Exclusive or Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag for Flacco?

**chicagoravensfan** · 02-20-2013, 08:43 AM

Kicked off by Tony's article (http://russellstreetreport.com/non-e...g-with-flacco/), I had a few more thoughts on why the Ravens should use the non-exclusive tag.

Last year there were countless stories about how some team was going to swoop in on Mike Wallace or Lardarius Webb to steal them away from cap-strapped teams. Never happened. In Mike Wallace's case, the cost was only 1 first-rounder and the team would have only had to better the $2.5 million RFA tender price. In order to steal Flacco from the Ravens, the team would have to:

1) give up 2 first round picks
2) structure the contract such that the Ravens couldn't match. That would have to be something in the magnitude of $60 million guaranteed to make the year 1 salary cap hit in the $25 million range
3) convince Flacco that it's worth leaving a great situation. Would he really leave a model franchise to get destroyed behind the Arizona offensive line for an extra $10 million?

As awesome as Flacco's post-season run is, the guy is not on the Brees/Rodgers/Peyton/Brady level where he can turn a crap team into a Super Bowl contender. With a good o-line and good weapons he can go all the way, but without the right supporting cast we get games like last year's against Jacksonville or this year against Kansas City, Houston or Denver.

I also suspect there is a good deal of collusion around RFA's (especially under the new CBA which does not allow poison pills). Owners don't mess with other teams RFA's so that their's don't get messed with.

Right player - right price. If the cost of the exclusive franchise tag is losing Ellerbe, Boldin, Jacoby and/or a starting caliber LT, it is too steep a price.

**Purpleguy** · 02-20-2013, 08:50 AM

The smart thing to do is reach a deal and not have to worry about any tag. If they must resort to the tag then they have to use the exclusive one. You now have the cap floor to worry about. Teams like Cleveland, Cincy, Tampa, and Indy have to spend quite a bit of money to reach the cap floor. Indy isn't looking for a QB, and Cincy probably would keep Dalton before spending big money on Flacco, but Cleveland is the x-factor. Even if they knew we could match their offer, why would we let a division rival set the price?

**pslholder96** · 02-20-2013, 08:52 AM

And the cost of losing a franchise type QB we've been looking for all these years is not steeper??

**wickedsolo** · 02-20-2013, 08:56 AM

It isn't even going to come to that. Flacco is the most important player the Ravens have ever had to re-sign.

I would be utterly shocked if they got to the point where they had to use the tag.

**chicagoravensfan** · 02-20-2013, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by pslholder96

And the cost of losing a franchise type QB we've been looking for all these years is not steeper??

Flacco with the 2012/13 playoff offensive line + Boldin in beast-mode is a franchise QB.

Flacco eating up 1/6 of the cap with Oher and Jah Reid as starting tackles and Tandon Doss as #2 WR is a disaster.

**GOTA** · 02-20-2013, 09:01 AM

With the Browns having so much cap space there is no way not to use the exclusive tag. That's why they need to get a deal done before it comes to that. The Browns will do everything possible to screw things up for the Ravens if given the chance.

**Paintballguy** · 02-20-2013, 09:06 AM

Flacco will be signed soon. Bank on it.

**pslholder96** · 02-20-2013, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by chicagoravensfan

Flacco with the 2012/13 playoff offensive line + Boldin in beast-mode is a franchise QB.

Flacco eating up 1/6 of the cap with Oher and Jah Reid as starting tackles and Tandon Doss as #2 WR is a disaster.

You're just making way too many assumptions here. A deal will be made and this thread will dissappear.

**ActualSpamBot** · 02-20-2013, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by chicagoravensfan

Flacco with the 2012/13 playoff offensive line + Boldin in beast-mode is a franchise QB.

Flacco eating up 1/6 of the cap with Oher and Jah Reid as starting tackles and Tandon Doss as #2 WR is a disaster.

Ponderous.

1. Flacco is a franchise QB no matter who is around him.

2. It's not as dire as you're making it out to be with regards to who we would put around Flacco even if he's tagged.

3. As shitty as it would be, watching Joe struggle for a year with inferior talent around him is preferable to risking losing him for the next decade.

Decisions like this are not made season to season, they are made with a player's career in mind. I would rather overpay to keep Joe for a year at the risk of hurting our chance to repeat than lose him forever and be forced to start over.

**Paintballguy** · 02-20-2013, 09:14 AM

Did people forget the Giants game where McKinnie wasn't playing, but Flacco still lit up the Giants?

**Ravenswintitle** · 02-20-2013, 09:15 AM

I think they have to get a deal done and both sides know it. Failing that, they don't have any choice but to use the exclusive tag, painful as it would be

**wickedsolo** · 02-20-2013, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by chicagoravensfan

Flacco with the 2012/13 playoff offensive line + Boldin in beast-mode is a franchise QB.

Flacco eating up 1/6 of the cap with Oher and Jah Reid as starting tackles and Tandon Doss as #2 WR is a disaster.

Speculative at best.

What other doom-n-gloom scenarios do you see in that crystal ball of yours?

