EdTheMythicalOne

You know what doesn't make sense to me? That this guy Adam "Make it rain and if you touch my money I will punch a girl out" Jones was on the symposium addressing the rookies coming into the NFL about how to act and behave and be on the straight and narrow. Whichever person was the head of the thing, thinking it was Troy Vincent at the time, heaped praise on Jones about how he was a great role model and so forth for the new young men of the NFL. Seriously? His "It doesn't make sense..." comment reminded me of that South Park episode when they parodied Johnny Cochran. "This is Chewbacca. Now I ask you, does Chewbacca make sense? No. It does not make sense! Chewbacca does not make sense! Therefore you must acquit!"

First off, you don't know what I do and don't know, so don't pretend to. Before the off season I told this site that Devin Hester would be a Raven. I wonder how I knew? You don't think that a billion dollar investment like the Ravens that hires a person in the capacity of being a cap guru has no idea about what potential market value is of certain players on their roster? You don't think the decision on KO was made prior to him leaving last off season? All you need to do is look at logic. The Ravens drafted/signed THREE players that play the same position as Brandon Williams. Carl Davis, Willie Henry, and Micheal Pierce and those guys were all obtained within the past two off seasons. You can look at the kind of contract Damon Harrison got from the Giants last season and argue that Brandon Williams is pretty much the same player. Add in the fact that salaries tend to go up for guys in the primes of their careers and you got a potential 5 year $50 million contract on your hands. You think the Ravens are going to spend that after seeing the level of play they got out of Pierce last season and while getting a healthy Carl Davis and Willie Henry back? They already have Rick Wagner's replacement on hand in Alex Lewis. I am certain the Ravens have a price point in mind for signing Wagner and if an offer comes in over that point they let him walk. There is nothing baseless about my thought process and if you think this stuff hasn't already happened then why don't you offer me any information that supports your viewpoint rather than just aimlessly trying to shoot down my comment. Substance to the sizzle.

You mentioned as a #1 or #2 option, and I took that as YOU MEANT it by stating that Perriman should be at the very least a starting WR and possibly the #1 option. How in the world else could anyone interpret that? Be careful with that hypocrite word. I don't think you have the foundation behind you to utilize the word properly. I always do what I chose and I don't need your permission. I called you out on your horse stuff and now you are scrambling to back track because I make enough sense to make you realize what you typed was silly. Which Ravens receiver didn't have a lot of drops? Dennis Pitta. Might be why Flacco tosses the rock to him all the time. Funny how the guy with the most reliable hands gets targeted the most. No, you give the guy that can make the catches and make the plays the most targets, plain and simple. You don't just toss the rock on a wish....not if you want to win football games.

The Ravens like their own players sometimes to a fault and they will believe they have the answer in house. I am not ignorant and I am not believing that a guy like Stephon Nembot will come off the practice squad and become a HOF tackle. I don't always write what my personal opinion is from my fan perspective. I write what I think is logic tells me will happen based on what I think the team is thinking. They like Skura. You don't think this decision was made about Brandon Williams before this off season? Was drafting Carl Davis, Willie Henry, and picking up Micheal Pierce as an UDFA not enough evidence for you? The decision on Wagner was probably on hold until halfway through this season to see how he'd bounce back from his own lis franc injury. He had by all accounts a pretty good season. I personally think it would be a good move if the Ravens can afford to re-up him. I just think that there are some teams out there that know he's a good tackle and will pay him accordingly and the Ravens will move on.

You had two running backs averaging 4 yards per carry or better and while that may not be fantastically amazing upper echelon stuff right there, that's good enough to warrant pounding the rock some more. I agree that they needed to run it more effectively and they could have done that with better play calling. We had a lot of negative runs because of the cutesy style they tried to run the ball. Stupid multiple motion formations that never worked. Running the same run play two or three times after the team has already proven they know that play and that formation and blew it up already. I am referring to specifically the weak side run where the outside receiver motions to the other side of the field, Juice is off set to the right, then counter blocks left to the weak side while the right guard is attempting to pull (and fails because he can't move well enough) and the running back runs off tackle left. They ran that same play from the same formation with the same motion four times in one game and it didn't work once. They did their best and most productive running running between the guards and tackles and more so running just off left and right tackle. Any time they tried sweeps or counters or draws up the middle behind Zuttah they usually got blown up. If I can see this time and time again you know it has to be on film and the coaches know it...yet they do the same stuff over and over again. At what point do you learn? THe offensive line was good enough for both West and Dixon to get 4 yards a gain or more. That's no false narrative.

