Ravens:
I can finally say it! Team of Destiny. 4th and 29: That was the first sign. 70 yard TD to Jacoby Jones with 30 second left in Denver to send the game to overtime: That was the 2nd sign. But now, with the game on the line, the defense kept Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers out of the end zone, and the moniker is official. Team of Destiny. Only 1 team in the playoffs was an underdog, and won. The Ravens did it. Not once. Not twice. But three times they were underdogs, and came out victorious. And if you thought winning the title was remarkable, then came the victory parade! Un-bliev-able hon!
Now, bask in the glory that comes with drafting 32nd in the league, because all hell is about to break loose. It’s what we in the business call “Salary cap hell.” Flacco’s agent is demanding that Joe be paid the highest of any quarterback in the NFL. Joe put all his eggs in one basket, hoping for a big payday at the end of the season, and he is probably going to get it. But at what cost? Joe made $8M in 2012. A Restricted Franchise tag would earn him $14.6M, and an unrestricted franchise tag will earn him almost $20M. Peyton Manning only gets $18M (not including his commercials). With a salary cap of $120+M, Joe figures to make 1/6th of the entire payroll, which doesn’t leave much room for the other 52 guys, and that pinch is going to come soon as key players are going to be cut, or let walk in the coming weeks. Outside analyst put Boldin and Jones as potential candidates to be released from their contracts. Ed Reed is a free agent already rumored to be going to NE, and, the Ravens figure to only be able to keep Kruger, Ellerbe, or Williams on defense. I tried to figure out what will happen, and I got a headache. This is why Ozzie gets paid the big bucks. This is why Ozzie has headaches. This is why our GM is collectively referred to as the Wizard of Oz. Ozzie, go work your magic, because now that we have tasted that sweet success, we want more.