ravensnick

Just now, berad said:

It's just tough to match those picks to players. If you wait until round 5 to take a player, can you really expect them to be a difference maker? It happens, obviously, but no GM would bank on that.

It's why I'm a proponent of trading down... of course, dependent upon who's available then and what we have done in FA.

I don't like trading down in my mocks, because often it just ends up being pipe dream trades so I can get all the players I like. But definitely, as deep as this draft is, trading down would be an excellent idea unless a Fournette/Foster/Adams type is on the board with our first pick

Just now, berad said:

Yeah did some googling and can't find anything glaring. He came from a rough Florida area - Liberty City. He had to go to a junior college because he didn't meet academic requirements but that seems to be the extent of it. Attitude thing, maybe? No tangible arrests, suspensions, or anything like that. He seems totally fine.

No clue, maybe that is overstated. They said Jimmy Smith had character issues, too. The worst thing he's done since being here is get thrown out of an Ocean City bar lol.

As a prospect, he's a little older because of his time at junior college and Illinois. Does that detract at all?

As to the rest of the draft, I like it. Like getting those two DBs. The one thing is that there are no OL players - at all. The only time the Ravens haven't drafted along the OL was in 2002. I still think it makes the most sense for the Ravens to trade down in the first round, accumulate some 2nd or mid-round picks, and make legitimate selections at DB, OL, WR, and pass rusher.

I'm not too worried about age. He's not like Brandon Weeden old, so it shouldn't hurt him. I sort of agree about OL. That's a big need I didn't cover in the mock.

6 minutes ago, VermontRaven said:

Agree 100% on Beathard.  I am a HUGE Iowa Hawkeyes fan, so I watched all of Beathard's game.  He is an awesome competitor, but his accuracy is horrible.  I see almost no chance of him being successful in the pros.  I would love to be proved wrong because I loved watching him play, but I just don't see it.

It's a 7th rounder, hard to know anything about a pick that late so I just threw Beathard in. Most 7th rounders just end up getting cut anyway.

9 minutes ago, berad said:

I've heard Phillips has some character issues - what are those, exactly?

Walterfootball just mentioned that he has character issues, not mentioning what they were. I haven't heard another source report anything about them. 

Projected comp picks: 3rd round for KO

Round 1:

Corey Davis, WR, WMU

While CB and Edge are certainly huge needs, I'd rather go BPA to start the draft. I love Davis route running ability, size, and his tenacity to go after the ball. He'd be a great player to match up aside Wallace and Perriman. I think Davis will likely be available, as Mike Williams likely goes before us and I think the late teens/early 20s is probably Davis optimal draft position.

Round 2:

 Desmond King, FS/CB, Iowa

I am a huge fan of Desmond Kings playstyle, but I think it will be better for him in the long run to convert to FS. The former Thorpe winner has demonstrated excellent ball skills throughout his time in college, getting 8 picks in 2015. At FS, he would be able to both play overtop and occasionally walk down and cover the slot. 

Round 3:

Carroll Phillips, DE/OLB, Illnois

While his teammate Dawume Smoot has gotten more attention as of recently, Phillips was by far the more impact player the last year. After serving as a backup to Jihad Ward in 2015, Phillip broke out in 2016 with 9 sacks. I think Phillips is a player that could benefit with a move to 3-4 backer.

Rasul Douglas, CB, WVU

Douglas broke out in 2016 as an interception machine. He's still really raw and had some poor games in 2016, but there is no denying his talent. If he can develop, he could turn into a starting level corner.

Round 4:

De'veon Smith, RB, Michigan

I feel running back is a position that is an underrated need for the Ravens. I really like De'veon Smith. He's an excellent and willing pass blocker. He catches well coming out of the backfield. He had great showings at the Shrine and Senior Bowls to really boost his stock. He doesn't have a ton of wear on his track. One might pause at his production numbers, but Michigan consistently faced great defenses this season will pretty poor offense line play. I don't think he'll be a superstar, but he could be a very nice piece to have with Kenneth Dixon andTerrence West. 