1) Bingo. Maybe it is time the head coach goes as well. There is a problem in Baltimore and apparently the people running the ship don't know exactly how to fix it. The same problems exist every season. But to answer your question what does it say? It says that Trestman doesn't run an offense as close to Kubiak as you thought. Marty wasn't brought in to be an OC anyway, so you're not really firing him, you're just not extending his 'interim" tag. Pees has been around for years and while his defenses ranked no worse than 12th save for the injury plagued season of 2015, they have a recurring problem. So to me it shows me that a Head Coach is more interested in trying to win than saving his back side, which...if he does win, he does the latter by default. You keep your job by winning. There is some talent on this team and the issue is using it correctly. This team worked best when it had two speed blazers in Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones running deep and made defenses worry about both of those guys burning them deep and a power run scheme while a healthy Pitta worked underneath with Boldin because the top was taken off the defense by Jones and Smith. Now we run this stupid WC defense where teams just run a zone and all of our wideouts are all bunched up together 10 yards or less down the field. Instead of pounding the rock with our one-cut backs we try to send them on these weird sweeps and forever to develop counter plays. Cut the cutie pie stuff and just slam the ball. That actually was how this running game got its success. Running between Yanda and Stanley on the left and between Ducasse and Wagner on the right. West and Dixon would then break a tackle or two. Go figure.

Another article with no substance. Any fan that follows this team pretty closely should know what this team needs. CB help: This has been an area of need for several seasons now, so what's the deal? Who is available on the FA market, how much would they cost, and how will the Ravens afford this player? Who might be a trade candidate? Who in the draft profiles as a quality starting corner in the draft that the Ravens could get at their pick? These are the questions that you should ask yourself before you write and article like this. Do I know who all these options are? Nope, but then again I am not paid to do this. Pass Rushers: Again, a need for several years now and is growing as an urgent and immediate need now because of Suggs' age and injury propensity now and Dumervil's age and injury propensity and one of them could be a cap casualty cut. Who is out there on the market, who can help this team with their scheme, how can the Ravens afford them, and who could the Ravens draft with their 1st round pick? Is there even anyone that might be around at that point worth considering? Better O-Line: You've got Stanely and Yanda. I think Wagner will get a big contract and I don't think the Ravens match it. I think Lewis starts at RT depending on what's there in the draft. Zuttah may be gone. I think Urschel gets a chance to start and I think Matt Skura will be in the mix as well. Ducasse is not part of a good O-line. He can't pass protect. Possession WR: I would say you have more than just a need for this, you also need a legit #1 target because an aging Mike Wallace is not that guy and Perriman hasn't proven he is that guy. Kamar Aiken should walk. I will offer at least one name I know will be on the market for the Possession gig and that's Anquan Boldin. As for the #1 target if Brandon Marshall is let go from the Jets, the Ravens better pick up the phone and call him quick. 3rd down back: At least you offer names this time, but highly unlikely that any team drafts a 3rd down back with a top 10 pick in the draft. Cook and Fournette are going to be off the board by the time the Ravens pick, barring something strange happening in the combine or off field issues. I agree the Ravens are more likely to address this issue in the draft again, but I suspect it will be in the later rounds like 3rd or 4th.

Why do people read far too much into things than are there. It is pretty freeking obvious if YOU didn't say something about a player and I make a post about it (because you know, I can multi-task in a post) then I am obviously not referring to it if if it was nothing you ever said. For crying out loud. Dude, mince words all you want but if you include a #1 in your sentence, then obviously you meant it. Guys just don't get handed jobs just because. You don't make a guy a main receiving threat if he can't catch and can't get open. If that were the case Ed Dickson would still be our TE because he was drafted ahead of Dennis Pitta even though Dickson couldn't even catch a cold.

Nope. The team is. Don't get things mixed up. The decision about Wagner and Williams were made well before the end of this season I assure you.

This isn't about what I want to do. In a perfect world I'd keep Wagner AND Williams, but I know that's not going to happen. It is about money and what the Front Office thinks. You need to separate the two issues. And that guy on the practice squad is already found. Don't be shocked to see Skura. I'm not throwing a fit. I am just telling you what the financial issues are and what I think is likely to happen. It all hinges on the offers Wagner gets. If he gets offered a top money for his position contract, he's gone. The Ravens are not going to match or beat it. It is really that simple. They will go forward with Alex Lewis at either G or T depending on what they can get in the draft and if Zuttah is cut you better believe Urschel and Skura will be in the mix for the competition to replace him. Again, what I want to have happen doesn't equal what I think will happen or what will happen. You just sit back and watch what happens and I am certain Williams and Wagner are gone. Lewis will be the replacement on the O-line and somebody else either currently on the roster, on the PS, a new draft pick, or a veteran cap cut casualty will be added to take the other open position on the line.

Flacco should have bought Perriman a JUGS machine as well as Waller and Chris Moore with a note, "Use this until you meet me on this high school football field in March. Then use it after our practice sessions. Film your workouts and if you can catch 100 passes from it in a row without dropping one I will give you "X"."

I'd make the same case about Bobby Engram. The only talent we have from the WR's is the talent we import, not the talent we draft or develop. None of our outside receivers seem to be capable of getting open at all against zone coverage or press coverage. It is almost as if our guys run their pattern and if they're not open because the defense is playing zone, they just stop. "I'm not open so I guess the play is over. I'm not going to try to work back to my QB or anything." So again what is the issue here? Are the plays the issue? Is the coaching the issue? Are the players the issue? All I know is this is the same problem I've seen with our receivers for years now and nothing changes at the WR coaching position.

