Tenacious Faulker

There seems to be an overvaluing of Aiken here.  The Ravens don't tend to value their RFA's that high.  We've lost them before because (imo) Ozzie gets another draft pick to replace the player.  Often times is a few rounds higher than they're worth.  

I think that he gets a 3rd at the highest.  If a team ends up paying the $1.3M and the Ravens don't match the offer they turn a UDFA into a 3rd rd pick.  It wouldn't surprise me if he was tagged as a 4th rd pick to entice more bidders.  It really depends on how the coaches value him moving ahead.  If they really want to keep him they'll still tender him low and match the offer.

9 hours ago, GrimCoconut said:

I've been a big fan of Spence for some weeks now after looking into his problem and realizing it's not as bad as it initially appeared in terms of its long-term effects. I would certainly like him here. 

I agree.  I'm all for 2nd chances and unlike guys like Manziel and Hardy he seems to have made the most of his 2nd chance.  People make mistakes.  Mistakes are life lessons waiting to happen.  It depends on whether someone learned from their mistakes is what means the most.  Too me that means as much (maybe more) about someones untested but un-besmirched character.

I'd like Bosa, but if he's gone at #6 I'd be happy with Spence at #37.

Steelers - Always dangerous.  When you have Roethlisberger, Bell and Brown you always have a chance.  That won't change anytime soon.  Their defense should be improved in 2016 and expect at least 4 big additions in FA and draft to addess their leak rush D and secondary.  Their OL will get some much needed attention as well.  They'll continue to compete hard for the Dicvision and I don;t expect them to miss the post season if healthy.   

Bengals - This is a team built for the AFC north and has had the most success overall in the past 6 seasons.  They are, however, NOT built for the post season.  It's certainly a Marvin Lewis problem since he's been there for ever and its the same story no matter the complexion of the team.  Injuries played a factor again, but as long as they keep winning the division and making the playoffs Marv is safe...and dangerous

Browns - This team has been in constant transition since it was re-established in 1999.  You cna;t build a winning team without continuity.  Period.  However, Hue Jackson could be the coach that delivers them.  I've been an advocate of his since he was Flacco's QB coach.  He's seeking to change the teams culture which exactly what needs to happen.  That will depend on Haslam and how well Jackson can manage his GM.  Yes, I said that right.  You don't often see a team hire a HC before a GM and that's significant.  If Jackson can;t turn that team around with the talent and resources from 15 seasons of drafting high then no one can.

Ravens - Hard luck dictated a lot of 2015.  When you have 14 games decided by a score or less that's not screaming that major changes are needed.  However, elite level talent was concern as injuries piled up.  In the past quality of depth got us into 5 of the last 6 playoffs we participated in and were the deciding factor in missing them in the remaining two.

So the new article on Sr Bowl pass rushers highlited OLB Noah Spencer (Eastern Kentucky) and DE Bronson Kaufusi (BYU).  Both look like mean pass rush specialist respectively and could be available in the 2nd rd.  Spence supposedly ended up getting booted from OSU for using Ecstasy, but has been drug free since and looked fiery and dominant.  Kaufusi is a DE prospect at 6'8"/285 and is athletic and polished as a big man.  We have a ton of DT/DE's and adding another in the 2nd rd still seems like a stretch given our other needs.  We desperately need an OLB of the future and despite his off field history, Spence does fit the bill for 2016.

Of course this is all pre-Combine and players' stock  will continue to rise and fall.    But they're two exciting names to watch for.

Never say never on two 1st round WR's back to back. IF the Ravens end up drafting at 6th, you can damn well bet the player will be as "sure of a thing" as you can get. They'll have their player grades set after the Combine/Pro Day/team visits and IF Treadwell has the highest grade any stretch, they will take take him. If he or the remaining targets at in the top 10 don't grade as well, then we'll see them trade back.

As of now the consensus top-5 are Goff, Tunsil, Bosa, Ramesy, and Treadwell. Assume this list will change for the Ravens as the off season commences. Right now Goff is as good as a Brown. All it takes is for some other team to value someone else higher than what the Ravens have on their board and they have a possible top-5 on roster since Jamal Lewis 2000.

my gut is telling me that the fo should not trust the trio of forsett, buck and lorenzo. buck will make for a solid back up but we need a physical all around back like leveon bell. maybe paul perkins out of usc or c.j. procise from notre dame in the 3rd or 4th if available. lorenzo has shown to get injured and which forsett will we get in 2016.

