Jan 28, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) during a press conference at the Hilton Riverside Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Today Joe Linta did an interview. Joe Linta just made the Ravens look very very bad. All he did was expose what the details of the Contract offer the Ravens rejected for Joe Flacco last year were.
The sides were locked in a stalemate. They had agreed that 17 million per year was a good number, but Linta wanted an additional 1 million in non-garunteed money added to the final year of the deal. Not a huge request. That fact that it isnt guaranteed means Flacco would likely have never seen the money anyway, it just gives Linta a bit more power when the sides get together to restructure later on down the line. The Ravens said no. It cost them 35 million bucks and is easily the biggest mistake Ozzie Newsome has made as the Ravens GM.
A 35 Million dollar mistake.
Can you imagine you ran a business and instead of paying an employee a slight increase in pay, you bet against him figuring he would screw up or not improve at all and you could get him slightly cheaper. essentially thats what Newsome did. He bet against Flacco. big mistake, 35 million gone.
I dont blame Joe at all for getting the biggest contract he could get. Anyone who does is missing the point here. When you are very good at your job and you tell your boss you want a raise or you will find a new place to work that will pay you more, and your boss says, I dont think you are good enough make that much and you go out and prove you are, you better not back off the dollar amount you wanted. You dont back off because your employer said you werent good enough, he bet against you.
Im a big fan of Ozzie Newsome, I believe he is the best GM in the business. That said, this is the worst mistake he has ever made, and one of the worst mistakes in recent NFL free agency.