Ravensfan23

7 hours ago, PurpleCity5 said:

Maybe that's the case but Wagner is 50-50 at the moment, you don't really know the market value. Plenty of times the Ravens have said they've been in contact with FAs who ended up leaving but obviously that's what you have to do with guys you need to retain, you just can't have no contact with them what so ever. Given the reports and how our Run D collapsed, I think the Ravens will do everything in their power to keep Brandon Williams first as a priority, with Wagner coming after. Of course that doesn't mean they can't keep both but it would surprise me if they did. 

I'm under the assumption that Wagner is staying at the moment because of the confidence, but at this moment it wouldn't surprise me if they let him go, I can see them going after someone at LG and move Lewis to RT. I said this in another thread but many of the great OLs in the league aren't particularly strong at RT, they're more built up at LT, Guard and Center. When the Ravens talk about getting more physical with the change at LG, it just somewhat means to me that they have more in mind than making the change at C. 
The Ravens are talking about building a power block scheme  with the addition of Roman and adding some maulers to this OL, I can't help but think that means they want to get more physical there. I think Alex Lewis can certainly play a physical role on the line going by his college tape but I'm not sure if its at LG due to the leverage. Of course this doesn't mean that Lewis can't change the way he plays but he'll have much more freedom to operate and less to improve at kicking out to RT. With that said, if they don't manage to keep Wagner or Williams, it would seriously surprise me if they didn't go hard after a  upper level FA LG in the mold of Lang or Leary. They would have to make upgrades there and the tackle class at FA isn't all that strong. 

You might not know the market value exactly but it's pretty easy to look at the top 10 RTs, see where Wagner falls in and offer him a contract accordingly. Now of course that doesn't mean he'll take it, he may want to be paid as the highest guy. We seen a few guys be allowed to walk because the Ravens wouldn't over pay. If Wagner is set on leaving it's nothing the Ravens can do. 

However that doesn't seem to be the plan. Of course I'm not inside the castle and those meeting but I think if Lewis was the perceived option at RT he would have gotten a long look during the Week 17 game when Wagner was out, but he didn't. When Wagner went out of the NYG game, it was Yanda who the Ravens felt was the best option not Lewis(don't think he was hurt yet?. I'm not saying he won't be a good option at RT, but the Ravens clearly view him as a LG and they believe Wagner is a top RT. I'm pretty sure the Ravens knew what type of oline they wanted to build way before it was made public so if Lewis wasn't much of an option at LG I doubt they'd continue to kind of lock him into that spot next to Stanley for years to come. I have to believe that if Lewis was an option at RT, at someone point even if just subconsciously, they would have mentioned his ability to play RT as something to like about him moving forward. But if I remember correctly everything was about what type of LT he could be. I strongly feel the Ravens feel that with or without Wagner they are set on the left side for the foreseeable future.

Lewis may have been drafted as a OT when kicked inside to OG but it seems like RT is only an option in a emergency, must like Yanda

Just now, Edgar said:

I am a fan of his...with a varying measure of objectivity.

And? That doesn't prove or even give a reason to believe Flacco doesn't work hard. 

1 hour ago, Edgar said:

 That sounds like giving the benefit of the doubt to me. I happen to believe Ellicott is closer to the truth.

 

Ok. Prove it. I'm a very simple guy. You don't have agree with me, just show why you believe he doesn't work hard other than just not being a fan of his. 

Because other NFL players don't consider someone a leader if they lack work ethic. 

3 hours ago, frozen joe flacco fan said:

You and some of your younger protégés need to wake up and smell the roses. There's a terrific musical out there that you might enjoy. Its called La La Land. I listened to the End of the Year rapper or presser or whatever that was and one thing is evident. The Owner is "bewildered", the Coach looks scared,the GM is clueless and, oh yes, there was Dick Cass who was probably wondering why he was there. So, you have a problem with my assessment of our WRs? Well, we're even 'cause I have a problem with yours. Except for Steve Smith, who was an absolute baller and Dennis Pitta, the Wide guys couldn't catch a cold. Now, I'm reading some posts which imply that Breshad Perriman will return next year as the #1 WR. If that's true, we're in a whole lot more trouble than anyone could have imagined. Isn't Mike Wallace returning? Also, did you listen to the GM's laundry list of needs? He wants a complementary WR. If I had been in attendance I would have pressed him on that one. Complementary to whom? That press conference was worst than the Cincy game. They may be sleepless in Seattle but it appears we're clueless in Baltimore.

