The Raven

3 minutes ago, berad said:

Thanks The Raven.

And, for the record, warnings were never personal and if you did get one from me, I tried to be fair and restrained. If I was not and anyone felt slighted, I apologize, but I took board morale seriously and wanted everyone to have a good time within the rules we had.

You're all the best kind of people. If you're devoted/nerdy enough to drop a few thousand posts on a Ravens-devoted message board, you're my favorite kind of people, too.

Lmao, you were more than fair with me  

@berad thanks for the shout out. Wishing you the best. Thanks for your tolerance. You're a good dude.

Going off of that, I want to give a final, and sincere, apology and thank you, to the mods, particularly Berad, @Moderator 3, and @The Mom Gene. Y'all are good people.

47 minutes ago, atomicfront said:

 

Like I have said numerous times but for some reason you guys choose to delete the reason this board has less and less posts is due to the moderators.  They merge so many threads and lock others.  How can you encourage people to post or participate if there are only three threads that anyone posted in a couple of days and when someone starts a new thread it is either locked or merged?  That is discouraging people from posting. I have never been on another forum where the moderators did this.  I can see if there are multiple threads about the same thing to merge them.  For example if the Ravens sign a free agent we don't need 8 threads about it.  But if the Ravens sign a free agent or their is a suggestion to sign a specific player that thread does not need to be merged into another thread.  

I have moderated boards before and new threads lead to more conversations and more posting.  I will say that the moderation is simply what killed the boards. I would post something in someone's new thread and then it would get merged into another thread and that would cause me not post again for several months.  

I think the only people that are left are people that feel they are in a club and the majority of Ravens fans stopped posting because of this.  Also putting the Message Board link at the bottom of a sub category makes it pretty clear that you don't want people to use the message board.  

Just about all of this is wrong.

1. The mods have always deleted posts and threads. Take that from a guy that's probably had a few hundred deleted in my time here. those rules were in place during this place's peak.

2. As for the idea that we're in a club and people stopped because of that, well, that's just reaching. That's moronic. The boards were always cliquey, even going back to 2009 when I started here. I feel like I've been one of the cliquey folks. That's not the factor.

The thing is that most people came here for hot takes, engagement, and discussions with other Ravens fans. With the ever increasing prominence of Facebook and Twitter, that function mattered less, leaving only the people who came here for discourse deeper than knee jerk reactions and hot takes. And with the growth of other forums at RSR and Reddit, the already small presence of message boarders who enjoy actual discussion was spread thin and distributed between the forums.

TL;DR? People like Facebook because they only have to read a sentence. When Facebook got even more popular, message boards, which require some level of literacyy, got less popular. We're not a society that values depth or complexity in discussion.

Just now, jimjim5 said:

The big piece that's not being mentioned is the forum having critical analysis of players, coaches, and the organization while "officially" being linked to the Baltimore Ravens. That can be very conflicting from a media perspective. Too easy to find negative press and/or "near" insider information and evaluations, no matter how off-base they may be.

I think you're a little far down the rabbit hole with that one. I don't think that's it at all.

2 hours ago, Admin 3 said:

Just to clear up a few misconceptions...

This has been pointed out multiple times, but it seems to keep being brought up so I will once again clarify that the monetary cost of running and maintaining these boards was a non-factor in the decision to sunset them. Yes, it does cost money to run them, but that was not even part of the discussion of closing the boards.

The boards will remain open through the end of the day tomorrow. (Friday, May 5 is the final day.)

When we talk about the usage drop-off, it refers to every metric we have -- not just registrations or post counts. We completely understand that the vocal group on here is extremely passionate and active. However, the number of actual active users is considerably smaller than many seem to imagine. Despite the 70,000+ registered accounts, only a very small majority have been active in the last year to two years -- and that includes people who don't post comments. We understand there are plenty of members who come to read, rather than post their thoughts. (In fact, more than 70% of registered users have never posted a single time.) When we talk about activity, it includes those fans as well. All of it has declined. The number of members visiting and posting on the boards on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis has reached very low levels. (Last preseason/regular season, only about 3% of members visited the boards. And in October and November, all of the posted comments were made by just 1% of the users. These numbers include news article comments as well.)

The mods and I greatly appreciate all of the compliments about how our board is better than others out there and how much better our members are than those on other boards. (We have always agreed.) But as any of the mods can attest, it's not easy to keep it so clean and the trolling to a minimum. There is a significant amount of effort and behind-the-scenes communication going on between the mods and admins. (In fact, the amount of conversation taking place in the mod area is greater than all of last season's game threads and this year's draft forum post volumes combined.) To keep things up to our high standards requires a great deal of time and human resources, and we must constantly evaluate how we're utilizing those resources so that we might best serve all our fans.

