RavensDieHard21

I presume that we all watched the Super Bowl last night, which a clear message seemed to have been sent to the entire NFL, which is that elite defenses own the game and top offenses become irrelevant. I certainly believed that Carolina would have faired a lot better than what they did against the vaunted Denver D, but I also didn't think Carolina would terrorize the Denver offense as bad as it did either. It was as if offense didn't even matter in the game and even elite playmakers such as MVP Newton, Olsen, Ginn, D. Thomas, and Sanders. With that being said, I never seen a game where defense was so much in control that it appeared both teams seemed more comfortable while their defenses were on the field than their offenses. I believe we must at all cost re-awaken organized chaos because we need to return to our old identity to bring back the Lombardy trophy. Many fans constantly clamor over drafting or signing big name offensive weapons, which I agree can help our team get better, but do they win championships? I think there are only a few transcendent talents worth the high praise that can win battles against elite defenses, such as Julio Jones, Antonio Brown--whom I hate to admit is the most uncontainable in the league, and Gronk. But two out of three of those players weren't even taken in the first two rounds. I am wondering if anyone else feels the same way, which is that we are only a few pieces away from a stifling defense again. The formula has always been the same, build up a stout line that can stonewall the run game, then add in pass rushers and good cover corners that can allow your defenders to shut down the passing game. I think we are equipped to shut down the run, but we are a few pieces away from improving our pass D. This year seems like the best time to recover our old glory as being a feared defensive team, which could be achieved by finding a shutdown corner opposite Jimmy and a young tandem of pass rushers to compliment and eventually take the torches from Sizzle and Doom. The draft is where this team is built and unless we land a shepard in the 3rd or Tunsil at #6, I wouldn't mind Ozzie taking defense with our first 4 or 5 picks to infuse more ferocity on defense. In free agency I think that Smith from KC would be a great fit and wouldn't break the bank either. Norman I think is as good as people are hyping him to be, but he will be outside of our price range. Having a franchise QB with some weapons I believe is all we need on offense and it must be Ozzie and John's #1 priority to regain our old form as a team, with a lot of bloated contracts and a cap issue I know this will be hard, but the draft can be our lottery if we pick up some gems.

Keep Aiken, Perriman finally hits the field, SSS comes back to make one last run and we draft a 3rd round steal like a Shepard or Thomas--who might or might not slide--to solidify a savvy receiving core to complement our TE duo of Maxx and Crockett

It is of no surprise to any of us that Ozzie very rarely is active early on in free agency, simply because players get bid up and often are vastly over payed, plus it also hurts our draft compensation formula. But this year might be slightly different, for the reason that I think our formula will be off because in my eyes, only KO and potentially Upshaw will command enough money if they leaves to give us decent picks--most likely a 3rd and 5th rounders. The player that I believe might be more than worth a potential chase is CB Sean Smith from KC. On many top free agent lists, he's outside the top 20, and in some cases, the top 25. I am 100% behind doing anything possible to retain KO--I assume we will not let Tucker go--but if we don't re-sign him and other teams already have a mega deal set up for him before the new season starts, potentially +$35 million or more over a 4-5 year span, then I hope Ozzie would at least put a bid in for him if he hits the market and is without a deal immediately. He will be 29 this upcoming season, which is a little bit older than we would like, but that could be a factor in keeping his price affordable. He is 6'3 and a tough physical corner at the line with above average ability to cover and also above average balls skills. Pairing him with Jimmy would give us a lot of freedom to address the pass rush in the draft and other areas of need. I'd only expect him to get paid between $3-5 million a year, which I am basing this off his current value after 2015 stats. How do the rest of my fellow Ravens fans feel about this?

I love the upside of Hargreaves generating turnovers because 6 interceptions this year was ugly. But what you said about being in a suitable scheme is where I think Alexander gets the edge because he doesn't need over complicated schemes to operate. He is a pure me vs your top receiver kind of corner, plus Clemson coaches and players say he is an absolute film room junkie who studies just as much as he practices on the field.

It infuses talent into the secondary, but we then pass on some nice pass rushers in the second.

I was hoping someone posted about comparing the three corners! I watched Clemson all year and I'll say it now, Alexander is the best pure cover corner in this draft and a second place might not even be close. He is like glue on receivers and very very rarely gets tripped up or gets beat. If you watched the championship game, Alabama rarely tested him and he shut down his side of the field, but the moment he goes out, bombs away! I know many think #6 pick is a stretch, but if he does very well at the combine and the top 4--Tunsil, Bosa, Buckner, and Ramsey-- are gone, then I think we should deeply consider pulling the trigger

Ehhhh, it's not terrible, but it certainly possesses a lot of upside, but under no circumstance would the Rams give that much to move up 9 spots, especially since we are sitting at #6, unless we gave them a 3rd round to get both second rounders.

