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1 hour ago, bdog920 said:

This is a great article. Although Flacco did not have the best of seasons, he played well enough in that Giant's game behind a make shift line to win. In the Pittsburgh game, he played lights out and if it wasn't for a Pitta drop, a Waller drop, we would have won. Pitta also failed to sit in a zone Flacco realized the Steelers were in pre snap late in the game on third down (resulted in a field goal).  The key denominator in both of these games for the defense was Jimmy Smith was out (in first half against OBJ, out for the second half). We need him to be healthy as he is a crucial piece to our defense. Let's help the defensive secondary with our first pick with the best way to defend the pass....a pass rusher!

Thje Giants game - plus the Raiders game, the Eagles game and the Pittsburgh game. All three games the O put the D into the position where all they had to do was stopping the opponent's O "one more time" to march down the field and score. And all three times they failed.

(The Eagles game is somewhat different of course, where it was Flacco's flagrant mistake that put the Eagles in a position to start that march down the field the first place - but then the D was unable to stop it... And, if they don't elect to go for 2 instead of a simple PAT, a well-won game would have, in all probability, gone to overtime...)

Oh, and while we're at the topic of April's Fool day... The guys over there at Russel Street Report had a field day:

http://russellstreetreport.com/2017/04/01/lombardis-way/ravens-rumors/

... and now we'll have to wait a whole day to know for sure whether it's actual news or just 1 April...

(The "regulation-size onboard football field" thing seems to bhe a dead giveaway though...)

Winning another Super Bowl??? How about making the playoffs again first? Last season, with no notable holes in any position, and as few impact injuries as seldom in the history of the NFL, the Bengals flopping and the Browns - well, being the Browns... and with a not really a killer schedule we still managed to miss the playoffs...

Hmmm... looking at the adopted rule changes...

"Make actions to conserve time illegal after the two-minute warning warning of either half"

Does that include spiking the ball? The only goal of spiking the ball is literally to conserve time...

Or stepping out of bounds?

OK, this latter was a joke. But the first one is interesting.

"The Ravens are only looking for one receiver." Huh? Do they just mean one "veteran" receiver?

That's what I would think. As I remember, what Harbaugh said sounded to mean "it's only one receiver we really need from the veteran market".

It may sound like it's criticism, so I hasten to make it clear: it isn't: it's hard to take anything Harbaugh says seriously - because, as a good businessman, he always talks up every player. He always says that this or that player is great and will be huge ion the NFL. He told that he was absolutely sure the following players would go on having a great NFLcareer - right afdter they were cut or traded by him: Sergio Kindle, David Reed, Tandon Doss, Nick Easton, Tom Zbikowski. We all know how well those prophecies panned out...

Really, don't get me wrong: it's absolutely OK that Harbaugh tries to make every player leaving Baltimore a potential superstar. This is nice, and is a win-win thing. But obviously, it's just talking up players that aren't good enough. That's why we shouldn't put too much trust in what he says player-wise... We never know if it's really his hones opinion/plan - or just being nice to the player.

If Pierce wore #99 we wouldn't miss a beat. Basically the same player. If somebody is stupid enough to give you a #3 pick in this years deep draft pool I'd take it.

I say let's wait one more season before pencilling in Pierce as the next big thing. I'm not hating on him of course - it's just that oftentimes the sophomore season radically differs from the rookie season... Se Za'Darius Smith, for example. Season #3 is the read indicator. Mosley had a Pro Bopwl rookie season - followed up by a much less convingcing sophomore season. Luckily, he followed it up with a very good 3rd season.
We'll see how Pierce does. Or Za'Darius, for that matter...

IMHO, if nothing else, the sheer fact that dome teams will get an unfair advantage with the extra point for kickoffs through the uprigths, renders this proposal hopeless. Dome teams play at least 8 games with no wind hindering their kicker's accuracy, while non-dome teams play a handful at most.

Even if hiring Kubiak was Harbaugh's own shot - let's give it to him -, it was rather the anomaly than the tendency or rule. All other HC's of his choice were attrotious - or, bland at most. Cam Cameron, Jim Caldwell, Trestman and Mornhinweg in one side of the scales, and Kubiak on the other...

Which plate do you think Harbaugy should be judged regarding his choice for offensive mastermind?

As for Aiken and Juszczyk: time will tell if they were right or wrong. What I cannot help noticing however, is that while I cannot really remember defensive players leaving Baltimore then thropwing back darts, there were 3 offensive guys (these two plus KO last season) who don't really speak really fondly of the Baltimore offense... That less and less seems a coincidence...

I've long said, and I still think Harbaugh simply doesn't understand the NFL offense, and that's why he keeps appointing the wrong guys to command our O (with the sole exception of Kubiak), but knows too little to overrule their mistakes in offensive strategy, game planning and play calling. I fiormly believe that as long as Harbaugh is our HC, the only way we can have a good offense is by chance - because nobody who is responsible for it is good enough. I believe all the offensive success we've had since 2008 was not because of our coaching stuff, but in spite of it - out of the virtue of the players.

And that's why I think that no matter who we draft and acquire in free agency, we don't really have any real reason to hope for better a season that what we had - because the by far biggest cause of our offensive impotence: the incapable HC - has not been removed from the system. And until that happens, you can count on players leaving Baltimore to throw back shade like this...

On selecting an OT over a WR with the first pick: what use do you have of a good WR if the QB has no time throwing to him because the right tackle a swinging door?

