RavenManiac#7

Had a mediator heard Brady's appeal, I think, almost certainly, there would have been a reduction of his suspension to two games from four. We still might. But, with Goodell hearing it, there probably is a better chance that the four games will stick. He, Goodell, seems pretty, shall we say, unhappy, with both Brady's and the Cheatriots' degree of non-cooperation in the investigation. For him to levy such a significant penalty against Robert Kraft's organization indicates that he is truly (I'm gonna be nice here) "upset". One has to believe their close friendship is a thing of the past. Not that Goodell didn't do the right thing, he did. But, really, the guy really was his buddy. And, as for Brady, it seems to me that Goodell is actually angry at him and it appears to me that he thinks that Brady really does consider himself "above" the rules and reach of anyone, and that he just feels himself to be too privileged. I really, really, hope all fines, suspensions, and penalties remain as they are. I've written before about how scandalous I believe the Cheatriots organization, Bill Belicheater, and cry baby Brady are. For once, just this once (because I never thought the penalty for their illegal taping of their upcoming opponent's practices was sufficient) I'd like to see them penalized more appropriately. We'll see.

Couldn't have said it better myself, jacket.

I sure hope SSS isn't the last one. We'd be losing a lot of talent if we let Campanaro slip out of our hands. Every team can use a sure handed, quick, chain mover, and that's just what Camp is. I promise you, Miami regrets letting Welker go Big Time.

Campanaro would Never clear waivers and make it to the PS. He would Definitely be claimed and we'd lose him. I think it would be a Big loss too. I think Camp will be a Great slot receiver. The only question, and I mean Only question, is if he can stay healthy. This kid's got a lot of talent. For that reason alone, I would rather he Not return punts even though with his sure hands he is capable. I just don't like the injury risk. He will be a Great chain mover on 3rd downs. Do all you can to keep him healthy.

NOT WEBBY!!! The chance of injury is just too great to make it worth it. We need him on the field on defense. He's had more than his share of injuries. I don't know why Harbs would even Think about using him to return punts. If he Did put him back there, I would hope that he would be told to make a fair catch Every time. Yeah, he's sure handed, but I'd Hate to see him back there at all, let alone try to return one. Some things are just Not worth the risk. If we learned Anything from last year's ridiculous number of injuries to CBs, please let it be that you don't use a starting CB to return punts, or kickoffs either. Just Don't Do It!!!

I kind of agree with what you're saying, but what bothers me about him is that he isn't even being dressed for games. His best asset as an ILB, I always thought, is his speed. Well, if that's the case how come he can't even seem to be able to contribute on STs? I don't know. It just seems to me that something the coaches are seeing in practices must be holding him back. I mean, if he really is the plan for replacing D Smith, when he ages too much to continue to be effective, why isn't he dressing? What if Mosely or Smith, heaven forbid, get injured? Apparently, A Brown isn't Really being looked at as the "next guy up". I tend to believe that his spot on the roster is tenuous, at best. If he hadn't been a second round pick, one that we even moved up to get, I'm not so sure he would still even be on the roster. The powers to be tend to take their time giving up on 1st & 2nd rounders. But, what we're seeing is that Elam Can't tackle, and A Brown can't even impress enough to dress consistently. We just drafted a LB the team is high on. I think Brown is very lucky that LB is an OLB, not an ILB. I'm not sure about our UFA LBs. I just have a feeling that A Brown better show considerable improvement this time around if he wants to make our 53 man roster. This could very well be his make or break season as a Raven. Hope I'm wrong and that he plays like the FO envisioned he would when they drafted him, but I'm kind of skeptical.

Yeah, we cut our leading tackler, but you still don't get it? Don't you remember hearing anything about the "mutiny"? I thought Pollard was a big ingredient in that if I remember correctly. Did you really expect Harbaugh to keep him around after that? By the way, I didn't neg you. Someone else did that.

Hey, I got a little excited when I heard Arrington was let go by the Cheatriots too, and he Would be a good option as our slot CB. But, here's my other thought: There's been a lot of talk about Jonathon Joseph, or is it Joseph Jonathon LOL, seriously though, what do you like better? Smith and Webby outside with Arrington as the slot CB, Or, Smith and Joseph on the outside with Webby in the slot position? A lot of people on here think Webby is best inside. I know, the Texans haven't even cut him yet and I don't know why there's so much speculation that they will, I'm just throwing this out there. It's still pretty early. There Will be more cuts.

Hey, Faulker, you think we should try to bring Kyle Arrington in?

I don't think he's needed. We have just So many young guys it just seems like a few of them Have to pan out. There's just so much potential there. Even if we were to, heaven forbid, lose SSS to injury, his presence would still be there in the locker room and on the sidelines to mentor our young talent. Before the draft, I was feeling the same way as you, concerned about our lack of experience at the position. But now, the sheer numbers, amount of potential we Have seen from our young guys, and the quality I think is reasonable to expect from the new ones, leaves us sitting pretty well as far as pass catchers go. But, hey, that's just one guy's opinion. I just think the competition for the roster spots is already going to be pretty fierce. Just can't see the need to add yet another one into the mix.

