The last four weeks provide Ravens fans a glimpse of what life is like without a franchise quarterback. We’ve been there before. Memories of Stoney Case, Anthony Wright and Chris Redman have been resurrected this past month, and maybe now once Joe Flacco comes back healthy, everyone in Baltimore will appreciate him that much more.
But things are tricky when it comes to Joe. His cap number next season blows up to an unmanageable $28.5 million dollars, and if the Ravens want 2015 to be an aberration, that number will have to change. His supporting cast is weak, and that won’t change unless Flacco is willing to meet the Ravens halfway when it comes to an extension.
One would think that the Ravens would have the upper hand when it comes to negotiations. Through 11 weeks in 2015 Flacco struggled. His numbers were down, the Ravens were losing and Flacco ranked below guys like Kirk Cousins and Nick Foles in QBR.
Then things got worse.
Flacco’s torn ACL and MCL squashed any hope of a late season surge. Considering Flacco’s early struggles, and his absence for the final stretch of the season, the Ravens likely regained the upper hand in extension talks, right?
Not so much.
When Flacco initially went down for the season, his agent Joe Linta probably had a panic attack. His biggest client’s stock had taken a major hit and things suddenly became much trickier for Linta at the negotiating table. A down year statistically combined with a season ending injury gave Ozzie Newsome ammo to help coerce Flacco to sign a team friendly deal.
And then the last four weeks happened.
Matt Schaub reminded everyone why he was run out of Houston and Oakland, and Jimmy Clausen now sits with a 1-13 record as a starter in the NFL. Joe Flacco’s stock has received a major boost the last four weeks not because of anything he’s done on the field, but simply because of how bad things are without him.
At times Flacco can be one of the most frustrating quarterbacks in football to watch. Throwing off his back foot and having statistically awful games where he makes rookie mistakes can be mind numbing. However the last month should serve as a reminder to fans, and Newsome, of what life was like before Flacco. Days when the quarterback carousel wasn’t a result of an injury, it was just the ongoing search for a competent signal caller with guys like Kyle Boller and Tony Banks.
Absence can make the heart grow fonder, and I’m not sure about anyone else, but I sure do miss Joe Flacco. His presence on the Ravens lengthy IR list has made everyone remember how important he is when it comes to the Ravens success.
Is he elite?
Who cares.
He knows how to win games, and that’s something his agent Joe Linta is sure to remind Ozzie Newsome of when they sit down to hammer out a new deal.
