So what will it take for the Ravens to keep receiver Anquan Boldin?
According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens want Boldin to take a $2 million pay cut.
Boldin is due to earn $6 million, with a cap number of $7.531 million.
Per Wilson, the Ravens were close to cutting Boldin on Friday; it was so close to happening that the player had prepared a statement thanking the fans for their support. But now that it has become more and more apparent that Boldin will change course from his proclamation to Pro Football Talk that he’ll play for the Ravens or no one, the Ravens have pushed back from the brink.
For now.
Still, it’s unclear how much the Ravens will pay. The team clearly believes $6 million is too much. The question is whether and to what extent Boldin will take a reduction.
The best outcome could be a mutual face-saving, in which Boldin decreases his base salary and can make back the difference via playing time and/or performance.Either way, it’s now clear that Boldin will be playing football in 2013. The question is whether it will be for the Ravens or someone else.