Quite a few people have suggested that Webby might be most effective being our CB covering the slot, and that might be right. But, as of now, the way the roster is set up, I think he'd be lined up opposite Smith. That would leave probably Asa, but who knows, playing inside. I think Arrington would be a good pick up for us. He's a veteran with plenty of football left, been a starter for, what, 6 years, and would probably be an upgrade over Asa. That would remain to be seen, of course, but he's definitely a player Ozzie is probably inquiring about. At least, that would be my guess. Have no idea what kind of money he'd want. I don't think he'll be the only veteran, by any means, that Ozzie will see about bringing in. I really think Someone's coming.

That's just what Ozzie does. He's not the best in the business for no reason. This is one fan who is happy to have him running the show. Just keep on doing what you're best at, Ozzie.

Waller's size along with speed is definitely intriguing. If he shows well in TC it's going to make the final decision on receiver spots very difficult to make, because if he Does show well, he very well might not make it to our PS. A lot of teams would find such a good red zone prospect pretty valuable. So, do we keep 6 or 7 receivers? After last year's problems with injuries to our CBs, the team might lean towards keeping an extra CB rather than receiver. It will be very interesting to see how things play out. I really would hate to see Camp lose out on his spot, because I do think this might be SSS's last season and Camp shows huge promise, I believe, as an excellent slot receiver. The Only question with him is his toughness. Man, I'd hate to lose him, though. Of course, I feel real sure that at least one of these receivers will end up with an injury and wind up on IR. We all know it's a common practice to protect someone we don't think will pass through waivers to be assigned to the PS. I think our final 53 this year will hold a few surprises.

What's the deal with D J Swearinger? Anybody know? It seemed like a kind of weird way to announce his departure from the Texans. I read, "D J Swearinger was informed that he would not be a member of the team this year." That seemed like a kind of strangely worded statement from the Texans. Wonder what's up. It just didn't sound like a typical cut, and it was relatively early for it to happen.At least it seems that way to me. Anybody hear anything else?

This year's crop of UFAs seems to definitely have some potentially NFL caliber players. At least, their resumes appear to suggest that. I would be surprised if one or more does not make our final 53, with others having attempts made to stash them on our PS. It's really a shame about the CB breaking his leg. With it still being a position of need I bet he felt like he was in a good spot. I wish him the best in his recovery so that he can have another go at it next year. I have a feeling that our final cuts to get to 53 might well have a few surprises. I still think we are looking to sign a salary cap cut veteran CB, Arrington perhaps?

All good stuff. But, I can't help being concerned for Dennis Pitta. He's been one of my favorite Ravens ever since he got here and I just can't get that picture of him going down, with NO contact, out of my mind. As much as I'd love to see him return and be able to play up to his prior standard, it would just about break my heart to see him injure that hip again and have it affect his quality of life, if it were to happen, from that moment forward. It's obvious how much he loves football. He has worked So hard, not once but twice, to be able to try to continue playing the game. For his sake, I pray that he is successful and that his hip does hold up. But, I will admit, if he takes the field again, I will be Very anxious and, no doubt, will find myself holding my breath on every play until I see him walk back into the huddle. Oh, man, I So hope he's making the right choice to try to come back. My concern is not only for him, but for his family as well. Obviously, everybody knows how much it would hurt his family to see him go down again. Please, please make the right choice here Dennis, and listen 100% to the doctors' recommendations in your situation. I'm rooting for you, BIG TIME, either way. There would certainly be NO shame if you had to make the unwanted, in your own mind's, decision to give the game up. Nobody would think any less of you. Your health is really ALL that matters.

This sounds like a pretty exceptional group of UFAs but, of course, only time will tell. I would not be surprised if a couple of them push Hard for a roster spot, and believe that quite a few will wind up on our PS.

I should have proof-read my last post. Of course, I meant to say that the penalties issued in the illegal filming incident was NOT adequate or sufficient. It will really be interesting to see what is done about "Deflategate." Goodel should remember that this organization is a repeat offender. He should Not take into account, in any way, his friendship with Kraft. It would not surprise me in the least if there is no penalty assessed at all, stating "no actual proof of who did what and who knew about it", but that would be a travesty. Goodel is in an untenable position and he was put there by none other than his "good" friend Mr. Robert Kraft. Does he, as he should, award a VERY harsh penalty, stating the history of the franchise's violations? Or does he, more likely, be very lenient and give the Cheatriots a slap on the wrist or, even, nothing at all, again, because of a "lack of undeniable proof" of Each individual's part in this most recent violation? The answer to that will be very telling. Will he truly discourage cheating to ALL the NFL's franchises? Or does he "encourage" such behavior to them all for the sake of winning? Very interesting.

