Joe is stuck with us through the 2018 season, like it or not. I'd have no problem looking for his replacement with Joe on the roster, i.e. Favre, Rogers, but we can't cut him at the end of this year. I'd even go further and suggest that he is realistically with us through 2019.
I agree that we should build a top oline, but you don't have to have a top notch oline to win in this league. It does make it easier though. The cap makes it very difficult to keep your best players year in and year out and you have to keep drafting and building that funnel. We are one of the best teams in the league with our mid round picks. I'm not saying we are drafting stars in the mid rounds. The goal is to draft players that are role player and hopefully can become starters. Teams don't hit on all there picks. If you can get three starters in your draft you are doing very well.
I've heard this idea that we're stuck with Joe because of his contract but I don't fully believe that. Rewinding to a year ago, Tony Romo's contract was considered a Nightmare for the Cowboys and yet they moved on from him for a guy they believe was the future, and Romo could still play, just couldn't stay on the field. They're very lucky Tony Romo volunteered to retire post June-1st because had he chosen not to they would've been faced with a far worse cap situation. Even had he not done so, they would've been forced to release him anyways.
Now I don't think we'll do it, but I wouldn't completely rule it out. As of now, Flacco's interception streak is at 9, if that streak continues and the Ravens crash and burn at the end of the season and they see a QB who they believe can be transcendent then that's it, Joe's time is done here. It doesn't matter what he's getting paid, you're going to have a player on your roster who just cannot play at the level expected, it's better to move on and take that large cap space than keep him on the roster with a new QB there. Even if we do keep him for whatever reason, it certainly will not be for more than a year. It will be very tough for the team to absorb his contract but I did read that when the Colts released Manning and others, they ate nearly $40M in dead money. I think in our scenario, we would have to take in the massive $28M for 2018 which would be a nightmare, but after that things get much easier as the dead money is still an issue, but not to the extent of 2018. People missed out on this but we gave Joe his money up front, so after this year It's very much in the cards that we move on from him if he doesn't play better. Another scenario that is entirely possible is a trade. I know for a fact that there's a team who would definitely take him, if the Ravens were to do a post June 1st trade it will save 8M more on their cap and the cap issue dies down from there.
My honest sentiment is this, next season is make it or break it for Joe. If he does not preform at the level the Ravens expect him to, they will move on from him. After this season I don't even think they try to rework Joe's deal, they simply stand pat and evaluate him, if he doesn't play up to standards they will trade him or release him after the 2018 season.
FWIW, I don't want it to end that way for Joe. I really like him and I want him to stay, but he has to preform well, I definitely do not have a say in this and its only my opinion but thats just how I view things at the moment. I really hope he steps his game up because it would be a tough predicament to fall in.
