Tenacious Faulker

Two things not making this draft a slam dunk A is a questionable pick on a CB in rd 1 and no receivers. They can address receiver in free agency and Anquan Boldin is still out there, but at what price? Will he give them a hometown discount? With the signing of Brandon Car at CB it makes the Humphrey pick look capricious - a pure BPA pick. Being picked in rd1 means immediate contributor and JuJu Smith-Schuster could've been a nice 2nd rd pick and perfect for the slot position. I'm not complaining about Tyus Bowser in the least, but they better have a solution for fortifying the WR position.

Regarding Hensley's draft pick: Depending on who was still on the board Forest Lamp would be a great pick. Like Yanda he can play every position. He's as tough as Robinson too. Re: Reuben Foster: I hope they don't draft he kid. He has too much growing up to do and handing him a giant paycheck means he's going to get himself into trouble. The Timmy Jernigan tie in is not very encouraging. He was a 1st rd talent that dropped and never really lived up to his pot6It's rare that the Ravens let a guy with his potential walk after his rookie deal. Now he's an Eagle.

I like your thinking. The only question is will the Panthers take it? They two are rumored to want to move up.

Losing Jernigan wasn't concerning to me. One, we have depth to spare there and very talented young talent. Two, Jernigan wasn't exactly setting the world aflame despite being a 1st round talent that fell the the 2nd. He had some personality red flags on this draft profile and Harbaugh's statement during the trade rumors that he was a great player "when motivated" seem to jibe with Cullen saying he had to push him in practice constantly. Also, given that he was probably going to ask too much next year was a pretty smart move. Moving up 25 picks to the top third of Rd3 is not too bad - just thought he was worth an additional "full" pick rather than a "half" (same round swap) for his talent. Guess the Eagles saw this too.

I loved Kubiak here in Baltimore, but I knew that IF he decided to be an HC again after his time here and recovered from his health issues he'd be a short-timer. here. I always liked him as OC for the Broncos and HC for Houston and knew he'd help Baltimore greatly. I was "right" on both accounts though. He did help us and he did leave after a season when his old buddy Elway asked him to coach Denver. I never liked Kyle for his personality and I never like nepotism (like in Washington) but I have to admit that he ran a stellar offense in Atlanta with Joe's 1st rd draft-mate Matt Ryan. In retrospect I wonder if it Kyle mught not have been the better option for long-term benefits for the offense.

I've read nothing about Ross having good route running skills. Scouting report said Perriman had better skills coming out of college and in limited use he showed he has the ability to catch on go, post and slant routes. Not to mention having three outside threats when we need a slot man... I'd take JuJu or MacCaffery over Ross. There are more important things than speed. Remember all the fastest yardage milestone records Q set wiith his 4.8 40 time?

McCaffery has been mocked by many top and credible writers in the first round. Namely the Chiefs, Broncos, the Patriots (before the trade), and now the Saints. I've seen fewer multi-round mocks with him in 2nd than 1st. He is may be the smartest offensive player in this year's draft and has a nose for moving the chains. Even if the Ravens drafted him at 16 I wouldn't be disappointed. The kids can do it all.

It would be a coup to land Derek Barnett, Corey Davis, or Mike Williams. I don't anticipate them being around at 16, but stuff happens. All it takes id for perhaps 2 curve balls early in the draft and someone gets a steal. That said, practically speaking, I'm not sold on John Ross. He has the speed, but is a raw route runner with questionable hands. If they don't have veteran in place (or at least a plan to nab one before preseason) then I'd prefer they take Christian McaCaffery who plays like a Raven, has a high football IQ and would be a day one starter as a utility player. Despite being RB, he tried out as a WR at his Pro Day Best part is that he's looking like a early to mid-20 overall pick (high 2nd round at worst) so I think they could trade back to get him and land another pick or two.

Looking for a big season from Perriman this year. There is no reason he shouldn't have one: Has good QB, has all the gifts of a top WR, will not get lost in the depth chart and is no finally healthy. Reportedly Joe and his top receivers will workout before OTAs to start getting a rhythm. All good signs!

RE: Position that needs to be addressed in rd 1 - Going down the list to running back it's important to note that Christian MacCaffery is switching to receiver for the draft. He worked out as one at his Pro Day and looked the part with crisp routes and sticky hands. I doubt teams are really considering him as a top running back prospect at this point and more of a utility player. Whether that helps his draft spot or not remains to be seen, but one team that should take him in round 1 is the Ravens. McCaffery in the slot would be an immediate starter and chain mover for Joe for years to come.

One thing about JJSS is that he's about 0.3 sec faster in the 40 than Boldin was. If he has is other pass catching traits and situational awareness as well he should be a beast. But I just don't like the name "JuJu" - stick with John, bro.

More Taco please! He had a 4.7 40 in his Pro Day (.22 sec better than Combine and faster than Suggs) and he's huge. He's also linked to the Ravens because of the Harbaugh bros and I thin John will take Jim's word on him. If they don't go offense and CBs are flying off the board Taco should be our man.

I just don't see Peppers here as a multi-role defensive guy as much as I see McCaffery doing the same thing on offense. Despite high level of play Peppers seems to have mastered none of his positions and I think he needs to be taught the finer points of every position they expect him to touch. He''s no Deone Bucannon. McCaffery on the other hand is a ready made Pro who is a polished runner and an accomplished receiver. He IS closer to Julian Edelman and he would be an immediate contributor all over the offense.

