huntrgathrr

I absolutely love the Raven's clear cut decision to build a great defense. They have executed this plan wholeheartedly and IMO their decisions seem excellent. Jefferson and Weddle are 2 of the top safeties in the league and probably the best tandem. Adding Carr and drafting Humphries should give us 4 solid corners with Smith and Young. If Humphries pans out then this may be the best secondary in the league. Smiths injury led to a meltdown in the secondary last year and cost us an AFC North title. That won't be the case this year. Adding Williams and Bowser gives the front seven 2 serious pass rushers to accompany Suggs and Judon. Adding Wormley creates quality depth behind Williams, Pierce and Urban. He looks good enough to end up starting before the year is over. He won the Michigan DPLOY twice, being selected over Peppers who was a phenomenal player. The icing on the cake would be if Kafusi and Correa come to fruition this year. That would give the Ravens the deepest and probably the most talented defense in the league. That would take a lot of pressure of the offense. Having only to cross midfield for Tucker to score is a unique luxury afforded the Ravens. But the offense is being grossly underestimated by almost everyone. That is a mistake. Flacco showed he can win close games with his performance on Christmas day in Pittsburgh. His performance was outstanding and should have delivered the game and the AFC North title to the Ravens. We have three excellent offensive lineman in Lewis, Stanley and Yanda. Whether Jensen earns the job at center or they bring in Mangold won't hurt. Likewise, if Siragusa wins the LG spot or if they use Hurst at RT this will be a very good offensive line. This gives Joe time to throw and allows West and Dixon to be very effective north-south runners. They shredded the Pittsburgh defense in the final drive, using 6 of the 7 minutes left in the game before we scored the apparent game winning TD with a minute left. Only a Christmas day miracle resurrected a Steeler team that was beaten by the Ravens for the 7th out of 8 times in the last 3 years. That will not happen this year. The wailing and wringing of hands over the WR position is unwarranted. Wallace is a proven WR with experience and speed that teams must respect. But I'm very optimistic that we have some great talent waiting to flourish in Perriman, Waller and Moore. All three have the abilities to have standout performances and become stars in the league. My prediction is that 2 of these guys combine for over 1500 yards receiving and 15 TDs this season. We have the cap space to bring in a FA as well if needed and there are plenty of proven receivers out there. Pitta and Boyle are very effective TEs. Pitta is clutch and he showed that against the Steelers on Christmas day. If Williams finally lives up to his potential then this will be a formidable TE group, regardless of what Watson does. Defense wins championships. This has always been true and today's NFL is no exception. This is why the Steelers, before last season, won 1 playoff game in 5 years and were thoroughly routed by NE last year. NE's domination last year was due to their defense as was Seattle's and Denver's in the previous years. With the defense Baltimore should have this year they should be tough to beat. I can't wait to see if the plan works out.

This should prove to be an excellent draft for the Ravens. Humphries, Williams, Bowser, Wormley and Siragusa should all see significant playing time and provide tremendous quality depth on the defensive side of the ball. Considering the additions of Carr and Jefferson and the development of Tavon Young the secondary will be able to withstand the yearly injury to Jimmy Smith without a complete meltdown. This cost them the AFC North title last year. They have a clear potential to be the #1 defense in the NFL. Defense wins championships as recently proven by Denver, Seattle and even NE last year. I'm not at all worried about the offense. At WR I think Perriman, Waller and Moore all can be big play receivers to complement Wallace. We're set at QB, RB and TE. They will probably pick up a veteran center in lieu of Hurschel or Jensen (i.e. Mangold) but Yanda, Stanley and Lewis are a solid core no matter who starts at LG ( Siragusa?) or RT (Hurst?). Heck, with Tucker they only have to cross midfield. Flacco's performance on Christmas day should have won the game and emphasized that given the right tools he can still be a difference maker. This defense can be so good that Ray Lewis' comment before the 2000 Superbowl may be as true today as it was then...." if the offense doesn't let them score then we can't lose."

Defensive breakdowns cost us dearly last year. Pretty safe to say that won't happen again this year. We seem to be building one of the top defenses in the league. It is a fact that defenses win championships and it will great to see the Ravens with a top tier defense again. The holes on offense can be easily filled veteran FAs such as Mangold and Bolden to name a couple. I like the clear cut decision of the front office to rebuild the D and their level of commitment to getting it done.

