rmcjacket23

I forgot bout cutting a players before June and still designating it. I would prefer splitting his salary over a couple seasons than taking the whole hit all next season. Especially in a free agent season that's one of the best ever and loaded with value especially elite value talent at WR/TE due to bad QB play for players like Housler Britt Crabtree Gresham Moore and likely Vernon Davis cut. I never liked the Jacoby Jones signing. He got a big contract for a good playoff run and dancing with stars. I believed ha had a nice playoff run but wouldn't stay consistent. He never became anything playing opposite Andre Johnson. I never thought he was a starting WR and signing him hurt our cap space and handcuffed the progress of the passing game cuz they really thought they were fine at WR in 2013 with Torrey and Jacoby. Joe's 2013 season was no surprise with him forcing the ball to one trick subpar WRs. After cutting Boldin they should have aggressively pursued Deandre Hopkins who plays like a fast athletic Boldin. But they had confidence in Jacoby for some reason.

There's no way I'd want to take a $6M hit in 2016 for Webb. 2016 is a big year for us cap space wise.

You've got Joe's cap # doubling to about $28M, and if he doesn't agree to restructure/extend, you've got a problem there (and he has all the leverage in that season). You'd also have Jimmy Smith up for a potentially big contract, and you'd have both Yanda and KO has UFAs that season if Yanda doesn't get an extension.

Trent Richardson will probably be cut. Wouldn't hurt to bring him in for the league minimum to see what he might be able to do even though his vision is terrible

I don't think he brings any value to this team from a skill perspective, so I'd pass.

One of them certainly being our secondary and the need to beef it up with FA vet(s) rather than rookies. For that we'll need money we can only get by cutting Ngata unfortunately. We're just an injury to #22 away from another disastrous season at the back unless we sign proper CB. We might want to spend some on proper FS too, until Brooks is ready.

I don't see this happening though.

Realistically speaking, its likely that 2015 is Webb's last season with us unless he agrees to take a massive pay cut (and he may not even play in 2015 to begin with). That, coupled with the fact that our best corner is in a contract year and coming off a bad injury, means that you probably can't just count on signing one FA corner to help us in the long run... you're more than likely going to have to draft a corner with the hopes that he's a quality performer by year 2 or 3 (ala Jimmy Smith). I don't think we are likely to have the cap space to spend on a major FA corner regardless of what we do, so any FA corner we sign would be of the #3 corner variety most likely (ala Graham).

As for safety, I'm just not convinced they feel the position requires major attention. I think they know they're bringing back Hill as a starter, and they're just going to try to have an open competition in camp for the other spot. Ideally, they'd put guys like Elam, Brooks and possibly even somebody like Miles in a camp battle and see who comes out on top. I suppose they could add a cheap veteran FA or a draft pick of some sort, but I'm not expecting much there.

As much as I'd hate this, I can see scenario where we say good bye to both.

I agree with this... I don't think its necessarily a one or the other scenario. I see plenty of scenarios where we lose both.

 

If we cut Ngata, we save 8.5M off the cap If we extend him, we save something - but not as much as a cut. I'll just give the swag at 5M ... but also we're committing a significant amount of future money to him as well.

 

So, given that we don't save as much via extension AND are committing future dollars on Ngata's contract, it could be viewed that the only chance we have to keep McPhee is to cut and not extend Ngata. 

 

If that is the case, what do you think is the best course of action? McPhee was great last year, but will that last? Ngata is a world class player, but how much is left in the tank? Personally, I'm torn. 

 

Correct. Even if we gave Ngata an extension, the absolute minimum he could cost for the season would be around $8.5M ($7.5M carried over from prior bonus amount, and at least a $1M salary). Given that we would almost certainly give him some kind of signing bonus, possibly in the $10M range, you'd probably be looking at adding at least $2-3M more to that.

I think, conservatively, if we extend Ngata, he's going to count somewhere in the neighborhood of $10-12M against the cap this season, and that could easily be more. So in reality, an extension would probably save us, in a best case scenario, about $5-6M against the cap this season.

However, I think any deal we give him would probably have less than half guaranteed money, and there would probably be no guaranteed money left after the first two years (ala Suggs). So, realistically, while he might carry a $10-12M cap number this season, he might easily carry half of that the next season, and he certainly wouldn't have that high of numbers in the future.

He was a post-June 1st cut. 

 

http://russellstreetreport.com/2013/03/15/baltimore-ravens-salary-cap/pollard-release-saves-only-500k-in-cap-space-until-june-1/

Yeah, I should have seen that before I posted.

Still for me, completely don't see the benefit of it. Its one thing to make the decision after June 1, but designating a post June-1 three months earlier is basically just slapping a band aid on a bigger problem. I understand they were desperate for cap space that season because of a flat cap, but you got a guy carrying $1.5M in cap space two seasons after he's been gone.

