Poes Crows

Sticking with the same "contrarian" theme, Oz has excelled as greatly these past 2 years as he did the previous 17. He's a "lifer" and has done no wrong. They'll carry him out before the reigns are passed!!! And even then they'll deify him like a catholic saint with his own sarcophagus right there in the G.M.'s box at M & T Bank Stadium.

We paid 120 million for a 19 TD, 22 INT quarterback. For comparison Tom Brady with no receivers early in the year threw 25 TD's and 11 INT. Granting that Joe Flacco is not Tom Brady, he was still overvalued by Oz. Contrary to what many believe on this board, Oz is in hot water and primarily it pertains to the Flacco contract. Flacco has limitations. He is a "System Guy" and that's another reality that slipped by Oz these last couple years. Flacco has won a Championship and can win others if the Raven's surround him with the proper personnel. This is another reality that is clearly lost upon Oz because he has not taken the actions to "protect" his Flacco investment. Flacco can get the job done with the right tools. Oz on the other hand just doesn't get it any more and clearly is heading the wrong direction again with the offense. Hopefully this is the last year we have to endure the missteps.

Still have hope Cody will have a healthy productive year and give his best. Didn't think we needed Mosley. He'll be useful, but we had glaring needs and Oz pretty much ignored them. With Mosley we certainly did not draft a young Ray Lewis, so it's hard to figure what Oz was doing. San Francisco continues to kick our butt. First they get the best safety in the draft in 2013 by wisely trading up....then they get our best receiver because Oz gets brain freeze....then this year they get Jimmy Ward the best ball hawk in the draft and Carlos Hyde. We have to trade Oz for whoever is making the calls over in Frisco.

I should be shocked, but I'm not. Our selection is par for the course in regard to Oz's recent draft decisions. You gotta be kidding us right? Mosley is not going to make anyone forget Ray Lewis. Maybe you can't get an impact player at 17 anymore? (Though Ray went at 26!) Does anyone really believe this Mosley with his slight upper body and history of missing games is a bona fide impact player? Did Oz watch the tapes? This, once again is Incredulous. Can Oz at least take his "Board" and take a private seat away from the action for the rest of this draft......... Please Agreed What tapes were you watching? For crying out loud! BPA.....really?...............All the more proof that this game has passed Ozzie by.

I have a much higher sacks allowed total on Monroe. Don't like him, never have. The record is clear. The only risk with Veldheer is injury. He missed 11 games last year. For what he is about to become, the risk was more than worth the same price paid for Mediocre Monroe. We will let the Sack totals and busted run plays in 2014 speak again for themselves. Not even close, thats why Oz needs replaced.

We could have had Veldheer Have a low opinion of Monroe, but will not say any more until the season. Will point out every sack he is instrumental in allowing. PFF won't agree but they haven't a clue. He can't run block either. Have no idea what Oz was thinking.

Disappointed to see Oher go. He was sound as a brass bell. He had weaknesses but he was a heckuva run blocker and if we have a prayer of getting back to the Championship Game it had to be running the ball. So we need a right tackle. We have an extremely overrated left tackle. Our center is questionable and our Left guard has a back. Not sure anything else will really make an impact with those holes. 6-10........said it early and believe it now

It really was an Anti-Oz signing wasn't it? He takes a 35 year old receiver. (Read not confirmed) And pays him pretty dang good money with the signing bonus. Really Un-Oz like. But he's clearly feelin the heat from what precipitated this. What do we get? We get a veteran that knows the game. Knows the Hot Reads...Knows his routes. We get a athlete who really keeps himself in shape. We get a veteran to impart the smarts to the young guys like Mellette, Brown and even Torrey Smith. We get an attitude that we seemed to have lost last year. We get a lot. We get hope. Make no mistake he is not Anquan Boldin, but he may bring intangibles to the table that make him even more valuable than would initially appear. I'll give Oz kudos on this one. He broke the recent mold and Raven fans have to love the gamble.

Its all about matchups.....its not just Steve Smith vs Anquan Boldin Sami............its about the entire package. That's something that fantasy football players will never be able to wrap their head around. That is no aspersion towards you. Frankly its something Oz can't understand either. Ice Up Son....Ice Up!!! Glad to have him.

Have always liked Steve Smith, but you can't make that comparison. He doesn't have the strength or rebound ability that Boldin had. Granting he's quicker and like Boldin he runs reliable routes. He fits Oz's bill....He can catch the ball at 7 to 8 yards and has good Yards After Catch ability. All that said, in no way does he make up for the loss of Boldin. He's too small and although a tremendous athlete he can't dominate a corner like Boldin could. Don't kid yourself.

Wow is that a Defense Argument for Oz. If he's reading he's loving this post. Would like to point out that without Boldin last year, we were a giant sloth caught in a tar pit. We moved slow and were stuck in goo. Predicted here that before Boldin's 2013 season in San Francisco the 49er front office would not be as foolish as the Raven Crew to allow Boldin to sign elsewhere. They extended him, paying his salary and are all the better for it, while we look for a difference maker at receiver that is nowhere within our grasp. Great move Oz, take a bow, you deserve it. Not gonna bother with the safety analysis, will allow the results to speak for themselves. But will continue with the megaphone until its abundantly clear to all here that Elam was evidence of Oz's deteriorating skills and powers of perception. He's goners. San Fran signed Eric Reid. What can one say.

