Report: Ravens Now Trying To Trade WR Anquan Boldin

Update:

Pro Football Talk is reporting that league sources have informed them that the Ravens are now trying to trade WR Anquan Boldin rather than release him.

If Boldin were to become available, he would find plenty of interest in a limited receiver market, so it makes sense that they would look to shop him around before deciding on anything.

Albert Breer has confirmed that the Ravens are trying to trade Boldin. Breer adds that trading him would leave Baltimore with $1.53 million in dead money, but ultimately save $6 million in cap space.

We’ll have more as the news becomes available.

Update:

Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Ravens asked WR Anquan Boldin to take a $2 million pay cut, but he ultimately declined.

“Unless something dramatic happens, it’s an absolute done deal that Anquan will be released,” said a source.

Boldin, 32, has a $6 million base salary and counts $7.531 million against the team’s salary cap. Baltimore is trying to free up some extra cap room in the hope of retaining some of their soon-to-be free agents.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote last night that Boldin’s chances of returning to Baltimore are close to “50-50.”

Florio also mentioned that “there’s a suspicion that Boldin’s agent is trying to get Boldin cut.”

If he were to hit the open market, Boldin could find plenty of interest and possibly surpass his current salary of $6 million given that there should be plenty of demand for receivers in the coming days.

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Update:

Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports that a league source has informed him that that WR Anquan Boldin is still in danger of being released before Tuesday.

“At one point Friday the Ravens were on the verge of releasing Boldin, and he had prepared a statement thanking the fans for their support during his time in Baltimore,” Wilson writes.

Wilson adds that the Ravens are still hopeful that something can ultimately be worked out in the coming days.

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Update:

ESPN’s Adam Schefter spoke with WR Anquan Boldin who informed him that the Ravens haven’t asked him to restructure contract like previous reports have suggested.

Boldin admitted that it’s still possibility, but added that he expects to be back in Baltimore next season.

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Update:

Jarrett Bell of USA Today reports that WR Anquan Boldin has rejected the Ravens’ proposal to take a pay cut or be released and is already preparing to hit the open market.

Bell’s source added that talks between the two sides are currently “ongoing.”

Ian Rapoport adds that he’s been informed that the Ravens issues are related available cash and not cap space.

“Once he’s decided, you might as well try to move the Rock of Gibraltar,” said the source.

Boldin did say that he would retire if he wasn’t retained by Baltimore, but Bell’s source mentioned that it appears as though “he was trying to express loyalty to them” by saying that.

It will be very interesting to see what kind of market develops for a guy coming off of an incredible post season run, assuming of course that the two sides don’t work something out in the near future.

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According to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports, the Baltimore Ravens have asked WR Anquan Boldin to take a pay cut or be released.

Aaron Wilson reports that a source has informed him that “unless something dramatic happens, it’s an absolute done deal that Anquan will be released.‘”

Boldin, 32, has a $6 million base salary for the 2013 season that the Ravens would like renegotiated.

This idea was proposed following the team’s Super Bowl win as one of the ways that they could free up some much needed cap space in order to retain some of their free agents like ILB Dannell Ellerbe and FS Ed Reed. Baltimore is currently $12.263 million under the salary cap.

This has to be a tough move for them given that Boldin, arguably, played the best football of his career during the team’s playoff run last season. He has previously mentioned that he would retire if he was released by Baltimore.

We’ll have more as the news becomes available.