1. Anquan Boldin
When the Ravens traded Anquan Boldin to the San Francisco 49ers, for just a sixth round pick shock went around Baltimore like a wave. How could Ozzie Newsome send a Super Bowl hero of the franchise away for almost nothing? The sad thing about this trade is that there is no way to justify it now. In the time you could at least say that the Ravens were thinking about the long-term and Boldin was an ageing receiver and all that stuff. The problem is that Boldin wasn’t done. Boldin’s story with the Ravens could have been even greater than it was. The fans felt robbed of one or two more seasons with one of their favorite players.
Boldin deserved the chance to be a Raven for life. He deserved the chance to retire with the Ravens. The sad thing about this is that this could have easily happened. If Newsome and company wanted to, Boldin would have stayed in Baltimore. While the Ravens have always tried to say goodbye to players before it was too late, they missed the mark with Boldin. They missed the mark by a country mile. It’s the one move that nobody in the Ravens Flock will ever really understand.
Boldin went on to play four more seasons in the NFL. His first two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers were seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving. Boldin ended up having better statistical seasons in San Francisco than the three years he was in Baltimore. The Ravens traded Boldin away when he still had 304 receptions left in the tank. That’s a tough pill to swallow for Ravens fans. There are some players you just can’t stand to see wear another team’s uniform. Boldin is unequivocally one of those players. He should have had more time in Baltimore than three seasons.