Bat-mite

"It got me wondering whether Ravens fans would ever to go to such lengths. And if you would pony up the cash, what would your message above Steelers camp be?"

 

I'm going out on a limb here and well aware I'm risking raking up a nice number of negs - I'd say it wouldn't happen with the Ravens/steelers, or if it did, the message would be something radically different. Why? Because, at the heart of every truly great and long lasting rivalry, there is a huge deal of mutual respect. You can't feel you're in a rivalry with an opponent you can't respect. And, to be honest, I don't remember the steelers ever extending any kind of cheating or foul play on the organizational level... So, a heated rivalry, for sure. But a lotof respect, too. With the pats? Heated battles - for sure. Respect? Well... There would be a lot to respect about the pats as an organization, but it's real hard when they're doing these kinds of things...

No negative from me.  I agree with you 100%!

I am not a physically fit specimen ... so I have to ask -- how does one go from anaerobically unfit to fit overnight?

Would anybody trade a QB who consistently wins, starts every game, and gets in the playoffs for one who gets 4000 yards and a ProBowl berth? Really, would they?

This isn't Webb's first rodeo, he knows what the test consists of and to not be able to pass that test, when he should have been doing it daily for the last week shows a level of unconcern that worries me. Webb is supposed to be a leader but leaders don't come to camp and fail their conditioning test. Suggs is a perfect example. If I am a cornerback in the room full of cornerbacks, my respect for Webb just took a hit and when he tells me I should be doing something a particular way, I weigh that against him doing what he should have been doing in the off season that he didn't. I am very disappointed but he is a Raven and he will get it together.

I agree with you 100%.  I am in the computer biz, and if my company hired a new technical lead and he couldn't pass his Linux test, I wouldn't be so likely to take his advice at times when it counts.

Nevertheless, he will pass the test, he will play, and hopefully in two weeks we will have forgotten about this.

If we go 12 - 4, it won't matter how many games Brady and Bell were suspended. And if we go 10 - 6 and don't get in, that's our problem, not theirs.

I have to say ... of the Release list, I didn't even recognize 90% of the names.

"When it comes to the start of training camp, the Ravens have one foot in the past and another in the present." What the heck does that mean?

Everybody knows Tagliabue was bosom buddies with Jack Kent Cook. Together, they conspired to keep football out of Baltimore for fear that it would damage the Redskins.

Now look at it ... the Redskins are losing their name, they can't field a winning team, they can't find a franchise QB ... and yet they still have a huge, loyal fan base.

Bringing a team to Baltimore was never a threat to Washington. Two separate markets, two separate fan basses. Yet B'more got screwed for it.

Ray who?

It's funny how people look at things backwards. If Flacco sucked, and he had no chemistry with his receivers, then it would be prudent to look and see where he was falling short. If voluntary workouts proved to be the culprit, then so be it. But it's backwards.

If the guy has success, then that is all that matters. To me it would be like criticizing a bowler with a 290 average for not practicing as much as a guy who has a 260 average.

Look at the Flacco/Ryan last stat. That says it all. Flacco has been on his back more times than Ryan. A QB is only as good as his protection.

I can't wait for September! There, I said it.

Glad to see Carolina giving Newton so much of their cap. Wish other teams would do that. Maybe Washington will give RGIII twice that amount. And Big Ben? I'd like to see him get about $50 million a year.

Ravens at #1 in power rankings??!! I haven't seen that since..... >.> have the Ravens ever been #1 in the PR? I don't recall so. About time SOMEBODY recognizes what the Ravens bring to the table. King knows it....this, is going to be a great Ravens year! GO RAVENS!

I think they were for about five minutes after they won the Superbowl. 

Even though I work near Baltimore, there are more Steelers fans than Ravens fans on my team. I have asked all of them that they think of the bumblebee uniforms, and they unilaterally hate them and find them embarrassing. Some Steelers fans even call them "prison uniforms."

It looks like you're having to defend yourself quite a bit concerning your original post. Well, maybe I should say clarify, rather than defend. I think what happened was simply that a lot of people, myself included, didn't really get what you were saying, or if we did, then we read more into it than it sounds like you intended. You're explanation here is what kind of makes me think that, because I Do agree with you that a strong OL is Very important. We only have to remember back to 2013 to realize that. I agree that Yanda Is critical, and I hope we extend him just as much as I hope we get Tucker tied up for the long haul. I think losing either one of them is a horrible thought. But when you imply that without Yanda we will have a weak OL, well, I'm not really ready to concede that. While I desperately don't want to find out, I'm not so sure that finding a replacement for him would mean that our OL would be weak. I feel a little more sure that Tucker's excellence would be more difficult to replace. He's pretty much automatic and a weapon himself. He is so good that he actually does add a segment to our offense that we didn't have after Stover left. I don't want to have to weigh the loss of either of those guys or weigh their loss against each other, actually. I think they're both Big parts of our offense and I'm sure Ozzie agrees and will have Moriarity do All he can to keep them both. Actually, to me, I think the hardest one to hang onto just might be KO, but time will tell.