As you may have noticed, several fans have been looking to launch an unofficial community for those still interested in interacting with each other in a message board environment beyond tomorrow. I have been in contact with those creating the boards at www.purpleflock.com and invite you to check them out.

We know that many who have voiced their displeasure will still disagree with our decision to close the boards, but we hope you might respect the fact that, since last offseason, much thought, debate and consideration has gone into this decision. We greatly appreciate your support as fans and thank you for your unsurpassed passion.

Follow up question: Why close the board if it wasn't a financial decision? I can understand closing a slowing board if the financials were a burden, but if it wasn't a financial decision, why do it at all?

Further, if the issue is human capital, shouldn't there be less time/effort spent if engagement is declining?

Are mods not volunteers? I don't want to minimize what they do by any means, but it is volunteer work that they choose to do.

Frankly, I don't see how much thought went into this at all. I'm not seeing any good reason to close this.

2 minutes ago, BOLDnPurPnBlacK said:

Not super athletic, but high level instincts and football IQ. Always moving a step or 2 toward the play before it happens. Some ball skills. 

Probably nothing more than a ST, but maybe could come on as a dime/nickel safety in 2-3 years.

Hard to find a whole lot on the guy in terms of tape... but seems like a decent floor/low ceiling type prospect who you feel confident you know exactly what youre going to get... thinking him becoming a Levine type player is close to the best we could hope for. Team guy, hard worker, ST standout that may eventually give you something in a niche role on defense.

His instincts and football intelligence seem to be the standout traits though.

Okay, gotcha. Thanks. Was hoping we got a guy that was more of a potential single high, but a sixth round pick for Anthony Levine isn't a bad deal.

So what's the skinny on this guy?

13 hours ago, rmw10 said:

To get somewhat back on topic, it's been real guys.  My time on message boards is likely coming to an end this Friday, as I don't immediately plan to join any other site.  I think that time has come to focus more on real life, despite how much I've enjoyed talking football with many of you.  I figured I'd say my "goodbyes" now before Friday so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle.  I'll still be around over the next couple of days so feel free to reach out.  A few of you have my personal contact information, and I'd be more than happy to share it with a few others that have meant a great deal over these last 6 years if you'd like to keep in contact.  If one of these new homes starts to develop a following, I may consider a return to the message board world.

I can honestly say I wouldn't know the game of football as well as I do without a large majority of you.  I have always considered myself more knowledgeable than the average football fan that calls into 105.7, but learning from a lot of you really made me realize just how complex this game is.  Learning how to evaluate prospects, read coverages, etc. wouldn't have happened without the insane amount of knowledge that can be found around here (some more than others, obviously).  I sincerely thank you guys as it has really strengthened my love for the game, despite never playing it other than backyard games in the neighborhood.

It's been real, ya'll.  Go Ravens!

Oof. Good luck and take it easy man. 

5 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

I wanna second that @BmoreBird22 schooled me up on coverage big time, a few years ago I couldn't even point out a cb being effective in zone and barely understood the concept of off-man, like if you're playing man why would you give separation from the very snap of the ball? Lol. 

And @The Raven helped me grasp inside zone because i couldn't make any sense of it myself, I thought it looked just like a gap scheme on film and couldn't tell them apart. 

If it wasn't for these forums I wouldn't know any more than the fans they interview on wjz after the game... and if you've ever seen that, you'd know that's a good thing lol

Lmao, same, tbh. And ya know, I still can't make sense of inside zone  

Oh how I wish quality, intellectual discussion (as intellectual as football can get) was rewarded and not killed. 

4 minutes ago, rossihunter2 said:

 

do we have a full position coverage for scouting on this forum then? the raven has oline, bmorebird has dbs in coverage... i feel like flex is pretty flames on edge rush guys - maybe we can fill out a roster of specialists on the next forum ready for the draft - so we know who to come to for specific prospect breakdowns lol

That's a brilliant idea. I feel capable of doing DT's, too. But hey. Who's got WRs? Hell, if you do good enough for the forum, Ozzie has a job for you.

5 minutes ago, redrum52 said:

Don't watch much college ball but my boy said he's a good pick and hearing good things on the boards.  Holo g he can be an immediate upgrade on the line.  We need to get back to bullying guys upfront.  Don't see that being a problem on the other side.

