Ravensfan23

1 hour ago, Deflated Football said:

It's sad watching the Steelers' big 3 shred defenses apart when they're healthy and we don't even have a big 1. It stings even more when you realize they are all home grown. We built our defense like the Steelers' over the years. Please start doing the same with the offense. 

Yea it sucks, especially with those guys inside the division. I think the Ravens have made the effort by drafting Perriman, Maxx and Dixon Those guys have to step up in years 3 and 2 respectively. 

3 minutes ago, The Raven said:

I liked our call and I liked that call #UnpopularOpinion

The result of the call doesn't make the call bad.

Yea I liked the decision but would have liked the call to be more like the Packers. Run a hard play action to create movement and possible confusion by the LBs. But I love the aggressive mindset. I'm tried of this team playing to try and hold onto a game in the final moments. Score and put teams away mid way through the 4th quarter if possible. 

So I'm watching the Packers vs Giants game and the Pack are up 31-13 with less than 4 minutes remaining in the game. After 3 consecutive successful running plays that gained a total of 19 yards, the Packers proceed to throw the ball on 2nd and 5 from the 9 yardline and it's viewed as a great play call. Picture that. Almost the same exact situation that has many Ravens fans pissed at Marty and led to the worse call of all times saga, it was viewed as a great play call by McCarthy. So what's the difference? Is it because Flacco threw a Int and Rodgers completed his pass for a 1st down? Is it because they were up by 3 scores instead of 2? Or is it just a case of both offenses looking to deliver the kill shot to their opponent but the Ravens players failed to execute?

I never had a problem with the decision to throw the ball, just would have like a better play selection. But I'd be interested in hearing what some of you thought about McCarthy's decision to throw the ball in that situation

2 minutes ago, rmw10 said:

Yeah it's way too early and we'll see how it plays out in the coming months.

I agree wholeheartedly on Juice.  There just aren't enough teams out there that use a FB enough to justify giving him a contract, and those that do have some younger rookies (Janovich, Ripkowski) in place already.  I think Juice will actually find the most value here because we actually use him in a variety of different ways and he's already seen that role.  Across the league, there aren't many teams that have a FB that use him the way we do.

After that, I see 3 possibilities...

1.  If the speculation on Williams is true, we keep him, Juice, and some of the lower level FAs like Levine, Lewis-Harris, etc.  Wagner, Guy, and Aiken walk.  We rely on Urban, Kaufusi, and Davis to step up in Guy's absence, and look at maybe a vet to plug in on the OL.

2.  We keep Wagner, Juice, Guy, and some of the lower level guys I mentioned above.  Guy shouldn't break the bank or anything, and I think they'd be comfortable giving him a shorter team, but multi year deal to go along with Pierce and Jernigan.  His contract shouldn't hamper anything.  Williams and Aiken walk.

3.  We keep neither Williams nor Wagner, but keep Guy, Juice, and some lower level guys.  I'm fearful for this happening, because I don't know what the team would do with the money in that case.  I feel like they'd try to use it on another guy that doesn't factor into the comp pick equation, but I feel like if both walk, you need to prioritize getting some sort of upper level talent somewhere no matter what type of FA he is.  I'm not sure if the Weddle signing is an aberration or not.

Definitely could see it playing out that way. 

Right now i'm leaning towards #2 right now. I think the strength of the Dline is in the numbers not individual players. BW is a great player but i'm not sure he's that much of a difference maker. You can retain key pieces to the core of your team with the money he'll command. Give me Wagner, Juice and Guy for nearly the same amount of money Williams will command and I'm great with that. 

I think the most interesting name you mentioned was Davis. If I remember correctly you've had a roller coast type opinion of him. You liked him coming out his rookie year but was disappointed with him last year correct? I think he's  guy that has to develop into a player who can add to the defensive rotation. He and Pierce could lessen the blow of losing Williams but it's hard to really say either guy is ready right now. I'll be paying close attention to Carl Davis this season one way or another. 