 

  On 1/29/2016 at 0:09 PM, stixfix69 said:

I see Chris Matthews making a impact next year...

we have all said the same thing about guys like marlon brown and it has never happened. need to draft, trade for or sign a real deal receiver and stop playing games with these posers the fo keeps drafting and signing off the scrap heap

With the way the league is going there are very few running backs that are those physical, every down backs. It's smart to actually have a committee and the guys we have can fill roles like what Belichick does on the Patriots. Having an irreplaceable running back like AP or Gurley can backfires when (not if) they get injured. The Vikings run game worked very well when AP was suspended rotating players in on certain downs. If one is injured, another can be replaced cheaply.

I see Allen as a solid future, starting back on this team. He's big and versatile enough to be main ball carrier if he controls his fumbles. West will be more of a bowling ball. I can see Forsett getting used like Darren Sproles. My gut tells me that Taliaferro is on the bubble with his injury history, fumbles and overall lack of success. Maybe he has a better 2016, maybe not, but I don't think he's PS eligible anymore either.

As for Chris Matthews, I see Marlon Brown in the same boat at LT. He'll have to prove it or lose it this off season. Matthews to me is the better WR at this point, Waller is another big receiver that will push them both. If they draft a receiver like Treadwell, at 6-3/220 they'll have yet another big body target competing for targets.

2 hours ago, GrimCoconut said:

What's your problem? Didn't you read the entire thread first? I already admitted my mistake days ago, shortly after I made it. I find it ironic you ask me to read the entire thread yet clearly miss my post owning up to my mistake. 

Take your own advice, sheesh. 

Easy now, Coco, there was no "read my post" emoji so don't have a cow.  Besides, everyone knows if you attach one of these cute, pre-approved guys its a lighthearted comment. 

...and no, I didn;t read back.  I still getting used to this new format which I'm not liking so much right now.

30 minutes ago, trevorsteadman said:

There are like 5 good players worth a top 10 pick in this draft in my opinion. The talent is really shallow. In my opinion we should trade back and try to just stockpile picks and hope some of them hit jackpots. Unless Ramsey, Bosa, Tunsil, or possibly Treadwell are there. Those are the only players I believe are worth top 10.... Of course a quarterback or two will find their way into the top 10 if not in the top 5 because it is a big need for a lot of teams in the league. So if those guys are gone I would want us to trade back. And calling Treadwell a top 10 is still risky because wide receivers are busts in round 1 a lot, almost as much as offensive tackles. That is why I do not think Stanley is worth a top 10. He is solid but I do not think he is worth a 6th round pick in a draft. If we were drafting at like 15 then I would love Stanley. But our first round pick this year is probably more important than any other year because we are 2-3 holes away from being a very competitive team. Losing most games by one score... If you stay in the cellar for too long it scares away free agents from wanting to play here and as well gets coaches and players frustrated. If we have too many draft busts that dont pan out the next couple of years the Ravens may be in deep trouble.

I don't see it so shallow in this class.  Perhaps the ceiling wasn't as great as the past 2 years but there is good enough talent to bank on in the top 5.  Of those 5, there will be at least 1 QB unless someone trades up over Cleveland for the top QB as the Titans may hope. That could then mean even 2 QBs taken in the op 5.  So from 3-6 (4 picks) there is still Tunsil, Bosa, Ramsey, and Treadwell not to mention any outlier(s) whose stock climbs after the combine.  There's a good shot at a 10-year player in that group.

Chargers - need OL, pass rusher, DB in that order but could take a top WR as well order

Dallas - need DB, but could decide to add a top pass rusher or a WR.  They're set at OL

Jacksonville - Need DB, and fairly set at pass rusher and WR, but could surprise with wildcard pick

Ravens - need pass rusher, DB, LT and possibly a top WR.  Then again, Ozzie could just trade the pick depending on his draft board grades.

On 1/19/2016 at 4:04 PM, GrimCoconut said:

On 1/19/2016 at 3:48 PM, Tenacious Faulker said:

Yeah, but it's not every year the Ravens have a short at top 5 talent.

All I'm getting at is that we may see desperate teams try to jump ahead to get the answer to their dilemma. IF the Titans strike a deal with someone it will be for a QB needy team and Tunsil will fall. That could mean two QBs go in the top 5 like Luck and RGIII (obviously pending the combine). The Ravens NOT are one of those teams.

