Tag: Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco joining Bengals to mentor Joe Burrow wouldn’t be the worst idea

Joe Flacco to the Bengals in free agency isn’t what we all probably expected…but it could make some sense.

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The knee-jerk reaction to the idea of the Cincinnati Bengals adding veteran quarterback Joe Flacco isn’t great.

We know the Bengals aren’t big on adding a veteran passer behind Joe Burrow. And Flacco isn’t the most attractive name, mostly because Bengals fans know all about him from his time with the Baltimore Ravens. So when it was suggested by an expert it was easy to brush off.

But…it isn’t the worst idea in the world, right?

Part of the reason we’re so quick around here to stamp out any chatter about a veteran backup is simply because of the options out there. Sorry but Josh McCown (if he’s really done) or Drew Stanton or Geno Smith just don’t stick out as awesome mentors for a rookie passer.

Flacco is a little different though.

Flacco is an accomplished player compared to the other free agents out there who would slot into a mentor role. Not to totally discredit the others, but we are talking about a Super Bowl winner. We’re talking about a career 61.9 percent passer who threw for more than 200 scores. As a backup…it could be worse.

The situation works too. Flacco’s 35 and recovering from neck surgery. He’s not going to sign until August and it’ll come cheap when he does. Normally, given the schedule hiccups due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’d be easy to wave off a newcomer at quarterback who would be behind the ball and just let Ryan Finley have the backup gig.

But Flacco’s wealth of experience — in the AFC North no less — makes it harder to ignore him.

And look, the talk about Burrow being so mature he doesn’t need a veteran backup is great. Andy Dalton was similarly mature and also faced an unorthodox rookie summer. And we can all agree the wealth of quarterback experience on the coaching staff right now is impressive and should help plenty.

Flacco coming aboard as a free agent late in the process though is just one of those luxury moves it’d be hard to hate. It’s not taking anything away from Burrow to add a veteran guy to the quarterback room. It won’t discredit his maturity or whatever else. And really, it’d fit with the tightrope the Bengals have walked this offseason between rebuilding and winning now — we all saw how much Finley struggled when the starter got pushed aside last year.

So while it’s easy to say “no thanks” on Flacco — it really couldn’t hurt.

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Minnesota Vikings are the best fit for Joe Flacco, per ESPN’s Matt Bowen

“Adding Flacco … would improve the depth behind Kirk Cousins,” ESPN’s Matt Bowen said.

Minnesota already has a clear starting quarterback in Kirk Cousins, but ESPN’s Matt Bowen thinks the team could use another player at that position who has a similar skill set.

Bowen, when asked to come up with the best landing spot for Joe Flacco, mentioned the Vikings.

He had this to say about the Vikings’ quarterback situation:

“They drafted Iowa’s Nate Stanley in the seventh round as a developmental prospect, but adding Flacco — who has experience in play-action/boot systems — would improve the depth behind Kirk Cousins.”

Flacco started eight games for the Broncos last season. He threw for 1,822 yards. He had six touchdown passes and five interceptions. Flacco had neck surgery in April, so he’ll be out of live action until at least August.

I think Flacco would be one of the better backup quarterback options, in terms of what the Vikings can get at this stage in the offseason.

Bengals listed as best fit for free-agent QB Joe Flacco

Would Joe Flacco be a good mentor for Joe Burrow?

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The Cincinnati Bengals have made it pretty clear they don’t see the need for a veteran mentor behind Joe Burrow on the depth chart.

But the free-agent market could always develop in a way that changes their minds. One veteran who might make some sense? Former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

In a piece featuring experts at ESPN, Jeremy Fowler floated the Bengals as Flacco’s best fit:

“Fowler: Bengals. Cincinnati could use a veteran to help guide rookie Joe Burrow, and who better to do so than a former Super Bowl winner who understands the nuances of the AFC North? Flacco can help win games if called upon but isn’t a threat to a young player at this stage in his career, assuming he’s healthy by the time the season begins.”

Flacco, 35, remains a free agent and continues to recover from neck surgery in April. He won’t be available for live action until August or later.

It’s hard to dislike Flacco’s resume and the Bengals should be familiar enough wth him. The Super Bowl winner and MVP is the sort of player who could provide a strong veteran presence for Burrow.

When it comes to the Bengals this offseason — never say never, right? The team doesn’t appear to be interested in veteran passers right now. But if we hit August or early September and Flacco is still out there for the cheap, maybe the front office and coaching staff shifts its thinking and makes a move.