I honestly can't see a scenario where both those guys walk and if they do, a top flight CB or Pass rusher better be coming in return. Even though they don't have a ton of cap space, I think the Ravens are in a great position right now because there aren't many big contracts coming up other than Timmy.Once those 30 year old big contracts come off the book, it's young guys still on their rookie deals who are playing the best right now. I'd allow BW to walk, sign Wagner, Juice and Guy who shouldn't be expensive at all. Than i'd cut the necessary guys to create cap space like, Pitta, Doom, Zuttah etc and use that money to bring in a CB like Stephon Gilmore to really shore up this secondary. I think Jimmy, Gilmore and Young give you 3 starting CBs and Wright provides good depth along with young guys like Price and Canady developing. 

1 minute ago, rmw10 said:

That's fair. Just don't think that's the typical MO for him, especially with how he stated it in the article. 

With that being said, it still wouldn't shock me at all if we resign Wagner and not Williams. 

yea we clearly read that article differently because I read it as pure speculation on his part. The true is, history has shown that the Ravens will only bring guys  back at the right price. So Williams might indeed be the priority and the Ravens make him an aggressive offer just before FA starts. But if he's leaving he'll be gone within hours of the market opening imo. The Ravens will know ahead of time if they are likely to lose out BW and would turn to Wagner immediately even if he wasn't the priority. 

Really don't see Juice being anybody's priority lol. Even as a pro bowl FB just isn't at the top of many teams wish list. 

If I had to put a percentage on it. I'd say Juice is 99% sure to return. Wagner 75% just because other teams will have big money and someone may be willing to throw huge money at him but I doubt it. I'd put Williams at 45% right now. I just think someone will throw a large amount of money at him and the Ravens will be smart not to compete. Bad contracts has been the biggest factor in this team not having great depth over the last few years and paying huge money for BW would allow that same pattern imo. 

1 hour ago, rmw10 said:

I'd doubt it's just speculation on his part, to be fair.

why not? He speculates all the time. Most recently about Marty being fired. Even went as far to say Flacco's and Pitta's comments should be views as them not wanting to throw him under the bus more so than a vote of confidence for him. 

I'm not trying to imply that he's not credible or discredit any sources he has, but it's just hard for me to believe that the usually tight lipped Ravens would allow any info like that to leak out. 

1 hour ago, terrynjulia03 said:

I was hoping also. I was OK with keeping Marty for continuity reasons, but when you think about it he's still going to be a new OC anyway who will be implementing his system. That's not continuity besides already knowing the guys name. Ah well. 

That's exactly why it's continuity. He already know players and the coaching staff. He won't be implementing a new system, just his philosophy within the system. This will not be a start from scratch situation, more of a build upon what was started last season situation. McCoy would have brought in a entirely new offensive system and it's different from the WCO the Ravens have committed to run. So with McCoy you either bring him in and keep the system, thus forcing a roll peg into a square hole, which is a disadvantage for him from day 1. OR you bring him and basically ask him to teach all your coaches and players his system starting from scratch again.  

6 minutes ago, rmw10 said:

 

Reporting, stating, whatever. Point was more that this is the second instance of someone mentioning that Williams is expected to be the priority. 

Oh I get what your point was, I was just really pointing out that right now nobody knows anything. It's all opinions. If I was close to the team and had a twitter account people would be talking about how I reported Wagner as the priority. It really means nothing right now. The media's opinion holds no more weight than yours or mines. The Ravens haven't even had their meeting of the minds at Mr. Biscotti's house where most of this stuff is discussed for the 1st time among each other. So i personally don't put much stock into reports, stating or whatever from media members this time of year because even with inside sources it's impossible for them to know much of anything.  

1 minute ago, gtalk12 said:

 

Really need to see these 2 guys playing together

I think both will have big seasons next year. I know Boyle's numbers won't be great but the impact he has in the run game will be great and I can see him getting rewarded with a few big play action passes. 

But honestly I think it's Waller and Williams who will work together to help take this offense to the next level. Pitta and Waller were featured a lot in 2TE sets and I think that only increases next year with Maxx and Waller. No changes or upgrades need to be made at the TE position just get these young guys ready to see the field consistently and watch them work. 

11 minutes ago, rmw10 said:

Not the article I was referring to the other day, but it looks like Zrebiec is also reporting that Williams will be the priority.