If Tunsil falls he could be scooped up by San Diego who's desperate for OL help as the window starts to close on River's career. Most have them taking OLB stud Bosa at #3. If not, that could move Bosa down to Dallas and Jacksonville (both desperately need DB and OL help respectively). Both are stacked at linebacker. That opens the door for an affordable trade up OR possibly watch as those teams draft sexy "need" picks and give us a shot at our future franchise pass rusher.

San Diego stands pat on 3rd and drafts Bosa, we have less of a shot at Tunsil unless they trade up with Dallas and I don;t see them doing that in this case.

Dallas desperately needs OL help?

You do know what the word respectively means, right?  

Any chance that Ozzie moves up as opposed to down this year?  Seeing some other indications that he may, but obviously that's speculation.

My top 6 (in no specific order) are Tunsil, Goff, Bosa, Hargreaves, Ramsey, and Treadwell.

Re: Best Ravens team in history - the 2012 is the best for me. While the 2000 Ravens team WAS special and the Defense arguably one of the best in NFL history, the 2012 team won based on a sense of destiny. Lewis and Birk got to retire as SB champs. Boldin, Reed and Ngata final got SB rings. They limped into the playoffs with injuries. They fired their OC after week 10. There were a host of other storylines that seemed bad during the season and ended well. Yet they controlled their destiny all the way through. That was a storied season if there ever was one.

Re: drafting Treadwell, the kid's a stud. What happen in the first 6 picks is anyone's guess and there are other receivers down the line that are very talent too like Sterling Shepard. Most mocks doen;t have a WR off the board at #6. I'm more for fortifying the defense, but guys like Bosa, Ramsey and even Hargreaves could all end up in the top 5. But if they opt for Treadwell at 6th I don't see how they go wrong.

Re: Ngata - I wouldn't say Ngata "wants" to stay in Detroit (who the hell does?). He's 32 and a FA coming off a subpar season and is saying the right things to stay in Detroits good graces. I could see him coming back to Bmore if the Lions don;t resign him. He knows the D. We could use him and he won't be as expensive.

Pass rusher. Secondary.  Pass rusher. Secondary. Pass rusher. Secondary....these two affect each other and both are needed so no need to argue and take what is given to us in the draft.  

Drafting elites could be difficult tho'.  We'll have to wait for the Combine to see if any other elite talent emerges, but from where we are I would want to see OLB Joey Bosa.  That may not work out without a trade up or his stock somehow plummets.  IMO Ramsey is the best suited DB on the board for us at out position to fill in at free safety.  Bosa is a no-brainer if we get a shot at him.

In the absence of these two or another yet to be determined rising prospect, a UFA at pass rusher is going to be a major cap hit.  Think that we can finagle another fax machine incident for Von Miller this time?  Maybe Dumervil can show him how!   

Tamba Hali and Chad Greenway are on the wrong side of 30 tho I think Hali would be a nice fit here.  You can forget Hardy and Aldon Smith for the past  off field issues.  Nick Perry could be a solid guy but is hardly elite.  It's a tough market.

It's not some much a matter of who they should draft, but who is realistically the one they can draft.  

Ideally, Bosa and Ramsey top my list with Tunsil a close 3rd for the Ravens.  That said I can see ANY of those three going #1 overall.  Count one out for Tennessee if they don;t trade out of first.  Tunsil is a big choice for them, but Bosa and Ramsey are going to be star players too.  Cleveland will draft Goff unless unseated by another QB after the Combine.  San Diego needs Ol and LB help.  Bosa won't fall past them unless they opt for OL and Ramsey goes #1 overall.  Dallas will likely take Hargreaves or Ramsey since they need a DB and are well stocked at pass rusher.  Jacksonville is a wildcard and could draft almost anyone but QB, or possibly trade back.  In any case there is little chance for my 3 favs.  Bosa for obvious reasons, Tunsil for obvious reasons and Ramsey for safety (not CB).

Unless another pass-rusher gains a ton of stock in the Combine, I think they take DB.  Ramsey would be ideal projecting as a free safety, but Hargreaves at CB is also a good choice too.  Unless a WR really stands tall at the Combine you won;t see them draft one in the first unless its a bog time trade back.  There's good receiveing talent at all levels of the draft. 

Im so freakin proud Cam is in their. Yall are watching a QB with the skills and mind no other QB has showed. It came out of nowhere, the reason why they are demolishing teams is because Cam has them playing at a much higher tempo and beat. He's making QB's like Palmer, Manning, and even Brady look old fashioned. I was so pumped up last night watching the panthers game, it had me feeling my old ways back when we would watch Ray Lewis!

