trevorsteadman

20 minutes ago, PurpleHorseman said:

I'm cool with the trade. I would have preferred to trade our round4 and something else like a round 5 or a pick next yr. And have 3 round3 picks in this draft to use for trading up or stockpiling young players picked in the top 99 in this draft. Management can move up into the top10 of the draft.

If ravens move up it has to be targeting a WR unles a top5 player slides. Jonathan Allen didn't test all that well and is projected to slide a little. He would be a brilliant replacement for Jernigan.

So far there isn't a replacement on the team. Pierce flashed. But not as much as Jernigan did his rookie campaign. Henry is a wildcard. After he was drafted I read on here several times about his raw athleticism was superior to Jernigans. Like his 40 time predraft was 4.8-4.9 range at whatever it is he weighs. But thus far he is an athlete. He is not a polished player with any rush, stack and shed moves.

I doubt the Eagles would have accepted that trade. The talent drop off after 70 in most drafts is pretty terrible. Luckily this is a deep draft and the Ravens have 4 of the top 78 players coming off the board. 

Nothing against Jernigan, I really loved the pick back in the day, but he showed he cannot be a consistent player. When coaches call him out on his work ethic you know why they traded him. 1 sack and 8 tackles or whatever it was in the last 8 games of the season is easily replaceable.

I am happy the team signed the consistent guy. I don't care if he hasn't had a history of getting to the quarterback, he is one of the best if not the best run stuffer in the NFL. Players will step up a lot of mid round draft picks invested over the years at the position.

7 minutes ago, GrimCoconut said:

If I recall correctly, I remember us showing a lot of 4 man front looks last year where we used Williams and Pierce as interior DL. Perhaps that's the plan and it's why we let Jernigan go due to the numbers game and his inconsistent play. 

I'm with you here in finding this move questionable but I guess we'll see if it was good or not soon enough. The team better nail this draft because the FO has made some slightly questionable decisions 

Correct the team has always used a hybrid of a 3-4 and 4-3, but Jernigan only playing about 50% of snaps the last 8 games is a sign that he was not a necessary signing. Unfortunately now the team has to fill Guy's role which I think will be the most underrated loss this offseason, and now Jernigan's. I like the trade and value, people will love to think Jernigan would be a top free agent and net a 3rd round comp in 2019, but in all honesty he has shown flashes but he is not consistent, plus hearing coaches say he was not dedicated in the gym as much as they would've liked.

I think the defense becomes more of a 4-3 team especially since the team has yet to find an athletic freak to fill Suggs' spot at OLB and I think that is the big thing. While Suggs is good he is aging and we are starting to slowly see less and less pressure each year, I think these younger guys unless the team somehow lands an crazy athletic guy, I think it is easier for these young DE's in college to stay at DE at the next level.

I think Pierce gets a lot of playing time this year. People are overreacting to Jernigan leaving. There are a lot of young high draft picks that can fill his void. This team has never had an issue replacing defensive linemen. 

6 hours ago, AnthonyGames said:

I think John Ross looks very Antonio Brown like 

I think Mike Williams looks like AJ Green and Corey Davis looks like Demaryius Thomas....

A lot of players play the same game but will never reach that ceiling. Antonio Brown ran a 4.6 and was drafted way late. Ross has an injury history, and Corey Davis is almost starting to look that way as well, which makes me very hesitant to draft him. Ross' game is based a lot on his speed and the more these wear and tear injuries occur, the slower he will be and have a harder time in the NFL. For an example of this it reminds me of Victor Cruz with the Giants. A lot of potential and broke out onto the scene and everybody thought he was going to be the next big receiver in the NFL. Next thing you know 2 or 3 injuries later.... He is still unsigned in free agency.

I know you cannot predict injuries but you have to take them into account. To me Williams and Davis have just as high of ceillings as Ross, fits the mold of what the Ravens need more than Ross does, and have less of an injury history and I think a higher floor.

1 minute ago, ludy51 said:

Timmy Jernigan officially traded to the Eagles

Ravens Give:

Timmy Jernigan

Pick No. 99

Eagles Give:

Pick No. 74

As much as I liked Jernigan, there was no way the team could retain him. He will be missed for sure, but as a future move this was the best way to go at it.