You can't have it both ways. You said yourself that Joe's work ethic is next to none. He worked out at the Castle on days when others didn't even venture out in the snow. He'll do whatever it takes this offseason to improve upon his game. I'm more concerned about the work ethic of some of his receivers now that Steve's gone. Maybe we could draft the Clemson WR who is 6'-3" tall with a 40 inch vertical! He might be a complementary wide receiver. He made a nice catch on a back shoulder throw, which is something Joe is really good at. 

Again what are you talking about. I never gave an assessment of any WRs and if I did I said Sr clearly lost a step, Wallace doesn't run good enough routes to be anything more than a #3 deep threat, Pitta is nothing more than a checkdown option who needs to be replaced and Perriman needs to have the strongest offseason of his career because he has a lot to improve. That's the entire point, you jumped out there to support Flacco when it wasn't needed.  This is a Joe Flacco thread and I pointed out areas where I feel he can improve. You brought up the WR and now you're bashing the FO for what reason exactly?

I promise you I'm not trying to be a jerk here or enter into some type of measuring contest, I just literally don't know what you're talking about. All I said was Joe has some work to do this offseason, which btw Flacco himself said and you've taken that and done something completely different to it. 

Oh btw, I'm not that important to have any proteges 

3 hours ago, PurpleCity5 said:

I don't know about keeping Lewis at LG if they lose Wagner. I think they would go after a major upgrade at LG if they lose a top RT and shift Lewis to the right. I know that Steve and Co. mentioned Lewis as a LG but I would assume that's under the assumption that Wagner is at RT. 

I personally don't think beefing up the OL starts and ends with Zuttah. If you talking about a physical and demanding run game, then, I don't know if Lewis is a good fit in a gap/power screen given his footwork and leverage. We'll see how he improves over the off season but it's a question mark, at RT the feet will still be a problem but he could play with more leverage given the height. 

3 hours ago, hereweare said:

" if Lewis can play RT than adding a FA guard that's better than Lewis at guard (would be huge). Just for arguments sake you could say that 2 above average guards significantly improve the OL rather than at RG and RT. ex. 2012 and 2014 had two very good guards and young average RTs. And before those seasons it was Grubbs and Yanda as above avg guards."

Glad to see I'm not the only one advacating this theory!

 

(depends how good they view Lewis can be at LG or RT)

I think the door becomes wide open if Wagner leaves, but the thing is, I don't think they feel Wagner will leave. I think the fact that they are kind of pigeonholing Lewis at LG this early in the process speaks to either how much they like Lewis at LG or the fact that they feel really confident in retaining Wagner. Remember Ozzie said much of the ground work is already done on these contracts and they've already been in contact with some of the agents. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Wagner is one of the first FA signing and he stays here. Now if Wagner does leave I can see Lewis at RT, but even then I wouldn't be surprised to see Lewis stay at LG. I think the Ravens really like him there. 

@rmw10 Does this addition give you any better feelings about the offense moving forward?

32 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

This is a good move. Really need to run the ball better. Roman runs a gap/power scheme so it could mean that Zuttah's days are numbered here. Think we can all draw up a conclusion that Zuttah isn't a good fit for that type of system. I think that means Lewis kicks out to RT and we sign a LG and draft a C. I might be overreacting but it wouldn't surprise me if we pulled those moves.

Sounds like the Ravens are set on having Stanley and Lewis on that left side. If I remember correctly I think they mentioned them two as a pair moving forward on the left side about 3 times and Mr. B even spoke about Lewis being comparable to KO. I think they have a great feeling about being able to keep Wagner and keeping Lewis at LG. 