Dunno if anyone else has realized - but with Aiken saying interesting things about the Ravens offensive situation - but I cannot help noticing that in 2 years this was the second time a free agent says negative things about the Ravens offensive management. Last year KO said that he never felt that the O-line is appreciated - and now Aiken... You never hear anything bad like that about the D...

Yep, it may be nothing more than a bitter player... but still.

  3 hours ago, Bat-mite said:

I don't understand Pitta's restructure. Guy comes off a major injury where he sat out most of two seasons and collected injured pay, then comes back and has the best year of his career and leads all TEs in receptions, and gets asked to take less money?

I am happy about it in that it frees up cap room so we can get some talent at WR and OL, but I really don't get it.

Maybe he realizes that because of his injury history it won't be easy to find a new team despite being the leading TE and that he kinda owes the Ravens for keeping him on the team all that time (getting paid without contributing).

This is probably it: Pitta simply has no leverage. His camp probably knows that it would be very hard to find any kind of market for him with his hip history - his 2016 season notwithstanding.

I think Carr wouldn't look to bad at number 38. Who has number 38? But number 24 is a good number. 👍

Last season #38 was assigned to Jumal Rolle.

How interesting this is: Jimmy Smith originally wanted jeres #21 and even mentioned plans of buying it off Webb... then he was assigned #22. Now, #21 is available, but seems like Jimmay has settled with #22 for good - so now Jefferson has to give up his #22 :D

Funny.

That top-5 list of teams with most guaranteed money for the D clearly show that it doesn't mean a thing in itself. #1 is the lowly Jags, #2 is the Patriots...

Giving a lot of guaranteed money is a good move if you give it to players who will contribute and you can keep on your roster for their entire contracts, and bad if you give it to players you won't be happy with and/or cut before their contracts expire...

You can do it wisely and foolishly. Any money givven to the likes of Kendricks and Michael Huff was bad decision, any cent given to the likes of Weddle was good investment. We'll see which was Jefferson and Carr will go.

1 hour ago, HomeoftheBRAVENS said:

I was half way ok when it was Claiborne but this is just annoying.Brandon Carr is not a good player.

I've already put it here yesterday, but hey: last season Carr covered Odell beckham, AJ Green, Mike Evans and Golden Tate for most of a total of 5 games, and he allowed a total of 1 TD on these games - and even that wasn't really on him, but blown coverage of the safety. He covered OBJ in 6 games and never allowed a 100-yard game for him.

Sounds like good enough for me.

Also, you don't play 144 games in the NFL if you're "not a good player"...

32 minutes ago, hen826957 said:

38 minutes ago, 20306cab said:

The Ravens had either 7-0, or 10-0 leads in the 1st quarter six times last year. Then never scored more than 23 points in any of those games. COMPLETE tank by the AWFUL QB and the AWFUL HC and OC the Ravens pay to LOSE. The Steelers scored 14 points in that game, in the fourth quarter, with their offense on the field for nearly 12 minutes. Same as the Ravens O scored the entire game. It's money wasted, no matter who they sign, as long as Pathetic Joe and Self Righteous John are still on this team. Educate yourself.

Can't blame Joe for that Steelers game though he played well. The defense lost the game for us because of the secondary and that's why we upgrading it in free agency. 

Fans like to forget that - although it really was a solid unit most of the time - our formidable D lost us at least 3 games last season... games we had the lead at the end of the game, and all the D was supposed to do was stopping them one more time... and they let them march down the field and score. The Pittsburgh game was one of them. And it would have been 4 if the Eagles convert that 2-point attempt...

"Pro Football Focus ranked Carr as the No. 52 cornerback last season."

#52 is always a good omen in Baltimore ;)

I hope this doesn't mean Ravens are not drafting a CB in the first round.

Since Ozzie will probably pick the BPA, this signing shouldn't affect the pick.

I think I prefer him over Claiborne. I think he may be better even when Claiborne is healthy.

If Claiborbnne is healthy AND brings his better game, he's better than Carr.

But those are two big ifs...

Trade No. 16 to Houston (they need a QB) we get no. 25 and No 89 in the 3rd,
That will give us 79,89, and 99 in the 3rd rnd, we draft Hasaan Reddick at number 25... we use one of the third rounders to draft Sid Jones and let him recover for this year....

That would be offering a pick of a value of 1,000 (according to the standard TVC) for two picks of a combined total value of 865. The deal would be close to even if it also included the Texan's 3rd or fourth round pick in 2018.

The picture is clear: Claiborne: better talent, higher star-factor, more potential for highlight reel plays - Carr: much higher consistency, and extreme durability. Claiborne will likely show you eye-popping stuff... when he's on the field, which is not really often. Carr won't make too many of those - but he won't be burned either.

If you take a look around 'Boys fans opinion on Carr, well, it's not the best things they say about him - but there's one fact for you: last season he played a total of 5 games covering Odell Beckham, AJ Green, Mike Evans and Golden Tate, and a gave up a total number of... (drumroll) 1 TD in these games - and even that wasn't really his fault. His last 5 games v the Giants he routinely covered Beckham - and OBJ never had a +100-yard game in this stretch.

Well, guys... if he puts up anything like this in purple & black, that's definitely OK with me.

Oh, and one more thing: many people think that the fact that he contemplated retirement means his heart is not there anymore. Well, I've got six words about what you can expect of guys who publically contemplated retirement then stayed or un-retired:
- Anquan
- Boldin
- Steve
- Smith
- James
- Harrison...

I wonder with this signing do we still go CB first round, or do we go for a ILB/pass rusher

Since Ozzie takes the BPA, if it is a CB when we're on the board, I guess Ozzie will take the guy, regardless of this signing.