Round 5

Tanzel Smart, DT, Tulane

A sort of semi-homer pick because I do go to Tulane, but Smart was a force for the Green Waves this past year. He was the best DL in the AAC not named Ed Oliver. He'd Be a good player to add to the rotation.

Round 6

Jalen Reeves-Maybin. LB, Tenn

While undersized and injured this past year, Reeves-Maybin has been a star for Tennessee. With Orr retiring, it's worth taking a late round flier on a talented player.

Round 7

CJ Beathard, QB,Iowa

I'm not sure how Beathard will pan out in the pros, but I like his tools and its a 7th rounder.

On 2/21/2017 at 6:37 AM, RavensDieHard21 said:

He has all the tools and has made some big plays, but his tape isn't as impressive as everyone is talking it up to be lol Bama ran the ball so much that most college defenses brought everyone up to the LOS on practically every play.

On most of Howard's big plays--the ones everyone is drooling over--there was simply busted coverage. Or it was a pass to the flat v zone coverage where there was essentially no one in sight. There aren't too many acrobatic catches or  plays where he was burning defenders in man coverage. There weren't too many crazy catches in tight Windows either. However, He doesn't seem to ever drop the passes which is good and his QB play was pretty abysmal, But after watching 4 different videos on him plus a lot of Bama games, I don't see this godsend game changer everyone else sees lol

I 100% blame Howards lack of tape on Lane Kiffin. Kiffin has show for years that his offense is get the play to the starplayer, whether it be Robert Woods, Marquis Lee, Amari Cooper, or Derrick Henry. Kiffin just simply had no idea how to use Howard. 

I like the talent acquired and all the picks are realistic. Not a fan of the elder pick. I agree some might not be keen on taking Howard, but he's going to be an elite TE. Only "but" from me is I'd be a little concerned if we had this draft and didn't address secondary/edge through FA. Eiflien would be a home run.

14 minutes ago, hn68wb4 said:

I'd take Barnett over all 3, I think people are putting way too much stock in his lack of game breaking athleticism. The guy has everything else you want in an EDGE player and produced against the best of the best. He'd be a steal at #16. Between Davis and Jones it's close for #2, I'd still go Jones just because he's my guy, I think he's going to be great, though I really like Davis. Cook is well below all 3 and below plenty of other players as well, he's a great player but I really don't want him, we just don't need him and his off-the-field stuff can't be discounted because of his athleticism.

I just don't like Barnetts fit at OLB at all. He's definitely a 4-3 DE. Great player, but I'm not sure exactly how he would fit in our scheme.

On 2/17/2017 at 4:58 PM, RavensDieHard21 said:

I think Conley is a borderline top 5 CB in this class. Especially with upside due to size. 

1. Lattimore 2. Jones 3. Wilson--even though draft experts are tough on him, then it is tough. White and Lewis will likely be in the slot. Tabor and Humphrey have a super high ceiling, but pretty low floors because they have some serious concerns. 

Conley isn't a superstar but I think he will hold his own and has potential to be an underrated player

Most the media have him on the border of rounds 1/2. I don't think he's being underrated like you say.

On 2/20/2017 at 3:28 PM, -Truth- said:

@ravensnick

 

Oakland trades:

Sean Smith, CB (+8.5 for Oakland/-5 for Kansas City)

 

Kansas City trades:

2nd (27) round selection

7th (27) round selection

 

Totals:

Oakland saves 9.5 Stars, Kansas City gains 5 Stars

Confirmed

Elite Edge Rush and Receivers. Add a Julio/Odell to our team or a Von Miller/Khalil Mack and we probably win 2-3 more games. Healthy OL would have helped a ton as well. As we sit this offense, we are basically a talented WR and healthy OL away from a fearsome pass offense. Wallace and Perriman would make an outstanding #2 and #3 combo, but they just aren't #1 caliber guys.

15 minutes ago, jazz1988 said:

 I don't think Aiken was being utilized properly in the first half of the season. I believe Marc Trestman was using him more on deep routes that don't necessarily  fit his strength consistently. Aiken is in a  similar mold as Anquan Boldin (no I'm not saying he is as good as him)  which is  a receiver that doesn't have the speed to beat you deep but good enough to make plays on outside at times but has the physical strength and height to cause problems in the slot against nickel corners .

