M1: Flacco's Big Pay Day

                At the beginning of the season Joe Flacco was putting himself into the category as Brady and P. Manning, and now after a miraculous postseason where he threw 11 touchdowns and no interceptions, and a Super Bowl MVP he has the largest contract in NFL history. Yes, the inconsistent passer from Delaware has a contract worth 120.6 million dollars. To me that is insane for a QB of his caliber. The specifics were finally released and here they are as follows:

» $29 million signing bonus

» $29 million cap number in Year 4

» $30 million in Year 1

» $51 million through Year 2

» $62 million through Year 3

» $80 million through Year 4

» $100.6 million through Year 5

                Let’s start off with the signing bonus that is GUARANTEEED. When Joe Flacco signed on the dotted line he was immediately given $29 million dollars. Through the first two years he will earn $51 million. The interesting part about year one of the contract is that he gets paid $30 million dollars through year one, but his cap number contradicts this, at $6.8 million dollars which is very cap friendly. This contract should allow the Ravens to keep one or two players that they really want. Maybe Anquan Boldin, Dannelle Ellerbe, or Bryant Mckinne. Paul Kruger will most likely leave the Ravens and make out with a good pay day on the market. Recently Tom Brady got an extension that should keep him as a Patriot for the rest of his career. Their two contracts are polar opposites, Brady on the cheaper end where he got a 3 year $27 million dollar contract extension. Many thought that maybe Brady’s contract would ruin it for Flacco, but I guess not considering now that Flacco is the highest paid player in NFL history. If you look at Flacco’s postseason you would say, “WOW why isn’t he getting paid like an elite”. When you look a little closer at his season as a whole he had the 25^th lowest QBR at 46.8. To put that in perspective Ryan Fitzpatrick the incumbent Bill’s starting QB was ranked 27^th at 45.8. In a game this year Flacco posted one of the lowest QBRs in the past 5 years with a 1.0. The only two QBs to have a lower one in the past 5 years are Kyle Orton (0.8) in 2011 and (0.9) in 2010 and Mark Sanchez in 2009 (0.7). Flacco has been one of the most inconsistent QBs over the past 5 years playing really well at times and then making some very stupid decisions. The Ravens better hope they get the “good” Joe Flacco because they gave him “a lot” of money.