ravensdfan

maybe i am venting about you venting. 5 of our 8 draft picks were on the offensive side of the ball. Gillmore has hands as well. we had 5 CB on the roster and added 4 more and i bet you dollars to doughnuts we add at least 3 more before mini camp starts

Gilmore has hands but his knock is his route running and lack of separation - which is what our current crop has issues with!

Which is why I liked the S. Smith signing. Sure it's a stop gap but just maybe some of his route running and separation skills would rub off.

We say that now. But do we say this drat turned out the way we thought it would three years from now? And we also need to stop equating high draft picks to great players. that simply doesn't happen all the time. Just because we aren't picking high doesn't mean we can't get good players.

We have not had a true #1 receiver in the entire time Flacco has been here. Not once. Because we don't draft high enough to snag anyone with even the potential to be that guy. We had a chance and we've blown it.

Sure, they might not have been that guy - Clayton is a good example - but what is even more rare is finding that guy down the bottom.

Just because we don't draft a high receiver every year doesn't mean that we are hanging Flacco to try. this receving corp is probably his best ever.

When is the last time we drafted a high receiver?

You have to look to the future too - this was the deepest draft for offensive talent in forever - and we are usually picking late. It was the time to load up on offensive talent.

Unless we sink, we will not have high enough draft picks to do it next year. And we are always saying "next year" for the offense. It was what we said last year after the draft.

It was an opportunity to set us up on offense wasted. One we do not get often.

It's not even about that though, it's about building for future years, and I think the FO did a piss poor job of setting the offense up to develop in the years to come.

Exactly. Because S. Smith & Daniels are stop gaps. Just like we give our offense every single year. There is no one to develop with Flacco and he's into year 7 now - it's getting late.

I think Hurst will be a starter if he can get in shape.. There's a good reason, seeing as many had him as a day two pick before the injury.

 

Mosley might be a pro bowler, as might Timmy(I loved Timmy though), but that's about it. Ursachel(or however you spell his name), will start games, but never be first on the depth chart bc of KO. Brooks will play immediately, and might be good, but never a pro bowler. Gilmore is a future TE #2 who will get playing time his rookie year seeing as Owen never makes it through a full season. Camp might be a starting slot WR when Steve leaves. 

 

Again, Kubiak made Slaton look good. Who the RB is isn't my concern. But because of it Lorenzo might be a starter(I would've rather have Seastrunk... We screwed up there). 

 

Urban will be a rotational linemen with the chance to start soon. 

 

All in all, we filled no needs, but the draft itself wasn't terrible. Mosley being a potential future star is about the only thing right. Jernigan is talented enough to be a future pro bowler(again, I liked him a lot before we drafted him), but in all liklihood he won't be. Brooks should be an immediate starter(since we have no depth there). Other than that, the players should be contributors, but not what we needed. 

Brooks will be a starter because we have no one else. Kind of like we threw Elam in as starter out of position since we had no one else.

The theory is - I believe - that getting Elam into his natural position where he excels will offset not having that play maker FS we were supposed to be going after. I think he's supposed to kind of be our Troy P.

I did some research on Gilmore (because I knew it was the blocking factor that probably made us pick him) and the concensus seems all over the board. Some have him #2 but most put him at a servicable #3 TE after development. So this one doesn't really bother me for right now. If necessary we do have Juice who could be used as a TE. That gives us some depth there.

I can't complain about the Brooks pick.  The first two picks were what bothered me, the rest of the draft was par for the course.

It may all come to pass - who knows.

I guess I am the only one here who is old enough to remember 2006 - arguably better than our 2000 defense - when it just wasn't enough to overcome poor offensive play once the post season came around.

Then waiting around for a franchise QB for all those years.

Now that we have one - we hang him out to dry and don't give him support around him. It is balance that wins championships. And we're out of balance right now.

We got two half of famers with our first two picks, I don't know what you have to be upset about.  Clearly other teams have no idea what they're doing, we got the top two talents in the draft.  In Ozzie we trust!

You're mistaken. It's 3 Pro Bowlers, a star in this league and 3 starters from UDFA. (that I've seen).