The simple fact with Aiken is he was a product of the environment, not his talent. He's a below average #3 guy IMO. Nothing special at all and when he had other WRs that are at least semi-talented on the field, Joe rarely looked at Aiken. Wallace and Perriman are much better than him, but still neither of those guys are #1s. We have Pitta to do damage in the slot, so Aiken would still be a backup in that regard. That's not even to mention his basically said he's not coming back no matter what.

1 minute ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

Agreed. While I think the drop off from the top 2 to the 2nd tier is pretty steep, the 2nd tier of safeties is still better than the top of most classes. 

Baker melifonwu and peppers are all probably labeled first rounders in the AVERAGE safety class

Heck, I think it's more than possible we could land Desmond King with our second rounder as we stand right now, and he'd be a great safety as well. Sure, I love Adams, but I'm not sacrificing grabbing starters/rotation in the mid rounds just to get him.

57 minutes ago, rmw10 said:

Yep this is typically the case.  That and someone with some sort of life event that makes it harder to stick around.

It does take a lot of time commitment, but you can always choose how active or inactive you want to be.  I know we have 2 members that aren't as into the draft and opt to essentially trade all of their picks and just pick up FAs.  It makes the game easier and shorter for them, and that's more than alright by us.  Some people don't care a lick about FA and trade all of their players so they can be heavily involved in the draft process since that's what they enjoy most.

I find that going after FA is even more time consuming because you have to assign values to their play and then compete to sign guys, when with the draft, you could really just get a general sense of who you like and a reference a professional big board or two. You might not draft perfect, but you should still get some good players.In regards to time commitment, I'm glad I picked the Chiefs, because they are pretty maxed out cap wise and aren't extremely time consuming to deal with. 

13 hours ago, RavensDieHard21 said:

I agree 100%. That's why I think the only way I would trade up is if it was affordable and he made it by some miracle to the Bills pick and we only had to give up a combo of a third and later pick. Still unlikely, but with this year's crop of defensive players, we could land starters and great rotational guys well into the 4th round. 

That's still a little steep in my book, when we could just trade back and land a Budda Baker or Jabrill Peppers and more picks if we want a safety.

16 hours ago, RavensDieHard21 said:

Ya you could trade up if he got to the bills at 10, but I think it's highly unlikely. Trading up into top 10 is too expensive when the draft is this deep to begin with. 

Jax, Tennessee, SD, Carolina even Buffalo could all use a safety 

Yeah, I love Jamal, but this is the draft that you want to have as many selections as possible. I'm not seeing a big enough drop off in talent that would make trading up anywhere near sacrificing the picks needed to do so. 

The Chiefs Cut:

Tyler bray: 1 star

Dustin Colquitt: Cap Hit: 5 stars, dead money: 1 star, net 4 stars

Jah Reid (I refuse to keep this bum employed): 3.5 stars-1.5 stars=2 stars

Total savings: 7 stars

2 minutes ago, allblackraven said:

It is correct at the top of cut thread - +20% from last year's value, since this is second year in a row he's been tagged.

So his tag was $10.8 million last year. 10.8*1.2=$13 million, so his tag would be 13 stars if I'm not mistaken?

Quick question: I think I remember someone said that the tag price for eric berry would be slightly different that what I have down right now. Is that true or am I mis-remembering?

Dee Ford has been removed from the trade block

I'll try to update my SOF asap, who do I need to give my email to

Just now, Inqui said:

Probably easier to call him Poz. If the Jags forum's profanity filter is anything like this one that could at least partly explain why they call him that and not [ profanity deleted].

So now we have the Poz instead of the Boz?

The Chiefs cut Jamaal Charles (save 6 stars)

The Chiefs are adding Charcandrick West, Jaye Howard,Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hail  to the trade block

2 hours ago, ravensdan said:

I was a bit surprised the Cowboys decided to trade Lee. He's been awesome for them. I would have kept him. 

Also injured have the time.