After the Baltimore Ravens' season came to a close, so too will the era of quarterback Joe Flacco.
With the injury of the Super Bowl XLVII MVP that allowed for rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson to come in and lead the Ravens to the playoffs, Flacco will be on another team in 2019. However, the market is still sizable for the University of Delaware product.
After Sunday's playoff loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, head coach John Harbaugh had nothing but praise for the veteran quarterback.
Despite the unfortunate way he's ending his time with Baltimore, he has nothing but love for the Ravens and their fans (via Baltimore Sun).
I love the people of Baltimore, man. To be honest, I can’t imagine a better 11 years. This place becoming my home and my children’s home. Definitely a group of fans and a community that I loved being around for 11 years.
With his eventual departure either through trade or release, it's time to see which teams would be the best spots for the Ravens all-time leading passer.
3. Miami Dolphins
Miami is looking to move Ryan Tannehill to somewhere else. However, the team is unlikely to get much out of the quarterback after two injury-plagued seasons and a lack of production.
With this speculation of a change at the quarterback position, it would be wise for the Dolphins to acquire Flacco. He's a good option as a bridge quarterback for a team that's not sold on this upcoming quarterback class.
The Dolphins are a dark horse team on the rise with the talent they have on both sides of the ball. Miami was in playoff contention for much of the regular season despite their lackluster quarterback play.
Grabbing a veteran quarterback to lead this young unit will be critical to getting this team on track to get back to playoff contention.
However, a big issue that would keep Flacco from signing is because of a lack of cap space that's less than $14 million. Plus, with the uncertainty at head coach and offensive coordinator, Flacco might not want to travel to South Beach.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
From one Florida team that's looking to move on from the underwhelming quarterback that they drafted in the top ten to another. As Blake Bortles suffers the worst season of his career and getting benched in favor of Cody Kessler, it's time for Jacksonville to look to the next quarterback to take over.
Insert Joe Flacco into the conversation. He's a proven winner, a polished passer, and is a quarterback that can get guys behind him.
Best of all, the Jaguars are a team that's a playoff contender on paper. With some improvement to the offensive line and addition to receivers, this would be an ideal spot for the former Blue Hen. The Jaguars already have a top-tier defense and an excellent offensive mind at head coach.
The offense is just a year removed from being sixth in yards per game, fifth in points per game, and first in rushing yards per game. The one thing that held this part of the team back from being one of the best was the quarterback play.
Bringing in Joe Flacco would remedy their offensive woes. However, there are more pressing issues to address aside from the quarterback spot.
They're considering moving on from their starting running back, Leonard Fournette, who ranked eighth in rushing yards in 2017. The offense took a massive step back in what made their system work in the first place. And the Jaguars gave up the third-most sacks in the league this year.
Even more unlikely for Joe Flacco to come over is the fact that the team ranks second-lowest in cap space for 2019. It's an ideal spot for the Ravens quarterback, but it's a lot to ask for from the Jaguars.
1. Denver Broncos
If there's anyone that likes hiring veteran quarterbacks for cheap, it's general manager John Elway.
It's an excellent spot for Joe Flacco to go to. A solid defense with great building blocks and promising young players on offense as well. They also have enough money to pay whatever Flacco will ask for with being 14th in the league in cap space. And with the likely release of quarterback Case Keenum, the team will be useful to pay the eventual former Raven.
The Broncos have plenty to offer Flacco. But what might have him a little more unsure of signing with Denver would be the fact that the team looks to be in a rebuild. The team is coming off of their third consecutive season of not making the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl in the 2015 season.
However, the team has themselves in a good situation with their head coaching candidates. It's between Bears defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, and Steelers offensive line coach, Mike Munchak.
Fangio is someone that can help the defense reach new heights like what he's done with the 49ers and Bears. And Munchak can help the offensive line regroup and better protect the quarterback.
Throw this in with the presence of Gary Kubiak who was the offensive coordinator for Flacco in Baltimore in 2014, and this is the perfect pairing for Flacco.
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