http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm Get a 2007 4th-round pick. Also saw it on ESPN's Bottom Line and ESPNews.
From ESPN: After an offseason of not being able to work out in the Titans facility, Steve McNair is finally going to have a new office to call home -- in Baltimore. Pending a physical, McNair is on his way to Baltimore in a trade that is believed to involve a fourth-round choice in 2007. Those were terms that have been discussed for the past several weeks between the two teams. There is a possibility the draft pick could become a third-round choice depending on his playing time and performance in 2006. The Titans released a statement Wednesday that spelled out McNair's departure. "We have granted permission to Baltimore to give Steve McNair a physical, which we expect to take place in the next 24 hours," the Titans said in statement. "Upon passing a physical, final trade terms will be agreed upon." The trade ends one of the strangest exits of a franchise quarterback in recent NFL history. McNair, a 10-year institution with the Titans who helped take the team to a Super Bowl, had to win a grievance against the Titans to be allowed in the facility because the team feared an injury. McNair, considered a warrior who fought through numerous injuries to play during his 10-year career, had a $23 million cap number and the team didn't want him to be hurt and then be stuck with the high salary cap number. After winning the grievance, the Titans informed him last week that he failed the team physical at the end of last season and needed to take another physical in order to return to the team. McNair and his agent, Bus Cook, were in the process of trying to schedule that physical when the team decided to let him go the Ravens. During the second day of the NFL draft in April, the Titans gave Cook permission to talk to the Ravens about a new contract. Cook worked out a deal that gave him an $11 million signing bonus and a $1 million base salary. That was more than the $9 million he was scheduled to make in base salary for the Ravens in 2006. In acquiring McNair, the Ravens feel they have received the final piece of the puzzle that could enable them to challenge the Steelers and the Bengals for the NFC North title. The 33-year-old McNair was the third pick in the 1995 draft and the Titans did the right thing in grooming him for greatness. They only let him start six games during his first two seasons in Houston. By his third season, McNair was a starter in which the franchise was able to start building a winner. His completion percentage and quarterback rating kept improving as the team improve around him. He went to the Pro Bowl in 2000 and 2003. Though Kyle Boller is currently the Ravens starting quarterback, McNair goes to the team with enough time for him to win the starting job and try to take the team to the playoffs. He reunites with two former Titans -- wide receiver Derrick Mason and cornerback Samari Rolle. Mason and Rolle signed with the Ravens last year. For McNair, the trade ends a tough exit from the Titans. While he thought he was going to have to take a Thursday physical in Nashville for a team that no longer wanted him, McNair can take a Thursday physical with a Raven team that has waited the entire offseason to get him.
A deal between them was likely... but I expected the Titans to get a 1st day pick in return. Good deal for both teams... Boller is screwed now.
McNair will help the Ravens a ton, he has a great chemistry with Mason and will definetly help them compete for a playoff spot now. Getting a pro-bowl QB is a big steal for a 4th.
I don't think McNair is going to start the season over Boller. The Ravens simply have too much invested in Boller to bail out now. He came on strong late last year, and deserves to remain the starting QB in Baltimore.... McNair is merely insurance at this stage in his career. Giving up a 4th round pick for an old, worn down veteran back-up doesn't sound like such a great deal to me.... He'll be solid if Boller fails to continue improving, but his time in the NFL is very short, and that seems like alot to give up for maybe only two years of service tops....
Baltimore invested a lot of "grooming time" with Boller, and it finally started paying off in 2005. Why would the Ravens just throw that all of that progress aside, and go with McNair???... Is it worth the risk??....I mean, is McNair actually going to turn the Ravens offense into a one year wonder, and lead them to the promise land?? If not, why bother wasting a whole year of progress that Boller could be getting instead. Afterall, he's the Ravens future isn't he???.....
What, you mean when Boller had a decent game in the last game of the year?!? That kid blows, plain and simple. He holds the ball too long and panics. McNair is a pro bowler and MVP. McNair knowing 5% of a Ravens playbook is 10x better than Boller who knows a 100% of the playbook. You dont go after Steve McNair for "insurance." If they wanted insurance, they couldve signed Kerry Collins. They traded for McNair because they feel theyre a contender.
I'm one of the people that thought Miami getting Culpepper would be a tremendous gain for you. McNair is one of the best QB's in football when healthy and if he is healthy the Ravens just got the biggest upgrade at the position of any team in football. He makes them an instant contender. If the Ravens start Boller ahead of McNair this is one of the dumbest moves this year.
^like he said Baltimore will NOT be paying McNair $12,000,000 to ride the bench. Plus, McNair is a former league MVP and worked well with Mason in Tennessee.
Good point Buc. The Steelers and Bengals are great teams obviously. The Ravens have D and a good QB finally, so they're pretty good. The Browns imo had the best off-season.....
Throw in a 4th round pick, and that's quite a lot to invest. McNair is old, broken down, and will most likely retire in a year or two. Unless McNair pulls some miracle season out of his ***, and leads the Ravens to the big dance this year, this trade will be all for not going into the 2007 season.... The Ravens will miss the playoffs in 2006, McNair will retire, and the Ravens will be right back where they are today, only now, minus a 4th round draft pick. On top of that, Boller's newly gained confidence will be shot. That's what I envision happening. Call me crazy, that's just my opinion, as delusional as it may seem....
Yes, McNair might play one year, or two, and be done. He is still a better option than Boller. Boller did not finish the season strong. His final game was horrible. He did play well at home against the Vikings and Packers- two non-playoff teams. These are his passer rating numbers and team W-L record, game-by-game after he returned from his injury- 30.1 (lost 3-30) 67.2 (won 16-13) 81.6 (lost 29-42; I think he went stats-crazy late in this game, after the Ravens were getting killed)* 70.0 (won 16-15) 65.2 (lost 10-12) 136.8 (won 48-3) 113.5 (won 30-23) 31.1 (lost 16-20) He had two good games and then a bad game. All he's proved thus far is he is mediocre at best and he's inconsistent. Edit: *Yes, Boller went nuts once the scoreboard read "Bengals 34, Ravens 7". I'm sure the Bengals' intensity went down at that point and backups were in the game on defense (and the Cincinnati defense wasn't great to begin with anyway). Boller was 4 of 12 for 37 yards with 3 sacks and 1 interception in the first half of that game.