5 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

Didn't Harris test worse than Barnett in essentially every explosion and agility test at the combine despite Barnett having the flu? Or were they just neck and neck?

The combine isn't the best test for player explosiveness. It is there to try to show off players' skills but in all honesty we all know that on tape everyone can see that Harris is more explosive.

33 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

Doesn't mean he's a better player. Those traits fall into the "pass rush category" and yeah you can break down each little trait, but Barnett is still a far better edge rusher, which is what I was referring to

22 minutes ago, BOLDnPurPnBlacK said:

i think the point is, ignoring every individual trait... put them together and Barnett is a better pass rusher, better run defender, better setting the edge, etc....

 

EDIT - i see he already responded similarly.

Yeah don't get me wrong I think Barnett is better than Harris, but saying Barnett is better than Harris in 'every way' is not true. I was just saying there are a few traits that Harris has that is better than Barnett. If I was on the clock and had to pick the better player Barnett would be on the card. My point was, based off of what our defense has been, does Harris fit the team more than Barnett? 

13 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

Well Barnett is flat out better than Harris in every way, I'm sure they wouldn't mind having 2 stud 3 down OLBs rather than rotating them constantly. 

I disagree I think Harris has a better burst and faster first few steps by far.

Just now, Purple&Black#20 said:

Perriman! He's in a starting roll and should get between 7 and 10 targets a game. I would say Waller if he was a starter. Flacco is a better passer between the numbers and with he's size and speed would be a mismatch for any Linebacker or Safety. 

I agree you could tell Perriman was catching on near the end of the season. He was 4 of the top 10 plays for the Ravens based off of NFL Network with his limitd role and he slowly started catching on, and had a couple good catches that were barely out of bounds. 

I would love Waller to get more play time his size and speed I think benefits the offense more than Pitta to be honest. I wonder if the Ravens use Pitta more in the slot like they used to when the Ravens won the Super Bowl back in 2012/2013. He cannot block at all.

The one player I hope really breaks out though is Maxx Williams. He showed flashes as a rookie, but was injured and looked lost last year early in the process. 

58 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

I don't think so man, ZDS overachieved as a rookie and all 6 of his sacks came purely as a result of coverage or blown blocking assignments. Anytime he's been forced to engage and actually rush the edge conventionally, he has been awful. He comes off the line upright, barely uses his hands, and sprints straight out of the play. 

Judon is showing lateral movement and dissecting openings into the pocket and great hand usage and some bend as well, not to mention his absurd awareness that had him, a small school rookie, abandoning a free rush to break off and cover screens, the offense tried to outsmart him multiple times by not blocking him and dumping off into the space he vacated and he never fell for it, that was the thing that made me really think we found a gem. Voch Lombardi likes to say "if you ain't getting blocked you gettin set up" and Judon doesn't get set up, it's impressive for a rookie. Z just brainlessly runs and hopes something happens.

Then my question would be does the team target more of a Dumervil type OLB to compliment Judon for when Suggs retires? The Ravens talk about Judon playing about the same game as Suggs. That leaves me to question if the team would draft a Derek Barnett or would they rather go the Charles Harris route? Does the team really care about a 3rd down specialist more than an overall rounded player that can play both the run?

Just leaves me interested for this draft.

21 hours ago, Halshayeji said:

You made a lot of valid points. I absolutely agree that I'm more worried about C than anything else.

RT is a tough position to play obviously but one can argue it's the easiest because there's always a TE right next to you and Yanda on your left. Wagner was at his best when Gilmore lined up next to him. Just sayin

I also agree that we already have a solid foundation in Lewis, Stanley, and Yanda. Most teams would love to have those 3 and fill in the gaps around them. my biggest issue is that Flacco needs an elite Oline. Over the past 9 years, his play has been up and down. He's made bad receivers look better and good receivers look bad. some good RBs underperformed and some bad RBs overachieved. It's been a mix of a million different factors and I'm not here to argue any of them. The one consistant thing that Iv seen from Flacco is that he plays better than expected with a great line and a lot worse that we bargained for when hs line is shaky.

theres absolutely no shame in admitting that our QB is  Rodgers, Brees, Brady and maybe Wilson and Luck are QBs that can put up respectable stats with patched up lines but most NFL QBs struggle. I honestly believe an Elite line is more important than an elite WR or an elite RB 

I think a huge root of the problem is a lot of us, especially myself, put too much stock into how well this team would play with Flacco coming off an acl/mcl tear, your best target coming off an achilles tear, your other wide receiver coming off two acl tears, and no proven guy at running back (after cutting an injured and old Forsett).