I agree that Zuttah is done.

3 hours ago, PurpleCity5 said:

It certainly doesn't help when Perriman drops it, but the build up between Joe and Pitta has been so established to the point where he does become check-down happy instead of going to Perriman or Aiken on plays where they are open. This is why I think Pitta's cut might be beneficial, it's going to force him to stay in the pocket a bit longer and that's what I hope to see soon. 

I think Perriman is going to be the biggest priority in terms of chemistry development. He's going to enter the season as the #1 if things go the way they are now. I don't think the team is finding a #1 via Draft/FA so if he just improves on the route running, hands, and timing, IMO he's going to explode into the scene next season. 

Yeah Perriman is key. The Ravens have to get a high level of production from home and I think they will. As for the type of WR they'll attack in FA I really think it'll be someone like Robert Woods or Britt, nothing major but it would be a huge signing if Perriman takes off. 

I think actually having a true off-season together will be great for Flacco and Perriman. Neither guy has to worry about any rehab or limitations, they already have a foundation in the offense and I think they both realize how much of the offense will be built around that connection. I'm excited to see how they return. 

2 hours ago, ellicottraven said:

I truly believe Flacco is one of those employees that gives a hundred percent between 8-5, but will never think of work after or before. Unfortunately, this job and what it pays needs to become a 24-7, 365 days job for him. He needs to really galvanize the team by staying in touch with his receivers and backs and getting their routes and timing down like all the great QBs now and before him do/did. It was reported in the Sun ( I don't know by who) that he planned to get together with his receivers this off season, but we'll see.

Honestly, I have far too much respect for Mr. B and some of the games hardest working WRs like Mason, Boldin and Sr to believe that's true. His lack of work ethic would have been exposed by now.

Flacco didn't have to rehab at the castle last year, but reports were he was the 1st in last out everyday. I go back to what SSS just said on that talk show how Flacco does such a great job of not only remembering all the different plays and nuances of a different playbook each year but also is capable of putting others in the right spot. That's not just 9-5 work. 

I think the thing about Flacco is the fact that they're always change around him, so when he says it's hard to get guys together for the off-season it's true because he rarely has the same guys. Flacco not getting hurt for 8 season behind some piss poor olines speaks to the work he puts in imo. Can he do more, I think so. You always can do more. However I just think as fans we'd like to hear more about Flacco getting together with his teammates or hosting playbook study sessions and that would make us feel better. But it's hard for me to believe he's not a hard worker at and away from the facility.  

8 hours ago, PurpleCity5 said:

This is certainly true. A lot of guys either love him or hate him. He's my QB so I love the guy and root for him, but I don't think he played too well at all this season and I don't know if he had a lot of chemistry troubles with Wallace and Smith Sr. There were plenty of plays this season where him and Smith Sr. had different intents on some plays but for the most part they both connected well, which is why Joe relied on him a lot. He connected well with Wallace but we all saw the decline of Mike Wallace through the last 9 games. He had great chemistry with Pitta, but that chemistry became a crutch. 

One thing that needs to be brought up this off-season is trust. I think Joe needs to trust Perriman and others a lot more. One thing about Pitta is that he's a bit of a crutch for Joe. He can have a positive impact but Joe more often than not relies too much on Pitta and takes the check down over the 10 yard gain if a guy like Perriman or Aiken is open. There were plenty of times this year where Perriman got separation on the top of his routes or in a crossing pattern and Joe didn't look towards his way. He's going to have to look towards other guys and just hold onto the ball longer, he wasn't too bad against the blitz this season and I know what pressure can do to a guy like him who is coming back from injury, but with that said his play needs to improve. 

Yea that trust factor is key. But it works both ways because it's hard to trust guys like Perriman and Moore when you saw them drop a easy pass earlier in the game. When Perriman dropped that ball vs the Steelers, I was surprised to see Flacco come right back to him. That's one thing I'll say about Joe, I think he trust his guys a lot, but I feel it's trust in the system that needs to improve. I remember going back and forth with a couple posters about the end of the Raiders game. They were saying Flacco was foolish to trust Aiken on the 4th down play and should he targeted SR, but he we covered well. 