"Williams will be the Ravens' priority over a group of free agents that also includes starting right tackle Rick Wagner, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, wide receiver Kamar Aiken and defensive end Lawrence Guy. Those four could return if the price is right, but there will probably be more money available to them elsewhere."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-ravens-decisions-0108-20170106-story.html

I wouldn't call that a report more so him giving his best guess of what will take place. No different then him and most everyone believing Marty was gone.

Williams is the only Ravens FA that will command huge money on the open market that the Ravens might not be able to afford, so of course finding a way to retain him will be at the top of their list. However that doesn't mean that retaining Wagner and Juice isn't also at the top of that list, they are probably just more confident that those guys won't be a problem to re-sign. It'll take like 4yrs 8mil with 3mil guaranteed to make Juice the highest FB in the NFL and I don't even think he'll get that. So there isn't much of a point to make him a priority.

With Wagner at RT, Lane Johnson's contract technically drives up the market value for RTs but i'd imagine both sides will realize that Johnson was drafted to be a LT and paid accordingly being a top 4 pick. I'd think Wagner at max is in the range of 5yrs 33.5Mil with 12-14Mill guaranteed and again I don't think he gets that. So that means even if those guys are paid near the top at their positions they could probably be had for a total of about 8Mil a year. Williams on the other hand will probably cost anywhere from 8.5-10Mil a year by himself. So finding ways to not only make him a competitive offer but structure the contract to fit the cap will take more man power than the other guys. 

3 minutes ago, rmcjacket23 said:

There's definitely some talent issues at the WR position. I think the offensive line was average this season in terms of talent but has the ability to upgrade easily.

I think our QB, RBs and TEs are probably good enough to win consistently with. I think we need to upgrade 1-2 spots on the Oline, add some depth there as well, and then get some playmakers at the WR position.

I will say though that offensively we're pretty young, and the offensive doing better is probably going to be a product of some of the guys on the roster simply playing better, especially guys like Perriman, Moore, and the TEs like Waller, Boyle, Maxx, etc. Those guys are just simply going to have to play better, otherwise the offense won't be good again, regardless of who he bring in. 

The defense is aging, and while overall it was a good unit last season, you can make an easy case that the focus of talent upgrades should be on that side of the ball. 

If you gave the offense a quality Center and one decent WR, I think the offense can be fine IF the players already on the roster step up.

I think the defense needs talent infusions at just about every level, namely pass rusher, corner, and safety.

I agree. This is the biggest factor to me and exactly why a big part of me wanted to keep Marty around. He has his issues no doubt, just want to make sure I say that because I don't want this to be about him. But the system isn't broken, the players just have to develop better. 

The talent is clearly here, it's just getting these guys comfortable in the system enough to be the on same page at all times. I can't tell you how many times I saw guys running routes to the same spot on the field or just looking like they didn't know their assignments. That will improve with a full offseason in the offense, so I don't worry about that too much. But those guys must step up and play better going forward. In the last day or so I went back and broke down the Dallas and Pit games offensively. The amount of times that SSS and Pitta couldn't win against LBs were sickening. The amount of times Flacco had to hold the ball because Wallace and Perriman didn't run good enough routes painted a very clear picture of why this offense struggled. In the Dallas game Pitta was covered by a DE lol. I can't put everything on the coaches.

If you give the offense a quality Center and a strong route runner at WR, I think this offense explodes honestly. I really like Perriman, Waller, Maxx, Dixon, Boyle, and 4/5 of the offensive line moving forward. Given his development and opportunities I think Moore can replace Wallace as a 3rd or 4th option. But like you said guys like Perriman, Waller and Maxx developing will be key. 

10 minutes ago, BmoreBird22 said:

Mike McCoy is being mentioned as the top name available right now. Wish the Ravens would have looked his way

Who says they didn't? Also I think if they did, the con probably out weighed the pros once determining if bringing him in for a interview was good or not.

17 hours ago, allblackraven said:

Apart from the interior on the O line, we are actually pretty talented on offense - our problem is coaching, not the players.