Also two rookies on the line didn't help, the injuries didn't help but the team should have had better depth. Hindsight we should've known that with the offensive coordinator changes and everything else changing in the offense, that it would take time for the offense to click. Unfortunately by the time the offense started clicking was when the defense lost Jimmy Smith and started to slip.

The Ravens need consistency on offense. There is too many moving pieces each year that it is no wonder that the team struggles. That includes the coaching staff. Looking at the top offenses over the years, the best ones are the ones that have the same core group of people year in and out.

1 hour ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

ZDS looks like a lost cause

Here's to hoping he just had a sophomore slump and hope that Judon doesn't have a sophomore slump.

8 minutes ago, gtalk12 said:

wait, we got into the redzone?

I think the team got into the redzone quite a bit. The problem was they ended up settling for field goals most the time.. That is what happens when you have two speed threats, a 5'9 37 year old receiver, and a tight end who only had 2 touchdowns in a 16 game span coming off of grandpa hip surgery twice.

That is why I think the Ravens need height at the wide receiver position. That is why I tell people the Ravens need to get Davis or Williams over Ross if they draft a wide receiver round one. 

1 minute ago, jazz1988 said:

 

I think also if the run game was good that year it would have helped out Thompson and Doss.

Yep so many injuries on the o-line... The team also had an undrafted rookie named Hurst at LT after o-line injuries.

3 hours ago, RayRayRaven said:

if yo a raven fan lately pain is the name of da game

I'm convinced this account was made and owned by the Baltimore Ravens last season to boost alcohol sales at games.

27 minutes ago, bioLarzen said:

Hmmm... looking at the adopted rule changes...

"Make actions to conserve time illegal after the two-minute warning warning of either half"

Does that include spiking the ball? The only goal of spiking the ball is literally to conserve time...

Or stepping out of bounds?

OK, this latter was a joke. But the first one is interesting.

Stop breaking the NFL

25 minutes ago, whobilly said:

Key Offseason Losses Lewis and Wright?

Wright was a huge piece last year in Jimmy Smith's absence and did a decent job but definitely not as good as many expected. Kendrick Lewis was a good special teams player and a good #3 safety. I would definitely have them as key offseason losses. Two big spots that need to be filled. Looks like Carr will replace Wright but still remains to be unseen who will be the #3 safety.

12 minutes ago, rmw10 said:

TE baffles me.  I can understand keeping one of Pitta or Watson for a competition, but both?  Let the young guys roll.  The decision to keep Pitta irks me to no end.  I've maintained my stance that they've been way too loyal to him.  It's great that he's Joe's best friend and worked his way back from terrible injuries, but I don't really see how he helps this team.

It'll be interesting to see though.  I just don't see any offensive identity outside of the checkdown and it's been that way for a very long time.

I would be surprised if Watson is on the roster going into the season. Likely will keep him on the roster until OTA's and training camps just in case an injury happens

6 minutes ago, The Raven said:

I don't see the direction either, but at the same time, I do think this is a team that can compete. We competed last year until injuries caught up with us.

Jefferson and Carr are guys that improve things we didn't do well last year: tackling and pressing. We didn't tackle well in the secondary and our corners (not blaming Pees for this) gave receivers too much space to work with. Those, to me, were the biggest problems we faced. We gave receivers too much space and we failed to tackle, and that's why we gave up so many third down conversions. We basically let them have the easy stuff. 

I'm actually seeing a clear defensive direction, as I flesh this out. The plan I see Ozzie making is going to help get the 

We retained Brandon Williams and got Jefferson -- both moves that will improve the run defense. A good run defense will put us in more third and longs on defense. We got Carr, who plays closer to the line, and we got Jefferson, who makes tackles.

By taking away the easy stuff, I think we'll force more punts. Dean Pees's defense works when you do the little things right -- chasing and tackling. So, I see this as a clear direction.

The offense, on the other hand, remains directionless and without an identity. 

