If there were ever any doubts that the Ravens have their franchise quarterback, those doubts have been put aside as of Monday afternoon: Joe Flacco finalized his contract. The Super Bowl MVP got everything he asked for (and more!) with a six-year, $120.6 million contract that makes him the highest-paid NFL player ever.

Wow. Joe Flacco? Worth that much money? Yes, Joe deserves the long-term contract and whatever money his agent asked for, but I never saw this coming. Flacco has been inconsistent throughout his career, but he always wins when it matters.

If told five years ago that my Ravens would have a quarterback that would make it to the playoffs and win a postseason game in every single one of his first five seasons, make it to the AFC championship twice (losing close games in both), and finally winning a Super Bowl and an MVP title, I would have laughed. But it has happened, all under the leadership of Joe Flacco. As shocked as I am at the money Falcco received, I live by the Baltimore motto "In Ozzie we trust" (referring to the faith we have in General Manager Ozzie Newsome).

There are two things I see coming out of this monstrous deal.

1. The Ravens are no longer a defense-first team. While they spent the majority of their franchise relying on the D to win big games, this is no longer the case, and the Ravens proved that in paying Joe the big bucks. This signifies a transition from defensive leadership to offensive leadership, and it comes at the perfect time with Ray Lewis retiring. Flacco has big leadership shoes to fill.

2. With this contract, the Ravens and Joe Flacco have set the tone for future quarterback paydays. If Joe Flacco (a guy who is reliable only when the stakes are high) is making this kind of money, what will that mean for the quarterbacks of the future? What will happen to guys like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III when they come off of their rookie contracts? Look for the league's finances to evolve and mirror the evolution of the game where the quarterbacks are the stars.

I am still uncertain as to whether this move by the Ravens was a good one or a poor one. With the money earned by Flacco, the Ravens will have to cut back and will probably lose a few key players (most notably Ed Reed). For Baltimore fans, here's hoping it was a smart move.

Reach Staff Writer Rachel Kohn here.