Newsome is Awesome

That's why arguing here is almost pointless. You have to wait for game results. We'll discuss them frequently this year.

What you'll find is that Big Stanley has predominantly faced 2nd and 3rd stringers. He's done an adequate job in that capacity, but there's been more going on than PFF or RSR are going to be capable of deciphering. The primary issue is snaps vs non starters, but there is more. The average time the QB's are holding the ball is very short. PFF discuss that? What about RSR? The reason is those entities are not comprehensive. They are actually creating numbers for situations against non starters and in situations where the ball is held for extremely short periods of time. The latter is Trestman's influence. Indy used players that laid way off our receivers. Reminded me immensely of the Patriot playoff game loss in 2014. We couldn't cover close either. Anyway, I'd be real careful in drawing conclusions before the season begins. That scene you've posted is a quick release again and if the play wasn't over in short order, it may not have been as good a block as implied.

Joe has not come close to his 2012 Championship Run and a big part of that was Pitta. The other parts were taken, one immediately the other while Pitta was absent. Joes completion percentage went up last year, but his rating went down. He threw a lot of dump off balls, which is a hallmark of the Trestman offense. The best way to put it is that Flacco has a bunch of new receivers with whom confidence has not been established. When he works it out with receivers we retain, he'll get back, but "we've" been insisting upon playing musical chairs with his receivers.

There is no way Pitta gets cut this season. My interpretation of RSR is that it was speculative in regard to coming years. Really that was the only way to interpret it. If it was a genuine belief about this year...well...don't put much stock into the rating system either. What still bothers me about Pitta's injury is that our high drafted rookie didn't have the common sense to ease off a remarkable veteran making a historic comeback. It never crossed his mind to not go full out. That kind of processing mistake will show up on the field. A team needs athletes, but a team is best when those athletes are discerning.

Sounds like you're quoting history. Very similar words to what a former Secretary of Defense used. Bad decisions regarding personnel are bad decisions regarding personnel. Sometimes the leaders are the problem.

Well it looks like the Elam debate has been decided by the 15-20% chance of injury. He had a chip removed from his knee and Lewis has been injured. It's a race back to active status regarding who makes the roster.

Thanx, But I'm not much interested in Cap Discussions. They are labored. Any Team can make room for any Player in regard to Cap. The Steelers do it all the time. My view on Cap is that it must be rescinded for the game to be completely enjoyable. When it is rescinded we will see who the good GM's are and who they are not. I also believe rosters need expanded by at least 10 players and I believe 12 would be a better number with the injuries and concern for player well being. If our roster was 65, I might understand retaining Elam. Whatever they pay Elam is too much, because his roster spot is valuable and it strains credibility to say, we have nothing better and can't release him. Every time he is on the field there is jeopardy of losing the game. He can't play the position in the NFL.

Don't hold your breath. I gotta tell you. I've watched a lot of players over the years, but rarely have seen one so much a fish out of water. Having gone big against Big Stanley, must admit to this point he has not allowed the QB to be harassed. I think it's an aggregation of things, but the QB has been clean in the pocket. Elam on the other hand has a track record and tools that aren't fit for the position. What are you gonna do?

Eric Reid?.....Yah, not even in the same stadium. Check out Reid's read, catch and athleticism on his TD vs Denver. Granting it was against a 3rd string QB. Reid had a poor year last year, but not as poor as our 1st rounder from that same draft has played. Correa deserves time. He's definitely got a high motor and enthusiasm. He reminds me of a young Rey Maualuga. Not sure about his NFL football instincts, but they can develop. Really?

After isolating Elam on the couple plays he appeared to make tackles they turned from tackles into at best middling plays. Can't believe he makes this team, but there is likely one thing worse than an early round bad draft pick for a Front Office. It's cutting a high draft pick, they eventually determined to be a bad draft pick, only to have him blossom somewhere else. That scenario makes someone look very silly and so there certainly is some hesitation about Elam now.