Couldn't disagree agree more. Yes the players are talented, but the coaches aren't the guys out on the field. I've gone back and watched several games over the last week to focus on the offense and some of the on field play was down right pathetic. 

4 hours ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

ive always been a huge fan of robert woods and i think hes one of the most criminally underutilized players in the league. 

i think he would be right at home here, he and joe flacco would develop a rapport rather quickly id think. he gets open often and effectively, he catches well, adjusts well, good awareness, i mean he is a prototype NFL WR who just happens to have average deep speed. he is exactly the kinda guy flacco meshes with, plus hes still young and healthy(i think) and wouldnt be too pricey. i think hes a great idea. 

That's exactly why he'd be a great value signing. His numbers would suggest he's a low level guy and very comparable to a guy like Aiken in terms of market value, but when you watch him you see a top 20-30 WR imo and maybe even higher with the right offense. He's exactly the type of WR the Ravens always get, Damse, Boldin, SR, but the difference is he's entering his prime. I have no doubt he'd be able to bring what Wallace did but on a more consistent level if given the same opportunities as Mike. He'd help bring a chain moving stabilizing presence to the offense and it'd actually open up more down field opportunities for Wallace.

My mindset is a bit different from the masses of Ravens fans. I feel if you have a OC that has pass happy tendencies and a QB who loves being aggressive, just supply them with the proper talent to compliment this instead of forcing them into a box they're uncomfortable with. I definitely understand we need to run more. I just think building the passing game is more important in today's NFL.

Guys this threat has turned into more of a how to improve the offense type thread, which it seems i've contributed to a lot so i'm going to just change the Thread Title so everyone can freely post their opinions on how to fix the offense without worrying about going off topic. 

6 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

Oh yeah for certain I wouldn't have a problem with relying on Perriman as a #2 and I do believe that's the scenario that we might have to go with given the factors that he's dealt with and how he's overcame them.

I'm going to agree with you and I'll say it as well. This guy Perriman is going to be a beast. I was totally impressed with his YAC efforts this season, he's so fast, I knew he was fast but I did not know he was that fast. With that size, speed and ability to high point the ball and bring in those spectacular catches the way he does, I feel like he can have the all around tools once he improves and refines his routes.  

Woods should be an addition since he's effective in the slot, I think we can expect great #3 WR production from him if he arrives. 

The thing about Woods in the slot is the Ravens have the ability to move Waller outside and move Juice into the slot to make the defense unbalanced and it often led to WRs being matched up on LBs. For example tonight I'm breaking down the offense vs the Steelers on Xmas night and the first 3rd down of the game SSS is matched up on LB Timmons 1 on 1 and he doesn't win on a jerk route. That just can't happen but what i'm seeing is it happened far too often. I think a guy like Woods would definitely help or even a healthy Camp, just not sure if the Ravens can put any trust in him. Because of the TE usage Woods could be the #2 WR and still work out of the slot more often then not. He wouldn't have to be #3 to do so. 

Right now the WR room is kind of hard to judge because I think everything is based on Perriman's development which is good in some ways and bad in others. Ozzie, Harbs, Engram and Marty are gonna have to really break Perriman's season down and see if they can expect great improvement from him next year when he actually gets to go through a regular offseason. Remember life has hit this guy hard, from the injuries to the death of his best friend to the near death of his dad and we as fans didn't make it any easier with all the bust talk. Things should definitely slow down for him this year. If he improves his route running, I think he can be relied on to be a 65-80 catch guy with 13-15ypc and show real promise towards being a top flight guy.

Crazy thing is, we talk about Perriman being #2 and Harbs making the comment of not really needing a #1 to be a great passing attack, I actually have the Ravens selecting Mike Williams in the draft if they stay put at 16. Talk about a 1-2 punch. They'd still need a possession type veteran imo.   

2 hours ago, PurpleCity5 said:

I really do like Robert Woods as well, if not more because not only will it be cost effective but the fact of the matter is that we definitely need someone with refined routes. Wouldn't be upset if we looked towards Perriman to become a #2 option and yeah, Woods wouldn't be the only move we make, we could add someone like Wright as well. 

