law215

I heard on the radio that other GMs felt KC is too stiff to play inside and too small to win against OT. That's is probably he saw limited time on the field. FO is quick to switch out coordinator but slow to change their scouting department or draft philosophy.

There is a list of 'pass rushers' the Ravens drafted that did not work out or failed to retain.

Dan Cody, Kindle (even after injury), Kruger, Upshaw, Simon, McPhee. If pass rusher are important then why risk moving back in the draft when one is on the board?, How about retaining one?

The best players Ravens add lately are those someone else drafted. That is not a formula for long-term success.

I wonder if our fan base would rather be the Cleveland Browns or one of the other
losing franchises in the NFL. Not Me.

I think you become the Cleveland Browns by comparing yourself to them to feel better.

There is nothing wrong with high expectations.

Flacco needs to help himself. Learn how to adjust plays pre-snap and work with receiver more in the offseason. He can not be a 10 yr vet that simply runs the plays that are called.

I heard similar comments a few years ago when in the deepest draft of Wrs Ravens drafted Campanero in the 7th round.

These days Ravens are always looking for bargains values instead of playmakers.

I will always wonder what Paul Kruger was thinking when we walked away from the Ravens to go to the Browns. Sure he got paid but he got paid to be apart of a franchise that falls apart each year. If I'm Ozzie I just point that out. You can get paid or you can get paid and play here where every year you have a chance to win it all.

Keep in mind Brandon came in after the 2012 season. Since then Ravens missed the playoffs 3 out of 4 years. That's not a strong argument to say take less to win more.

I agree that Williams is a must keep. He makes smaller size LB like Mosley better and everyone on the D-line is better because of Williams.

You got to be kidding me First a safety that can't tackle now a canter that can't block no wonder nobody watches the pro bowl

Agreed. Weddle maybe because of the picks. But Zuttah. Anyone following the Ravens could see how often he was pushed in the backfield .

Looking a the final four teams, Ravens have their work cut out for them. I think it is a mistake to keep the same coaching staff and not shake up the scouting department.

Patriots - had the #1 scoring defense and reached the Super Bowl without Gronk

Steelers - have an explosive offense and put up a lot of points without Bryant
Add to that Hargraves, Tuit, Heyward are a great defensive line. Shazier and Burns are playmakers on an improving defense

Raiders - are a young talented team

Bengals - seems to have the Ravens number and are stock with talent on both sides of the ball.

Chiefs - have a lot of talent of defense and are well coached

Ravens will have a hard time playing catchup to these teams. Ravens need for some of these young guys (Maxx Williams, Correa, Perriman, Gilmore, Moore, Dixon, Judon, Young) to be guys they can rely on to make plays consistently. Flacco has to be better.

Maintaining status quo with so many strong and up coming teams seems like a mistake.

Watching this AFC Championship game, it is clear that if the Ravens want to compete with Steelers and Patriots, they must improve the secondary.

Also, since Orr is out, they need to keep B. Williams. He makes the LBs better. And IMO is the clear cut best player at his position for the Ravens defense. Cut Dummervil, Webb, Wright and restructure whoever to make it work.

I think Correa or Onwuasor could fill that role. If they draft another ILB with all the other needs on this team, I think that would be a mistake. IF they have any desire to maintain a manageable cap, they need to get out of the win now mentality and let these young players develop.
The defense has enough old players as it is. That's probably the biggest reason for the defense nose diving a the end of the season.

The reality is Flacco looked bad in 2013, was helped by a great run game and OC in 2014, and played poorly before the injury in 2015. I think the first 5 games, it was evident that he was hesitant in the pocket and was throwing off the back foot more than he usually does.

However, coming into this season, all of the articles on this site mentioned he has more weapons than ever. To be at the bottom 3rd of QB rating while being at the top in attempts passing says a lot.

  5 hours ago, verified said:

off season dates for ozzie and eric to bring in more trash players that are good humans and all that but cant play the game oh nice

Another happy Ravens fan. Please someone say something positive
about our Ravens. Anything at all

If you want positives, hear it goes.

1. Ravens have a QB that is capable of winning playoff games. Joe is very flawed. However, tell me if you think the Texans, Chiefs, Bengals, Dolphins would take Joe over who they have.


He shows up to play which is better than a lot of other overpaid Ravens players can do. He wins games with old guys , while others can't with pro bowlers.

2. Ravens have the best kicker in the league period.

3. Orr and Mosley are a couple of young lions at the ILB position. Not perfect, but a playmaking pair.

4. Stanley, Lewis could be solid bookends on the o-line. If Ravens keep Wagner, then that 3 very good, young o-linemen.

5. After 2017 proves to be yet another Harbs debacle, Steve will fire Harbs so we can start developing guys instead of only Blaming OZ (not that's he hasn't screwed up) for young players never developing or seeing the field nearly as much as old guys.

OZ is going to do what he always does. He'll bring in an over 30 WR and an over 30 CB. Then draft a CB or Wr in the middle round.