I think we're Joe gets in trouble and becomes check down happy is when he doesn't have a good handle on the system or doesn't trust his oline to block well enough for him to allow routes to develop. But as harsh as it sounds, sometimes you gotta stand in there and take that shot. 

I think guys like Perriman, Moore and others have to make it a priority to develop that chemistry with Joe, even if they have to bug him to get together lol. He said he'll get those guys together this off-season so we'll see how it works out.

1 hour ago, frozen joe flacco fan said:

So, I assume you don't consider yourself a casual fan. Did you see a lot of dropped passes this year? Did you see a lot of our receivers lay out for catches? Did you see a lot of separation between our receivers and their defenders who played a lot of bump and run coverage? BTW, what you said was a knock on Joe. You gave his receivers none of the blame for the dropped passes. I'm talking about Aiken, Perriman and Wallace. To his credit, SSSr went on ESPN and said "there were times we let Joe down this year." And he's retired so he can be honest and say whatever he wants. What are they going to do; fire him? Joe doesn't have Julio, Antonio B, Antonio G, Odell, Gronk, Jordy et cetera et cetera. The closest he had to that elite group was a 37 year old great football player who just retired. What's he do for an encore next year? Are we hoping one of our current receivers will magically turn into Megatron? It ain't gonna happen.

Gave his receivers none of the blame for what exact? I never placed blame on Flacco to begin with so why would I need to place blame on the WRs as well. I'm truly lost. WRs not getting separation or dropping balls added to the reasons why Flacco doesn't always complete a high percentage but that doesn't change the fact that he needs to work on his accuracy and being more consistent with it. 

I don't understand why some of you guys have to be all the way left or all the way right when it comes to Flacco. Either he does everything wrong or he can do no wrong. When both the owner and the player himself says he needs to play better, I don't think you have much of a dog in the fight. Flacco needs to be better, does the talent around him need to improve? Yes but it starts and stops with Flacco and he has work to do this offseason,

11 minutes ago, ellicottraven said:

Well if ever somebody went out on a limb with a statement, you just did! I don't know if Flacco will ever be a top 5 QB in the league, but never say never. The thing about it is he doesn't need to be. He just needs to be an efficient QB that limits his mistakes and makes accurate throws when receivers find themselves open. He needs to be protected a little more than say other mobile or 'hard to bring down' QBs need, but if you give him good time in the pocket he can be explosive. He needs to work on his footwork, chemistry with receivers and accuracy in the off season although he's never done it before. He needs to do it now! If Dixon, a new draft pick RB and West are given opportunities to run the ball, they will be successful and relieve a lot of pressure from Joe. Somehow, he needs to become better at deciphering defenses on the fly too.

Hey I never said it was a strong limb

I agree Flacco doesn't have to be top 5 for offense to success, I just know the capabilities of the offense and I feel they really highlight what Flacco does well. I think that is why Harbs wanted to go to the WCO so bad. Like it or not this team will only go as far as Flacco can take them and although running game is much needed, they need Flacco to play like the franchise QB they paid him to be even more. If Flacco goes to work this offseason on the things he needs to improve and the Ravens supply with the proper talent to fit this offense there will be ton of YAC opportunities with will drive the passing yards up. Than improved accuracy and timing will improve the success of the deep ball which means even more big plays. I have to think this is the Ravens mindset behind keeping Marty and continuity. Fix Joe and add a couple more pieces the offense should be good to go. But Flacco has to put the work in, which I think he will.

16 minutes ago, frozen joe flacco fan said:

Didn't Joe come within one completion of breaking the consecutive pass streak in a game this year when he completed 21 or 22 straight passes? If I remember correctly, the pass that would have set a new record was a TD pass dropped by Mike Wallace. If that's not accuracy, what is?