Colts Drive 1 Elam, Correa and Judon not in. Correa gets in on goal line defense, overpowered by Colts right tackle, though got his facemask incidentally. Colts 3-0 Raven Drive 1, will focus on Stanley 1-Run to right side away from Big Stanley, he misses cut block again, minimal gain 2-Big Stanley gets part of his man on a cut block that doesn't take him down, Partial Year starter, they run away from Big Stanley again to right for minimal gain 3-Big Stanley has a rook LB take him long and is lucky pass is quick... Rook that almost beat Stanley roughs punter drive continues 4-Big Stanley on Part Year starter again, gets bulled backwards but neutralizes him on Gilmore Drop 5-Stanley gets beat by 2nd move of Roughing rook, but quick pass out prevents any damage 6-Stanley off half a beat quick due to Roughing Rook on him again. Refs don't call it and Rook beats Big Stanley outside but quick throw prevents any damage. 7-Stanley literally punches Roughing Rook in head, Refs somehow don't see it, but that will not fly. You gotta look at his play 7 on the film. Unreal. I grade Stanley very poorly for these two drives against nondescript players. My grades do not get reduced to a number. Not at BPU. Ravens punt Colts 2nd Drive Believe Elam is in and gets stoned on a blitz Elam does make 1st of his two tackles next play.....have to note its a dive and not an arms tackle and leaves a man early that could have beat him for a TD. Elam makes his second tackle, but loses coverage on man Elam beat in a couple steps but colts fumble Ravens 3rd Drive 8-Run to stanleys side and he makes handsy seal vs 12 year vet, non starter end of year. 9-They Run at Big Stanley and being kind he looks awkward. Actually grabs the defender from behind while he is tackling ball carrier. No gain. 10-Non Factor, rollout right, 1st down 11-Does a good job pass blocking on Sack Zed for a year DE 12-Fair block on starting linkbacker, very handsy.....gonna be lucky if he doesn't get called for holding as the Refs get his wind of his preference. No gain 13-Does a good job on OLB, full year starter, forcing him out....TD Colts next Drive Correa in this drive Contrary he does not touch ball against 2nd string LT Correa unblocked has ball thrown right into him. Missed field goat 7-3 Ravens 14-Good Pass block..completion 15-Does good job on Roughing Rook this time on run 16-Does an adequate job on non starting big LB........Ravens punt Colts Drive for filed goal Well, thats enough. No need to go into the second half with 3rd stringers. What one can't dismiss is that for the second game in a row we did not look good while it was 1st team vs 1st team. Hopefully that means we are slow starters, cuz that can be overcome. Big Stanley started poorly and played better as the game went on. Still waiting to see him on dedicated QB rushers. He's gonna have to watch his hands. Judon has a motor and will play large for us barring injury. He was my favorite in this draft. Matt Elam became invisible after a couple plays he appeared in. Correa has a ways to go as well. Essentially we won a close one and that's good for morale.

If you take Josh Johnson's scramble runs out of the run equation, the running game wasn't much. Stanley appeared to block pretty well in pass protection though.

cant seem to stop them but elam has made a couple tackles

Penalties keeping us in it.

The problem is our core team building draft years are quite a few years back. 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008....by any objective measure we really haven't drafted core players for 8 years. That's a long time to go into a slump in today's NFL. After finishing 8-8, we picked up Mosely who is a very productive player. Whether he becomes a core player remains to be seen. No one else since 2008 fits into that category. You have to look close at our 1st round selections since then. 2009- Oher......we certainly didn't think enough of him to keep him........he was literally chastised in this forum by the fans. 2010-Kindle - They'll say, how could you know?.........Fact is he didn't play for us under very questionable conditions 2011-Jimmy Smith....He can't stay sound.....he's Webb on the corner. How many pro bowls?...certainly not core. 2012-Courtney Upshaw.......once again, not core 2013-Matt Elam.........here they clearly just fumbled the ball. 2014-CJ Mosely.........He's played well and has potential to become core 2015 Perriman..........Not a play for us. 2016 Big Stanley........we'll see. I'm not even going to get into the 2nd and 3rd round busts..........you can't draft like that in today's NFL and claim to have been among the Evaluating Elite. Our draft selectors have been much closer to the bottom of the league than the top of the league over these years and that my friends is our problem.