Baltimore Ravens to Make Joe Flacco NFL's Highest-Paid Player
According to Jay Glazer over at Fox Sports, who broke the story first, Baltimore has agreed to a long-term contract extension with Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco, who was set to become a free agent later this month. According to the report, Flacco will earn $120 million over six seasons.
It is, however, important to note that out of the 14 contracts that have exceeded $100 million in the recent history of the NFL, Brett Favre has actually earned the most in real money ($53 million). By no means does this indicate that Flacco will earn all $120 million of his new contract.
On a related note, I bet that Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers, who are both due extensions, are doing back flips right now. Both should surpass Flacco as the highest-paid player in the NFL when all is said and done. Heck, Colin Kaepernick might rival this type of deal in the not-so-distant future.
Cullen Jenkins Drawing Interest From Multiple Teams
The New York Giants have already met with the stud defensive tackle, while both the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have visits scheduled. I fully understood that Jenkins would receive a great deal of interest from teams since his release from the Philadelphia Eagles due to the fact that he isn't a scheme-specific player. San Francisco, who needs more depth along the defensive line, could be considered early favorites for his duties. Meanwhile, Seattles is showing interest due to the fact that Alan Branch and Jason Jones are both set to become free agents. It sure the heck looks like Jenkins will be taking his talents west.
Atlanta Falcons Release Three Key Vets
In less than surprising news, the Falcons have released Michael Turner, Dunta Robinson and John Abraham, saving themselves $16 million in the process. This money will be used to retain key free agents such as: Sam Baker, Tony Gonzalez (should he lean against retirement) and Brent Grimes, rather than going outside the organization for upgrades.
As it relates to the three players, they will all find solid markets immediately. Turner can be a solid get for a team looking to add a running back-by-committee guy. Meanwhile, Abraham's market will be limited to teams who run the 4-3 defensive scheme. In that, he should find numerous possible suitors. The key free agent, however, is Robinson. While he never really lived up to expectations after signing a huge contract prior to the 2010 season, the physical corner will be seen as an upgrade for multiple teams around the league. Again, San Francisco and New England seem to be possible fits here.
Randy Moss Sends Tweet That Indicates San Francisco is Moving On
It looks like the future Hall of Famer's tenure in Northern California will be one and done. Moss Tweeted a thank you to the 49ers organization and wished them luck moving forward on Saturday. This came on the heals of reports that San Francisco wasn't going to retain the veteran. For his part, Moss tallied less than 450 yards and struggled a great deal in the Super Bowl this past season. Outside of what this means for his career, this news seems to indicate that San Francisco will look long and hard at a wide receiver in free agency. They have long been linked to Mike Wallace, but he could be too rich for their blood. Danny Amendola and Greg Jennings could be options.
Darrelle Revis Situation Could Get Ugly
In a recent article, I indicated that the likely hood that Revis returning to the New York Jets next season just isn't too good. Reports that surfaced on Saturday seems to back up this claim. Unidentified sources have indicated that things "could get ugly" between Revis and the Jets. Of course this isn't too surprising considering that the two didn't meet at the NFL Scouting Combine and have somewhat of a volatile relationship.
If the Jets do trade Revis, which seems likely at this point, numerous teams will show interest. In fact, there are too many to name in this specific article. I will say one thing. The value that New York receive in return probably won't be as great as most think. Revis has a rather larger '13 salary and is coming off a serious knee injury. In addition, teams are going to know full well that the Jets have to part ways with him. Those two indicators suggest nothing better than a third-round pick and some change for the Pro Bowl cornerback.