Anquan Boldin hasn’t caught one pass yet as a Baltimore Raven, but I feel confident enough to say that it’s already a perfect partnership.

The Ravens acquired Boldin and a fifth round pick from the Arizona Cardinals on Friday in exchange for their third and fourth round selections in this year’s draft. Immediately after acquiring the 29-year-old receiver, Baltimore signed him to a four-year, $28 million deal.

The Ravens have been desperately seeking a true No. 1 receiver over the past couple years, while Boldin has wanted to be treated like one. It’s not that he didn’t like playing in Arizona – he just felt as though he should be paid similarly to Larry Fitzgerald, or at least have the opportunity to make No. 1-type money.

Boldin will immediately upgrade Baltimore’s receiving corps and assuming he doesn’t retire, Derrick Mason will make a fine No. 2. Acquiring a legitimate No. 1 receiver was the final piece of the puzzle for GM Ozzie Newsome and while it took a couple years, he finally found one in Boldin. Joe Flacco now has several solid weapons at his disposal in Boldin, Mason and rising star Ray Rice, and will also be protected by an above average offensive line.

While the Cardinals would have loved to keep Boldin paired with Fitzgerald in their dynamic offense, all parties involved in this trade walk away winners. The Ravens got their receiver, Boldin got his money and his No. 1 status, and the Cardinals got fair compensation for a player that didn’t want to be there long-term.

Boldin was a top 10 fantasy receiver in Arizona, and depending on who starts the season as the Ravens’ WR2, he should be a top 10 receiver in Baltimore. If Mason sticks around, it will likely depress the numbers of both players. Also, don’t expect Ray Rice to catch 78 passes again next season. Boldin is going to get a ton of targets and Mason figures to as well.

From Arizona’s point of view, it’s an opportunity for Steve Breaston or Early Doucet to step into the WR2 role and have a big season. Breaston has had the better career, but Doucet played well in the postseason, catching 14 passes for 145 yards and two TD against the Packers and Saints. However, either player’s success will depend directly on how Matt Leinart fares at QB. There’s a good chance that the Cardinals will now focus more on Beanie Wells and the running game. Larry Fitzgerald should continue to be a top 3 fantasy wideout.

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ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the Ravens are the front-runners to land receiver Anquan Boldin, although Baltimore beat writer Aaron Wilson writes that the Patriots are the front-runners.

From Rotoworld.com:

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Ravens are the front-runners to land Anquan Boldin while Ravens beat writer Aaron Wilson calls the Patriots the favorites.

The Chiefs also in the mix. It’s funny that two Baltimore reports have the Pats as the favorites, possibly to drive up the price on the Ravens. If the cost is still a third-rounder, Boldin is a no-brainer. His next team has him under contract cheaply for the 2010 season with a year to work out a contract. If no deal can be reached, the cost was still just a third-rounder for one season of a possible difference-maker.

The Cardinals did well by setting the asking price for Boldin at a third round pick. Getting multiple teams to bid against each other for the next month will only drive up Boldin’s trade value before the draft, which is when teams will really get desperate.

If it requires throwing in another pick, Ozzie Newsome might want to sweeten his offer (whatever it may be) to ensure Boldin winds up in Baltimore next season. A No. 1 receiver is essentially the last piece of the puzzle for the Ravens’ offense and Boldin would do wonders for Joe Flacco in the passing game.

The asking price for Anquan Boldin has apparently been set, as the NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi reports that the Cardinals are seeking a third-round pick in exchange for the veteran receiver.

If that indeed is the asking price, then the Cardinals should have no shortage of trade partners. The Ravens are desperate for a receiver and I would have to believe that GM Ozzie Newsome would be more than willing to part with a third round pick in order to give Joe Flacco a target such as Boldin.

Outside of the Ravens, the Lions, Patriots, Bucs, Jaguars, Panthers, Dolphins, Chiefs, Jets and Bengals could all be potential trade partners with the Cardinals as well. Many people will throw the Bears into this mix, but considering they don’t have a draft pick in either of the first two rounds, it stands to reason that Jerry Angelo will hang onto his third round selection.

Even if Lombardi’s report is accurate, the Cardinals may not trade Boldin until the draft. It makes more sense for Arizona to wait until teams start to panic about their receiver position before parting with Q.

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Two sources told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that the Dolphins probably won’t pursue Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin this offseason.

Two people in contact with the Dolphins said last week they would be very surprised if Miami pursues a trade for Brandon Marshall — Denver says it might keep him, and Marshall wants to stay — but they could envision the Dolphins offering a draft pick (third round or later) for Arizona’s Anquan Boldin.

Cardinals GM Rod Graves confirmed today that he is receptive to trade offers for Boldin, although nothing is in the works as of now.

