A Bold Move

Yesterday and today it has been widely reported that the Arizona Cardinals are going to shop wide receiver Anquan Boldin to teams that are interested in trading for him. I think that I know of an east coast city with a certain purple and black wearing football team that would love to take him in.

Has a big-play, proven, All-Pro wide receiver not been the missing link since the Ravens began as a team? Sure, they could go out and get the 3rd or 4th best WR on the board with the 26th pick in next weekend's draft, but why not go get Boldin by trading that 1st and 3rd round picks that they are asking for? You would be getting better then a 1st round draft pick could give you right out of college, a player that has already proven himself in the NFL, and someone who has clearly stated that he wants to win a championship and will do everything in his power to help his team do that.

The Ravens finally have a franchise quarterback. We all sat through the painful Sundays of trying to watch Jeff Blake throw to Travis Taylor, Chris Redman throw to the other team, and Kyle Boller trip over his own feet while literally "dropping into the pocket"; and then laying on the ground. How great would it be to finally have that one receiver that could single-handedly change a game, in any game at any given moment. Joe Flacco came out last season as a rookie and proved that he was going to be a player that would make his mark in the NFL. With a receiver like Anquan Boldin to throw to, that mark could be so much bigger by the end of Flacco's career.

A 1st and a 3rd round draft pick is what the Cardinals have stated that they want in exchange for Boldin. That sounds like a good deal to me. We would most likely just be drafting a wide receiver in the 1st round anyways. Just think of Anquan Boldin as the Ravens' 1st round pick for this year.

If I was the Ravens, I think that the reward completely outweighs the risk. Does Boldin have some character issues? Maybe. The dude did leave the stadium during the NFC Championship victory celebration because he was benched during the game due to an injury. Things like that could be scary when you look at a player like this. But, Boldin has come out and said that he was not happy with the Cardinals as an organization, and I think that a change of scenery, such as coming to Baltimore, could help keep that character in check. Besides, his issues are no where near as bad as say, Terrell Owens, who almost suited up in a Ravens uniform a few years ago. I think that the Ravens could completely deal with Boldin on the team, and if anything happened, Ray Lewis would have no problem body slamming him to calm him down. He would in no way ruin the development of Joe Flacco as a young quarterback; I think he'd completely accelerate it.

Some people are saying that there are other teams interested in Boldin, such as the Eagles and Giants, but the Ravens have also been mentioned in all of those conversations, such as on SportsCenter this morning. I think that the Ravens should get something done soon if they are going to do it, so that he doesn't slip away. Personally, I think that Anquan Boldin would be a perfect fit for the Ravens and I think he could be the final link in making the Ravens a Super Bowl caliber team. They have the defense, they have the running game, and they have the quarterback. All that has been missing all these years is right in front of us, and I hope that the Ravens seriously consider making a move for Boldin. A wide receiver drafted in the 1st round could make a serious impact in probably 3 years; Anquan Boldin could make and impact immediately. This guy would be immediately embraced by this city and be an instant fan favorite. Come to Baltimore, Anquan. Trade for Boldin, Ravens. Now we just have to wait and see what happens.

O's (6-3) @ BoSox (3-6) tonight at 7:05PM. Isn't it great to see our records flip flopped once in a while? We will see if the Orioles can bounce back from that pitiful performance on Wednesday, where the Rangers touched the plate 19 times. Guthrie will be on the mound looking to start the young season 3-0. That is all.

J.F