Yes he did, but how many of those passes went in the direction of the RBs and 2-3 yards passes to the TEs. Also let me make this clear, this isn't a knock to Flacco, it's just an honest opinion of where i think he needs to improve. How many times did you see a WR have to go to the ground and catch a pass when it should have been a RAC opportunity? There was a slant to Wallace in the Pats game that should have been a TD, instead it was a batted ball by Butler and not only did they not score a TD, the FG was blocked. If Flacco makes an accurate pass the score is 7-2 Ravens and all the pressure is on the Pats. It's little things like this that don't really show up with casual fans but it's those little things that will make the difference between hosting AFC Championship games and scrapping to get into the playoffs. 

10 minutes ago, JonnyBaltimore said:

Matt Ryan makes pre-snap reads and knows exactly where he is going. When you know where you are going because you've made the necessary adjustments based on the defence you see, you are likely to be more accurate than the QB who doesn't make these adjustments.

If there is one area I would really like to see Flacco improve on, this would be it. I'm not expecting him to be Manning or Brady pre-snap, but he has not shown the progress needed to get to the next level.

I think Steve Smith summed it up best. People don't really know how having so many different OCs each year effects you. It's almost like it's so common to us that we think it shouldn't have a negative impact on Flacco. Do i want to see him improve in this area yes. But you have to have a certain level of mastery of the offense to make those type of pre-snap reads because it's not just all about the QB. Think back to the Pats game when Flacco made the sight adjustment to the blitz but Perriman wasn't on the same page and never turned to look for the ball. The same thing happened with Aiken a couple times. 

People say Flacco can't read defenses, will you need to know exactly where you're guys are gonna be first. I strongly think this is one of the reasons we see Joe raise his level of play towards the end of the season and in the playoffs. Not because it just flips a switch to become January Joe, but because he's finally getting a hold of the offense and gelling with his weapons or lack thereof in most cases. 

16 minutes ago, rossihunter2 said:

I don't care about any of the throwing to receivers on his own time stuff but I have thought for a long time that flaccos footwork is horrendous for someone who has been in the league this long - it always erks me that we never hear about flacco being specifically coached up on his technique - it's always "scheme this" and "deep ball that" - and maybe that's just because it's not publicised but I never hear about any coach (apart from kubiak) actually working with flacco on his technique - this is the annoying thing because we've seen him have good footwork e.g. 2014 and he looked phenomenal

i guess we can only hope he does work on his technique like Ryan did and that it helps as much as it did for Ryan (or you know even nearly as good would be ok)

The offense never really required him to have great footwork or timing with his WRs. It was more about standing tall in the pocket and giving his WRs a shot to make a play. I think the best comparison from a old school guy is Troy Aikman. He was never a guy that really had great footwork in the pocket, but the offense didn't ask him to either. 

I think this whole narrative of "fixing Joe" is really the team saying we have to break the habits that Joe has formed for 9 years and transform him into the QB that strives in a WCO. The interesting thing is this offense actually suits Flacco very well and I wish he would have been in it from day one. Flacco's arm and the concepts of the WCO will allow the Ravens to stretch the field both vertically and horizontally. Just his arm strength alone is enough to get him by, like the Steelers game, really wasn't a great game by Joe but he made enough throws to win. If Joe tightens up his footwork i'm willing to go our on a limb and say he's a top 5 QB next year in yards, completion %, TDs and rating, because it will be next to impossible to stop the passing attack and I'd be dumbfounded if the Ravens don't run the ball next year. 

I never really cared about the QB getting his guys together in the offseason thing either, but again this offense never really asked for the passing game to be precise. However now it does and with the amount of youth the Ravens will have next year at the WR and TE positions, I think it's a great idea to get those guys together. 

33 minutes ago, BmoreBird22 said:

I watch a ton of Falcons games, actually. My brother was a huge Falcons fan and so I watch every game that I can that they play in. Very excited for this Saturday against the Seahawks.

When I said he wasn't a major factor, I meant in terms of games played, but I overestimated how many games he missed. He missed full games, left early in one, and really wasn't fully healthy in one of the ones he returned for. I suppose that's about 11, but even then, I didn't think it was that many. Little bit of overestimation there, but he's definitely a back I really like and would love for the Ravens to have. Excellent change of pace, break away type runner and receiver.