It probably doesn't mean as much with lower contracts like theirs, but when you talk about somebody like Webb... there's not much to like about the idea of carrying a $4M and $6M cap hit in back to back years for a player that won't even be playing for your team in either of those seasons.

We've done it before.  No reason to think we wouldn't do it again if it's a player we no longer want on our roster.  We did it with Bernard Pollard.

 

To be fair though, I'd much rather wait and make that decision after June 1st rather than making it in March and designating him as a post June 1st.  It gives time to see how the roster shapes up and if that money is necessary and whether or not Jacoby has a realistic shot at the team.

Pollard wasn't a post June-1 cut I don't believe. He was released in March.

I think there is a good chance that we'll make him a post June 1st cut. He'll save decent money ($2.5M) if we wait until then. 

 

Of course, the downside of a post June 1st cut is that the cap space isn't freed until that date. Still, that's about the right amount of money that will still work for that time frame, as we can then be right up against the cap during the FA signing period and use that $2.5M for rookie signings and for any other minor pickups from other teams cuts later in the summer. 

 

Camp is a potential punt return replacement, but true, KO returner would be an open spot. It is a tough call, on one hand JJ's current salary is too much for a simple KO return guy, but on the other, it was only a few years ago when D. Reed got fumbleitis and we had Zibby and other sub-par return guys ... and we all just prayed for a touchback on every kick. That was painful. 

Yeah, but I really hate post June-1 cuts, and I think clearly Ozzie does as well. You're not gaining anything long-term from doing that, and you're just pushing almost $2M in cap hit to 2016 for a player that is long gone from your roster.

I only see that, much like Webb, IF the Ravens find a player they like that late in the year, and they really need the money. That's pretty rare generally. Even guys that we equate to be coming in "late" in terms of FA like Daryl Smith at least get signed by April or May usually.

I think Jacoby stays this year and is easily the last year he will be a Raven.

Jacoby gotta go. His return game was just frustrating. 

He's a tough case. Not much salary cap relief from letting him go, and nobody on the roster currently that stands out as a better bet to replace him, or at least not on KO duties.

I like it.  I think he's a guy well worth a shot in camp, especially with Torrey's future up in the air.

I don't know too much about him, but any chance he gets a look as the primary kickoff returner if we cut Jacoby?

I am not at all excited about this like I was with the Kubiak hire because I knew what to expect. I think Oz and company picked him specifically because he was the safe conservative pick that will stick around for a bit (Oz already knew him well also). I don't think we were ready to turn our Offense over to the likes of Gase regardless if he is or isn't the next great up and coming HC.

 

I will trust the brass on this one until they prove me wrong. But I expect the standards to have been set high and any decrease in production = new OC

Well, decrease in production is also mostly based on the execution and talent of the players in the offense. Coaches coach and players play.

Might find stuff we don't know about him over there. They do know him very welll... Lighten up, John Boehner.

Or, we might find some bitter fans who just don't like it when things don't go their way...

... sort of like what Broncos fans who come on these boards to find out "information" about Kubiak would see...

Why do we care about what Bears fans say about him again?

I hope you're joking... Taylor I can get. He can actually throw.... 

O not even remotely joking... it would be way worse with Tebow.

Tebow actually has a mild track record of NFL success... Tyrod doesn't.

2014 stats :

 

22,2 runs / game...

30 out of 32 teams

 

1441 rushing yards

27 out of 32 teams

 

avg 4,1/run

16 out of 32 teams

 

so run game was pretty good just wasnt using it because they were trailing and bad playcalling. I've watched a lot of Bears football because I'm from Canada and I saw Trestman during his 3 yeards here.. sure wasnt the same rules but he was a weird playcaller. he had Calvillo which help a lot. His passing games used the larger field a lot. He's soft and Flacco will love that but Steve Smith won't.

 

AFC North is all about smathmouth football so I don't know if Trestman is the right guy. Even if you lose by 10 you HAVE to run the ball. Flacco stats against Dime/quarter defense are horrible. He needs a good running game to help his passing game. 

Agreed, but Trestman isn't the HC here either, so even the OC has to sort of answer to the HC if the gameplan isn't being followed. If Trestman comes out the first few weeks and Joe's throwing 50 passes a game and we are losing, I have no doubt Harbaugh will force changes to the gameplan.

Keep in mind that falling behind early and by a lot in a game is generally a combination of 1. ineffective offensive production early and 2. poor defensive play (among other possible factors, like turnovers).

Our defense is far from great, but its a lot better than the Bears was, and pretty typically in the Harbaugh era, we aren't the kind of teaming falling behind by 14 points or more in the first half.