I pretty much agree with all that.  I am just remembering our season two years ago when we had such terrible woes on the OL, and how painful it was to see Flacco getting rushed, chased, and sacked all the time, and seeing our running game grind to a halt.  Tucker is an accurate, fun, charismatic player.  He is a high profile kicker who brings a lot of excitement to the game.  But the bottom line is--he needs the offense to get the team into FG position before he can even take the field.

A kicker is only there for kickoffs and extra points? Really! You say win games with offense. Well, the last time I checked, field goals were a HUGE part of a team's offense. Go back and count how many games Tucker has won for us with field goals, game winning field goals. How about the game winner in the closing seconds from, what, 61 yards or something like that. There aren't but maybe a few place kickers in the whole game who would have the leg and accuracy to make that kick. And under that kind of pressure!!! Tucker is a VERY important member of our team and would be extremely difficult to replace. Chances are that if we lose Tucker, our kicking game will suffer a downgrade in quality. Unfortunately, I can still remember the Billy "Can't Kick" days, when we had to punt from somewhere near our opponent's 35 yard line or so. The top kicker in this league makes around 4 million a year. Tucker should get top 5 money, and I sincerely hope he would accept that from us and that we are offering him that. I'm not saying it has to be that 4 mil, but it should probably be close. If we don't offer him that, I guarantee you someone will. He would be a HUGE loss.

I'm not arguing any of that.  I'm just saying we need to get Yanda first.  it doesn't matter how good your kicker is if you have a weak O-line, a QB who doesn't have time to throw, and no running game because the O-line is getting pushed around.  In that scenario, you are 3-and-out, and the kicker never takes the field.  Get Yanda first!

if we had tucker in 2011 we would probably have another Super Bowl victory under out belts now. Can't deny the importance of a clutch kicker in crucial situations, when the games on the line in the playoffs I don't want to rely on anyone other than tucker. Also have to consider the possible moving back of the PAT this year. Not gonna make a huge difference but it does increase the value of a good kicker.

But is it more important than having a great O-line?  Should they let Yanda walk to keep Tucker?

Do you know that the top three scoring Ravens are three kickers - Stover, Tucker and Cundiff? Yep, despite having played for "only" 3 seasons, Tucker scored the second most points in Baltimore Ravens history. His 401 points scored are almost 150 points more than Torrey (182) and  Boldin (86) combined. And he scored 117 more points than the best non-kicker (Jamal Lewis with 284 points - in 5 seasons, as opposed to Tucker's 3).

 

I would say that's a little more than "kickoffs and extra points".

Having Cundiff on the list proves that you don't have to be a great kicker to score a lot of point.  You need a great offense to move the team into field goal position.

Again, I am not dissing Tucker or kickers.  I'm just saying get Yanda first.

If there was one additional second left in the game or an additional timeout left, Tucker would have had an opportunity to kick a game winning FG vs the Chargers this past season.  Having a kicker as accurate as Tucker is a weapon that many teams don't have the luxury of having.  You can't state enough how important Tucker has been to our success since he joined the Ravens.

But he only gets that opportunity if Flacco is upright and able to move the team into FG position.

Top priotity should be to sign Tucker. We picked him up as a UDFA so he has been a bargain for years. He is a one man point machine. No reason to let him walk.

It grieves me, and I can't believe I'm saying this because I am a HUGE Tucker fan, but with a great front line and a great quarterback, you win games with touchdowns, and the kicker is only there for kickoffs and extra points.  I think we need to sign Yanda first, protect Flacco, and win games with offense.  Now, in the Trent Dilfer days, we needed a great kicker like Stover to compensate for our average offense.  And, yes, I love Tucker and hope he stays a Raven for life!

Cleveland really has some obnoxious reporters.

Cleveland is just a wreck, period.  They are already starting a QB controversy, and they aren't even in camp, yet.  Which one of our average QBs will we start?  Stick around to find out!  Only, it won't matter....

No offense, dude, but you have a wife like that and you need Breshad Perriman to give you inspiration to live?

Now we just need all these young guys to come together and gel. Coaches--time to step up!

Looks to be an exciting season.

Will he be a starter, or will we have to "develop" him for a year or two?