I think as far as last year went for Ryan, they started losing a little after such a hot start and it felt like he just kept trying to force the ball, make plays that just weren't there. I don't think we're seeing a ton of improvements with accuracy or decision making or mechanics or anything because Ryan has always been incredibly sound mechanically and with accuracy. He's also generally been a very smart quarterback with the ball, so I'm not sure we're seeing anything new as far as that goes, but it's just this super aggressive mindset where he's taking shots down the field and just putting the ball in YAC situations for plays to be made. Did you know that the Falcons averaged over 10.0 YPP on first down? That's insane and it goes back to a very aggressive, yet very accurate approach by Ryan.

Not sure we'll see anything close to what's happening in Atlanta because Ryan is just simply more accurate than Flacco, but I would like to see a leap like what happened in Atlanta in year two.

 

That aggressive mindset was by design. 

http://www.espn.com/blog/atlanta-falcons/post/_/id/22186/falcons-matt-ryan-dug-deeper-to-prepare-for-2016-season

In terms of Flacco not being comparable to Ryan in the accuracy category, accuracy is something that can be improve on. It goes back to the offseason work. The Ravens offseason has never really required  Flacco to be accurate which is probably why there has never really been much emphasis on Joe's mechanics. He could get away from throwing off his back foot because of a rocket arm. However now, he has to lock in on his mechanics more because this offense is about timing and precision. I will agree that it's unlikely to see such a jump for Flacco and this offense but I could see a big jump if Flacco improves in the areas needed. 

Where Ryan went into the offseason focused on improving the down field aspect of his game. Flacco has to focus on tightening up his mechanics that will lead to improved accuracy. He already has the arm talent to get the ball anywhere on the field, but those young gunslinger days are over. This offense needs him to be able to hit guys in stride both intermediate and deep or else the WCO won't work.  

1 hour ago, rossihunter2 said:

I dunno, I think the biggest proof that Ryan is playing so well this year no matter his weapons is that he hasn't played this well before even though Julio has been around a long time as was tony gonzalez for a while 

Again I can't stress enough that I'm not taking anything away from Matt Ryan. He's busted his but this past offseason to really master that offense. The only point I was making was to the poster who suggested that Flacco should be playing as well as Ryan because Sr. and Wallace are better than Gabriel and Robinson. It was said that Julio missed half the season which isn't true. Than the comment was made possibly suggesting that Julio Jones really hasn't had a great impact on that offense because his stats aren't  the greatest. So I simply pointed out how his impact is felt greater than just the stat sheets show. That's all. I love what Matt Ryan is doing this year and that offense seems to be a great fit for him after some struggles last year. 

17 minutes ago, BmoreBird22 said:

Well, even Sanu is nothing special and Coleman has been so frequently banged up this year that I wouldn't consider him a major factor.

Not sure how often you got a chance to watch the Falcons but Coleman has been a huge factor for that team. As the backup RB he played 353 snaps and totaled 941 yards and 11TDs in 13 games. He averaged 27 snaps per game, touched the ball 9 times per game and 6.3 yards per touch. I would definitely consider him a major factor. 

By comparison West as the starter played 442 snaps and totaled 1,010 yards and 6TDs in 16 games. He had the same 27 snaps, touched the ball 14 times per game but only averaged 4.4 yards per touch. 

It goes back to Julio drawing coverage to open things up for other players and also Kyle Shanhan being a great OC. For me it's nothing really special about what Matt is doing other than the numbers. What i've been really impressed with was his work that he put in during the offseason between year 1 in that offense and year 2. Remember last year he was getting beat up pretty bad by fans and media alike, much like Flacco is now. In fact here's a article from the beginning of the season, just after preseason. Everyone should get a kick out of this because it's almost identical to what Ravens nation is going through right now. http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2016/9/2/12754686/matt-ryan-s-future-with-the-falcons-3-possible-outcomes

The improvements that Matt made is what has me impressed with him this year, not really the numbers because much of that is aided by having a stud in Julio and a OC smart enough to feed that really good 1-2 punch in Freeman and Coleman. That offseason work is what I want to see from Flacco more than anything. This offense isn't about Joe having a big arm to get chunks. His footwork, reads and overall awareness of where everyone is in the offense must improve and I hope that's his focus this offseason. 