IMO Waller will become the #1 receiver on the team and a star in the NFL. He and Perriman may become the top receiver tandem in the league. As long as the Ravens get 1 or 2 more top level OL this will be their year.

IMO the success of the defense this year will largely depend on both Kafusi and Correa stepping up and playing well. This would give us much needed talent and depth in the front seven. We should get some help in the draft as Ozzie usually finds quality defensive players in the middle and late rounds. We desperately need a pass rusher and another outside LB. Suggs should retire and Z. Smith needs to really step up. Signing Williams to join Pierce and Jernigan up front was HUGE!! This could be a real good defense if Jimmy Smith stays healthy and Kafusi and Correa play up to expectations.

can anyone tell me why Zac Orr retired? Down in Texas I struggle to get Ravens news. But this was a shocker. Orr and Mosley were the best pair of inside linebackers football has seen in years. And were set to be a pair of pro bowlers for years. Orr suffered a "stinger" in the Pittsburgh game. During the evaluation of that injury a congenital defect was found in his cervical vertebrae (neck) that put him at risk for a serious neck injury that could result in paralysis or worse. He was advised by the doctors to never play football again and to consider himself lucky he hadn't been seveerly injured.

Excellent move....we now have 3 very solid corners on Carr, Young and Smith as well as 2 very good safeties in Weddle and Jefferson. Levine also gives them some depth. If Kafusi, Z. Smith and Correia step up this year this could be an awesome defense. We need a good pass rusher to go along with Judon since IMO Sugg's is over the hill and will probably retire. We also need a replacement for Orr if Correia can't handle it. Maybe McClellan?? Our D line is solid with Williams , Jernigan Urban and Pierce. Some quality depth would be nice. The offense will be fine if we sign Mangold or someone like him and get an adequate replacement for Wagner. Hurschel at center makes me nervous. Alex Mack should take over at left guard. I guess Hurst or Jensen can handle R tackle. Sorry to see Ducasse and Wagner leave though. Maxx Williams needs to step up this year and be the guy we thought we drafted. Boyle and Pitta will be ok if he doesn't. I like the recievers we have,,,,Waller, Perriman, Wallace and Moore. Hopefully Aiken stays. Getting Bolden back wouldn't hurt. I love Dixon and West. Woodhead should provide some versatility. This team is starting to take shape and looks pretty good. Great improvements in the secondary make us better already. We should be able to get some decent OL, LBs, and corners in all of the 1st 4 rounds. The big pieces are in place so we really need some depth. I bet Ozzie takes the best middle LB available in the first round and picks up the best offensive lineman with his second pick. After that he will go for a McPhee-type pass rusher in the third. All of these should be available to him and would give the Ravens a good shot to contend next year.

Due to Jimmy Smith's durability issues getting Claiborne or Amakumora is imperative. We desperately need Correia and Kafusi to step and excel this year. Even if they do we also need to acquire a top notch pass rusher as IMO Suggs is over the hill. Hopefully Smith will emerge at outside linebacker. This also raises the question as to who will replace Zac Orr. Don't know if Mangold is still available but that would be a good pick up a well. Clearly, Ozzie needs to kill this draft even if it means trading up to do it. The Ravens have a lot of work to do. I'm fine with Wallace, Perrriman, Waller, Moore and Woodhead at WR. Adding Latavius Murray would be awesome.

Surprised me too.... It is becoming very clear and even simple....we need 2 top level OL to play with Stanley and Yanda assuming we sign Mangold. If Flacco doesn't take a pay cut then release him and go with Mallet. If they lose Williams then they won't finish with a winning record and that should end the Harbaugh era. They need a beast to play with Mosely in the middle. They need 3-4 OLBs that stop the run and rush the passer. Overall they need 4-5 guys in the front seven presuming that Kausi and Correia are the busts they proved to be in year one. Dumervil, Webb, Suggs and the china doll (Jimmy Smith) are of no exceptional value to the team and should be traded or released Signing Jeffferson was a step n the right direction

