NFL teams
Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Ravens to seek new Joe Flacco deal

NFL, Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said he's "very confident" the team will get a new deal done with quarterback Joe Flacco after this season.

Flacco signed a six-year, $120.6 million contract in March 2013, a month after being named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. His salary-cap number jumps to $28.55 million in 2016, which would account for nearly 20 percent of the Ravens' entire cap.

In a conference call with season-ticket holders Wednesday, Bisciotti said the Ravens would like to re-sign Flacco to a new six-year deal that would have flatter cap numbers.

"I'm not real worried about it," Bisciotti said. "I know he wants to stay."

Flacco, 30, is the winningest quarterback in the NFL since 2008 with 82 victories (including playoffs). He has led the Ravens to 10 playoff wins and guided Baltimore to the AFC divisional round last season.

But Flacco has never thrown for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns in a season, which has caused an ongoing debate on where he ranks among the elite quarterbacks.

"He's obviously more appreciated in Baltimore maybe than he is league-wide," Bisciotti said.

Bisciotti believes Flacco would be open to a new contract because he will soon have made over half of his current deal. By the end of the 2015 season, Flacco will have earned $62 million of the $120.6 million contract.

A new deal would give Flacco more upfront, guaranteed money.

"We can make it a win-win for Joe," Bisciotti said. "I think he'll be very amendable to a new deal."

The first three years of Flacco's contract have been cap friendly. None of his cap hits were over $15 million, and his $14.55 million cap hit in 2015 ranks 14th among quarterbacks.

But his cap number nearly doubles to $28.55 million in 2016, which would rank behind only Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Bisciotti said the Ravens would like a new deal that would give him a cap hit between $19 million and $23 million over the length of the contract.

"I'm very confident that we'll get it done," Bisciotti said. "Joe and his agent both acknowledged when we did the deal that we would be back at the negotiating table three years later. We are just as interested in Joe as we were three years ago."

In other comments, Bisciotti made the mistake of talking about a possible reunion next offseason with defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who is under contract with the Detroit Lions for one year. This could be seen as tampering if the Lions decide to pursue it with the NFL.

"We may be watching the second coming of Haloti Ngata," Bisciotti said. "So, who knows? I never give up hope that we couldn't get him back."

The Lions on Thursday, however, said they would not be filing tampering charges against the Ravens.

"The Ravens have reached out to us concerning the comments made yesterday by Steve Bisciotti regarding Haloti Ngata," the Lions said in a statement. "We appreciate both the Ravens' professionalism and the context in which Mr. Bisciotti's statements were made. We consider the matter to be a non-issue."

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