It difficult to get excited about listing top CB. This is the same guy that in the deepest class of WRs drafted Campanero in the 7th round.

Last years comment was "continuity". This years it's "I don't see age, I see accomplishment". It makes me wonder if he is resistant to change.

Defense

No wonder the defense seems winded in the 4th quarter. They rely on the old guys to play 60 minutes. What if Judon started ahead of Doom and Suggs rotated more. Maybe they are fresh enough in the 4th quarter to close the deal.

What if you had young legs in the secondary? Maybe guys would not catch a 8 yard pass and not make it to the endzone.

Offense

OZ continues to want "complementary receivers" instead of game breakers.
Maybe the reason the Ravens have never been able to draft a true #1 WR, is their GM only seeks "complementary" guys at that position. His attempts to draft a #1 seem to be failures.

In a league where rookie Wrs are starters, OZ is looking for an old guys to complement the passing game and Steve is holding out hope the 37 yr Steve Smith returns.

Yes, old guys are cheap and will always have a longer resume than a young player. However, these old players today were young guys that just needed to be drafted and given a chance to play ahead of veterans. That's how Smith Sr took over in Carolina and then ended up with the Ravens.

I'm tired of media even bringing up this "Is Joe elite?" question. The answer is no. However, after watching these playoff games, you can see without at least a good QB, your team won't go far.

Alex Smith looked pathetic against the Steelers poor defense. If he was a little better, Steelers would be home. Waste of a good regular season and great defense.

Same story with the Texans. Brady made enough mistakes to lose, but Brock is not good enough to take advantage.

Joe is not elite and Ravens can't get out of the fact that they had to over pay him, but Joe is good enough. Marvis Lewis and Andy Reid wish they had a QB that could win playoff games.

If Ravens run the ball more and upgrade the DBs and Wrs, I think they are good "enough" to beat a lot of the frauds like Dolphins, Chiefs, Texans that made it to the playoffs.

I don't think there is a need to read between the lines with Steve. Steve was very candid. He trust OZ, DeCosta, and Harbs. He trust his instinct about how to run a business while knowing the fans and media think it's a mistake to not immediately fire Harbs or his coaches or OZ.

He mentioned if next year is not successful, he will evaluate the why.
He also mentioned going from 5 wins to 8 wins to 11 wins next year as the expectation.

As far as Oz and Harbs, I never seen them appear to be under more pressure or tension between them. Harbs mentioned building talent around Joe better and OZ mentioned coaching up the young guys where needed.

Out of all the responses, Harbs responses still has me 'Bewildered'. If he and Marty have such a clear concept of the importance of a run game, then why so few attempts. I thought that's where Steve was headed with he comment.

Harbs appears to say the players under performed. The backs West and Dixon were productive when given the opportunity.

They all appeared to be aware of the expectations, the criticism, and the "pitch forks." As fans we'll see.

Nothing will positively impact the Ravens more than stacking a few good drafts together.

IMO the biggest failure of the Ravens has been the contract management and poor drafting.

Year after year, its the same story. They need secondary help, have key guys they can't afford to keep, and limited cap space to be aggressive in free agency.

To have a cap that large with the lack of talent and holes to fill is poor management.

If they draft better and grow while guys are under rookie contracts, then that's the biggest impact. There are no silver bullets to fix this team. It will be a process.

The slap in the face to fans is keeping the same bone-headed coaches and coordinators that have failed to develop guys to live up to expectations.

Both scheme and talent are issues.

The reality is the Ravens are probably a couple of seasons away from being a consistent playoff contender.

1.       They have limited Cap space to out bid teams for top talent. In fact they are more likely to lose their free agents Williams, Wagner, Juice, than to add a big name free agents. They have a number of players with huge cap numbers

a.       Wallace $8M cap hit

b.      Pitta $7.7 cap hit

c.       Wright $5M cap hit

d.      Webb $7.5M cap hit

e.      Doom $8M cap hit

You look at these cap numbers and ask: How many pro bowl players in that group? How many are game changers? Who will they part with to create cap space.

The result is even less talent on an average team. On top of that you bring back the same coaches and coordinators that did not make use of the dollars you spent to have a winning season.

Those numbers look like a need to rebuild.

If OZ continues to build through vets cuts and cheap free agents, then the Ravens might make a playoff appearance here or there, but they are not contenders.

2.       Other teams are getting better. Raiders and KC look like perennial playoff teams. Young, talented, and have enough Cap space to add players. Broncos are a QB away which is where Romo is likely to land.

