bioLarzen

  2 hours ago, bioLarzen said:

  2 hours ago, cobrajet said:

True, but hopefully we address Center in this draft and not with an undersized one like Gradkowski.

Pocic will probably be available in the second round, Elflein may even last for round#3... Both could work out.
That said, we still have obvious roster holes at CB, RT and rusher. That would make it seem probable that these are the positions Ozzie will address with the first 3 picks. So, I would think Elflein is a lieklier possibility than Pocic.

And of course, all this comes from a simple fan with little info - one who said yesterday that it's self-deception to think we have a chance to land Jefferson

Don't feel bad I did not think we could land Jefferson and I thought for sure Williams would be the first gone and there are rumors that we may be able to keep him. I never had a thought of that happening.

Haha, I'm ready to own up my words, even if if they make me seem like a clueless idiot in restrospect :)

57 minutes ago, omar586 said:

jefferys signing is actually suprising, i guess u can call it a splash for the ravens. didn't excpect the ravens to do much in early phase of FA.

You mean Jefferson.

35 minutes ago, cobrajet said:

True, but hopefully we address Center in this draft and not with an undersized one like Gradkowski.

Pocic will probably be available in the second round, Elflein may even last for round#3... Both could work out.
That said, we still have obvious roster holes at CB, RT and rusher. That would make it seem probable that these are the positions Ozzie will address with the first 3 picks. So, I would think Elflein is a lieklier possibility than Pocic.

And of course, all this comes from a simple fan with little info - one who said yesterday that it's self-deception to think we have a chance to land Jefferson

The only sad thing is that all these signings probably mean that we won't get Mangold, but stick with Zuttah at C...

Hey, he's still better than Gradkowski was...

Torrey replacing Wallace would have been a nice one - if it meant a couple of millions in cap savings. But if I had to choose between the two on a similar cap figure, I'd have no hesiation choosing Wallace over Torrey.

26 minutes ago, Corvus said:

I want to see the #s for Jefferson's deal before I get all excited.

I want to see the deal signed before I get too excited...

Great news.

Well. This sighning would be a jaw dropper - and would leave me a complete idiot for saying there's no way he would choose us over so much more money the Browns can afford to throw at him... And I would be happy to be so wrong and ridiculous :)

But hey, let's wait half a day, this is the prime season for false info in the NFL...

I wish we kept Juice instead. He's younger and better than Woodhead at this point but it's an ok addition. I want them to get Mangold, Alston Jeffery/Pryor (unlikely), and Brandon Williams (unlikely).

Everyone wishes we kept Juszczyk. But we couldn't.

Wow. and I mean that in the worst way. We have Dixon. And they felt the need to spend 1.8 mil on West. Why would we sign a 32 year old dump off artist coming off an ACL? Seriously, what is that?

A signing that may very well turn out to be a good one.
Just because we already have running backs on the roster doesn't mean signing another one is a bad thing. West is an OK back with serious limitations - and therefiore will probably never be more than a serviceable player, while Dixon, while flashing all the potential and promnise to be a really good back, is hardly through his rookie campaign. Adding veteran presence to the RB corps may prove to be essential. Yep, it may also end up as a bust - but we can't always have Steve Smith and Weddle type surefire acquisitions, can we? :)

1 hour ago, rossihunter2 said:

rapoport suggested on nfl network that he wouldnt be surprised if doom comes back to the ravens

These are the days when none of what these guys say should be taken seriously... they share/repost/post EVERYTHING they hear, regardless of how trustworthy the source is... For example, just the last 24 hours, Juszczyk was reported to "likely sign with the browns", "almost surely" go to Buffalo - then turns out he'll sign with the 49ers...

Also, a "rumour" that the Ravens have any kind of realistic chance to land Jefferson somehow got loose - and just look at the angry Ravens-fans who took it seriously come here ranting when he signs with the Browns who won't even have to break a sweat outbidding us big time...

It was good to have him aboard - and no regrets about signing him.

And let's make it clear: he won't be back in Baltimore - unless he's damaged goods - and then we don't need him. If he's healthy,he'll land a much better deal  than we could afford. "Open to him returning" is the same sentiment as "we may retain Brandon Williams, Wagner or Juszczyk" was. Everyone with the slightest grasp on the cap system knew all along it wouldn't happen.
Nor will Dumervil's return.

So long Elvis, and thanks for all the fish. You'll be kindly remembered, cause you played for us the way we hoped you would.

Is it "fire everybody - but mainly Ozzie" time yet?

2 minutes ago, hen826957 said:

I don't get that when player leaves for big contract, there not gonna get the full amount. Then be cut in 2-3 years. Torrey was an example of that. Left the Ravens for 5M more then got cut 2 years later while he could just stay with the Ravens in the first place.

Well, I guess that was the risk he chose to take... Seems like he shouldn't have - but you know what they say about hindsight...

15 minutes ago, Ravenous_Ravens said:

Not too surprised Wagner found a big pay day. Elvis has left the building. He'll probably go to a team with tons of cap space or have to take a pay cut.

On a positive note: start piling up comp picks..

Dumervil was cut, not lost in free agency, so he won't yield a comp pick.
Wagner surely will. As will Brandon Williams and Juszczyk. Maybe even Aiken, although that's less likely - and anyway, we can't get more thasn 3 comp picks, and our three top FA's will almost surely earn those 3 comp picks to Ozzie... But if Ozzie brings in a comp-pick worthy FA, Aiken's potential comp pick may become important...

im glad we didn't pay him

There was no chance at all. He was WAY out of out price range.