I think the volume of the rushing attack will still be adequate (though probably not as much as Kubiak's), but it still comes down to execution. Running the ball 20-25 times on a team that can't block and can't run (see 2013) doesn't make a whole lot of sense either. I have no reason to suspect that will be the case in 2015.

i would consider taking tim tebow as a back up qb. not joking either.

I wouldn't... because sadly, you'd have some fans that think he'd be a better QB after Joe has a bad game.

I don't think he adds any benefit to this team whatsoever...

For me, its simple... I think most fans would agree that Trestman projects to be good for Joe Flacco.

The question that nobody can really possibly know at this time is whether he is good for the entire offense overall.

Conventional wisdom says he really can't run this offense just like he did in Chicago (at least not right now), because frankly, he had better "toys" to play with over there (we have nobody skill-wise like Marshall, Jeffery or Forte on this roster right now).

The offensive line figures to be much better than what he had in Chicago, so that should be a plus regardless.

He's experienced, and people in his industry generally have high praise for him. That's sufficient enough for me.

brandon marshall possibly? isnt it floating around the rumor mill that he could potentially be cut?

Its possible, though I'd say unlikely. Bears could save almost $4M against the cap by cutting him.

Problem is... he's only in year 2 of his deal in 2015, and he has a fully guaranteed $7.5M base salary. So basically, you're looking at that kind of cap hit at a minimum, and I don't think we could take that on in 2015. He is 30, but he probably does have a couple good years left in him, but it'd obviously be nice to get somebody younger and cheaper.

I'm fine with it... as long as he's not of the "lets throw it 50 times a game" mentality...

I feel like I'm the only one that wouldn't accept a wasted season beyond the coaches. I feel like we are still fighting for respect as a franchise.

I felt like we could have won the SB this yr and next to have been a dynasty! And then yall can't hate on the Ravens...and think of b-more as more than an episode of the wire.

Its not like the players are just going to start playing half-assed. Its just without a pretty good QB, you really don't have a prayer in this league.

You don't have to have a great QB to win, but you can't have a bad one. And the overwhelming majority of backup QBs in league history were "bad" when compared to the rest of the league, and that would almost certainly be the case for us.

Maybe it's the college game....but they got it done with the 3rd string at Ohio state.

Since you can't hand pick in the NFL and must draft I understand...but I feel like we could be more talented in the backup spot. I'm not down for a wasted season...I expect to contend for championship with anyone on the squad.

*knock on wood* but I don't want to be caught pants down without toilet paper.

Lower your expectations. Without Flacco, we would be lucky to contend for a division title, let alone a championship. High expectations are great... as long as they are realistic and reasonable.

And yes, in terms of QB play, the college game is lightyears different than the NFL.

Who was he be4...what team was he starting for since he was the big time vet? Career backups are young guys to me.

Didn't start for anybody... that's the point.

He's sort of in the Case Keenum class... a guy that was only starting because of injury or because the guy in front of him was really bad, but if he's starting 16 games for you, you've got no shot.

Wenning is probably going to be the backup, so this probably doesn't matter.

don't you think we could bring in a vet?  Flacco is comfortable enough not to feel threatened...but we like having young guys at the number 2 QB spot for some reason. 

 

The odds can't keep being in our favor. 

Yes, that's what Curtis Painter is... a vet.

If you're asking should we spend the money to bring in some perceived "high end" backup that magically might win us like 8-9 games, then no, we shouldn't.

Or coaches who have no desire to be a HC, content in their assistant roles.  There are a few of them out there.

Very rare... I'd say most are either older (soon to be out of the league) or they just aren't HC material.

Even guys like LeBeau, who fans perceive as being with the Steelers for decades, took a HC gig with the Bengals about a decade ago.

Frankly, I'd have serious reservations about hiring people who are content with being assistant coaches...

What I find surprising is, there's no one currently on the coaching staff worthy of an interview for the OC position?  I know the QB and TE coach are going to DEN, but what about the WR or RB coach?  If they want the position, they at least deserve a shot at an interview.    

Why do they deserve that though?

WR coach is Bobby Engram, he's been with the Ravens for one season, and only has two years coaching experience in the NFL.

Thomas Hammock is the RBs coach, and I believe this season was his first season as a coach in the NFL.

I mean in the end, for a coordinator job, you've usually got to have at least some sort of resume. I wouldn't say play-calling experience is a requirement, but at least some significant experience/tenure in the NFL or at least as an OC in college would likely be a requirement.

Frankly, of any of the internal OC candidates, Castillo and Ver Steeg are the only two with the "credentials" of sort ot even be considered, and it doesn't appear that they are being considered.