Following another playoff run that took the Baltimore Ravens to the AFC Championship Game in January, quarterback Joe Flacco is finally starting to get the respect that many of his supporters have been seeking for some time now. Flacco and his agent are hoping that his performance over the past season will be rewarded with a lucrative long-term deal by the team.
Jeff Zrebeic of The Baltimore Sun reports that while the Ravens front office is in Indianapolis for the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine, they will also attempt to touch base will Flacco's agent regarding a potential contract extension. While the team is placing their priorities on running back Ray Rice for the time being, they still very much hope to extend their starting QB.
By now, everybody knows that Joe Linta, the agent for Flacco, is scheduled to meet this week with Ravens vice president of football administration Pat Moriarty, who negotiates most of the team's contracts, to begin discussing the framework of an extension for the quarterback.
The Ravens want to make sure that Flacco doesn't enter the 2012 season as a lame duck quarterback in the final year of his contract. However, the more urgent matter is securing the future of Rice, the two-time Pro Bowl running back whose contract is up.
It would seem that Flacco and Rice are the top priorities for the team as they structure their offense for the near future.
For more on the Ravens and Flacco's future, check out SB Nation's Ravens blog, Baltimore Beatdown.