He actually does. We know what Jernigan/Mosely can do, but Brooks is another guy who  is plug and play and I think an eventually Pro Bowler

 

agreed. wouldn't you rather be optimistic and be wrong than be pessimistic and be wrong and an @ hole

It's the vent thread. Don't like it, don't read it. Join any myriad of the other threads calling even our UDFAs future Pro Bowlers and drink all the kool aid. 

Our offense was our most needy. Not that our defense didn't have needs  - most notable a CB and an impact FS. We got a FS - not an impact one - but no CB.

Oddly - the pick that most ranted about when it happened I understood. I thought we reached for Gilmore but he was a blocking TE - so I understood it even though I felt he'd have been there later on.

I haven't bothered to on him. Not sure I will at this stage until I see if he makes it past final cuts

Don't know why you're waiting on that tape - every one of these guys is going All Pro - smh. It's ridiculous.

apparently that rb we drafted was highest rated pass blocker

I didn't see anything about highest rated - only that he can chip in on pass pro.

Nice block Ray.

We all know Ray can't block. Which of our draft picks is going to help with that?

how much of it was an upgrade. Zuttah is an upgrade over gino but lets not pretend he is alex mack. Smith is an upgrade over no Boldin, but he's not as good as boldin, owen daniels was cut by Houston because of a failed medical, so lets not set the bar to high with him.

Compare that to what 3 picks in the top 100 of the last 2 drafts all defense.

In comparison the offense has been neglected. The biggest improvement was trading for monroe last year.

As far as players go, Monroe was the biggest upgrade by far. While adding Daniels & Smith plug some holes, these are two guys at the end of their careers. I'm not calling that an "upgrade" just yet.

Kubiak was the best thing they did for the offense. But you can't do your job if you're not given tools.

RavensInsider Aaron Wilson

Ozzie Newsome expressed confidence in Rick Wagner, Kelechi Osemele, Jah Reid, said they could also look for a veteran tackle in free agency

 

Confindence in Jah Reid. Hilarious.

Confidence in Wagner is just as hillarious after how he performed when he came in for Oher.

I'm done venting about it - but the first one that drags on the offense if they're inept again - I am reminding how they just loved this defense heavy (yet again) draft and completely ignoring our offensive needs.

Don't want to hear it.

we are also better than last year before the draft. Smith has a lot left in the tank for this year and even last year. Imo, he's our #1 this year. Owen Daniels is way better than Dickson or Clark. Hopefully KO will be healthy and back to form. And I believe in Wagner. To me, the draft is just a luxury this year.

Dude we were "all set" last year too. Boldin was gone but Pitta was going to pick up the slack. Then he got hurt. Then JJ got hurt. We got so lucky that a undrafted rookie was as good as he was in Marlon Brown or we might have had a losing season. We had to give up picks to bring the O line up to even poor play. We had the worst running game ever in the NFL since the 2000 season (I forget what team it was) and now Rice is likely suspended for no one knows how long. And we've got Pierce (not an every down back nor a receiving back) and Forsett - yeah.

Wagner was crap when he came in for Oher last year. To the point that people were like "I never thought I'd say this, but I hope Oher isn't seriously injured". That is how badly he played and that is who you're relying on?

Please. This was the draft to go offense. The talent was there and it was deep. Next year's crop is slim pickins.

haven't watched the game in full but read he totally gassed out in the 4th qtr and thats why he lost weight for combine, leading to the excess water intake and diluted sample.

If true, he'll fit right in. Our defense gassed out in the 4th quarter quite a bit last season. Everyone blamed the offense but - you know, we didn't address that need so...guess we can expect more of the same.

Honestly though - I did read somewhere that he was ill.

KO is back 100% and flipping 500 lb tires. Oher was awful. Oher, GG and Shipley were all awful. Wagner was probably much better than Oher last year, but they werent going to bench him.

Wagner went in for Oher last season - he was pathetic and everyone was screaming to get him out. KO we'll see. No way to know just yet.

why are people mad that we didn't get a WR, we have alot of WRs in or roster all ready. we still have 4 picks left, calm down,

Because we've had our fill of developmental WRs that never pan out. And I'm not even specifically mad about WR. I would have taken a RT that could start. A RB even.

