The Lions' Pride

Crazy pick up....Crabtree and Boldin....and Vernon Davis!?! I can't believe all they got was a sixth round pick too.....geez.

Even with the cap issues I thought they could fish Boldin a little more than that.

The Ravens cap number(s) being tossed around in the media are misleading. The Ravens have lot of RFAs and UFAs to sign with that number to make up their complete roster. I believe that number being tossed around only accounts for 40 players or something like that.

Whenever you see cap numbers being discussed in the media, take them with a grain of salt because you never know if that cap space is being applied to a team with 30 players under contract or a full 53-man roster under contract. Salaries are simply applied to players under contract which varies significantly at this point from team to team.

The Ravens rarely make a splash in free agency. They will approach this off-season similar to most - they will pick up a few UFAs of the mid-level caliber to fill out their roster at positions of need, they will promote from within, and try to get a starter or two out of the draft. They will have plenty of cap space to achieve this. What they likely won't do is reach or overpay for a free agent. I think most Ravens fans understand that this is how the off-season will play out and fairly comfortable with it.

Boldin's salary would have been $6 million. His cap hit this year would have been salary plus pro-rated portion of $10 million/four year signing bonus (or $2.5 million if Rotoworld's contract figures are correct), which combine for $8.5 million. The bonus money, since already paid, will still be on the books for the Ravens in dead cap space ($2.5 million). Niners will have to pay the full $6 million salary. If there was a split bonus involved, this cap figures may be a bit different, but the 49ers are responsible for total salary. Ravens save $6 million against the cap ($8.5 million minus dead cap space).

Right, boiled down to basics, Boldin gets every dollar in his contract because of the trade.

For 2013, BALT counts $2.5M on the cap. If they retained Boldin, his cap number for BALT was $8.5M.

SF only pays his true salary, $6M.

So BALT could not afford his $8.5M cap number.

That dead cap space is the NFL teams paying the piper. Like you using a credit card. Payment later. Every time you hear about a veteran contract being renegotiated, you will have the potential for dead cap space.

Good for BALT. Good for SF.

As a Rams fan ... it sucks, SEA and SF get stronger. The NFC West is a strong strong division now.

FA's in the near future and Flacco's cap number down the line make this a financial move. They are thinking long term. But you agree that it's a cap move? Interesting.

So they have. What they weren't able to do, like Florida before them, is keep his attitude under control. I expect nothing less in Seattle. If I was Carroll, I'd send him for a little chat with MRob on his first day of training camp to set expectations of how they operate around there.

@nfltrade_rumors: Jets Release NT Sione Pouha http://t.co/nZTIlgGLII

@ProFootballTalk: Cut by the Cowboys on Monday, LB Dan Connor will visit the Steelers http://t.co/X3JkCtwsuk

@nfltrade_rumors: Report: Browns "Closing In" On Signing OLB Paul Kruger http://t.co/yCkW9G0hQE

@nfltrade_rumors: Report: Lions The "Likely Winners" For Free Agent RB Reggie Bush http://t.co/VxCVkGakj7

@MMehtaNYDN: I'm told Jets prefer to trade Revis to NFC team. Would like to get it done in coming days if price is right. (1st-rder isn't a lock) #nyj

Whether those last 3 materialize or not is yet to be seen just seeing what you guys think.

Pouha's release is a bit surprising. He was a good NT. The Jets drafted a good prospect at NT recently, though (last year I think).

Jared Cook is a good player, but key will be going to a team that will actually use him as a receiver consistently.

This is a great move for Bush. Reduced pounding as a between the tackles RB requirement. More of a short passing option to Megatron. With Megatron and Bush on the field, it becomes a target rich environment. Plus they have a good OL so Bush won't have a lot of blocking assignments. Its a good fit.

Please be true.

I was thinking the Bills might take a look as well. They hired the Jets' former DC, so I was wondering if the Bills might go after any players the Jets have released from their D (Bart Scott, Landry, Pouha, etc.).

Not a big surprise here ...