Ravens Could Be Interested in Boldin

Larry Fitzgerald isn't just the league's best wide receiver, he's also a swell guy. Apparently, he might be wiling to take a pay cut to keep Anquan Boldin in Arizona after Sunday. Such a move, while noble, has all sorts of labor-agreement/salary-cap ramifications. Not only that but Drew Rosenhaus, Boldin's agent, made it clear prior to the season that his client wasn't "interested in doing a new contract with the team."

Time heals all wounds and whatnot, but if Boldin does decide that his Cardinals career is over, he'll surely have plenty of suitors. Like, say, the Ravens.

Because the free-agent class for receivers is weak, Boldin would be considered the top wide-out available. The Cardinals might be able to trade him for a first-round pick, especially after Roy Williams was dealt from the Detroit Lions to the Dallas Cowboys for picks in the first, third and fifth rounds. ...

The Ravens' top receiver, Derrick Mason, had 80 catches, but he is 35 years old and no one else on the team had more than 41. Ravens wide receivers combined for 10 touchdowns.

Boldin would certainly be the centerpiece of that Ravens' offense, which, for the first time in team history, actually has a franchise quarterback. I'm not sure general manager Ozzie Newsome would be willing to part with a first-round pick. But there's not a draft-eligible wideout who'd be able to put up Boldin-type numbers next fall.

And no Boldin news would be complete without a mention of his NFC Conference Championship game sideline conversation with offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

I tend to agree with NFL Network's Rod Woodson, who thinks the whole episode has been blown way out of proportion: "He's a competitor and wants to play," Woodson said. "That doesn't make it right, wrong or indifferent. But on a yearly basis, coaches and players get into some heated conversations on the sideline. Unfortunately for [Boldin], he got it caught on tape."

Plus, as somebody pointed out, Kurt Warner and Haley also got into it earlier in the game, yet that has been overshadowed by Boldin's truly disgusting act.

It's Super Bowl Week, which means Boldin's been asked about the incident 200 different ways. And it's a credit to him that he didn't, you know, go Todd Haley on somebody. In fact, he nailed it when talking to NFL Network's Deion Sanders during Tuesday's Media Day.


Deion: How would you handle [the situation that took place in the Eagles game] differently [in the Super Bowl]?

Boldin: (Laughing) Third [down]? And I'm on the sidelines? In this game? (More laughing.) I don't think that's going to happen. (Even more laughing.)