If Graves hopes to get anything for Boldin before his contract runs out at the end of the season, then he may have to take a third round pick or later. It’s rumored that the Cardinals want at least a second rounder in exchange for Boldin, but that seems high.

My best guess is that Boldin will be traded for a third round pick on one of the 45 draft nights/days that the NFL will hold this year. And I think the team that will offer that third round pick will be the Ravens.

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The Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins might offer a third-round pick to the Cardinals in exchange for receiver Anquan Boldin this offseason.

• Two people in contact with the Dolphins said last week they would be very surprised if Miami pursues a trade for Brandon Marshall — Denver says it might keep him, and Marshall wants to stay — but they could envision the Dolphins offering a draft pick (third round or later) for Arizona’s Anquan Boldin.

The Dolphins definitely need to beef up their receiver corps and if they could acquire Boldin for a third round pick, it seems like a no-brainer that they would pull the trigger on a deal. The hope would be that Boldin could make Ted Ginn Jr., Davone Bess and Brian Hartline more productive just by being on the field.

As for the Cardinals, I would be shocked if they don’t get at least a third rounder in return for Boldin. That seems like fair compensation for a productive wideout that still has several good years left in his legs.

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Beat writer Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald fully expects the Dolphins to discuss trading for Cardinals’ wideout Anquan Boldin this offseason.

He says not so much on Brandon Marshall, however:

4. Brandon Marshall. The Denver wide receiver will be traded. And it will not be to the Dolphins. I’m thinking more likely it will be to a team like Chicago. That part is a guess. The trade of Marshall part of the equation? Book it.

5. Anquan Boldin. This is a totally different situation than Marshall. The price tag has dropped on Boldin and the Cardinals will be looking to get something for him this offseason because he’s a free agent after 2010 and they’ve already identified a replacement for him in Early Doucet. The Dolphins like Boldin. He’s tough. He’s big. He is not a diva. Did he complain about his contract? Yes. He had a legitimate complaint. Does that make him a bad dude? Absolutely not. The Cards will probably ask a second-round pick for him. Somebody will offer a fourth. Depending on how high the selection, I’d say he could be had for a third rounder. Doesn’t mean the Dolphins will do it. But they will absolutely discuss it.

As Salguero suggests, a Boldin-Miami marriage makes sense and I agree that a third rounder might be good enough to snag him from Arizona. Boldin wants to be the No. 1 guy (and be paid as such), and the Dolphins definitely have the need for a legit go-to receiver for Chad Henne next season.

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General manager Ozzie Newsome told the media on Wednesday that he’ll seek wide receiver help this offseason for the Ravens, although he obviously didn’t divulge any details about how he’ll acquire said help.

Will Newsome make a run at Anquan Boldin or Brandon Marshall? It’s a strong possibility, as is the idea of the Ravens signing/acquiring either Julius Peppers or Elvis Dumervil to help boost their pass rush. At this point, nothing should be ruled out.

If the Ravens do decide to trade for a receiver this offseason, the general consensus might be that they’ll go after Boldin because he comes with less baggage. But don’t forget that Newsome had a deal in place with the 49ers back in 2004 for Terrell Owens before an arbiter squashed that deal from happening. Marshall is younger than Boldin and can likely be had for a reasonable price because everyone knows that he’s on the outs in Denver. So if Newsome feels that Marshall is worth the risk, then it might only take a second or third rounder to acquire him.

Newsome knows that the Ravens have a solid young core on offense and the defense is still good enough to make a Super Bowl run. If he can acquire a receiver of Marshall or Boldin’s talent, then he’ll be taking another step in getting Baltimore to the next level.

Update: Beat writer Mike Preston disagrees with the sentiment that Baltimore will be a landing spot for Marshall, even going as far as to say that he would be surprised if the Ravens pursued him this offseason.

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If beat writer Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic is right when he says that the Cardinals will try to shop receiver Anquan Boldin this offseason, then the team would be making a wise decision.

Boldin is a quality playmaker with excellent size, good speed and solid hands. But talent isn’t something the Cardinals are desperate for at the wideout position. They have plenty of youth and depth at receiver with Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston and Early Doucet, which makes Boldin expendable.

Boldin will be 30 in early October and is set to make $3 million in his final year. Mind you, that’s not a ton of money to pay a receiver of his caliber, but if he reaches free agency after the 2010 season then Arizona will get nothing for him in return. If they trade him now, they might be able to get a third round pick and another player, which was what teams were offering last offseason.

A trade makes even more sense if Kurt Warner retires this offseason. When Matt Leinart takes over under center, the Cardinals will switch from an offense that attacks opponents through the air to one that tries to beat teams on the ground. The focus will come off the quarterback and receivers and onto young running back Beanie Wells.

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