The reason I say that is because there is 1 specific piece that you're missing in all of this: NO CAM.

**wickedsolo** · 02-20-2013, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by Paintballguy

Did people forget the Giants game where McKinnie wasn't playing, but Flacco still lit up the Giants?

Was just about to say this.

**pslholder96** · 02-20-2013, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

Speculative at best.

What other doom-n-gloom scenarios do you see in that crystal ball of yours?

The reason I say that is because there is 1 specific piece that you're missing in all of this: NO CAM.

...there are a lot of pieces missing in the OP's arguement.

**Bazooka Joe** · 02-20-2013, 09:25 AM

Neither! A deal will be done. Both sides are motivated and most of the work on this deal has already been done last year. So Flacco gets his 7/130. 30m bonus.

**Maelstrom** · 02-20-2013, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by chicagoravensfan

Flacco with the 2012/13 playoff offensive line + Boldin in beast-mode is a franchise QB.

Flacco eating up 1/6 of the cap with Oher and Jah Reid as starting tackles and Tandon Doss as #2 WR is a disaster.

Hyperbole.

**Maelstrom** · 02-20-2013, 09:41 AM

Furthermore, without Cam, Flacco is poised to carry this team back to the playoffs and lock up home field advantage. The Ravens still have enough talent in place in all three phases of the game, and Ozzie is good enough, smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like him. Oz will pick up value FAs and a couple of undrafted rookies, plus have another good/great draft. This is the way this team and front office operate year in and year out. It is just how it works, and thank goodness it works this way.

What happens in the playoffs is anyone's guess, because you just never know. But you can take Flacco as a top QB who can put the team on his back to the bank. And Joe will be escorting the team there (the bank and the playoffs) and have a new contract signed right before the deadline, and not any earlier.

**Ravens75** · 02-20-2013, 09:54 AM

The players you mentioned were non QB's.

QB's are treated differently. Look at what the Slurs gave up to get RG III who was unproven.

Flacco is a SB MVP that's proven to be good and sometimes great in the reg. season. If I am the Browns with the cap room a good offensive line and a defense I give up the 2 1st rounders plus the $100 mil contract for a guy that could eventually take them to the SB. In addition they would still have enough cap room to add a Mike Wallace which could make that offense top 5.

The Ravens have no choice but to give Joe the exclusive tender.

**GOTA** · 02-20-2013, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by Ravens75

The players you mentioned were non QB's.

QB's are treated differently. Look at what the Slurs gave up to get RG III who was unproven.

Flacco is a SB MVP that's proven to be good and sometimes great in the reg. season. If I am the Browns with the cap room a good offensive line and a defense I give up the 2 1st rounders plus the $100 mil contract for a guy that could eventually take them to the SB. In addition they would still have enough cap room to add a Mike Wallace which could make that offense top 5.

The Ravens have no choice but to give Joe the exclusive tender.

Exactly. The Browns either get the franchise QB they've been trying to find for decades or stick the Ravens with a contract that screws up the season. It's win/win for them. That's why the Ravens can't let them even get a chance at Flacco.

**lovefootball** · 02-20-2013, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by chicagoravensfan

Kicked off by Tony's article (http://russellstreetreport.com/non-e...g-with-flacco/), I had a few more thoughts on why the Ravens should use the non-exclusive tag.

Last year there were countless stories about how some team was going to swoop in on Mike Wallace or Lardarius Webb to steal them away from cap-strapped teams. Never happened. In Mike Wallace's case, the cost was only 1 first-rounder and the team would have only had to better the $2.5 million RFA tender price. In order to steal Flacco from the Ravens, the team would have to:

1) give up 2 first round picks
2) structure the contract such that the Ravens couldn't match. That would have to be something in the magnitude of $60 million guaranteed to make the year 1 salary cap hit in the $25 million range
3) convince Flacco that it's worth leaving a great situation. Would he really leave a model franchise to get destroyed behind the Arizona offensive line for an extra $10 million?

As awesome as Flacco's post-season run is, the guy is not on the Brees/Rodgers/Peyton/Brady level where he can turn a crap team into a Super Bowl contender. With a good o-line and good weapons he can go all the way, but without the right supporting cast we get games like last year's against Jacksonville or this year against Kansas City, Houston or Denver.

I also suspect there is a good deal of collusion around RFA's (especially under the new CBA which does not allow poison pills). Owners don't mess with other teams RFA's so that their's don't get messed with.

Right player - right price. If the cost of the exclusive franchise tag is losing Ellerbe, Boldin, Jacoby and/or a starting caliber LT, it is too steep a price.

Are you related to p king or are you p king. Flacco's here to stay and anyone thinking the Ravens won't do whatever it takes to keep him needs help. Ravens new leader is Joe Flacco and the Ravens will be geared up every year to play in post season. Play quiet with a big arm will be Flaccos theme and other teams will see him for a while setting more records . Peter king and other talking heads have looked bad in their predictions about the Ravens and Flacco. Lot of talking heads had to eat Raven after winning the SB.