berad

I guess, but unless Hurst came out and started literally folding Bengals in half, he seemed destined for the low tender (if anything). He seems like a prime target for the 'upgrade the OL' mandate.

You're probably right but for all the 'upgrade the OL' sentiment the FO was giving out, there's only so many spots they can actually look at. Zuttah seems like the obvious choice - notwithstanding Wagner leaving. Now, they did get a new OL and assistant OL coach. Perhaps that was more of their meaning.

Stanley's going to be tired with that lineup lol I'm surprised the Ravens didn't try Lewis at RT when Wagner got hurt. Maybe he was still recovering or maybe it would be unfair to expect that but it seemed like a good chance to see if he could do it.

It'd be tempting for him, sure. But he's hung on this long, I'm sure he and Ozzie have an understanding.

Forgot to post this but the compounding problem is that the Steelers would never even consider picking up Ozzie's call LOL

You'd be a fool not to want him, diva-qualities and stupidity aside. He's one of the top 3 receivers in the league and has not been in any legal / suspension trouble from anything I've heard. His personality flaws are probably overblown although they are a concern. They stem from selfishness and narcissism. But this is not TO-level locker room cancer. Downside is that the asking price probably begins with a 1st-rounder and he's seeking a new, lucrative contract.

He's got monster kick return numbers. He seems like more of a UDFA prospect, right? The 'draft sites' don't have much on him.

Tomlin says it isn't the first time Ben has mentioned retirement. Pittsburgh beat reporters think it is a public expression of discontent about something or other - they're not sure. One thing is for certain, Ben loves being the center of attention and will create drama to do it.

He's just dramatizing, like he usually does. Just like he hurt his shoulder foot ankle a couple weeks ago. He'll be out there and, if he's not: welcome to the division, Landry Jones!

Can Pumphrey return kicks and punts? Makes him more valuable and it's been a weakness for the Ravens ever since Jacoby started declining.

Zrebiecs tweets done led me wrong!

Got dinged in the shoulder/neck area during the Eagles and Steelers game, further testing and an MRI discovered it.

More of a career-ending injury than walking away in case of injury like Borland. Top of his spinal column was not fully formed - a genetic defect. Something that wasn't found out until he got an injury in that area during both the Eagles and Steelers games. He said he would be unable to pass a physical with this condition. Also said the Ravens didn't try to talk him out of retirement, as Rappaport reported. Not sure what it would have helped them, he couldn't pass a physical as he said.

Really tough. You can tell Zach loves football, his whole family is into it. This must have been a really difficult decision and comes at a bad time, when he was on the doorstep of breaking out in the league and cashing in. Best wishes to him, football can break your heart sometimes.

Not to unearth this from a couple days ago, but I do agree he is the type of player we'd covet on-field

Also true and I was not sure Smith would work out here for those reasons. You'll find my posts hand-wringing somewhere. Glad I was wrong and OH was I wrong. Marshall doesn't ring the same to me but, again, what do I know?

Question: How do you all feel about Dion Dawkins (OT, Temple) and Taylor Morton (OT, Western Michigan)? I keep running Fanspeaks On the Clock Mock Drafts and they are generally around in the 3rd-round. Are these guys any good?

I have it as a top priority, too, just because having a really good one lifts the whole line. A lot of impact and responsibility at that position. A bad one sinks the line, too.

I agree with this. They had the option to put him out at RT in Week 17 after Wagner was out but put Hurst there instead. Lewis was a backup for the game. It's been the Ravens MO to draft swing tackle/guard players for depth and development but they need to solidify the RT spot if Wagner is gone. I'll be relying on this thread to see who the good center prospects are. We need someone new for sure.

I hear that, and who knows? We will miss Steve Smith, though. He was all those things AND a good locker room guy.

I'm not sure about Marshall. Is he the guy that's going to put it all out there for your new team? That's been the personality of the WRs the Ravens are most successful in getting from FA/trade - Mason, Boldin, SSS. I know he's matured over the years but the Jets had a toxic locker room this year and he aired some laundry on Inside the NFL. It seems a lot of the locker rooms he's in unravel - http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18367351/new-york-jets-teammates-irked-wr-brandon-marshall-half-rant. That said, I know he's got connections here and he has a brief, funny history with Harbaugh - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000469150/article/brandon-marshall-jokes-about-playing-for-ravens.

Hope they do it, I would laugh and laugh.

I want Garcon, personally. He will be expensive, though... If we can't get him, or any other top WR, our draft needs become too severe and we lose flexibility, imo.

He has some of the same issues as Zuttah, according to an article I read from a Philly site - smaller (struggles with bigger DL) and racked up a lot of penalties. How much is the system, how much is him, how much is coaching? Jason Peters also has a ton of flags. Kelce probably also will need to be paid a decent amount. Still, we DO need an upgrade over Zuttah, everyone in the organization has alluded to that. Question is, will we sign one or draft one?

Moving up and giving up high dollar picks compounds the error when you select a bust. The best picks, in terms of building a team and winning games, are weighted with value.