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4 free agent veteran quarterbacks who make sense as Sam Darnold’s backup

Jets Wire takes a look at four veteran backup quarterbacks not named Cam Newton still available for the taking in free agency.

The Jets might have drafted James Morgan hoping that he can develop into a reliable backup for Sam Darnold as soon as this upcoming season, but it would not be wise for New York to rely on a rookie if Darnold goes down at any point in 2020.

Fortunately for Joe Douglas and the Jets, there are still plenty of veteran backup quarterback options available for the taking. Cam Newton might seem like an intriguing candidate to fill the void, but we have already discussed why Newton to New York would be a disaster waiting to happen.

So, which other veteran quarterbacks could the Jets target as Darnold’s backup? Let’s take a look.

Joe Flacco

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Flacco’s familiarity with Joe Douglas makes him the most likely candidate on this list to wind up with the Jets. Douglas discovered Flacco when he was at Delaware and played an instrumental role in Baltimore’s decision to select him in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Flacco does not come without some concerns, though. He appeared in only eight games with the Broncos a year ago due to a neck injury that required surgery in April. Considering his age (35) and the severity of the injury he dealt with, Flacco is going to have some medical hurdles to clear before signing with any team.

If Flacco can prove he is healthy, it’s safe to assume Douglas will at the very least give him a little bit of consideration as he continues his search for a backup quarterback.

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NFL planning to start 2020 season on time, play no international games

With the coronavirus impacting the NFL, there will be no international games though they’re planning for the season to still start on time

The 2020 NFL season is set to be a unique one. With the coronavirus pandemic already affecting things like free agency and the draft, there’s no way to know how or even if it will impact the season. But according to Judy Battista of NFL.com, the league has been planning as though the season will start on time.

“All of our discussion, all of our focus, has been on a normal traditional season, starting on time, playing in front of fans, in our regular stadiums, and going through a full 16-game regular season and full set of playoffs,” NFL executive vice president Jeff Pash said.

One change the NFL will make this season is keeping all the games domestic. It will be the first time since 2006 that every game has been played in the United States.

“After considerable analysis, we believe the decision to play all our games domestically this season is the right one for our players, our clubs, and all our fans in the US, Mexico, and the UK,” NFL executive vice president Christopher Halpin said in an official statement. “We greatly appreciate the support of our governmental and stadium partners in Mexico and the United Kingdom, who all agree with this decision, and we look forward to returning for games in both countries in the 2021 season.”

The NFL on both sides of the Atlantic has been quick to emphasize that this is merely an interruption to the International Series, not an end.

There were supposed to be five games in the 2020 “International Series”, with one in Mexico City and four in London. Two of the games would have been at Wembley Stadium, which has staged the bulk of the London games since the 2007 season, with the other two at Tottenham Hotspur’s new dual-purpose stadium.

While it is disappointing to see the NFL lose an opportunity to continue to grow its fanbase outside of the US, this decision isn’t likely to affect the Baltimore Ravens all that much. They were not set to play in any of the overseas games, and considering the comments made by John Harbaugh the last time they did it would be a surprise to see them do so again.

Speaking in 2017, Harbaugh said, “To be honest with you — and maybe I’ll get into trouble for saying this — don’t plan on going over there any time soon to play again.” At the time, Harbaugh was impressed by the fans at the Ravens game in London, noting that “They were loud, and they were into it”. But the logistics involved prior to the game gave Baltimore some issues.

“There were some certain things that came up that you look at it and you go, ‘That wasn’t ideal’. But we really had no way of knowing that. We have no control where we stay, how far the bus ride is, how long it takes to get to the stadium.”

While acknowledging the fans as well as the pregame difficulties, Harbaugh was unlikely to have taken too many good memories from the game itself. In Week 3 of the 2017 season, the Ravens were walloped 44-7 by the Jacksonville Jaguars. This is the second-most points allowed by any team that has played at Wembley. Joe Flacco endured a miserable day out in the UK capital, as he completed eight of 18 pass attempts for just 28 yards.

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Joe Flacco posts little brother’s college film on Twitter

Former Ravens and Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco is doing his part to help his younger brother, Tom, reach the NFL.

Pundits will debate about whether or not Joe Flacco was an elite quarterback in the NFL. There’s no question that he’s an elite brother.