I remember, when Oher was practically cut - he wasn't offered a new contract when he bacame a FA - and Harbaugh announced that he'll be replaced by Wagner - an unproven youngster at the time - the prevailing feeling was that it's not gonna end well, and a proven vet should have been brought in...
Wagner proved Harbaugh right and us, worriers wrong. Therefore, if now Harbaugh says he'll opt to replace Wagner with Nembot or Wesley - two young, unproven guys - I'll give him the beneit of the doubt. They may end up being just as good as Wagner.

This price was out of our range for Brandon Marshall.

I don't quite understand how the salary cap works. All I know is we don't have much to work with. And I saw I think on espn.com the other day, the patriots are in the best shape, with about 60 million to spend ! Just doesn't seem fair. Their front office must do a better job of making the hard decisions on cutting guys when they get too old or expensive. And they of course have a top quarterback to pay. Frustrating to know that we might be lucky to get to 8-8. Unless we cast off some expensive often injured veterans and get some youth in here, which means 6-10.

Yep, the Patriots do a great job - but there is one grave pitfall: what is usually done by a complet front office at every other franchise, is largely done by one man in New Ebgland: Bill Belichick. He sets the FA and off season strategy, he has the final word about the draft, he's responsible fo the personnel-related deciosions... Which has been working fine since he's really that great. But, once he decides to retire... which may even be the same season Brady decides to hang'em up... Mr. Kraft will have to build up a front office from scratch...

A great and important article.

To be honest, I've never understood this whole "hometown discount" idea. For what does it even mean? "You've done a great job for us, we'r really delighted with your performance - so, we're honouring and acknowledging it by offering you less than your market value and hope you'll take it."

And people get mad when the player says no thank you...

4 hours ago, bioLarzen said:

This is the time of the year when whenever a player becomes available, he's automatically linked to all other 31 teams - regardless whether the team has any need in that péosition, how the player would fit the scheme, salary cap and personnel etc... At time it indeed seems like free agents and organizations are linked randomly - first as an "innocent" question like "Would (FA player) fit the (organization)?" Next thing you know is that it's reported as "(Player) may end up with (organization)" - next day Ian Rappaport reports that "(Organizatrion) is considering bringing (player) in." That afternoon the refute "(Organization) is not interested in (player)." There - 4 "news" items out of nothing...
I don't want to bring politics in here, but if anyone is looking for "fake news" the pre-free agency period in the NFL is a prime hunting ground. I would go out on a limb saying at least 90 percent of these "news" have been deliberately fabricated.

Fresh proof: usually a rather good website, Baltimore Beatdown has just posted an article with the headline: "Report: The Ravens are showing interest in Terrelle Pryor" - turns out it's based on a source the author of the article calls "a relatively unknown reporter on the national level" - yet he puts trust in said source, because, "if she's willing to put this out there, there’s likely some truth to it considering she does work in Cleveland". Yep, because we've never seen someone putting something compeltely false "out there", and we all know a source is automatically trustworthy if it's local...

See, that's how it goes - that's how "news" is creatred out of something coming from an obscure source.

14 hours ago, Chuckx999 said:

You can't scheme around a bad QB!!! You got that right!!! "old 3 and out Flacco" is just BAD. Yes we do need 2 CB's and 2 LB's real bad. Ozzie just has to trade picks, give away the 5-7 rounders to move up and get these 4 defensive players. Then add 2 offensive linemen and a center.
Lets rebuild the defense because no one in the Ravens Org. wants to admit "old 3 and out Flacco" is finished. So the offense will just die a little more each game, let it die, rebuild slowly. But by rebuilding the defense we can get better faster when we do get a NEW QB. Remenber "Trent Dilfer" just did enough to help our Defense win a Super Bowl.

Oh, you definitely CAN scheme around a bad QB... Whenever you think you can't, just remember that the Bears went to the Super Bowl with Rex Grossmann... not to mention Trent Dilfer you, yourself gave as an example... Yep, it's much more pleasant and easier to plan around a good QB - but a good OC is not powerless if his QB is not a Peyton Manning... The problem is that there are few really good OC's. Kubiak got the Broncos with a 20%-of-his-former-self Peyton Manning and a Brock Osweiler under center...

16 hours ago, billiejean said:

Even when healthy Mangold has not played well the last two years.. "C Nick Mangold is a shell of himself, and missed games this season for the first time in his career. After grading as one of the best, if not the best, centers in the NFL from 2006–2012, his play has taken a steep decline since 2014." My concern is that we will pay for the 2006 - 2012 Mangold and we will get the 2014 - 2016 Mangold

Well, franchise icons are released for a reason  - and anyway, if Mangold was in his better form, he'd surely be picked up in a whiff, with cap figures Baltimore couldn't even dream about allocating for him. What I do think is that he would still be an upgrade. But that's, of course, only what I, a mere fan, thinks. I may be totally wrong.

16 hours ago, Dedicated Raven said:

Definitely would like Nick Mangold would be un upgrade to Zuttah. Marshall could be a Boldin type but I'd rather have Garcon. Just don't know if his price tag will match the ravens cap durability this year.

I'm quite sure Garcon will receive offers way out of the range we can afford. Garcon is IMHO a pipe dream.