PurpleCity5

I think the issue is that the Ravens might be worried about Wagner ability in a power/man gap scheme. He's not a mauler, he does a great job of holding it down when it comes to pass protection but he isn't exactly a physical presence at the line, it could cause a decline for someone who may not be a fit for the scheme and the Ravens are hurting badly from big contracts that are not paying off. I think Wagner is a good RT, but they never seem to have put him in that elite category among RTs, I think they want to shift Lewis to RT and add some maulers to the guard/center spot, which in my opinion would benefit us better if we upgrade there rather than keeping Wagner.

I agree on all points here. Wagner I feel is likely out. The only way I can see him staying is if the market isn't kind to him and he doesn't get the pay day that he anticipates. Maybe teams get cold feet, but outside of that, I don't see him staying given the reports coinciding with Decosta's statements. I really like Wagner but I think the Ravens are more concerned with the fit rather than the talent. The run D collapse also didn't help with the thought letting go of BW. The move at RT could either be to move Lewis to RT or sign/draft someone. I also feel that the team will put in work at C, whether draft or trade, they're going to get someone.

I prefer Williams over Wagner ATM. I was against it at first, but after thinking about it, our run D collapsed badly to end the year and when you subtract BW, it just makes our DL look more vulnerable. Wagner is a good RT, but he isn't a mauler there. The Ravens talk about a physical and demanding OL and I don't know if Wagner fits the bill there. I really like him and it would hurt to lose him, but you just hope Alex Lewis is the step-up guy there. Pierce faded down the stretch and I don't think he's ready to be the guy at NT.

Our best player on defense? You can make the argument, I know Weddle and Mosley were amazing. He certainly proved that he was very valuable to this team. Makes me happy to see the Jimmy trolls vanish.

The guys they had behind him certainly didn't help, but lets not forget that for the first half of the season, this was a secondary that was ranked in the top 5 statistically, I think at their peak they were #3 statistically speaking. Shareece Wright was having bad games even with Jimmy in the line up, most notably Oakland and Jacksonville, he was benched after and the team still put a secondary that can be argued as a top 5 secondary overall. The fact that the Ravens didn't have good play at all at #2 and were still holding it down against the passing game speaks for Jimmy's worth. Credit to Weddle and Webb for fantastic play in the backfield but they couldn't save this secondary when Jimmy went out. As far as a complimentary guy goes to step up in Jimmy's absence, that's fine but if you're the Ravens then I think you hope that Jimmy can play a full season for you. He's too good of a player and talent that you have to rely upon him. I posted some statistics up above of what the Ravens had with Jimmy in the line up and it just shows what the guy can do for you. As I said, taking the cap number I have into account and what we lost with him, I can honestly say that cap number that we're taking from him is worth it if that's his value. I like Tavon as well, he was a guy who played bigger than his size in College but against guys like Dez Bryant and Branden LaFell, he wasn't really beaten by extraordinary route running or burnt in any manner, he was beaten by being physically taken to school. I think Young has to prove that he can match up with bigger receivers in the future. He might have to put on more weight. Chris Harris Jr(And I'm only comparing them in terms of size) is not the biggest CB out there but he's pretty damn strong at 200 LBs and allows opposing receivers to beat him by height. Harbaugh said this and I agree, the Ravens need two things at CB, Jimmy Smith to be healthy and another CB.

You don't have a choice but to rely on Smith to play those games for you 2017 and be a #1 CB due to the money that you're paying him. I don't think his cap hit and absent cap savings can actually allow you to function as if he isn't on the roster. Furthermore the collapsed we suffered on defense with him out shows you that you have to rely on him more than ever. I think the Ravens should focus more on finding someone alongside Smith than someone to replace him. You can restructure, but he can easily turn the Ravens away and there won't be much they can say about it. He knows what he's worth and the Ravens do to. With the way our defense has played without him, it might be bold thing to say to a few people here but that cap hit is worth it if that's what they are without him.

I think we'll go for paying a WR, but not a mega pay day. I think the only two guys we'll make moves on are either Kenny Britt or Pierre Garcon because of the element they bring to this offense, they fill in what we're missing from this offense. I think a Wallace cut would happen if we sign one of those guys, after that we could definitely go for drafting a WR day two or go for a cheap option for the No.3 spot.