Assuming we get a good replacement for Wagner, the offense will be fine. Forget it, this team's defensive needs are staggering. Jefferson is a great first step. Pay Williams whatever he wants,,,,,he makes everyone around him a better player while eating 2 blockers and closing up the middle of the defense. if we don't resign Williams this team will be lucky to finish 8-8. He is a freakish talent that can not be replaced. Give him a 10 year deal for 80 million..........or whatever. Last year the defensive front seven was one of the deepest and most talented in the NFL and won a lot of games for us. The secondary let us down especially when the china doll ( Jimmy Smith) exited for his regular stint at polishing the pine. Also accept that Suggs is done...no longer a dominant player and now barely effective. Cut or trade Suggs and Smith. Arrington and Wright were appropriately cut as should be Dumervil and Webb. Getting rid of these players leaves a lot of holes as does the loss of Orr. We need 2 top tier corners. We need a bad butt middle lb to play with Mosely We need 2 top tier corners to play with Young. We need 4-5 DL/LB to play with Pierce, Jernigan and Guy. We have to assume Corriea and Kafusi are busts along with Davis. Z Smith should be given a chance to show he can dominate or be let go. To fix this team Flacco needs to restructure,,,,,,,,,if he doesn't cut him and go with Mallett...he can get us to 8-8 at 10% of the price.

Torrey would be a welcome return at the right price. His lack of performance should ensure we get him cheap and we know he and Joe can make it happen. Of course that assumes we get 2 more offensive lineman that can play with Yanda and Stanley and hopefully sign Mangold. Otherwise it won't matter if we have jerry rice, joe montana and calvin johnson.....flacco will be running for his life before he goes out with a career ending injury. I guess he cares more about money (that he will never spend) than winning and his health. For such a smart guy he is behaving very stupidly. Every good QB that wants to win should be looking at what Tom Brady did.....took a huge pay cut to build a great team around him. i guess Joe either doesn't care or doesn't believe a better team will make a difference. In either case he should just retire and play with his kids for the next 20 years.....he is obviously not really a team player. Mallett can get to 8-8 at 1/10 the price. This should be the end of the Harbaugh era. He had a real good run but it is obviously over....5-11, 8-8 and this season will be much worse. The team has been gutted with the loss of Brandon Williams and Rick Wagner.....and I mean really gutted. These 2 embodied the young and physically dominant ravens. The sad fact is that they cannot and will not be replaced with guys of equal talent leaving a more mediocre team. The only hope for the Ravens is cut or trade Flacco, Smith, and Suggs to develop some cap space and get higher draft picks. This should be a rebuilding year, to say the least. Flacco, Smith and Suggs have done nothing for this team in the last few years and are making way too much money. There is Nothing to lose by giving younger and hungrier players a chance to shine.

Nothing could be more unimportant than signing Danny Woodhead. We need 2 top tier corners that can play while the china doll (jimmy smith) polishes the pine waiting for his next big contract. Mosely needs a partner in the middle. Yanda and Stanley need 2 more just like them on the OL. Assuming Kafusi and Correia remain busts, we need 5 more LBs and DL to go with Pierce, Guy and Jernigan. Forget Suggs, he's done. Maybe Smith will improve and give us one pass rusher, which will hardly make a difference given the lack of depth and talent we now have in the defensive front seven. At least we have 2 good safeties...lol, we will need them unless Ozzie pulls off a major miracle. Losing Williams and Wagner gutted this team. The loss of talent and physical domination is disgusting. This should be the end of the Harbaugh era.

Mallett can be the starting Qb for the Ravens. Cutting Flacco and promoting Mallett will give us the ability to put together a team that can win the super bowl. So Joe, take the hint and do what Tom Brady did for his team...take a pay cut and let them put together a winning team. We need 2 more top tier OL to play with Stanley and Yanda now that Wagner is gone, Mosely needs a partner in the middle. We need 2 top tier corners since the china doll (Jimmy Smith) can only be counted on as a luxury item. (like hookers and cocaine at the Crease in Towson). We also need 2 top tier OLBs that can rush the passer and stop the run (Dumervil is gone and Suggs is done). We also need a run stopper in the middle now that Williams is gone...a terrible decision by Ozzie to let him go by the way. If you don't care about winning enough to take a pay cut then just retire and give the franchise some hope.