2 hours ago, BmoreBird22 said:

I still think it says a ton when guys like Aldrick Robinson and Taylor Gabriel are out there making these hugely explosive plays. Those are guys we'd never see making these plays with consistency before and here they are just flat out gashing defenses at times.

I want the Ravens to go grab Mike Williams. He's not a Julio Jones type, but he's certainly an AJ Green and that'd be just as good for me.

Oh no doubt, again I take nothing away from Matt Ryan. I'm not one of those guys that can't praise Matt because he and Joe will always be compared. He's played great, but if we're kidding ourselves if we don't acknowledge the fact that Julio Jones plays a large role in the success of that passing offense. 

Let's be honest. Guys like Gabriel and Robinson aren't making huge plays on a consistent basis vs top DBs. Robinson has had the same exact season as he did with the Redskins back in 2013. He's a big play threat that isn't ask to carry a big role in the offense. Gabriel's rookie season with the Browns is almost identical to this year's production. Again, I'll take nothing away from Matt, he's playing his butt off and he worked hard to improve on areas he needed to in the offseason, but let's not act as if Robinson and Gabriel are doing things we've never seen from them or that Matt is putting up these numbers with those two as his #1 and #2 WRs. 

I actually have the Ravens taking Mike at 16 as of right now. I think he and Perriman would be beastly together. I think they compliment each other really well. I don't think people would know how to react if the Ravens made that type of move because it's uncommon. 

25 minutes ago, rossihunter2 said:

its different in the sense that outside of morals, the cowboys werent tied to romo because of his contract - we literally cant get rid of joe until 2019 without losing money on the cap (not just loads of dead money - like actual losses) - so even if we were to have a dak come in we wouldnt be able to shop joe until 2019 and more likely 2020 when the dead money is slightly less

i know he and joe are always compared but I really like matt ryan as a qb and dont get your animosity towards him - he's never called out joe or anything and he's had an historic year where he's actually been joyful to watch - one of the bright spots in a truly mediocre nfl season

i think the best proof of how well matt ryan has played is when tevin coleman and julio jones were both out this season and he still lit it up (now I know it was only a couple of games in julio's case and a few more than that in coleman's but it's still a pretty good indicator) - when a guy makes aldrick robinson look like a viable nfl receiver you know he's lighting it up - he hands down should be the mvp this season and he deserves it - it's always been a misnoma that a qb has to be amazing without weapons - who was the last mvp who didnt have weapons of some sort?

Yea he definitely should win the MVP and if he can shake this playoff funk I really like his chances of winning a Super Bowl this year

3 hours ago, Militant X 1 said:

Bisciotti is the man!  I also appreciated how he called out players as well.  I absolutely enjoyed hearing what he had to say more than from Ozzie and John. 

Yea they could have taken the day off

21 minutes ago, usmccharles said:

We have never had a number one WR imo, we've had WRs that play the #1 role.  Megatron, Dez, Julio, AB, Marshall, DT, OBJ, Evans, are all better than any WR we have ever had, obviously, but honestly doesn't bother me.  I don't think you need elite WRs to win SBs.

Yea, I'm not even saying Joe would be as good as Matt has played this year, but it's unfair to compare what Flacco is doing with the likes of Sr and Wallace to what Matt is doing with Gabriel and Sanu as if Julio isn't a factor. 

3 hours ago, BmoreBird22 said:

I'd venture to say Julio wasn't healthy in all the games he played in and he was invisible in a few of them.

It speaks volumes that Ryan was able to hit 13 (never done before) players for a touchdown.  We're all happy when Joe hits 10 for a completion and Ryan is hitting 13 for a touchdown. That's pretty insane.

