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| Anquan Boldin Ravens trade to 49ers for sixth-round pick |
Anquan Boldin Ravens trade to 49ers for sixth-round pick
The trade ends the back-and-forth drama between Boldin and the Ravens. Boldin, who is scheduled to earn $6 million this season, balked at a pay cut, telling USA TODAY Sports he was unwilling to reduce his salary in order to stay with the team. He caught 22 postseason passes for 380 yards with four touchdowns, including six catches for 104 yards and a score in the Super Bowl.
This time, however, it just doesn't feel the same. The Ravens will regret getting rid of Boldin for a sixth-round pick. Yes, a sixth-rounder. That shows you how little the Ravens valued Boldin or how much the Ravens needed the cap room. Baltimore gains $5.5 million in cap room with the move, but the team loses much more in the process.
The deal also adds fuel to the NFC West rivalry between the Seattle Seahawks and 49ers. Only hours after the Seahawks pulled off a trade with the Minnesota Vikings for wide receiver Percy Harvin, the Niners countered with Boldin.
He has also scored six touchdowns in eight playoff games with the Ravens. Boldin came up big in big games, showing he was just as tough mentally as he was physically.
Boldin, 32, caught 65 passes for 921 yards last season, and was scheduled to count $7.531 million against the salary cap in 2013. The Ravens have been looking to create cap space to re-sign linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, a projected free agent, while also filling other needs.
The NFL is a business, but this is the tough part of it. A player can help lead a team to the Super Bowl and be gone five weeks later. And, unless the Ravens can absorb a loss of another veteran like they've done so many times in the past, Boldin won't soon be forgotten this year.
