Anthony Farris
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There’s no love lost between AFC North rivals Baltimore and Cleveland. And that feeling apparently extends beyond the field and up to the luxury suites. On Tuesday, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti blasted divisional foe Cleveland for handing Deshaun Watson a “groundbreaking” contract.
Watson, of course, received the most fully guaranteed money in NFL history – $230 million – from the Browns in a trade.
“It’s like, ‘Damn, I wish they hadn’t guaranteed the whole contract.’ I don’t know that he should’ve been the first guy to get a fully guaranteed contract,” Bisciotti said Tuesday while speaking at the NFL’s annual league meetings.
Jeez, Steve. Don’t hold back, tell us how you really feel.
Part 1 of Bisciotti on impact of Deshaun Watson's new deal with Cleveland on Jackson talks: "It's like, 'Damn, I wish they hadn't guaranteed the whole contract.' I don't know that he should've been the first guy to get a fully guaranteed contract."
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) March 29, 2022
Bisciotti’s comments are likely tied to the fact that his franchise QB, Lamar Jackson, a former league MVP, is slated to play the 2022 season on an expiring contract. Baltimore would undoubtedly love to extend Jackson’s deal for the foreseeable future, but his price tag has now gone up since Cleveland decided to give Watson a vault full of money.
“To me, (Watson’s contract is) something that is groundbreaking, and it’ll make negotiations harder with others,” said Bisciotti, no doubt alluding to Jackson.
The Baltimore owner must not be paying very close attention to the NFL’s current financials. League contracts, especially for quarterbacks, have reached a “next man up” level. Any starting quarterback with a pulse and some promise, who’s nearing the end of his contract, generally scores the latest and greatest deal. Unfortunately for the Ravens, Jackson’s next in line.
“But (Watson’s deal) doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to play that game, you know? We shall see,” Bisciotti added.
Cleveland and Baltimore play one another twice a year, and based on all these contract talks, those games should be rich.
Follow along on Twitter: @OhioAF
Who among you has the guts to stop watching the NFL? Let’s see… a guy who has no less than 22 sexual assualt charges has now received the most fully guaranteed money in NFL history!!!??? By watching YOU ARE FUNDING and providing incentive to this cultural icon.
I’m so sorry Biscotti may be forced to cut back his usual hundred dollar bill shower each morning to only Monday through Friday to be able to afford the Jackson contract now. Hard times.
The problem comes in that it doesn’t cost Biscotti one extra cent. The salary cap means it costs the other players the money. You can only spend up to the cap, so if you pay 25% of your cap to one person, then you have 52 other players to pay with the 75% that are left. And then, if your one man gets taken out (for injury or legal reasons) then you are really at a big disadvantage. It really is putting all of your eggs in one basket.
Surely these Quarterbacks will realize that eating up 25% of the cap will hurt their chances at a title.
Good Cleveland showed why they are a train wreck of a franchise always has been signing that bum to that contract they will never be a top level team with those kinds of decisions
Pretty obvious why Cleveland sucks so bad, BM is not perfect, but he was a solid guy for them, I bet BM can’t wait to leave that dumbass organization… “fuck you guys!”