Baltimore Ravens to trade Joe Flacco to Denver Broncos

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The Baltimore Ravens have an agreement in principle to trade former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco to the Denver Broncos, league sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

The trade cannot officially be processed until the new league year begins March 13.

The teams are prohibited from commenting on the deal or the terms. When the deal is completed, it likely will be for a midround pick, sources told ESPN.

The agreement means that Baltimore is officially committing to Lamar Jackson as their quarterback. When the deal is completed, the Ravens will save $10.5 million in cap space. However, they will carry $16 million in dead money on their 2019 cap.

Meanwhile, the Broncos, who have the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft, are addressing their biggest need as the NFL’s offseason quarterback carousel is beginning to spin.

Trade talks between Baltimore and Denver commenced Monday and culminated Wednesday morning, when the Broncos agreed to the deal for Flacco, the MVP of Super Bowl XLVII.

The trade means the Broncos are moving on from quarterback Case Keenum, who started for the team last season after signing a two-year, $36 million contract in free agency. He is due $18 million in 2019, with just $7 million guaranteed. The Broncos will carry $10 million in dead money if they cut him.

This trade is the first domino to fall this offseason, with other quarterbacks such as Nick Foles, Ryan Tannehill, Tyrod Taylor and Blake Bortles expected to change teams. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins are among the teams expected to add new quarterbacks.

The demand at the position is one reason Denver pounced on Flacco. The Broncos began to study him during Super Bowl week, sources told ESPN, and agreed to a deal before the combine.

New Broncos coach Vic Fangio was in Baltimore for Flacco’s first two seasons, so he knows what he’ll be getting. Former Broncos executive Gary Kubiak also was a noted Flacco fan, and his opinions were a strong starting point to selling Denver on the deal.

Flacco, 34, has no more guaranteed money on his contract. His contract carries cap hits of $18.50 million for 2019, $20.25 million in 2020 and $24.25 million in 2021.

This marks the first trade for new Ravens general manager Eric Decosta, who replaced Ozzie Newsome at the conclusion of last season.

Denver does have two fourth-round picks — its own and the one acquired from the Houston Texans in exchange for wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.

Whatever the compensation turns out to be, Flacco will be playing in Denver, where he had a huge role in the “Mile High Miracle” in January 2013 — a 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones that sent an AFC Divisional Playoff game into overtime. The Ravens went on to win the game in double overtime, followed by victories in the AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl.



Source : ESPN