I don't have an problem with Perriman being a #2 option because I don't really think it'll be that important to label someone the #1 or #2 WR if this offense is built the right way. Now with that said I think Perriman is a stud. I will not hide the fact that I have HUGE expectations for him next year. This offseason will be huge for him in terms of refining and adding even more strength or better yet learning how to play with that strength. So if he was #2 next year I wouldn't have an issue but I think he's a guy you're gonna target 8-12 times any given game. The question for him is does he develop well enough to make the easy catch to go alone with his spectacular catch so that he's catching 5-6 balls for every 8 targets. 

Woods would definitely be cost efficient, but also he's young enough at 25 for the Ravens to get him entering his prime and allow him to grow with the offense if he pans out. Definitely an intriguing option.

2 hours ago, BmoreBird22 said:

Woods has also been one of the most reliable deep threats in the NFL as far as catching the ball when targeted.

 Yea I don't know if it was a matter of the Bills never really maximizing his full skill set or what, but I thought this guy was definitely gonna be viewed as one of the top WRs when he came out of USC. I still remember that deep ball he burnt Corey Graham on in M&T a couple years ago. He has really great hands and tracking ability with the deep ball. Even when it's not really open he has a savvy way of uncovering, basically pushing off without getting caught. Ravens never have WRs that can do that. 

1 hour ago, BmoreBird22 said:

I talked to Tank about this, but I really felt like Dixon was effective off tackle (the numbers supported that) and that just getting him the ball on the edge more often would be a huge boost. Also, surprisingly, West and Dixon both excelled going right up the middle. It was when they ran between the B gap that they seemed to struggle the most. I think with Dixon, running off tackle is best because he's so violent and hard to bring down. If he can just beat his man on the edge (with Stanley and Wagner, getting outside shouldn't be too difficult), he's going to be a load for a defensive back to take down. With West, the numbers say that when he's able to get going up the middle and wear down a defense, he is really able to get going.

So, to answer the question on numbers, I never think there's a magic number. rmcjacket and I have both posted some numbers about winning percentages by pass attempts. The Ravens are sitting right around a 70% win rate if Joe passes under 35 times. Is that some magical number? Not entirely. I think that more points to the running game really getting going. The run game gets going and you eat more clock, Joe doesn't have to pass as much and doesn't have the chance for more mistakes. Wear down the defense and control the clock. 

I would personally like to always see like 25 rushes in a game from the backs that are evenly spread out (we talked a pretty good bit about this, but I can explain again if needed) because that just means that the Ravens are going to put Joe in harms way even less. I highly doubt there's any quarterback that's terribly efficient when dropping back for 50+ throws. I remember once charting Wilson, Luck, and RGIII in their rookie seasons for their YPA against passing attempts and once they hit 30+ attempts, Wilson and RGIII saw a drastic decline in YPA. That likely means that the defense is giving away the underneath because if you're passing that much, it probably means you're behind. Luck is just a special talent who somehow excelled in nearly every situation.

I honestly think that the running game is solid as is. The Ravens as a team averaged 4.0 YPC, Dixon had 4.3, and West had 4.0. The blocking got drastically better at the end because I think West was under 4.0 before the halfway mark, so something improved. I think it's just a commitment to running the ball more that would do wonders. I don't need to see a run every first down. Shoot, I'll easily take a slant to Wallace or Perriman on first down. But, just try to mix it in and use the backs to their strengths.

But yeah, I'd imagine that fixing the passing game with more creativity and varied routes will be a real big point for the next season. I think with the line that's just getting healthy and getting Wagner back. Nail a good interior lineman in the draft.

I would that if the Ravens are in range for a guy like Mike Williams, he'd be so hard to pass up. I was so disappointed he didn't declare last year because I think he can be better than Watkins and Hopkins, personally. Give Joe a Perriman and a Williams and we're talking some real damage being done. 

I don't think the running game was as bad last year either. I think is its just finding consistency and a commitment as you said. That's why I didn't have much of an issue keeping Marty. He has some things to clean up but overall there's a lot to build on. 