Take nothing away from Matt Ryan. He balled out. My point is Julio Jones changes the complexion of games when he's on the field because he has to be accounted for. Stats aren't everything, there were games I watched where defenses had a LB, CB, and safety bracketing Julio much like the Ravens did to AB the first match-up with the Steelers. When you have one players commanding that type of attention it opens things up for other players and makes throws easier for the QB. 

As much as I love Mason, Boldin and Sr. None of those guys commanded that type of attention, they rarely even saw many double teams

1 minute ago, redrum52 said:

Ed hasn't said anything since leaving, but when he called him out after the Texans game he got backlash from fans here.  

 

They always be made until he's either consistently bad or consistently bad.  Until then, most of the criticism/praise is earned because you never know which guy you'll get.  I remember a former player... want to say Daniel Wilcox said Cam was holding him back in the past, so I don't think it's really anything new.  Haven't heard anyone who has left say anything negative except Ray.

I don't have a problem with people with different opinions, but you seem to attack others for differing with yours, which is quite funny.  With the State of the Ravens finally over, might take a break to ignore people like you, so, see you next Tuesday, boss!

Oh ok, yea I don't feed into the reactions around here. I poke fun every now and then but for the most part I stay out of the Flacco talk unless I know i can have a sensible debate or convo with someone. 

I personally didn't have a issue with Ed's comments, If i remember correctly I had a problem with the timing. It's one thing to have that opinion and even bring it up team wide, but if your QB was rattled in that game in your opinion, why would you publicly make those comments, as true as they may be, before the biggest game of the year against a team that's almost unbeatable at home? Now the story becomes about Flacco and Reed and takes focus away from the team getting ready for the AFC Championship game. But other than timing I didn't have an issue with it. 

Even with the Ray Lewis comment I didn't have issue with other than the fact he made it about him and he apologized. If Flacco doesn't have passion for the game that's one thing but to compare him to Ray Lewis because he's not rah rah is kind of foolish imo. 

DMase always seems to have an honest opinion about Joe. He makes no bones about being a Flacco guy, but when Joe's playing bad he points it out. 

I think what Mr. B helped do was take fans inside the thinking of he and the team. I've put my respect for Mr. B as a business man on full display and he only make me respect him more. He sat in front of a group of reporters who seemed more interesting in finding out when someone would lose their job rather than finding out about the team in some cases and was as honest as you'll see from most owners. '

For him to paint that picture of what the team thought they'd get from Wright but didn't was great. I think sometimes as fans we think that every move the team makes should pan out and the reality is that sometimes you just miss. I love how he described the 2013 draft. Yes Ozzie missed on the 1st and 2nd round picks but that same drafted came away with the best NT and FB in the NFL and a top 10 RT who could easily develop into a top 5 guy. That's a pretty special draft for most people, but Ozzie has set such a standard and we the fans make sure to hold him to it. 

He didn't have to open up about the Boldin situation but he did and that little tidbit should help fans understand how sometimes tough decisions have to be made. I bring that up because I think that type of decision will come up this year with both Pitta and Doom, maybe even Webb as well. 

I love the way he spoke about how he loves his partners in Ozzie, Harbs and co and trust those guys. If running a NFL team is anything like running a business, it's rare to have a core group that absolutely loves working with each other but can also hold each other accountable for when things don't get done. The Ravens have a strong FO team and most teams hit a rough patch or two. The key is do you still trust those guys to get things right the ship. Mr. B talking about how the Ravens were basically a 21pt 4th quarter explosion by Pit away from the playoffs and how Harbs has never lost in the first round of the playoffs tells me he still trust Harbs to get the job done without a doubt. 

Lastly, because I can talk about Mr. B all day, but I like how he kept telling reporters how he doesn't really judge the performance of his partners based on wins and losses. It's more about what happened that caused those down years. Even though he wasn't happy about the 2015 season he basically chalked it up to injuries and he was honest to say that he thought the knee still bothered Joe this year. It's so much more I could talk about but I don't want to write a essay