Ravens Flock, I’m going speak candidly for a moment and give you all a peek behind the curtain. For the most part, I enjoy writing about football. Being a diehard football fan, it’s great to be able to dive deeper into the Ravens, and to give you guys quality content catered to the team you cheer for. The articles lead to a lot of great online interactions with other football fans, and most Mondays, I have a sense of excitement as I write my article for the following day.
MOST Mondays.
Because you see, friends, yesterday was the beginning of the NFL’s Legal Tampering period, the first day that teams can agree to terms with unrestricted free agents. As the clock approached noon, I kept a close eye on social media. Before the window had even opened, the Ravens’ Twittersphere was already frothing and pounding the table with impatience. So, from the writer’s side, what did that look like?
11:15 am: It’s all good, Kev. Come what may, Ravens fans will know you’re just the messenger, right?
11:45 am: They… they know we can’t sign ALL the free agents, right? I mean, I know cap space is flexible and everything, but they know Za’Darius, Mathieu and Wagner together are just not doable… RIGHT?
12:01 pm: Alright, Kevin, now you’re just being crazy, there’s no need to refresh Twitter right at noon. I mean who could possibly have signed a dea-
Tom Brady’s loss will be Joe Burrow’s gain: Bucs’ free-agent guard Alex Cappa intends to sign a four-year, $40 million deal with the Bengals after free agency opens, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2022
LOOK AT THE TIMESTAMP ON THAT TWEET. A (suspiciously) quick move from a division opponent started things off, and I battened down the hatches. Movement had commenced, and the Ravens were quiet. I searched high and low for the silver linings, but early news did little to inspire optimism.
Text him back . And tell him tjeff said we gon have some problems if he don’t sign back 🤣
— Tony Jefferson II (@_tonyjefferson) March 14, 2022
🤷🏾♂️
— DeShon Elliott (@OfficialShon_4) March 14, 2022
No
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) March 13, 2022
Gives you an idea of just how much quality edge rushers will cost on the open market. https://t.co/01jp0miKs6
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) March 14, 2022
“YOU’RE NOT HELPING, JEFF!” I screamed hopelessly into the void.
The reverberations of Ravens Twitter began to grow louder. The gaping maw of the disgruntled fanbase expanded, 280 characters at a time, gnashing and bellowing loudly for one free agent and the next.
The Ravens not signing anyone in the first 45 min of free agency
Ravens Fans: pic.twitter.com/oaf6w2AFez
— Baltimore Eddie (@BaltimoreEddie) March 14, 2022
I could feel the angry Facebook reacts bubbling beneath the surface. I could already feel the misplaced hatred from the guy who finished sixth in his fantasy league, but who somehow knows better than EDC. But just as the skies began to darken, a beacon of cleansing light hit NFL Twitter and saved me from the Ravens mob.
Today, my guardian angel was the MVP himself.
TruPITsky pic.twitter.com/zAHo2ejyAw
— NFL (@NFL) March 14, 2022
I never thought I’d say these words, but thank you, Mitchell Trubisky.
What started as foot-stomping impatience turned into uproarious laughter at the expense of the Steelers. Following Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, it was no secret that the Steelers had to make a move at quarterback, but the rookie class appears brutally shallow at QB, and the free agent options were now open season. After presumably ruling out Deshaun Watson as an option, the Steelers knew they needed to pull the trigger on someone.
They did, and hilarity ensued.
Haskins, Rudolph and Trubisky in quarterback meetings… pic.twitter.com/yrdO1xtnRD
— Darin J. McCann (@DarinMccann) March 14, 2022
In his last two seasons with Bears, Mitchell Trubisky was 14 of 86 (16.3%) with 5 TDs and 7 INTs on throws of 20 air yards or more, per SIS #Steelers #NFL
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) March 14, 2022
The suffering of a division rival was a great distraction, for which I was extremely grateful. Just for good measure, though, the football world demonstrated for Ravens fans in real time why being overly enthusiastic with spending in free agency isn’t always a good idea.
Jaguars GM Trent Baalke must have woken up in a good mood this morning, because he broke out the checkbook early and often.
The #Jaguars are in agreement on a long-term deal with standout LB Foye Oluokun, per @ajv. A former 6th rounder from Yale(!) hits it big. He gets 3 years, $45M with upside to $46.5M. There is $28M fully guaranteed at signing.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2022
#Jaguars giving DT Foley Fatukasi three years, $30 million with $20 million fully guaranteed, per his agents at @SPORTSTARSNYC
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 14, 2022
Ok, so far, so good. These certainly weren’t cheap moves, but they addressed positions of need. And then, with a few strokes of a pen, Baalke and wide receiver Christian Kirk de-stabilized the entire wide receiver market.
The Christian Kirk deal with the #Jaguars is gigantic: He's expected to sign a deal that will come in at the 4-year, $68M range, per @AdamSchefter. That would be $17M per season. Might end up being more.
Exact numbers coming soon… but💰💵💰💵💰
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 14, 2022
Christian Kirk’s deal:
Signing bonus: $20M
Salaries: $1.5M, $15.5M, $14.5M, $15.5M
Annual roster bonuses: $500K
Annual workout bonuses: $500K
Annual incentives: $3M
2024 roster bonus: $1MMax value of $84M
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 14, 2022
The contract numbers have yet to be set in stone, but Kirk’s new deal has the potential to give him the third-highest AAV among receivers. In case you’re keeping score at home, Kirk has never recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season. If the alternative to making a move like this one is Eric DeCosta sitting on his hands at home, then by all means, EDC, sit to your heart’s content.
This cataclysm in the wide receiver market comes at a time when, for once, the Ravens don’t seem to have a desperate need at wideout. Now instead of watching an angry Ravens fanbase, I got to watch other fan bases explode into anger. Washington fans are LIVID right now at the implications that Kirk’s contract could have on extending Terry McLaurin. Vikings fans are preparing to take out second mortgages for when it comes time to pay Justin Jefferson.
And on the heels of this news…
Davante Adams told the Packers he won’t play on the franchise tag this season, per @RapSheet pic.twitter.com/AB6b8twWzC
— PFF (@PFF) March 14, 2022
There might not be a soul on earth happier than Davante Adams. Maybe Davante’s accountant.
The first day of free agency might not have been super exciting for the Ravens, but it wasn’t a disaster, and that’s more than some fan bases can say.
Happy Free Agency, Flock!
Legal tampering from 4pm today‼️ Deals will be announced.
Everything kicks off proper on Wednesday 🏈
We've put together a helpful guide to free agency #RavensFlock 👇 pic.twitter.com/e84IJYCbKX
— UK Ravens (@UKRavens) March 14, 2022