When I say magic number I mean in terms of where the season average will end up, not necessarily a number as far as game plan. There will be games where this offense only things the ball 11-18 times. That's just how it is. Fans will hate it(if we lose) but this is the offense we signed up for.

Those slants to Perriman and Wallace were a big part of the problem in the run game. Because those plays weren't consistently successful it put strain on the run game imo because this oline isn't a line up and punch you in the mouth even when you know the run is coming type of group. For THIS Offense that short passing game has to convert at a high level to be ultra successful. The run game will just be a compliment, the question is how great of a compliment can it be. 

In terms of the team win percentage tied to the number of attempts Flacco gets, even though they are accurate I hate the entire argument. The reason is because the Ravens have never built a strong passing game, so of course when they are asked to pass more the success level drops. I think now the Ravens are building that strong passing game, but also have a running game that can get it done as well. Last year should have been that adjustment Year, but because of injury that season was pretty much a wash. Now this year under Marty was that building year. I think some good foundation was laid, it's about progression now. 

Oh btw, I completely agree that Flacco or any other QB for that matter, should ever consistently throw 40-50 times a game. I think moving forward the focus is improving the intermediate pass game and because of it the rest of the offense will open up. I think Dixon will rush around d 4.6 next year if the intermediate pass game improves.

36 minutes ago, Tank 92 said:

IDK.... The skins have proven options with D Jax, Crowder, Reed, Davis, etc.. On the surface it seems they should let Jackson walk and sign Garcon, but I don't follow them closely enough to give an intelligent opinion on how strong of a play they make for him.  What I do know is that Pierre would be a perfect fit for the Ravens and hope that it somehow works out that they can bring him up the Parkway.

16 minutes ago, rmcjacket23 said:

Also drafted Doctson in the 1st round last year.

They'll be letting at least one of Garcon or DJax walk in FA, and possibly both. Just depends on how they view them.

My guess is they resign Garcon, and let Djax walk.

Forgot about Doctson. Was a huge fan of his coming. I think he'll be really good. Still think Garcon is a big part of their offense moving forward. But let's hope not because he's definitely help the Ravens

2 hours ago, The Raven said:

I get what you're saying, and that makes sense. Kinda makes me wish, too, that Kamar was used more. He wasn't the quickest off the line, but he generally had a good release and good route running, as well as the ability to fight for the ball. I like the Kenny Britt idea.

What I really liked about Kamar -- that is also crucial in a WCO -- is his ability to get YAC. If you ask me, that's where we struggled a lot. Horizontal offenses can be explosive but only when you're getting YACs. 

agreed. YAC is really important. The WRs didn't run routes well enough and Flacco wasn't accurate enough for YAC to be as successful as it should have been. I think that's the biggest part of the offense that needs to be fixed. This offense has to thrive off of YAC. So the Ravens need to identify players that run good route or keep Aiken and him, Perriman, Moore and any other young WR working with Flacco as much as possible this year. In past years his accuracy being spotty wasn't a huge issue, but this offense is about precision so i'm glad he said he'll work with the young WRs during the offseason. 

27 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

I think FA goes towards a WR as well. We are already developing young pass catchers so its best to bring in a vet to the mix. I like Britt as well, but most of all I think we need someone to preform in the slot so in that sense I do like Kendall Wright. 

I'm becoming more and more intrigued by Robert Woods. He's a savvy route runner, physical in the run game and is a overall tough guy. 

This breakdown is one reason why i'd be excited to have him. But I think another move alongside him would have to be made as well. 

2 hours ago, Tank 92 said:

I think the Ravens certainly could afford Garcon, especially if they dropped Wallace.  I for one think it would be a great move and it has zero to do with Pierre being a "big name". He is exactly the kind of guy they need and would be a much more valuable piece than Wallace.  He's a tough,sure handed receiver that will fight for the catch and also a positive locker room presence. But as mentioned it may be a moot point as there is the likely chance the Skins(along with others)make a strong play for him. 

I don't think it's a matter of do they have the money and more so what's the value? I'd love the move as well but at what cost, cause the Skins would be crazy to let him walk. Cousins will regress without him imo. But on the other hand, with Cousins in line for a huge payday, maybe they can't afford to throw too much money at Cousins. I wouldn't have a problem with letting Wallace go either.

