OWINGS MILLS — The agent for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco negotiated again with team officials Sunday at team headquarters, another step in the process of eventually working out a long-term deal.
Joe Linta met with general manager Ozzie Newsome and vice president of football administration Pat Moriarty for several hours before driving home to Connecticut.
"It was a good meeting," Linta told 24×7 in a telephone interview. "We’ll keep working. There’s no deadline. It’s always good talking with Ozzie and Pat. Those guys are pros."
Flacco is due a $6.76 million base salary as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract.
Linta has met and talked with the Ravens several times since an initial talk at the NFL scouting combine in February.
Although no deal is imminent, talks were described as amicable and productive.
"We never leave here mad," Linta said. "It’s never acrimonious."
The Flacco camp has emphasized throughout the process that they’re not in a rush.
"It’s not like this has to happen by a certain date," Linta said. "We’ve got time."
The Ravens beat an NFL deadline to sign franchise players with a $40 million maximum value deal for Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice that included a $15 million signing bonus.
Now, Flacco is the Ravens’ top contractual priority.
The Ravens are currently $6.398 million under the NFL salary cap, more cap space temporarily with offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie’s $3.2 million base salary not counting with him on the reserve/did not report list.
Meanwhile, Flacco has treated talks the way he would a marauding pass rusher.
That is, stoically.
Flacco is remaining focused on football and genuinely seems undistracted in his usual low-key style.
"Yeah, I’m not worried about it, especially when you are out here on whatever, however hot it was, and you’re practicing," Flacco said last week. "That’s the last thing that’s on your mind. I was glad for Ray, and it is a big thing for our organization to get him done. Ray is a great back, and it’s great to see that happen.
"Yeah, I’m not worried about it. I haven’t been worried about it. I’m not worried about it. It will happen one day, and whenever it happens, I will be excited, but you probably really won’t be able to see it too much.”
A Flacco contract is regarded as an eventuality, not a possibility.
Flacco said it wouldn’t bother him if the talks continue into the season.
"It doesn’t matter to me," Flacco said. "It’s not like I’m up in the offices negotiating my contract. I really don’t have any thought about it. It’s up to my agent. If he happens to call me one day in October It’s not like I’m thinking about it in October.
"It’s not going to distract me. Like I said, I haven’t really thought about it all offseason, and I’m not thinking about it now. If something happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