Inside the division: Steelers - Ben, Brown , and Bell are going no where soon

                                     Bengals – beat us with backups and AJ Green, Eifort will return

3.       What are the positives?

a.       Players

                                                               i.      Mosley and Orr are a very good ILB group

                                                             ii.      Lewis and Stanley are pieces to build the o-line

                                                            iii.      Dixon and Perriman have flashed

b.      Ifs

                                                               i.      If Flacco can approach the player he was in 2011,2012

                                                             ii.      If Perriman can be a playmaker

                                                            iii.      If J. Smith can stay healthy

                                                           iv.      If OZ can stack good drafts and work magic in the offseason

                                                             v.      If Judon can grow

                                                           vi.      If Correa can be at least a effective situational pass rusher

The Ravens can compete

Anybody but Steelers

I don't care what the offense did or did not do. A defense can not give up 21 points in the 4th quarter. And if it only take one player to have the defense fall apart, then it really was not a good defense.

  7 hours ago, jdynamite said:

  12 hours ago, R@venFan808 said:

I think when doom Suggs Kamalei and Kafusi heal up and team up with matt judon our pass rush will be just fine. I don't see a CB worth a no.16 draft pick so well probably sign some one in FA. I really see us getting either  dynamic RB like Cook or a monster prospect WR like corey davis. Im so excited to take a RB or WR in the first round. We need to get some flacco some weapons. 

You don't see any CB worth pick 16 but you see WRs?  

T.Tabor, D.King, Q.Wilson, M.Humphrey, S.Jones, A.Jackson , J.Lewis there are plenty of 1st round quality corners in this draft they may not all go in round 1 but I bet there will be more corners than WRs drafted in round 1. 

I hope all these analysts continue to hate on WR JuJu so he falls to 2nd round maybe we can get lucky and snag him there or trade up a few spots. 

You're right. This class is loaded with corners and first round ones at that. We need Humprey or Quincy Wilson imo. Team Wilson with Jimmy and put Tavon inside, Raven football would be back. Tabor would be good too

If the past is a predictor of future behavior, then OZ will figure with so many CB and pass rushers in the draft, he can move back for more picks still get a player that has "value".

The elephant in the room is OZ has not drafted well. Last year's draft was OK, but it was heavy on what OZ knows, offensive and defensive linemen. He opted to address CB and pass rusher in the 4th round.

I know its early but Correa and Kafusi are probably not players the caliber of Myles Jack (LB),Spence (pass rusher), Vonn Bell (S), Derrick Henry (RB), Sterling Sheppard(WR), Howard (CB) that he passed on in the second round.

If OZ could drafted one of these players, this article may not have been necessary.

I think Ravens have enough depth at DT not to break the bank chasing Williams.

I want them to resign Wagner. Wagner (RT), Lewis (G), Stanley (LT) is a solid o-line. Add depth at C,G

Offload Webb, Doom, restructure Pitta cap hit

Get Stephon Gilmore or Kirkpatrick - just can't live with this secondary and J Smith is unreliable

Draft one of these guys

Pass Rusher: Carl Lawson, Tim William, Charles Harris,
Safety: Malik Hooker, Eddie Jackson, Jamal Adams
CB: King, Tabor, Jackson,White

I don't think Ravens need to pursue a receiver. Marty has not proven that his system is worth an investment with other needs.

I don't buy none of these guys can get open. I think Flacco can't find them. Aiken looked good once Smith Sr went down last season. Flacco just looks for the first read.

Harbs needs to make Joe have workouts with his receivers this offseason. Develop timing, hands, and deep throws. They, in particular Flacco, needs to put in the extra work and show leadership instead of every year going to the mike and telling people what's wrong with the offense.

Not that I like Marty at all, but Joe plays like a guy that does not prepare well. It's been that way for years even before the big contract.

I think Steve gave Harbs an ultimatum and Harbs is believing his best shot is with guys he knows.

Unfortunately, quality OCs, DCs, or head coaching candidate are available now and much like the draft, OZ is passing and waiting on something better.

The biggest change this team needs is for OZ to start drafting studs in the first couple of rounds again.

What if Perriman was a stud
What if Max Williams was a good TE
What if Kindle or Correa were good pass rushers
What if Elam was a serviceable safety etc....

Time and time again OZ does Ok lineman and with Mid round guys and coaches manages to develop 1 or 2 undrafted players, but the difference in game the Ravens lose are the game breaking plays the other teams makes because they have studs.

How many time we lost close games because of Gronk, Brown, Bell, Big Ben, AJ Green, Dez.?


Ravens need a few studs to balance the scales. Chasing free agents just puts them in further cap jail and overpaying guys like Webb, Smith, Joe who are just average at best.

Ravens were a tipped passed away from being 7-9. Steelers, Bengals (with backup), and Patriots absent special teams errors dominated this team towards the end of the year. To think they are moving in the right direction proves they lost their minds.

17th in yards and 21st in points scored. In what world would someone think that you need consistency there. This team couldn't beat the Jets.

Add to that the guys the team will lose do to free agency.

I can't wait to hear the in of season press conference.

Marty should not return in any capacity. Joe has not develop since his been his QB coach and the offense stinks.

Yanda's response makes me believe no one, including himself, challenges the coaches on anything.