The Baltimore Ravens wanted to win the Super Bowl from the start of the season, but they have to be worried now that it happened and free agent starting quarterback Joe Flacco won the MVP. NBC Sports reported on Feb. 10 that Flacco has a number of teams who will pay the franchise tag price for him this offseason.
Baltimore gambled and allowed Flacco to play out the final season on his contract without signing him to a new deal. The St. Louis Cardinals in baseball took the same risk with Albert Pujols, and after he led them to the World Series championship, he left for the Los Angeles Angels.
Now, Baltimore faces the same situation.
In the Ravens want to sign Joe Flacco, they have to give him the $20 million "exclusive rights" tab. That will almost cripple them when it comes to signing players in other areas. If Baltimore chooses not to pay that amount, and signs him for around $15 million, which is the regular franchise tag, a team like the Arizona Cardinals or Cleveland Browns will take him away from them in a second.
With a Super Bowl win, and the last pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Ravens will have a hard time replacing him if he does leave. This is a no-win situation for Baltimore, and they could have solved that themselves at the start of the 2012 season.
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