Today, on this idea, I read an article that said, "Every coach that wants to base their run game around a non-power scheme will undoubtedly start by justifying how he can do so while still bringing a physical approach."

And ya know, as the article hinted, it's just difficult to bring a physical approach to zone. Without physicality, you're not striking fear into the hearts of linebackers. But if you bring the hurt, those linebackers think twice about that whole "run stuffing" thing.

5 minutes ago, BmoreBird22 said:

I truly, truly appreciate the shoutout.

I'm about as livid as anyone that this site is shutting down because @The Raven was the most knowledgeable offensive line guru I knew on these boards. When these two picks (Siragusa and the other whose name I will not attempt to spell) happened, I knew immediately that he would have me and others covered. 

Words simply cannot express how much I will miss the knowledge that some of you posters shared with me.

I've already signed up for BmorePupnBlackwhateverhisname's board. Hope to see all of you there (except for like half of you honestly lol kidding but only kinda)

1 hour ago, LosT_in_TranSlatioN said:

^^^^

this is why I'm gonna miss this place. As a guy who never played, I've learned so much here from guys like @The Raven and @-Truth-, and @RavensFanMania. I would've never been able to form a solid opinion on prospects like Siragusa without people like this. Granted I'm at a disadvantage as I've never played the game competitively. But still.

 

Damn this place for closing. 

And even as someone who played and had an overwhelming compulsion to study the game and watch film, I frequently learn from folks like @BmoreBird22 and @JoeyFlex5 who know infinitely more than I do in some subject areas. I didn't know the first thing about coverages until Bmorebird got here.

Just now, JoeyFlex5 said:

Have you seen his film? He is great in coverage. Watch his Louisville film. He makes the heisman qb pull the ball down and scramble so many times it's insane. He was constantly eliminating the early reads on his zone drops, he cut off throwing lanes to basically anything his side of the field within 10 yards, Jackson was able to thread the needle on ONE pass in his area, but it was a zone-man concept where bowser was picking up the slot receiver and the cb failed to cover his man in the same area, and guess who made the tackle downfield... 

bowser has a lot of work as a pass rusher and run defender, he struggles pretty greatly in those areas, but he shows natural pass rush traits that just need lots of refinement. But he is very special in coverage, he's gonna make a name in this league by getting int's. On this defense, where the qbs are gonna be forced to throw in tight windows in a hurry, they're gonna be throwing in his area often, and he disguises his intentions well, so he's gonna appear where a lot of qbs won't expect him to be on hot reads. 

Hes gonna be fun, but he is likely gonna frustrate us in run D and pass rush early on.

Oh I've seen it. I just don't consider myself knowledgable enough to opine on a backer's coverage ability. Corners, maybe, but definitely not backers or safeties. I know sort of what to look for in a corner. Not so much with a backer or a safety.

51 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

power has a lot more emphasis on pulls and leads. 

If we're being technical, power is in the gap blocking category. Power isn't really a scheme. It's a play, or a small handful of plays, in the gap family. The phrase "power blocking" is kind of a misnomer that's applied to gap schemes because it sounds sexier.

Just now, berad said:

All the better. I've wanted a guy like that for a long time. It's cool to have pass-rush specialists like Dumervil but a dynamic player who can drop in coverage and not be lost? Yes!

I kinda feel like Bowser is finally our mulligan for what Arthur Brown was supposed to be -- a true coverage backer that plays almost like a safety. Arthur had the moves but not the head for that. He was always lost

On 5/1/2017 at 9:43 PM, JoeyFlex5 said:

If we run a gap scheme and slowly convert to a power scheme as guys like goose get acclimated to pulling and learn some better technique then it could work. But I'm just not sure he can acclimate. He doesn't seem to have that skillset to work in space

Gap and power go hand in hand if you ask me. Same basic principles apply to both.

That is my concern with him. Not the best at locking on in space. Not sure why either since his combine numbers are good. Maybe it's just crappy footwork. He does have a tendency to lunge and reach, in line and on the move. Both are bad traits but are correctable.

1 hour ago, Admin 3 said:

Our plan is still for this Friday to be the last day of the boards.

(Commenting on the site's news articles will continue however.)

Wow, so you're sustaining the part of the site absent of real discourse, while eliminating the only place discussion occurs? Good thinking. Thanks for your contribution to the dumbing down of society.

2 minutes ago, berad said:

He looks rangy and fast. Apparently he's decent in coverage, too? If he can hold up against the run, he sounds like a complete OLB.

