Flacco, Don’t Show Him the Money

Being the Super Bowl MVP is a great honor, but it isn’t something that should be weighed greatly when talking through a new contract.  Flacco’s people, if they are any good, are going to focus on the great playoff run that he had this season.  That is how he is going to get his money.  It isn’t what he deserves.  He is an average QB with an above average arm and that is how he should be paid.

Over the past four seasons Joe Flacco has been in the top ten of the three most important passing categories only four times and he has never been higher than tenth.  The three categories I’m talking about are passer rating, completion percentage and TD’s.  His stats in the regular season aren’t impressive and that is where most of his work is done.  People like Tim Hasselbeck are talking about how Flacco should be paid like a top 3 player even though he doesn’t even have him in the top 7.  That’s insane.

Flacco isn’t a talent that you can count on to lead you with his arm and decision making.  When the Ravens don’t run the ball at least 20 times in a game I believe their winning percentage is something like 25%.  That says to me that the QB can’t do it by himself.  There are few QB’s that can, but they are the elite and should be compensated as such.  Flacco has only been above average once in his life and it was a four game stretch at the end of this season.  Should that affect what he get’s paid?  Yes, but not the tune of paying him top tier money.

Flacco should make top ten-eight QB money at best.  He has never had a regular season where he could ranked higher than twelfth or eleventh.  Getting an extra few million for the run he just went on is acceptable, but to say that he deserves 18-20 million like a Brees, Brady or Manning is absurd.  The Ravens have come out and said that they offered Flacco top five money last year and, if that’s true, they should be slapped.  You don’t offer a borderline twelve to ten talent top five money.  If I were the Ravens I would take a hard look at what you have in Flacco and what he’s worth.  Just because you want him to stay doesn’t mean you should dramatically overpay for him.  The rest of the league won’t so don’t fall into that trap.