Two guys who immediately comes to mind is Webb and Wallace. Webb is up there in age but is solid in the backfield, he probably would like an extension so he would be open to lowering his cap hit in 2017, but at the same time, do you want to commit to an aging safety? Wallace cap hit might be a little high for the Ravens also, especially given the savings but the Ravens might not be content with letting him go so an extension is possible with the addition of getting that cap hit down. I'm not sure about Jimmy. The ball is in his court and he has all the leverage at the moment being the #1 CB on the roster and the glue that keeps this secondary together. He and the Ravens knows his value and has no reason to accept incentives, I think he can get the cap hit down, but earning back incentives are for guys like Pitta, someone who can give you production at TE but who is a question mark in terms of what they'll produce on field after nearly two seasons of no action. I think you can approach him about it, but if he's not down for it then you back off.

This is with him dealing with a shoulder injury and having to make the shift to LG. I really think that if we can keep this unit together that we're going to have a really good OL.

BPA you're describing is taking the best player available regardless of need, looking at the Ravens draft history they take the best player at a position of need. I don't think they go strictly towards a philosophy of crossing out a need and just going BPA. They took Ronnie Stanley and Breshad Perriman and I don't think you can make the argument that they weren't need picks. I would list CJ Mosley but with Arthur Brown on the roster you may not have needed to go ILB in the 1st round, but even at that you got close to nothing from him. ILB was a huge question mark. We needed a safety so we took Elam.I think we've gone need more often that not honestly.

I didn't even make the comparison, lol. The key element that I'm talking about is not the fact that he coached an amazing defense but the fact that his defense completely destroyed and annihilated one of the greatest offenses ever. As much praise as you would like to give Seattle's defense that year, I could exactly give to Denver's offense. You can have a defense as great as Seattle, but I think your making the task of limiting that Denver's offense easier than it sounds because it wasn't. Yes, he had an amazing defense, but the type of offense he was going up against is nothing to forget about. It was a crazy loaded and talented offense and I think offensively was as good as Seattle's was defensively. The Patriots offense is not at a similar level to this Falcons offense, but they've put out better offenses and teams before. Of course offensively they're better than the Falcons are defensively, but history shows you can limit Brady on the Big stage.

I wouldn't be hard press for an elite CB because of how expensive and how hard they are to get. If I'm the Ravens I'm just looking for someone who doesn't get beat. Don't let up the big plays and don't be a bum in coverage. Doesn't have to be a play-maker and doesn't have to be a superstar or anything of that nature, just someone who doesn't get beat play after play. That's the type of #2 CB I'm looking for.

Of course, but that offense that he played is definitely better than this Patriots offense. Denver's offense that year is debated as one of the best ever. He schemed and called one of the best games ever as a DC IMO. No secret this teams gets really good and goes to a SB two years into his arrival, I think he might be heading towards a storied coaching career.

Dan Quinn was the DC of Seattle during that annihilation of that historic Broncos offense in 2014 SB. I wouldn't sleep on his ability to game plan. I think Houston showed that New England offense isn't unstoppable, they certainly are not more talented than their 2014 offense IMO.

I don't, but some people here have have PFF and other various subscriptions.

I think losing Orr will hurt, the Ravens will probably put a new guy in a J.A.G role. Orr was intended for that role, but damn did he play way too good to be labeled as that, I think Jimmy Smith staying healthy will be a key element in not forcing the 2nd linebacker into a whole lot of coverage. I feel the same way about the defense though, I think we're a #2 CB and impact Pass Rusher away from being a top 3 defense. I honestly have to say that there were no elite defenses this year. Vikings, Broncos, and Seahawks all had moments when they got destroyed. I don't think there was a dominant/elite defense this year.

If they have to then a trade is very possible. When talking about beefing up the OL, that can only mean they have plans improving the C spot under the assumption that Wagner is staying. Just wouldn't make sense to talk about that and put out the same OL unit, if the team can't find a C through FA then they'll do so through the rout of a trade.

My fear for Zuttah staying next season is that he won't be a fit for this OL scheme. He isn't powerful enough to push NT/DT. He isn't a guy I would like to command a gap either. I don't know if it would work out.

I don't know about that, we should beat teams that we're better than period. I would also look back on the 2011 season and say that we had no business losing to the Seahawks or Jaguars, take care of business there and Patriots are coming to Baltimore. We got in thanks to the Chiefs, but we put our-self in the position to make the post season because of the teams we beat.