In an effort to slow down the spread of COVID-19, college pro days across the country have been canceled, taking away opportunities for many small-school athletes to impress NFL scouts and coaches.

Flacco’s younger brother, Tom, was not invited to the combine and his school, the Towson Tigers, won’t have a pro day. To help his younger brother get some exposure leading up to the draft, Joe shared Tom’s film on his Twitter page this week.

“From my brother Tom: ‘With no pro day, I wanted to share a cut up of film that could serve as an alternative. Highlighting my arm strength, accuracy, and athleticism, all of which would have been on display at my pro day.’ Check it out!” Flacco wrote.

Here are the highlights:

Tom (6-1, 205 pounds) threw for 6,082 yards and 50 touchdowns during his final two years with the Tigers. He also rushed for 1,406 yards and eight touchdowns during his time at Towson.

The younger Flacco will likely be considered a late-round or undrafted free agent prospect. The draft will be held from April 23-25.

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Joe Flacco, Elvis Dumervil gave Derek Wolfe glowing recommendations of Ravens

Former franchise QB Joe Flacco and OLB Elvis Dumervil gave Derek Wolfe a glowing endorsement of the Ravens, helping recruit him to sign.

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The Baltimore Ravens apparently take care of their players in a way few other organizations do. The players currently on the roster have spoken highly of the entire team, from owner Steve Bisciotti all the way down to the coaches and training staff. But you can really tell just how great an organization is by talking to former players and that’s where Baltimore seems to separate themselves from the pack.

Before joining the team this offseason as a free agent, defensive lineman Derek Wolfe talked to two former Ravens players to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to play for Baltimore. Wolfe said he turned to his “mentor” Elvis Dumervil and was told he’d be a perfect fit.

“I talked to Dumervil and Dumervil was like ‘you’re going to love it,'” Wolfe said at his introductory press conference. “Doom was like a mentor for me in my rookie year, like a big brother to me. So anything he says I usually listen to and take it to heart because he’s a very straight forward guy, if he doesn’t like you, he’s going to tell you and he had nothing but good things to say about the organization and he said I’m a perfect fit there.”

But it wasn’t just defensive players that pointed Wolfe to Baltimore but the Ravens’ former franchise quarterback, Joe Flacco.

Flacco was traded to the Denver Broncos last offseason after being supplanted by Lamar Jackson for the final seven games of the 2018 season. In spite of what could be called a tumultuous end to his tenure in Baltimore, Flacco apparently held no ill feelings for the Ravens, telling Wolfe “how great of an organization the Ravens were” and that it was like a “big family.”

It was all enough to get Wolfe very interested in Baltimore. Wolfe said he nearly asked for a trade to the Ravens at the trade deadline last season and kept close tabs on Baltimore this offseason before signing a one-year contract.

Flacco and Dumervil join other former Ravens with glowing recommendations. Safety Tony Jefferson, released this offseason, helped convince Calais Campbell to agree to a contract extension to facilitate his trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars in March. Eric Weddle has repeatedly spoken highly of Baltimore and how they treated him, saying he’d like to retire with the Ravens and potentially join the front office.

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Should the Jets sign Joe Flacco to be Sam Darnold’s backup?

Joe Flacco is the right veteran backup to sit behind and help Sam Darnold develop in New York.

Backup quarterback is one of those sneaky important positions the Jets failed to address the past two seasons.

They went 0-6 without Sam Darnold under center because the team lacked a truly competent backup quarterback. Jets GM Douglas understands firsthand the need for a viable starter, however. During his time in Philadelphia, the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2017 with Nick Foles after Carson Wentz tore his ACL at the end of the regular season. 

Now, after a season in which David Fales and Luke Falk effectively tanked the Jets’ 2019 chances – yes, there were other reasons the team was bad – Douglas needs to go out and grab a veteran who fits Adam Gase’s offense well, can mentor Darnold and start in a pinch. 

Enter Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco.

After all the best backups signed elsewhere, the only quality quarterbacks left on the market are either inexperienced, expensive former starters or aging veterans. Cam Newton and Jameis Winston aren’t signing with the Jets because they’re either too expensive, could supplant Darnold at any point and don’t fit Gase’s offensive scheme. 

Flacco is the best fit given his ability as a pure pocket passer, his veteran knowledge and his connection to Douglas. Gase loves quarterbacks who can sit back in the pocket and make throws and Flacco would be the perfect fit if Darnold needed to miss time. His stats over the past two seasons haven’t been great – 62.9 completion percentage, 4,287 yards, 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for the Ravens and Broncos – and he only played 17 games because of neck and hip injuries, but Flacco has the requisite skills to operate the Jets offense effectively should he be called upon.