Essentially the top 3 picks almost seem like they're cemented. Wat the Cowboys and Jags do is what is and will continue to be a mystery. I'd bet that the Cowboys will find a way to break our hearts again like they did when they stole Dez from us.

I love that Mock Draft! If we got Ramsey or Buckner at #6 I'd be a happy camper, especially because both could immediately hit the field. I just hope that Pees gets creative with Ramsey if we do take him, some kind of three safety scheme would be great.

The first one was the best by a mile! I am on the Buckner express 100%, and Apple has a lot of upside if he were to slide to us in the second rd, which could happen if Ramsey, HG3, Alexander, and Fuller all go ahead of him.

We just might post-draft! Bleachers report and a few others think that Spence is making a case to go #5 or #6 if he does well at the combine. Leonard Floyd is as quick of an edge rusher as there is in this draft, but size might send him into the second round as well.

Some fellow Ravens fans are critical of Ozzie on some of his recent draft picks, but let's be honest, it's hard to draft superstars when you're over an extended period of time picking at the end of the rounds. So much talent slips away because we are not in position to grab it. In our early years the Ravens record often yo-yo'd so much that Ozzie always had a great chance to get premier talent. Recently though, when he has been inside the top 20 we have come away with Joe Flacco and CJ Mosley, both huge pieces for our franchise. So I would be absolutely shocked if he didn't come away with a tremendous 1-2 punch with two picks inside the top 37 prospects, which might be three if we trade down. The Wizard of Oz is ready to work his magic...please bring home any combination of Bosa, Ramsey, Buckner, Alexander, HG3, Floyd, Ogbah, Spence, or Billings.

I agree 1000% with our RBS that year being the best

I beg to differ I think the trio of Rice... McGahee... and Ricky Williams was a better trio... Just my opinion of course.. again we picked up Ricky Williams in 2011 because we let Mcgahee walk (he ended up in denver). Williams and Mcgahee never played together. I think we were deepest in 08-09 when we had McGahee, McClain, and Rice! That was a scary backfield

Interceptions are the ultimate goal at those positions of CB/S you could argue, but a play maker is simply a player that can do something on the field that can help your team win. Ramsey can play the run perhaps the best of all the corners/ safeties. maybe besides Cash and Alexander, he can rush the passer when he is used in blitz packages, and he can also lay punishing hits on receivers, tight ends and running backs that try to catch the ball in his area. His coverage I don't think is as good as Alexander or HG3, but he is 3-4 inches taller than both of them and will match up better with bigger receivers. I just wish he displayed better hips to shadow receivers easier.

I am on board for Bosa, Buckner or Ramsey, in my mind Ozzie will take whichever one is left.

I agree, I defended Jimmy all year because every one was saying he lost a step and wasn't going to return to form. When you hurt your foot, there goes all your burst of speed and ability to change direction when you cannot apply pressure to it. I think he will once again be a top 5 corner next year. he just needs a running mate next to him.

6: R1P6 OT LAREMY TUNSIL OLE MISS 36: R2P5 OLB LEONARD FLOYD GEORGIA 70: R3P7 WR WILL FULLER NOTRE DAME

So many great players to choose from early on and not enough picks to get them all lol I am so curious to know who will slide to us in the second or who does Ozzie like enough to move up for. I think there are a ton of guys like Billings, Floyd, and Ogbah that might tumble down to us similarly to how Jernigan did two years ago.

I love Billings, but I feel he would essentially be a Brandon Williams like fit on our defense. Could he play as a DE? He certainly is athletic enough I feel.

That is the hardest decision to make in potential picks at #6 by a mile, do we want a beast who can stuff the run and generate an interior pass rush? Or do we hope to land the successor to Sizzle? The combine will cement the top 10 for the most part so I guess we will see what happens. I hope that one of them, preferably Spence tanks so that we could get Buckner then trade back into the first to get Spence, I would absolutely drool over that scenario.

If we took Elliot at #6 or even at #31 in a trade back scenario, I will certainly end up screaming as loud as I can at BWW while watching this happen.

Webby falling victim to a cap cleaning session by Ozzie kind of scares me lol I like him as a player and I think he is still solid when healthy, but if we decide we want an extra few million in our pockets then I truly will fear for us breaking the Giants 2015 passing yards allowed...lol most likely not though.

He is just the kind of corner that we need to play aggressive football and rattle offenses. He is great at pressing WRs and does not immediately get lost once the receivers get past him--if they manage to. Him and Jimmy would make us breathe a lot easier come draft day if we decided to go pass rusher, LT and D line early on.

Ya Pitta's decision would be great, I think if he retires, it would then free up 6 or 7 million, but I could be wrong. I just don't want to see him get hurt again and I don't want to see him not play and count against the cap either. Dead money was a part of the 2015 problem.