Anquan Boldin
Anquan Boldin didn’t want to settle for less than he thought he was worth. So the Baltimore Ravens have reportedly traded him to the San Francisco 49ers for a sixth round draft pick.
A big fat thanks to a guy that helped lead the Ravens to a Super Bowl win just a few weeks ago.
The Ravens did need the salary cap relief, however.
The Super Bowl champs decided to give Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco a huge pay day with his six-year contract worth over $120 million. While, the Elite One did deserve a pay day for his performance, it’s looking more ridiculous when a team has to move its arguably best receiver to make salary cap room. Considering Flacco will probably go back to his mediocre self in Week One of the 2013 season.
Oh well. The Ravens won the Super Bowl this year. That’s all that matters, obviously.
Win when you can!
Per NFL.com:
Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome came up with a solution that could strengthen a fierce competitor while leaving his team worse off in the long run. NFL.com’s Albert Breer reported Monday, citing a Ravens source, that Boldin will be traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2013 sixth-round draft pick. A 49ers source told Breer that the deal is done.
The Baltimore Sun first reported the trade. Per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, the trade will not be official until Boldin — currently on an African mission — passes a physical.
Breer also reported that there will be no alteration to Boldin’s salary in 2013 — he still is set to make $6 million this season. A 49ers source told Breer that the sides might consider something later.
The 49ers weren’t the only team interested in Boldin, Rapoport reported Monday. According to a Ravens source, Baltimore also discussed a Boldin trade with the Minnesota Vikings. But the Vikings didn’t offer as much as the Niners, according to Rapoport.
Three years ago, Newsome netted Boldin and a fifth-round pick from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a third- and fourth-round pick. Playoff hero or no, Newsome did well to collect a draft pick for a player about to enter the declining phase of his career. Boldin wasn’t going to see his $6 million salary, in which case the Ravens would have simply released him on Tuesday.
From the Niners’ point of view, Boldin fills a major need for a reliable receiver opposite Michael Crabtree while casting doubt on Mario Manningham’s future in San Francisco. It also suggests the 49ers envision another red-shirt year for 2012 first-rounder A.J. Jenkins, who barely saw the field as a rookie.
The trade from one Harbaugh brother to another speaks volumes about the respect Boldin carried in Baltimore. Now he returns to his familiar stomping grounds in the NFC West.
For more on this deal from the Ravens perspective, please check out The Purple Nest!
