Matt Schaub had never been a free agent before.
He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2004, traded to the Houston Texans in 2007, then traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2014. It wasn't until he was released by the Raiders a couple weeks ago that he found himself looking for work.
"The past few weeks have been very stressful," Schaub said. "They've been tough because you want to know where you're going to be."
Schaub had interest from several other teams – reportedly the Falcons, Jets, Cowboys and Titans – and had visits before meeting the Ravens on Tuesday. But he didn't leave Baltimore without a contract.
"I'm really thrilled for the opportunity. I would really, really, really like to thank Mr. Bisciotti and Ozzie Newsome for bringing me in to be a part of the Ravens," Schaub said.
"In my meetings with John Harbaugh, Marc Trestman and Marty Mornhinweg, I was really feeling welcomed and wanted. I was feeling like I could contribute and help this team bring another championship to Baltimore. I'm really excited about that opportunity."
So why did Schaub choose the Ravens?
"Baltimore just stood out the whole time," he said.
"It's a great fit for me as far as the offense is concerned, as far as the type of player Joe is and how we'll mesh in the QB room. I feel like we're going to have one of the best rooms in football. We're going to grow, we're going to compete, we're going to help each other to get better. Ultimately, that will lead to wins on the field for this team."
Schaub signed a one-year contract reportedly worth $2 million, and he can earn up to another $1 million in incentives. It worked out for several reasons.
Schaub likes that his familiarity with the Ravens offense. He played for seven seasons under Gary Kubiak, who brought the West Coast offense to Baltimore last year. Even though Kubiak is now the head coach of the Denver Broncos, his offense remains.
Thus, Schaub feels it will be a "seamless transition" if he has to step in and play. None of Flacco's backups have ever had to step in because he has yet to miss a start in seven seasons, but Schaub feels he'll be ready if called upon.
Even if Schaub isn't playing, his knowledge of the offense allows him to be more involved than a typical backup quarterback. Flacco had one year in Kubiak's offense, but with him now gone, Flacco can lean on Schaub as he continues to grow within that offense.
"Football is football, but at the same time there are certain things within certain offenses that from year to year you just pick up and grow from," Schaub said. "I'm going to be a resource for Joe. I'm going to be there to push him, to help him continue to grow and develop."
For Schaub, the Ravens are also a breath of fresh air. He had two rough seasons the past couple years, first as part of a 2-14 year in Houston in which he lost his starting job. He and the Raiders won just three games last season.
During Schaub's visit on Tuesday, he and Harbaugh shared stories about their tilts on opposite teams over the years. Now, they get to join forces to try to get the Ravens back to the Super Bowl.
"One of the big things for me making this decision to be a Baltimore Raven is we're going to win," Schaub said. "It's an organization that's proven they win year in and year out. To be a part of that is exciting."