I've read that he's considered by some to be the top coverage backer in the draft class.

10 hours ago, Sami84 said:

Listen the ravens have a different philosphy on talent evaluation

 

1- Speed > Routes

2- Size > Hands

3- Tackling > Awareness

You're not wrong, but there's nothing inherently bad about valuing the things that you can't teach in the NFL, like speed, size, and tackling. You can teach routes and awareness. Can't teach speed or size, and contrary to popular belief, you can't coach tackling either. By the time you're in the NFL, you're a finished product in the tackling department.

29 minutes ago, Tru11 said:

i compared the 3 season you mentioned to last season which you mentioned as well.

Croyell  is more based on power running.
West Coast is more based on zone blocking.
Hope this awnser your question and if not just use whatever reason you had to bring up zorn back ground cause it should matter even less what back ground a QB coach has.

Castillo experience with zone blocking and the west coast offense is far superior then that of moeller.
Makes sense i guess that he was brought in to replace Moeller in 2013 since the team planned to go that route.
Castillo was actually installing this during the season and even promised things would improve after the bye.

it was highly reported and discussed pretty heavily on the boards during and after the season.

not sure why you are pretending like this is new to you.

 

 

Just popping in to say there's not really a correlation between passing scheme and blocking scheme in terms of man vs zone. Coryell can work with zone as it did with Cam in 2011 (when we actually started the wide zone) and west coast can work with power as seen by the Jim Harbaugh era 49ers and the Patriots. The difference between Coryell and west coast is more so with the splits and footwork. You'll see deeper, vertical sets with longer/larger linemen in the coryell and you'll see more horizontal, aggressive, short sets with more mobile/compact linemen in the west coast.

Also don't waste your time with Jazz. Rarely knows anything at all.

34 minutes ago, LosT_in_TranSlatioN said:

Do you think he's a day one starter though? I personally do. 

I do, primarily because he's got the size to compete from day one. All he has to worry about his technique

3 minutes ago, trevorsteadman said:

Did you just really compare two of Torrey's seasons to one of Perriman's? Come on now we all know he was injured his rookie season. This next season is basically his second season.

Torrey as a rookie still put up better numbers than Perriman did in his first active year. Just sayin'. And Perriman was supposedly more well-rounded with better hands. What gives?

8 minutes ago, polynesian15 said:

I'm not sure I would say Pitta was terrible last season, but he has obviously taken a step or two back because of injuries.
I'd say he sort of filled the (physical) possesion-role last season with 86 rec for 729 yards. Not too shabby for an old guy with hip dysplasia or whatever it is.
Ozzie has practically guaranteed that he'll add a WR in the coming months (hopefully OL as well).

And I'm pretty sure Perriman will contribute. He was used very sparringly last season (started but 1 game), and still put up 33 rec, 500 yards and 3 TD's. He had some concentration drops when the ball was right on his number (jitters imo), but he showed incredible athleticism and body awareness. Came on at the end of the season. I see no reason why he wouldn't double his numbers. What's your take?

Many of Pitta's catches came on five yard button hooks or flats. Easy catches to make. Easy to get open when you sit down in front of the zone.

People will say that we were easing Perriman in, but I do not think we used him enough last year. Not enough snaps. Not enough crossing routes. Not enough timing routes. We underused him across the board, and I'm simply not sure how he'll adjust as we give him a fuller route tree. We're gonna need him or Moore to be the Boldin/Steve type, because Wallace isn't filling that role.

3 minutes ago, polynesian15 said:

That might be enough, that's what we had during the last SB run.

Do you think Boldin, Torrey, Jacoby Jones, Pitta and Ed Dickson are substantially better than Wallace, Perriman, Moore/Camp and Pitta/Williams/Gilmore? I don't. Besides,Oz adds at least 1 pass catcher before the season maybe more. Sure you can say "but injuries...". The fact is they are a part of the game, can't 

Perriman gets a starting role this season, with a full TC, and will do tremendously well: 70-80 rec, 1000-1100 yards, 6-8 TD's.   
He got rid of his rookie jitters last year and will make an impact this season imo. 

The keys are: (adequate) protection by the OL, for Flacco to gain more confidence post injury, and for the running game to become a consistent, viable threat again. 

I do think that, unless Perriman steps up, the Super Bowl group was better than the current group. Pitta now is terrible in comparison to what he was, and Boldin made tough catches that nobody on our roster makes now.

If Perriman steps up bigly, we'll get close, but...