As one of the fools posting about Salary cap hits and Joe Flacco’s new deal, I find your comment about the back end of the contract a bit uninformed also.

I’m sure the Ravens FO is well aware of the impact of that deal in the last 3 years. That should also coincide with the new TV revenues that should lift the cap and also with the run off of a few other big cap hits like Ngata, and Suggs.

But overall, I find that people will latch on to anything they can find to complain. People don’t like Flacco so they say the cap hit is terrible. When it’s explained that the initial hit is reasonable, now you invent that the FO must not be able to match sort term and long term goals. Yep, that’s a comment the experts make all the time… “the Ravens front office is a poor organization.”

As much as I hate the Pats and the Steelers, it doesn’t keep me from recognizing their success and the fact they also manage their organization’s very well. Just spewing stupid remarks doesn’t make them true. That’s why if you have a brain, you commend those that do well, even if you don’t like them.

I think I could cut down on 75% of the comments if we had a new rule. Don’t comment if your not a fan of the team or player in the article or if you don’t have a brain. Come to think of it, just the people without a brain gets rid of the 75% of the comments here. Maybe 80%.

Not to argue, but as a Ravens fan, Ellerbe was never billed as the “the next Ray Lewis.” Not by the organization, not by the players, not by anyone.

Following Ellerbe’s career I know that he has been in the doghouse a few times for lack of work ethic which with Harbaugh will never cut it. He always showed the physical talents, but was plagued by missed assignments and lack of discipline through his first few years. I was very proud to see him develop this year. But his strong play has been evidenced in less than a full season not throughout the last 4 years as his new contract price suggests. I would have liked/preferred to see him stay, but you can’t compete against stupid, when it comes to signing UFA’s.

I see Ellerbe in the long line of LB to play with RL that were the better for it. I like Ellerbe and hope he does well. But he could be another Ed Hartwell, Adalius Thomas, and Bart Scott who were never as relevant again after they left the Ravens. That may not be fair to Bart Scott. I still like him but I don’t think he’s been the played he was next to RL.

I agree losing some of the guys hurts. For me, I hate seeing Pollard and Boldin go. They played with heart and brains. You can’t coach those things into players.

You can disagree with the Ravens front office tactics if you like. God knows enough Ravens fans do. They are trying to get younger and sure up a Defense that had issues last year. But please, let’s not invent things that weren’t said. Ellerbe was never the next Ray Lewis. Continuing to say so is simply…not that smart.

To say that the Ravens lose players like R.Lewis, Boldin, Kruger, Ellerbe, C.Williams, Pollard & possibly Ed Reed all in the same year,every year is flat out ridiculous and untruthful.

….Unless you’re the Ravens and you do it just about every offseason. Next man up. It’s how they do business. I’m satisfied with the results over the last 12 or so years.

I don’t think Flacco really a “franchise qb”, just a decent one who is better than the horrible Kyle Boller. The Ravens may have won many more Super Bowls if they didn’t have Boller for all those years.

The Ravens probably wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl without Ellerbe, Kruger and Bouldin. For Ravens fans to act like this purge is no big deal means they are either stupid or in denial.

You did however suggest the Ravens MAY WELL” take a step back this season which is an assumption much like the rest. We’ve lost some big names in each of the last few years and we didn’t take a step back? Another example is giving teams high marks for having a good draft even though those player have yet to perform.

Don’t you think the fact that they have a huge bill due in a few years is having an impact on their decisions today? Maybe they could have backloaded Boldin or Ellerbe’s contract, or who knows what else.

Succesful organizations have short-term and long-term plans that are congruent (look it up ravenator). Which is why your poor organization is dumping players and then spewing the coachspeak about it being for the best in the long run.

Good segue. Many of you still don’t understand Flacco’s salary cap hit this year is about $7 million. The big numbers hit in year 4 and beyond. His salary hit is about what it was in 2012.

And Kruger and Ellerbe started 12 games combined last year. They played situational D until the end of the year. And just in case anyone else hasn’t said this, Ellerbe was never billed as “the next Ray Lewis.” I thought Patrick Willis was called that. Ellerbe is no Willis.

Honestly no offense to anyone but if that guy got 300+ upvotes for his ridiculous comment it’s truly sad how few intelligent NFL fans there are. I don’t care if you absolutely hate the living ___ out of Joe, Ravens, or their fans; anyone with the least bit of intelligence and understanding of how the NFL works would understand why Joe got paid what he did.

And stop with the “Ellerbe was supposed to replace Ray”. Nobody is replacing Ray, and the team knows that better than us. They are replacing Ray’s leadership with Harbaugh’s leadership. That’s why they jettisoned Pollard.

2013 is going to be his defining year, IMO. He cut players that he didn’t particularly care for, and so this is going to be his team, and he’ll live and die by this team. And given his past track record, I wouldn’t bet against him.