I'd like to throw in a name not linked too much to the Ravens - Stanford RB Christian McCaffery. So many have John Ross right now picked for the Ravens, but he'd compete against Wallace and Perriman for play time meaning our 1st rd pick wouldn't get used much. He is smaller than them, less experienced and is a raw route runner. Better to trade back to the 20's, pick up another pick or two and draft McCaffery who is a better all around offensive weapon who can play from the slot (a need), is durable, smart, has better hands and gives you offensive and ST options immediately. Think of him as a Julian Edelman in a Ravens uni. Make it happen Ozzie!

I know as much as the next Ravens fan that Ozzie likes to pick the best player available, but Ross is not as good as McCaffery. Ross is a speed merchant that is not familiar with the entire route tree. Besides, we have Wallace and Perriman who are fast enough, more experienced and bigger. Despite being a RB McCaffery does know more of the route tree particularly the short and medium routes and is a better all around player who can pay dividends early as a rookie. He'd fill the Steve Smith/Campanaro role and handle KR duties. If you want Julian Edelman on the team without the stink of Patriots on him, MacCaffery is you're man and we can trade back to the 20's to get him and more picks.

I generally like Hensley, but if he thinks that Claiborne is one fo the best CBs in the NFL, he's on crack. He had half a good season this year, missed half the games due to injury in his 4 yr career and is as small as Tavon Young. I have a lot of faith in Ozzie, but this seems worse than the Dominique Foxworth signing. Untapped potential doe not equal future production. I hope both sides walk away from this offer.

Thank you! I've been saying this for weeks now and may Ravens fans are not too high on him. If any fans want a Julian Edelman-type in Bmore that has a nose for first downs and can take on KR/PR duties, he's the guy. The Ravens can also trade out of 16th, a a couple more picks, and draft him in the mid-20's. He's an NFL-ready player. If Joe needs a checkdown guy in the slot that can make 1st downs, look no further.

This is like the Patriots use of Vince Wilfork. They too paid handsomely for a few key positional players throughout their dynasty. They managed their salary cap personnel roster ruthlessly. The Ravens look like they may be starting to do the same. For years they looked to be the team that stuck with their home grown talent and fan favorites, but that's looks to be slowly changing. Williams is a fan favorite and a stud so the deal checks two boxes. With UDFA rookie Michael Pierce and the quicker journeyman Carl Davis, they have inexpensive depth and D-line rotational coverage. It may seem like they over spent on BW, but they've been doing this for a long time. The contract will likely be renegotiated in year 3 anyway and they will manage the roster with less expensive talent like the Pats tend to do.

Regarding Victor Cruz: No thanks. We already had Lee Evans and I'm not interested in seeing another "value vet" that is a high risk and low reward prospect. Let Cleveland sign him.

Why would Tony Jefferson make a good acquisition? He's a strong safety which is already taken care of last year in Weddle. Putting him at free safety would be riskier than keeping Webb who we know can play adequately and has more INTs that Jefferson. And if they wanted to plug in a SS in at FS wouldn't Elam be your guy? I mean, if you're going seeking a square peg for a round hole you already have him. Not the best choice fro a free agent unless Weddle decides to unexpectedly retire.

I've loved Williams in a Ravens uniform since day 1. If he is going to cost in excess of $9-10M/yr they may have to move on because they do have good depth behind him and a lot of other pieces they need to acquire and retain. I don't want him to go, but if they have to make that call in the same vein as Arthur Jones and Courtney Upshaw then so be it. We need a top safety, possession receiver, center and corner back. We can't expect to have a ready-made rookie starter out of the draft for any of those positions. Hopefully Williams will opt to take a hometown discount to stay - something fair for him and the team.

I guess cheating has become very unattractive. Poor Tom Brady.

A "complimentary receiver" could be any player capable for making an impact by catching the ball. In the draft I'd like to see Christian McCaffery fill that role. Even as a running back, he catches the ball as well as any receiver. He's intelligent and can learn the entire route tree if necessary. He's durable and has an NFL pedigree with his father being an NFL standout receiver for Denver. He could easily become a great Edelman/Ty Montgomery for us like what they wanted with Campanaro. Further to that they can always use another impact RB.

How does the NFL select "Mr. Consistent" for AFC kicker and "Mr. Inconsistent" for Center? Zuttah was the worst linemen by far for the Ravens on a line that was average. He had costly penalties, inconsistent blocking, and the biggest liability for Flacco. In addition, the accuracy on his snaps was too consistent for an NFL starter. He is going to cost the team $4.6 million in 2017, but if cut would save us $2.4M in space to use (in part) to can find a better option. I think nearly all Ravens fans want him gone, but now with his Pro Bowl selection you know Ozzie & Co. will be less likely to part ways with him. Best option is to trade him, but I doubt there'd be any interest.

Well, everyone loves a winner when he's on your side. Belicheater might have been no better ethically here than in New England. The thought raises some intersting questions: 1) Would his cheating have hurt his popularity with Baltimore fans who seem to value fair play even if it meant 2 more Super Bowls under our belt? 2) Had he been our coach what would that mean for Ozzie since Bill now acts as the Pats GM as well? 3) Would the team even resemble itself now? Would Tom Brady be here? Would Flacco? What would Flacco look like under Bill's coaching?