The Ravens Fleeced the Broncos in the Joe Flacco Trade Further Proving John Elway is Lost

John Elway finally landing a quality starting quarterback? Is that even possible? It appears the Denver Broncos general manager got it right after selecting Drew Lock out of Missouri in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

But we can't gloss over the fact that Elway made one last boneheaded move two months prior to the draft by acquiring a regressing Joe Flacco from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick. And yes, the Ravens robbed the Broncos in this trade.

Elway made the massive mistake of exclaiming that Flacco was still in his prime, even though he was far closer to being unplayable. This was a quarterback who underperformed in 2018 and was relegated to the bench after suffering a hip injury. Of course, he'd never return to the field due to the emergence of superstar Lamar Jackson.

Flacco played in just eight games for the Broncos last year, as he completed 65.3% of his passes for 1,822 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. It certainly didn't help that his offensive line was abysmal, resulting in Flacco getting sacked 26 times at the halfway mark of the 2019 season!

Flacco's 12th campaign ended due to a neck injury, and he was released this offseason with a failed physical designation.

As for Baltimore, they used Denver's fourth-rounder to select Oklahoma State running back Justice Hill. While Hill never started for the Ravens in his rookie year, he did make the most of the snaps given to him. In 16 regular season games, Hill rushed for 225 yards and two touchdowns while catching eight passes for 70 yards.

Let's face it. Baltimore getting anything in return for a regressing Flacco is a massive win. As for Elway, the criticism will continue to follow him after this trade. All he can do is hope that Lock dominates the league with receivers Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and KJ Hamler.