welker walk, I don't believe it will be in order to get boldin. mike wallace would sound more like it

don't see it happening

 

[MoLewisrocks]

unless they let welker walk, I don't believe the pats will be able to compete with the $$ other teams could throw at him. there are too many other places for him to go. and if they do let welker walk, I don't believe it will be in order to get boldin. mike wallace would sound more like it

don't see it happening

I doubt Wallace is even on their radar. Coming off a lackluster contract season in which the Steelers pretty much made up their minds to walk away from him. And he is looking for $10-12M per. Not ever gonna happen here. Not after the Moss experiment. And Wallace is no Moss.

 

[IllegalContact]

I doubt Wallace is even on their radar. Coming off a lackluster contract season in which the Steelers pretty much made up their minds to walk away from him. And he is looking for $10-12M per. Not ever gonna happen here. Not after the Moss experiment. And Wallace is no Moss.

you're probably right......wallace has about as much chance of being on the pats roster as boldin

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Yeah, Reggie Wayne has really stunk it up this season at 34

Lame comparison professor.....Wayne has been on the same team and Colts system for over a decade

******ed comparison...try again

Show me a few WRs in or near their mid 30s with a new team and new program that flourished.......bet you it's a small amount.

Randy Moss was a rare exception ...he was a rare athlete with skill sets few others possessed outside of Jerry Rice at the time and even then I think he was 31 in 2007

 

[TriplecHamp]

Not in a game. Patterson joined the Vols this year and Rogers was kicked out before the season started.

Never knew that. I just assumed patterson got the spot when Rogers left. Still pretty crazy.

 

[PP2]

What we actually lacked this season is that redundancy...same thing we lacked last season. Can't count on having two healthy TE's going forward. Have to have plan B. Lloyd didn't turn out to be Plan B.

Lloyd is not plan B. We already have a plan B at TE, and his name is Jake Ballard.

 

[mgteich]

I'd match our situation at #3 TE with any team in the league. We have Ballard, Hooman and Fells competing for backup reps.

Lloyd is not plan B. We already have a plan B at TE, and his name is Jake Ballard.

 

[patriotsdynasty12189]

Lame comparison professor.....Wayne has been on the same team and Colts system for over a decade

******ed comparison...try again

Show me a few WRs in or near their mid 30s with a new team and new program that flourished.......bet you it's a small amount.

Randy Moss was a rare exception ...he was a rare athlete with skill sets few others possessed outside of Jerry Rice at the time and even then I think he was 31 in 2007

Colts had a new system put in place with a new qb this season buddy.