John Harbaugh says Anquan Boldin trade still painful
By Bryan Rose
Winning in any sport comes at a cost, especially in the NFL where a hard cap makes turning a franchise into a dynasty rather difficult. That’s something the Baltimore Ravens are more than aware of considering the roster moves they were forced to make after winning Super Bowl XLVIII.
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One such decision was the fate of wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who despite being one of Baltimore’s best players was also one of their highest paid.
The Baltimore Ravens did what they could to put themselves in position to afford the talented wideout, but the money just wasn’t there and the Ravens decided to trade him to the San Francisco 49ers, the team who Anquan Boldin ironically torched in the Super Bowl months prior.
Some believed Boldin’s days of being a top wide receiver were over, but not John Harbaugh who says the trade still hurts him.
“It was very painful. I still blame Ozzie,” John Harbaugh said. “I’m still sore from that deal. But it was something we had to do together. We tried like crazy to keep Anquan. We fought like crazy, but we were fighting against a number. And those numbers are things that sometimes aren’t as pliable as you’d like them to be.”
While Harbaugh and the Ravens were able to send Anquan Boldin out West to thankfully avoid his production, the wideout certainly didn’t look like he had lost a step during his first season with the 49ers.
A winner of the coveted Bill Walsh Award, Boldin hauled in 85 receptions for 1,179 yards and seven touchdowns – not bad considering San Francisco only gave up a 6th round pick in the deal.