To be honest I bet there are some deals already on the table right now with some players that aren't being leaked because they are to be kept secret. Second wave of free agency is in June and I bet this team signs two or three of those players like an Anquan Boldin after June so it does not affect the comp pick formula for the team. The Ravens are likely to get a 3rd or 4th for Wagner next year.

8 minutes ago, jazz1988 said:

Boldin production for most part was pretty average for a guy that was suppose to be The Ravens number one  receiver and even though he was more skilled as a receiver Torrey Smith was the one defenders were afraid of the most.  Boldin did his thing in the playoffs and the  super bowl but letting him go wouldn't have look as dumb as some Ravens seem to  believe if Tandon Doss stepped up and  if Dennis Pitta hip never got injured in training camp. I don't think The Ravens miss Boldin nearly as much if those two things happen especially with the situation with Pitta but Boldin still got replaced any way when The Ravens signed Steve Smith Sr.

To add to this, one year later when they signed Steve Smith Sr. they got him for half the cost that Boldin wanted and got more production by far when healthy. It is insane to think he was on pace to break 1500 yards with a missing game and playing through injuries in 2015 at the age of 35. He started getting back to where he left off last year near the end of the season. It is a shame that he called it a career, he can still play.

But yes it reminds me of everyone believing Tandon Doss could replace Anquan Boldin, and at one time I started believing he had the skillset to. But he way underperformed. Fact is it was smart to move on from Boldin at the time.

28 minutes ago, rmw10 said:

Don't get caught up in current rankings.  There are always prospects you don't think will be 1st rounders that end up in the first round.  Karl Joseph was lauded as a 2nd round guy up until a couple weeks before the draft last year.  Ryan Kelly got the 1st round buzz a bit earlier but at this point last year, he was also in a similar boat where he wasn't considered a 1st rounder.  A couple of years back Ja'Wuan James was a consensus 2nd/3rd rounder until about a week beforehand.

It reminds me of Billings last year being talked about being an early 2nd round pick and he fell to the 4th round to Cincy at 122. There always seems to be a few surprise risers and fallers draft day.

I would still push for Josh Gordon. As much as I want Boldin back he is older and getting up there. I think he will turn it around and surprise people. His suspensions are easily fixable. 

I know we have our differences of opinions all the time but I do like the board. I think there are some tweaks I would make but I do love the pick at #16. I do like the time and effort you put into this. Hopefully you continue the hard work!

11 hours ago, sflegend89 said:

Ross is going to be a stud. This time of year always gets people so obsessed with measurables. If Ross was 6'2+ with the same production/film you would all be drooling over him.

All Top 15 in Receiving YDS last year - Antonio Brown, TY Hilton, Brandin Cooks, Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Julian Edelman, Doug Baldwin, Golden Tate

Over half the leading WR's in the Top 15 last year were under 6 foot

That also has to do with the fact those teams are in pass heavy offenses...... The Ravens moved the ball relatively well last season from what I saw. They broke down around the opponent's 30 yard line. The team needs to start being able to put up 7 points a drive, not 3.

Has anyone seen Casserly's latest mock? Has the Ravens taking Corey Davis and the Browns end up with Myles Garrett, OJ Howard, and Mitchell Trubitsky. All three of those players the Browns get are the best at each respective position. I would love to see that type of draft haul for the Browns. Also I am a big Corey Davis fan so I would like to see him here.

12 hours ago, Ravenskid52752 said:

Well it's not post combine hype he's a big play waiting to happen from anywhere on  the field. There is this misconception about him that he's just a speedy guy where he can actually run all the routes in a route tree look at the film you see that.

History of players his size at the position usually do not pan out well in the NFL.. He has already struggled with injuries early in the process that is probably what scares me the most. You can get a shifty, quick receiver who can run all the routes in the tree later in the draft. The team already kind of has that with Campanaro. 

I know he has a lot of touchdowns in college but I am afraid with his height that some of that won't translate as well, and that is troubling. Watching Baltimore last year, the offense moved the ball pretty well overall, but then struggled once it got around the redzone. While Pitta seemed to start coming on last year and I think he will be used more in the slot next year, I think the team needs some extra height and toughness at wide receiver. 

While it is all just different opinions on where the offense should go, I do think this offense has enough speed already. Wallace, Perriman, and Moore is plenty of speed. While more speed wouldn't hurt, playing against tight coverage like New England, Denver, and other teams you are not going to win all game long with pure speed.