NFL roundup: Agent says Ravens dumb for waiting to sign Flacco
The agent for Joe Flacco chided the Baltimore Ravens for not signing the quarterback to a new contract before the 2012 season.
Joe Linta called the Ravels dumb for their handling of the situation, saying the team's reluctance to reach a new deal with Flacco hinged on $1 million in the final year of the contract.
"One million dollars six years from now, in the base salary non-guaranteed money, and they walked away," Linta told USA Today. "It cost them $35 million. So I have no sympathy. None."
The Ravens waited until after the season to work out a deal with Flacco, who signed a six-year, $120.6 million contract instead of a five-year extension with an average of $16 million per season that was proposed before last season.
"I've never in my life seen a dumber move," Linta said. "I guess people can say, 'Well, Joe was dumb, too.' It could have been, God forbid, if he got hurt. But $1 million to (Ravens owner) Steve Bisciotti six years from now? That's like 100 bucks for you or me today."
----Houston Texans rookie wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins played with the first team during this week's organized team activities, but receivers coach Larry Kirksey said Hopkins has not yet been named a starter.
"The (second-year guys) have come a long way from last year, and now DeAndre's got to go through the same learning process," Kirksey told Tania Ganguli of the Houston Chronicle. "He's a talented young man, and we have very high expectations for him. But these second-year guys are ahead of him right now. "
Those second-year guys are Keshawn Martin and Lestar Jean, although Jean is actually a third-year player spent 2011 on injured reserve.
----Denver Broncos coach John Fox still has no regrets about having his quarterback, Peyton Manning, take a knee on the final play of regulation against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game.
"I've debated it with my staff, my wife, myself. I would do the same thing 10 times out of 10," Fox told The Denver Post. "Too many bad things could happen. Remember, we had a pick-six earlier in the game."
The Broncos had two timeouts and 31 seconds left, but Fox said he preferred taking his chances in overtime. The Broncos lost in overtime.
--Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers Mike Wallace says playing with the Miami Dolphins is like playing in college.
"Everybody has a college mentality around here," Wallace told the Miami Herald. "It's a lot different than where I came from (the Steelers). Everybody's hungry. Everybody wants to get better, get to where we need to be - that's a winning record."