THE LAST GUY we need to take is Marquise Lee........Do Not Go There....Do Not Do it.....Do Not Destroy our potential diversity. Evans is the guy if we can get him. We have so many needs trading up would be a concession. If we can't get Evans we'll just have to spend the pick on the Lines and play another year without a true possession receiver. But the death knell would be selecting that Lee. We have Torrey Smith, don't need a clone. No Clones allowed, especially clones with issues.

Based on the last 2 years of decisions, if Oz wants to keep his job in 2015 he better start reading this forum.

Excellent Noted some of the fans here are recognizing that Jacoby was catching the ball with his hands more. The view here in regard to receiving skills is that he is still improving. But the key to resigning Dragonfly was that if the Raven's hope to get anywhere close to their playoff level two years ago, Jacoby is an essential element in that pursuit. We must have the diversified Receiver Corps we had in 2012 to have the slightest prayer to be in position for a playoff spot at the end of the year. If we can get in, it is very likely to come down to one game and one big play. Jacoby is uniquely qualified to be that difference maker. The Raven's have very few players that can win that must have game on their own. Eugene Monroe certainly can't win that game and to this eye signing Jacoby offsets the mistake of signing Monroe instead of Veldheer, who was there for us. Mistake, but the Ozmobile has generally been losing horsepower for a number of years now. The signing of Jacoby at least closes that barn door to keep one of the big horses. Lets face it, Flacco didn't have a running game to use the play action pass and he didn't have time to let them rip downfield as effectively as 2012. Monroe was a part of that problem. At least with Jacoby we retain the ability to pull a game out we have no right of winning. Maybe a game Monroe plays like the 3rd rater he is.

From this perspective it brings back memories of crafty old Dallas Cowboy acquisitions. The Cowboys drafted Roger Staubach out of Navy knowing he had a service commitment and could not play for about 4 years. It was a gamble that paid off. They did similar with Hershel Walker, selecting him in later rounds even knowing he was off to the USFL. The signing of McClain could pay off even though he sat out a year. If it does it will go a long way to restoring some of the luster that's clean worn off the old Ozmobile.

we'll you'd be correct if we lost only Monroe and acquired only Veldheer......but the aggregate is calculated.....unless we sign a slew of free agents we'll make out and lose only one of the original picks traded for Monroe

me too

Arming oneself with the facts is a better way to go about it than accusing another of being mistaken. We gave up a 4th and 5th rounder for Monroe. Losing Monroe to Free Agency gets us a consolation pick back, making it a 1 pick loss. There's talk that consolation pick could be a 3rd rounder which would more than wash the value of the surrendered picks away. Though dubious of that, this fan thinks it will be a 4th rounder. Edited....though consolation picks apparently come at the end of the round and are less valuable. Monroe does not pass this fan's Lock Up Left Tackle test. Not even close. But if one thinks letting Monroe walk would be a mistake, all this fan can say is that Oz has made a ton of mistakes the past two years and it's one reason we are languishing. That said, letting Monroe walk wont be a mistake to count against Oz. It would help demonstrate he's got his wits back about him.

65 million? But they have so many needs. They may not want to pay him. He's the key to turn us around. If we got Veldheer, he covers for a recovering Osemele and all we need is a center. Convinced now that Gino is a no go.

Well, if we don't sign him that means Oz continues the slide right? Hit the road Jack and don't ya come back no more, no more, no more, no more Hit the road Jack and don't ya come back no more!!! This is the first positive development in two years. Two freakin years.

Yeah, this fan believes Veldheer will fit like a warm comfy mitten! If Osemele is fortunate to come back sound we may only need a center. Then again if Osemele is sound they may be considering him at Left Tackle.....Would much prefer Veldheer, but the Raiders did not Tag him and he's the guy to pay if you're going to pay for one.

What? lmao We can only hope Oz finds a way to make the Dutchman a Raven

Agree with you. The view here is Monroe is a middlin LT. Not the 10th best.........not at the bottom of the barrel either, middlin. The Raiders did not Tag Veldheer...........Let the Fun Begin!!! Also noticed those dumb Niners gave Boldin his 6 million for two more years.........LMAO....what do they not understand!!!

One has to acknowledge durability. At least in that regard he has been solid. Never underestimate the value of soundness a player brings to a team.

Serious Let's say you don't have all the Raven's game Tivo'd and can't review Monroe's games. Then try this one on... The Jacksonville Jaguars draft Eugene Monroe 8th overall in 2009. Concerns like "PFF" rate Monroe as the 3rd, 10th and 10th best LT's in the League in his first 3 years. Then in 2013 The Jaguars use the overall 2nd pick to draft? You guessed it another LT, Luke Joeckel. Shortly thereafter the Jags trade Monroe to Baltimore and insert the draftee into his LT spot. Unfortunately for them Joeckel goes down with an injury. Joeckel did not come cheap but ask yourselves this.....What kind of thought processing has a team draft their LT of the future and 4 years later draft another LT of the future? Obviously Oz rated Monroe high in 2009, but then so did the Jags. All doubt is removed if you study the films.