I really would have liked to see how this offense would have looked if Ben Watson never got injured. It would've been nice to have a guy go up the seam and get vertical from the TE. If I can recall there were reports out that said that Watson was emerging from the TE group and was on pace to be named the #1 TE on the roster. IMO I think it would've made Pitta more effective on those 1v1 match-ups if Watson was able to push LBs and Safety's. I get that Watson was getting up there in age, but he was an 800 Yard TE last year in N.O, we can't forget that. Honestly, part of me wants him to stick around in the event that we do indeed cut him. I really would like to see if his amazing work ethic could push him to miraculously regain his ability to get vertical and up the seam. If you can get Watson to become a threat on those routes, then Pitta and Steve Smith Sr. would have had a lot of space to work with. It's just unfortunate IMO.

I like Tretter but I'm mum about someone who can't stay healthy at C. I don't think we want to shift our OL too often.

IMO, someone like Kenny Britt, Pierre Garcon, or even Brandon Marshall(The Talent) would both be great fits for this offense. My preference would be Britt at #1, I just like a guy who can run the vertical/shallow routes and win inside position time and time again. I think he would be somewhat like an Anquan Boldin for us, a guy who was a near perfect fit for this offense. Britt also shows the ability to get deep, I think his skill set overall makes him a target. I agree on Perriman, he isn't completely proven but it wouldn't be the 1st time where we relied on a guy who wasn't 100%, good thing is now he doesn't have to stay focus on being healthy, he can now work on his craft and build on his chemistry with Joe. Very rarely do you see guys who can transition from a physical to finesse style of play throughout a game. The guy has loads of potential, we'll see what he does with him. Disagree in reguards to Camp and Moore. They're going to have to earn roles because they have not shown a whole lot this year in terms of receiving ability. Hogan and Amandela when healthy can play, we haven't seen that from Camp or Moore. I like Maxx Williams, I really do but he's heading towards a boom or bust season. If he bust then I think we begin to hear the draft bust talk around him. He's going to get his chance this year because I don't think Pitta returns. I think Pitta's comeback was inspiring but he doesn't have the speed required to beat linebackers 1v1 and isn't a physical presence there. I think the Ravens want to push guys back now and Pitta isn't going to serve that purpose and as a receiver his numbers were pretty inflated.

I'm not 100% but every website I see says that not picking up the option on Wallace would count $2M towards the cap and save close to $6M in cap savings so I think it would.

Well, looking at this season, we shouldn't have lost to the Jets(Let's not forget they were up by 10 against NY) and Bengals. Those teams didn't have any playoffs aspirations, and we certainly should have beaten a team that can only put up 16 at M&T. The thing is, if the Ravens got a win against NY and Washington, they would probably be playing for the division against Cincinnati(IDK what the tie-breaker would be there). Looking back at our 2014 season, we made the playoffs primarily because we took care of business against bad teams. Not one team on that schedule we lost to that was below .500. Biscotti has playoff aspirations, if we lose to a team as bad as the Jets, and have those games be a reason we miss the postseason, then I think Harbaugh is toast.

We play plenty of man coverage, I don't think the issue is completely the simply with our zone coverage, there were times where we played man coverage and got burnt. Pees sends A-Gap pressure at times and when guys don't hit home, the secondary gets slaughtered. Jimmy Smith being out also had a huge impact because now you're forced to send Weddle/Webb back in single-high safety coverage and shift Orr/Mosley to more coverage packages. With Jimmy healthy, we've actually been better at zone coverage than man coverage because of how we are able to play our LBs from sideline to sideline and diagnose plays. One criticism that I hear about Pees is that he needs to be more creative with the pressure he schemes up and I agree with that to a point. I think the game against the Bills was his best as a play caller because he clicked on all cylinders whether it was coverage or pressure schemes. He was creative with his pressure against Buffalo, Jets, Steelers(@Home), and Dolphins by sending disguising pressure through sending defensive backs on blitz schemes which surprises plenty of teams we played. He also confused plenty of teams constantly by adding stunts and twists. He needs to consistently confuse teams protection schemes. I think the zone is very ideal for us. Webb and Weddle are good tacklers in the backfield, as is Mosley. The team played with plenty of discipline this year, early in the season with Jimmy healthy we put out a top 5 secondary and I honestly have to say that we didn't get much out of our #2 and #4 CBs with Jimmy and Young being the only guys who can play at CB.