Even more important than Flacco’s ability as a quarterback is his experience in the league. Darnold learned a lot from Josh McCown during his rookie season in 2018 and Flacco could add to those teachings with his knowledge coming from a winning organization in Baltimore. Flacco led the Ravens to a Super Bowl win in 2012 and even won Super Bowl MVP that season. That type of knowledge isn’t always available for young quarterbacks.

If there’s anyone who knows Flacco the best, it’s Joe Douglas, who worked as a scout for the Ravens for the first seven years of Flacco’s career in Baltimore. Douglas discovered Flacco in college and convinced the Ravens to draft the lanky Delaware quarterback with the 18th pick in the 2008 draft. Flacco could be easily recruited to work for someone who vouched for him early in his career.

The biggest issue with Flacco is his health. He’s only played 17 games in the past two years and both injuries landed him on injured reserve. One of the reasons the Broncos released him this offseason was because of a failed physical likely stemming from the neck injury that forced him to miss half of the 2019 season and Flacco might not be fully healthy yet. But besides the past two seasons, Flacco’s been pretty durable. The only other time he didn’t play a full season was when he tore his ACL and MCL during Week 11 of the 2015 season. While that may seem like a good thing, it appears Flacco’s age has finally caught up to him and he only recently turned 35.

Still, Flacco is the best option for the Jets despite his age and durability questions. The Jets sorely need a veteran backup to help Darnold develop and manage the team if needed, and Flacco would be worth whatever money the Jets would need to pay him – which likely wouldn’t be much. Flacco gets a bad rap for the past two seasons but his expectations would be adequate for a role on the Jets.

Panthers win race to XFL QB P.J. Walker

The Panthers are expected to sign former XFL quarterback P.J. Walker.

Former Houston Roughnecks quarterback P.J. Walker is expected to sign with the Carolina Panthers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Walker (6-0, 207 pounds) led the XFL in passing yards (1,338) and passing touchdowns (15) this spring. He led the Roughnecks to a 5-0 record before the league closed down due to coronavirus concerns.

Earlier this offseason, the Broncos, Seahawks and Cardinals all reached out to Houston’s XFL team to inquire about the 25-year-old quarterback.

Carolina beat those three teams in the race to Walker. He will likely compete for the Panthers’ backup job behind starter Teddy Bridgewater.

Walker broke Temple’s records for passing yards (10,668) and passing touchdowns (74) during his time at the school and he helped the Owls reach back-to-back bowl games for the first time in the school’s history.

After an accomplished career at Temple, Walker signed with the Colts as a college free agent in 2017. He spent his first two seasons in the NFL on Indianapolis’ practice squad before being cut by the Colts last September.

After being let go by Indy, Walker entered the XFL draft in October and was added to the Roughnecks’ roster. He was the most exciting player in the XFL through five games, posting a 104.4 passer rating.

In Denver, the Broncos plan to start Drew Lock in 2020 with newly signed veteran Jeff Driskel serving as his backup.

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Report: Joe Flacco ‘is not a consideration’ for Titans as backup QB

The Titans are not looking at Joe Flacco as backup quarterback.

It remains to be seen if the Tennessee Titans will settle on Logan Woodside as the backup quarterback for 2020 or if the team will go outside the organization to find one.

One signal-caller who recently became available is former Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco, who might not be the most attractive name but does have a ton of experience.

However, according to Terry McCormick of Titan Insider, the Titans are not considering Flacco for their backup quarterback role.

There are still some solid options out there for the Titans to pursue if they choose, and they would be wise to explore those options.

Woodside has never played a single regular season snap, and while the coaching staff seems to be a fan of him, there’s no telling if he’d be able to keep the Titans afloat if Ryan Tannehill were to go down to injury.

And that should be a concern for Tennessee, as Tannehill has a lengthy injury history that warrants the team considering every means necessary to make sure he has a solid quarterback behind him.

At the very least, Tennessee should bring someone in to compete with Woodside and let the best man win. The Titans are in a win-now position and can’t afford to simply rest on Woodside without looking at other alternatives, whether that be Flacco or someone else.

If any team knows just how important it is to have a good backup waiting in the wings as an insurance policy after last season, it’s the Titans.