1 hour ago, Rav'n Maniac said:

Sure, there's no one one saying he couldn't renegotiate or that he wouldn't be willing to. At this point in his contract, what can really be renegotiated. We can't slash his signing bonus as that money has already been paid and is now "locked in" as a fixed cost over the length of his contract. That leaves his base salary as the only thing that could be adjusted. His base in 2017 is 6m and even if he gave it all back, how many good signings could we use it for? Maybe one!

I'm not trying to be condescending to you or anyone else here. Just trying to paint a true and factual picture.

Sadly some would rather stay ignorant to the facts and just lash about about foolishness. Fans need to make up their mind. You either want to build a roster around Flacco to help ensure 5-10 years of success like the Pats, Packers, Steelers and even the Giants to an extent have done, or you want them to continue to rent a team for 2-3 years and blow it up once cap numbers get too big? You can't have both. 

It seems people forgot that Flacco actually went back to the table with the Ravens to renegotiate when he didn't have to. He held all the leverage earlier this year and didn't have to agree to anything, but because he didn't want to team to be hamstrung by his contract to agreed. It was the Ravens, not Joe Flacco, but the Ravens who decided to structure the deal where they only saved 6Mil in cap space for 2016. They could have easily created more money up front with this deal, but the reason they didn't is because they didn't want to make the mistake of backloading so much of Flacco's deal and having that huge cap number years down the road. That is what has lead to guys like Ngata, Boldin, Suggs and others being asked to restructure or be cut.

If people wanted to see Flacco's deal create more money to sign KO it just wasn't gonna happen. First of all it wouldn't have been the smart thing to do. Secondly that doesn't fit the plan the Ravens are putting in place. It seems like people often forget the long term ramifications of big deals. The Joe Flacco contract is actually a team friendly contract and other teams should and will follow suit in building their QB contracts this way. Flacco's deal allows the Ravens to keep the guys you are building this team with around longer. So instead of having 4 huge contracts on defense and the rest of the team is patched together, the Ravens will be allowed to make more competitive offers to guys who they've developed. The Ravens are building and Flacco's contract actually helps in this process.  

14 hours ago, RavensFanMania said:

I'd love to have Garçon here, but feel the Skins want to resign him and let Djax walk.

Don't think the Ravens will be able to afford him any way. The Skins and others are gonna throw big money at him. Also the Skins had a pretty good years offensively so money would be the only real reason to leave. 

It might not be the popular move because most like to see the big name WRs, but I think guys like Britt, Wright, Robert Woods or a 2nd-4th round rookie will be the target. I think the Ravens really like Perriman(obviously) Moore and Camp moving forward.The issue with them is healthy and development, so if the Ravens can get a strong route runner or good enough possession WR to keep the offense on track, the offense will look much better moving forward. 

5 hours ago, The Raven said:

Trying to learn here. Why aren't they good fits, and what should we look for?

Just my personal opinion of course but they don't get open quickly enough to present options for Flacco because their poor route running or in Pitta's case the lack of short area quickness. I'm going back and watching a lot of the offensive performances over the last nine games and the amount of times you see Wallace and Pitta get locked down because they ran weak routes or didn't make an attempt to uncover is ridiculous.

Pitta had a bad habit of cutting routes just short of the LBs allowing them to sit back and drive on the ball instead of him pushing his route into the defenders, making them commit than snapping off his route. The two biggest areas this showed up was 3rd downs and redone. This offense needs a stretch TE and that's why they attacked Watson so hard in FA. 

Wallace doesn't fit as a top target imo. You can't rely on him to consistently keep the offense moving but the Ravens were forced to do that because of SSS injuries and Perriman not really developing like they wanted. 

I think what is needed is a savvy route runner like a Pierre Garcon or a big bodied WR who can out muscle defenders for position but also still make plays down field when called. This will be Perriman in the near future, but I think Kenny Britt is a nice option to take some of the pressure off of him. 

Not sure if the Ravens currently have that savvy stretch TE needed, but Waller and Williams will be given the shot to prove they are the guys.