The Cheatriots certainly Do, apparently, have a total lack of integrity. To me, it really boggles the mind how grown men can't seem to figure out that if you have to break or, even, bend the rules in your attempts to win, you really haven't won anything. Of course, each individual who bears any responsibility for either the actions themselves or the search and intent to find these "advantages" knows within themselves what they have done. So what if cry baby Brady or Belicheater did not deflate the balls themselves. The fact that they knew it was happening makes them just as responsible as the individuals who actually committed the offense and rule breaking. This is Not the first time this organization has broken rules. Most will remember the illegal filming of their upcoming opponent's practices for which they were fined, both the organization and Belicheater himself. And to top all this off, we have the owner not only claiming innocence, but actually "copping an attitude" and having the audacity to demand an apology from the league. Few people doubt that Roger Goodell, the league's commissioner, has a close friendship with the Cheatriots owner, Robert Kraft. Few people, also, don't think that this friendship has worked to the advantage of the Cheatriot's organization. Other than Cheatriot fans, I think that most people probably are of the belief that the penalties levied in the illegal filming instance was harsh enough, and that the same will hold true if, in fact, there are Any penalties given in the ball inflation scandal. The thing is, nobody will ever know how many times the Cheatriots resorted to Both of those illegal activities before they were caught. In all likelihood, both infractions most likely occurred before they were finally caught. The reality is that these people, Brady, Belicheater, Kraft, and who knows how many others, apparently, have No problem with cheating in order to win. That's truly unfortunate and tells a lot about their character and lack of integrity as men. To my way of thinking, though, these men have never won anything because their is a stain on All of their accomplishments. They may consider themselves winners in their own minds but, to me, they are all nothing but LOSERS. Shame on all of them. I have No regard for any of them and cannot bring myself to consider any of them honorable men and winners of anything. Both Brady's and Belicheater's accomplishments, to me, are All bogus because nobody can Ever be sure of how many of them were attained by way of using unfair and illegal tactics. Losers, all of them.

Nah! You can still say that any time you want. Everybody will always remember exactly what you mean and how you feel.

In Barry's defense, when he did announce his retirement, he clearly stated that he utilized the time (off-season) to think very strongly and thoroughly about whether or not he wanted to return. Now, yes, it may be argued that he could have made the Lions aware that he was "Contemplating" retiring, but he didn't really know what he wanted to do until he, finally, made his decision and announced it, and his decision was to retire. Barry Sanders is, and always was, a high quality man who deserves a great deal of respect for the way he carried himself and his charitable ways. I still remember him helping his Church and buying his Mother a house as soon as he signed his first contract. He thought of, and helped, a lot of other people. It has always bothered me when he is portrayed as an individual who "stuck it to" his former team. Knowing the kind of man he is, I will never believe that he Ever intended to intentionally hurt the Lions. Everybody deserves the right to think things through and make sure that they are doing what they really want so that they can do their best to avoid second guessing themselves later. Barry Sanders truly is a Good man. He, in my opinion, does not deserve that kind of criticism. Personally, I think his way was much more admirable than the way Ed Reed Constantly kept the Ravens wondering whether he was coming back or not with his ever conflicting statements. And, please, don't think I'm hating on Ed. I'm a HUGE fan of his. It's just that I'm a HUGE fan of Barry Sanders, as well, respect him a lot, and don't like hearing or reading criticism that I honestly don't think he deserves. I have Never heard him say anything negative about the Lions organization. No disrespect meant towards you, as we all have the right to voice our opinion. This was just mine, and nothing more.

So true, Mystigo, the broadcasting booth probably does await him, but I would Much rather see him instilling his knowledge and experience into our secondary; the sooner the better.

I'm not going to lie; there were times that Ed Reed irritated the heck out of me with the way he acted and with some of the things he said. His constant, "I'm retiring", "I'm not retiring", his keeping us guessing about whether he was coming back to play, leaving us wondering if we had to plan to go without him, the crazy statements that he would sometimes make, the constant criticizing he would do. But, you know what, I am SO HAPPY and feel we were SO BLESSED to have such an exceptional talent, a SURE Hall of Famer, on our team that I think it was ALL quite worth it, ALl of it. I think that Ed Reed is the best safety I have ever watched and I can remember watching NFL football all the way back to the 58 Championship, "the greatest game ever played." I know that makes me a dinosaur. I only have three Ravens jerseys, but Ed Reed's is one of them, along with Ray Lewis and Joe Flacco. The Ring of Honor is well deserved, Ed, but you've got a much bigger one coming, the Hall of Fame.

I agree with you about the UFA's potential as well. And I'm sure hoping the field looks as good as the paper does. I'm still Happy!

I don't know what Preston's problem is. He seems to be pretty negative on us quite often. I think he may be hanging out with Jamie Dukes a bit too much. Oh, and add Boomer Esiason in with those guys. The "three amigos", I, for one, could do without them. And it's a bit more irritating to me when all the "negs" are coming from Boomer. I mean, he Did play for Maryland in college. Phooey on the three of them. Be impartial and objective, don't have an agenda, or give up the mike, in my opinion.