Any love for the offense at all.

The way our FO is drafting should let everbody know it was coaching that failed us last year......

Well let's hope not because our worst thing was OL and we still have Castillo.

Exactly.  You can't keep expecting these washed up veteran rentals to fill in for the development of actual offensive talent.  Whatever one's position is on Flacco, the FO is not helping him.

Not to mention - we have no depth if someone gets hurt. How often are you going to get a pleasant surprise like Marlon Brown?

When the offense sucks; I'll definitely complain about it and yet; I'll understand why as well.

 

#Mili

Well yeah, we'll all complain about it lol And yes, you'll understand why but there are others who will not

For those complaining about the offense. Did you notice they let go of 3 awful lineman and replaced them with C Zuttah and KO is back? Also second year players Jensen and Wagner might battle it out for a spot. Rice is in shape now, not 15lbs overweight and Pierce was hurt. Then they Signed Owen Daniels AND Steve Smith. Pitta is back also. Then Marlon Brown is in his 2nd year also. Plus they resigned Jacoby. Oh....they also have a new OC in Kubiak. What else you want? Plus, they still have 4 picks tomorrow. They drafted a TE and have developmental players in Juice, Mellete and Furstenberg.

Rice will get some sort of suspension. That leaves Pierce and what was that guy's name that we all went who? when they signed him? That RB? That is pretty much it at RB.

We signed a center who, it is being reported, is slightly better than Gino, who most raved about when he was drafted. But - didn't work out that way did it? Jensen & Wagner - though the FO might be high on them - have not proven anything. Wait - we did see Wagner didn't we? I believe most of us were of the opinion we hoped not to have to rely on him?

KO - still an unknown because he did not play well - we all just assumed his back was injured from day one but we don't know that especially since it should have been listed on the injury report and wasn't.

Kubiak - I'll give you - but you can only do so much if you're not given the players to do it with.

They drafted a project TE because he is considered a blocking TE. Not a receiving TE and his weakness is his route running and lack of separation (man doesn't that sound familiar?).

The point is: we give the defense all the high draft picks every year, they play a click above average and everyone is "oh our defense is soooooo improved!" (stats prove otherwise) but we give the offense hand me downs and scrub picks and expect them to play top 5 or at least top 10.

No, I've only seen him projected as a 4th rounder.  That analysis might be old or something

Could be. I didn't see anything about him being 6th or 7th round until that post.

Every draft one can go "wait - why not this guy or that guy?" usually though, you can see the idea behind the pick - get it and understand it.

This draft though - after our offensive woes this past season, the patchwork job with veteran FAs being a dismal failure, and the promise of "building the offense" - well, this draft is crap.

We've done nothing for the offense yet again.

I really thought, we could improve the offense past the patch up job, that we gave it this offseason in this draft. Instead we only improved the defense, which was already doing fine such as it was. I guess we're expecting much from the old guys, who are on their last leg and a couple untested players.

I really hope that gamble works out for us, because I'm very sceptic after last season.

I don't want to hear anything about our offense this coming season. Nary a word. There isn't an impact WR left on the board and any OL pick will be hit or miss at this point too. Ozzie & company gave them none of the help they promised when they talked about "building the offense like we did the defense."

If the offense sucks in 2014 - go tell Ozzie about it.

GILMORE:

 

WEAKNESSES  Underdeveloped lower body with limited overall weight-room strength. Not a nuanced route runner to create separation and lacks polish releasing off the line (pinballed too easily). Limited suddeness and burst out of his breaks. Marginal creativity after the catch. Lacks top-end speed to threaten the seam. Has been a bit of a china doll and long-term durability requires evaluation. Recorded a 1.77-second 10-yard time, tied for slowest among tight ends at the combine. DRAFT PROJECTION  Rounds 6-7 BOTTOM LINE

 A try-hard, developmental blocker capable of catching on as a No. 3 tight end with continued improvement in the weight room. Possesses above-average base blocking ability, hands and foot speed to carve a role.

Wait - didn't see that - so we just drafted a 6th or 7th rounder in the 3rd? Great.