The Ravens better wake up and smell the roses....we need to keep Wagner and Brandon Williams no matter what the cost. These 2 cannot be replaced either through the draft or free agency. Cut Wallace, Suggs and Dumervil if necessary..all are overpriced relative to their current ability to contribute.These 2 give our team mental and physical toughness on both sides of the ball. Williams is worth 2 players as he frees up his line mates (Jernigan and Pierce) to excel. Wagner completes the trifecta on the offensive line with Yanda and Stanley. Without these two the Ravens won't compete. Maybe Flacco can take a page from Brady's book and restructure his contract to allow the Ravens the cap space to keep the players they need to be a winning team. If he doesn't I have no problem cutting him and going with Mallett. In addition to keeping these 2 guys the Ravens have a couple important issues that need to be addressed. First is that Jimmy Smith can't be counted on to suit up. With Smith the raven secondary is really good. He makes every other player much better. Without him the secondary was fkn helpless. Young is a good corner that will only get better and Weddle was a good safety. Consider getting Revis to play safety alongside Weddle. Trade up to get the top 2 corners in the draft or get one in free agency. We lost 4 games due to a lack of talent in the secondary...raiders, giants, steelers and the redskins. Secondly, we need to get the expected performance from several players....Maxx Williams, Corriea and Kafusi. The offense is fine. Perriman and Waller will step up and be good #1 and #2 recievers. Along with Moore and Aiken this is all Joe should need I love West and Dixon. Pitta was really good last year and should be even better next year. Boyle should be good and Juice is really coming into his own. His TD run on Christmas Day was highlight reel stuff...knocking Pittsburgh's hardest hitter on his butt in a head on collision and getting into the end zone on all fours.He should be resigned at all costs. He proved his toughness and determination beyond all doubt. Despite all the criticism, Flacco is a great QB. His performance on Christmas Day was exceptional and should have been enough to win the game and the division title. He can't carry the team by himself (like Big Ben) but can take a solid team a long way in the playoffs. Last year the Raven's lack of talent in the secondary cost them a very good season. But the guys on the hot seat should Harbaugh and Pees. John made some bonehead decisions that cost us at least 2 games. Pees called some great games but screwed them up in the 4th quarter by abandoning his game plan and going to "prevent" which only prevented us from winning. On Christmas day, watching Brown and Bell be allowed to run free from the line of scrimmage after we had a 20-10 lead made me sick. We shut them down for 3 quarters.....then called off the dogs and gave them life. So stupid. Pees and a lack of individual talent in the secondary allowed them to make a MIRACLE comeback. Never should have happened. I have really loved Harbaugh for the since he took over years but in the last 2 years he has come up very short. Until then he exemplified great coaching by always getting the most out of his team. The last 2 years, especially last year, he got the very least out of his team. IMO, the worst they could have done was 8-8. That was a 12-4 team all day long and should have been in NE playing them for the AFC Championship. The fact that they humbled the Steelers (21-0 with 8 min left) in the first game at Balt and were winning in Pittsburgh 28-24 with 1:15 left in the game and Pitts at their own 8 yard line is enough evidence to suggest they were a superior team to the Steelers. To be sitting at home for the playoffs was a GD crime. IMO Steve Biscoitti knows this as well. Losing games to inferior teams due to bonehead coaching decisions late in the game should no longer be tolerated. Credit from prior good performance has been used up. Exceeding expectations and creating a team that that is greater than the sum of the parts is a must. Missing the playoffs three years in a row will be convincing evidence that we need new leadership. I'd rather finish in last place with a terrible team than watch a really good team under perform and fail to achieve their potential.

I would have no problem letting Webb or Dumervil go. We should trade up for 2 high round corners and a safety. Replacements for Orr and Williams can be found in the early and mid rounds. Kafusi and Correa have to come up big this year.. Wallace also can go as he is too expensive for what he contributes. I think Waller and Perriman will step up this year so keeping Aiken and adding a couple of receivers in the early rounds would be wise from a cap space viewpoint. Maxx Williams and Boyle need to emerge this year to complement Pitta. Pitta showed he is fully healed and had a pretty good year, often making 9-10 catches a game. I'm happy with West and Dixon as well as Juice at RB. The hit Juice put on Mitchell on Christmas Day to score the go ahead TD showed me the guy can be a real contributor next year. I hope they find a way to keep Wagner and Brandon Williams as it will be a big loss if they lose them both.