Dude, it cus those guys are old.  Cam is what? 26 y/o?  Never forget Cam doesn't make those QBs look old, its his defense who would make Cam look old too.

Ozzie will give him consideration because he traded to get him and his speed on the outside. However, Givens hasn't showed me enough to be a definite re-sign. He's definetely on the bubble and will need come an affordable price for him to stay here.

It's a distinct possibility that the Ravens lose Aiken even with a 2nd rd tender. He could be sought after by several teams as a solid #2.

The fact that he had nearly 1000 app-purpose yards in limited touches as a rookie is a good sign. A great sign actually. Ray Rice didn't do as much in his rookie season. Though Buck was used a bit more, Rice has slightly higher averages which one might expect from different types of backs.

I'm looking for a big leap from Allen in 2016. He wasn't overly used like other teams do with promising rookie rushers overusing them so they have a sophomore slump. But that wouldn't explain Taliaferro's sorry 2016.

In every year I can remember, the GM with the #1 pick has always put said pick up for sale (except for Ernie Accorsi in the John Elway draft...). It's usually just the GM keeping their options open, so personally I wouldn't read too much into it.

Yeah, but it's not every year the Ravens have a short at top 5 talent.

All I'm getting at is that we may see desperate teams try to jump ahead to get the answer to their dilemma.  IF the Titans strike a deal with someone it will be for a QB needy team and Tunsil will fall.  That could mean two QBs go in the top 5 like Luck and RGIII (obviously pending the combine). The Ravens NOT are one of those teams. 

If Tunsil falls he could be scooped up by San Diego who's desperate for OL help as the window starts to close on River's career.  Most have them taking OLB stud Bosa at #3.  If not, that could move Bosa down to Dallas and Jacksonville (both desperately need DB and OL help respectively).  Both are stacked at linebacker.  That opens the door for an affordable trade up OR possibly watch as those teams draft sexy "need" picks and give us a shot at our future franchise pass rusher. 

San Diego stands pat on 3rd and drafts Bosa, we have less of a shot at Tunsil unless they trade up with Dallas and I don;t see them doing that in this case.

Of all the receivers listed only CJ, Jackson and Garcon are worth the the look. IF talks of retirement are not serious by CJ, he'll still command a high salary IF Detroit doesn't resign him or UNLESS he's willing to entertain a shot at a championship for less. I'd prefer Garcon over Jackson. He's a more complete receiver and less of a headache. The rest of that group is either too old or too damage mentally or physically to be a serious candidate given the young inexpensive receivers we now have on roster.

Adam Schefter ‏@AdamSchefter 9h9 hours ago

New Titans' GM Jon Robinson already has put the No. 1 pick up for sale. "We will look at any and all offers that come this way," he said.

437 retweets 531 likes

 

It's not so simple as man vs zone coverage.  They do both when necessary.  Pees understands both and switches back and forth when needed.  Zone is used ot hide the defficiencies of the CBs with protection from the safeties.  Depending ont he offense they might ad a nickel DB in to handle a pass happy offense or just series of drives.  They might spend most of the time in zone coverage too and switch to man when they get to the red zone where the field is short and there's less room for the offense to move.

Rex Ryan was big on man coverage because he had the talent.  While his defenses were top notch, they often gave up big plays.  They relied heavily on D because they didn't have a franchise QB to pay for.  Yet even he knew that zone coverage had a time and place and switched back and forth when he needed. 

Bosa is projected to go at #1. If you study the Trade Value Chart, you'll see that it would either take just about all our tradable picks of the next draft or multiple 1st-2nd round picks to trade up frm #6 to #1 - and not a lot less to #2. That means unless something unexpected happens until the draft, these players may just as well be out of our range.

That depends on who's projecting.  I see Tunsil at #1 because Mariota needs a blindside blocker and he rates highest among all college players so far.  Browns are going QB - no question.  Chargers will likely take OLB with Bosa there even though DB is more of a need for them.  There is a small chance that they take Ramsey/Hargreaves.  Dallas will go corner and Jacksonville could go LT Ronnie Stanley or CB

Another scenario is if SF wants to jump ahead to ensure that they get their QB (whoever climbs the rankings under Goff).  Chicago, Eagles and maybe the Saints opt for QB as their situations dictate and could threaten to jump ahead.

Burfict was undrafted for a reason. I don;t think the Ravens need any part of him. That 90% in uncoachable. Ferocity and what Burfict does are different things. We need more of what Mosely brings.