1) If you don't offer a guy a contract you are essentially cutting him and you are saving yourself the money of whatever somebody else is wanting to pay him which you value as $6-$7 million a year based on last year's market. Chances are prices went up, because they generally do. 2) Matt Skura was a guy the Ravens raved about and he had played all over the line in college and his best position in the NFL is expected to be C. Broxton is a big body and strong interior lineman, and Nembot is a reach as a tools tackle that has all of the physical tools to be a tackle, but has limited exposure to the game based on where he's from. He's a reach to make a roster but you just never know about these types of guys. There will be out of work veterans looking for jobs and could be had for the veteran minimum which will be a lot less than whatever Wagner's going to get. Even if you get a veteran at LG and Lewis at RT playing for the same amount as it would take to keep Wagner, you've got two players for the price of one...and that....is what we call...value. Hi. Remember that word? 3) The Ravens had 100% of their line returning a season or so ago and how well did that work out for us? 4) It isn't about directly taking the exact amount you save from not keeping Wagner, it is about the pool of money you can free up total by making other cuts and not signing other guys to big money deals like Brandon Williams. 5) Pitta. As I said, regardless of what you think of him, he's the best TE we have and as it stands with no Steve Smith on the roster, arguably the best receiver we have on the team. Yes that says a lot about how bad this team is in that position. But you can't replace Pitta with a WR. You actually do need a TE that is more than just a statue. So you can't afford to cut bait with him as it stands right now because you simply have nothing better. You don't even have anything close. This isn't the case with Wagner. The team feels Lewis is the answer.

I used to give this team the benefit of the doubt and buy into what we're being told about our draft picks. Not so much coming into next season. With the absolute lack of attention to detail, repeated mistakes on offense, defense, and with the time management, the striking out on our top two picks over the last few seasons...I am in a wait and prove it to me on the field mode. Keeping the same coaches on staff that have been responsible for these mistakes is the first spoke in the wheel to leave me doubting next season will be much different. If the problem isn't the coaching staff, then the problem is the players. Are the players just not talented enough? Are they too stupid to get it? Are they smart emough and talented enough but they just don't fit the scheme? And if it is the players, then who is responsible for drafting them? The first step to correcting a problem is admitting you have one. The Ravens front office and coaching staff seems to be stating rather blatantly it isn't them.

You can tell me that all you want to, he hasn't really gotten much of a chance to prove whether he can or can't be. Until that time I get to see it for myself the jury is out on this.

Why was this article even written? It is basically a cut and paste portion from another article. Here I thought I was going to get some sort of information about WHO these people actually are supposed to be. Instead I get a repeat of what I read on this site yesterday.

So paying $6-$7 million to a RT when you could cut him, play somebody else for cheaper, and use that money to address another huge need like a pass rusher, wide out, or CB is what we're talking about here. Wagner's situation does not operate in a vacuum. We already have some guys waiting in the wings on the PS and Ducasse would not be an option for LG because he's not a good pass blocker. Yanda says he wants to move back to RG, but in my opinion what would be best for the team is for him to be the LG and to hold auditions for RG with what you've got in house and what you can draft/pick up cheaply on the FA market. Somebody will get cut because they're getting paid too much on their current contract and will fit the bill for us. Your last point doesn't make sense because Alex Lewis was a recent draft pick and so would be some of the potential replacements at G and C. Nembot, Broxton, Urshcel, and Skura. Whatever your take is, the fact remains is that you've got nothing better than Pitta. You can't simply replace him with a warm body, you need somebody else that can at least do what he does. If Maxx winds up being that guy, great, but until he actually proves it, Pitta is the guy unless they draft his replacement...which Maxx was already supposed to be.

So if the Ravens wind up on Hard Knocks....the theme music HAS got to be "Help!" From the Beatles for Joe Flacco. Help! I need somebody Help! Not just anybody Help! You know I need someone Help! When I was younger so much younger than today I never needed anybody's help in any way But now these days are gone and I'm not so self assured Now I find I've changed my mind, I've opened up the doors Help me if you can, I'm feeling down And I do appreciate you being 'round Help me get my [front foot] on the ground Won't you please, please help me? And now my [team] has changed in oh so many ways My [confidence] seems to vanish in the ["cool"] haze But [the pass rush comes] I feel so insecure I know that I need [talent] like I've never done before My edits come inside the brackets.

1) You're darn right. By throwing his gauntlet down for Marty and Dean, he's put his own job on the line. So yeah, maybe feeling some heat on themselves to produce something other than a steaming Waste products on the field might I dunno..motivate them to get after their players and I dunno...hold them accountable for when they screw up things. 2) The only reason why you stick with Marty is consistency. To me, that's not a good enough reason. Marty doesn't exactly have an overwhelming track record. Unless he was tasked with simply running Trestman's offense all year for the sake of keeping the players up to speed with the playbook, why would you expect him to do anything differently than what he already showed you? Harbaugh and Flacco both said they needed to run more...yet they didn't. Joe Flacco doesn't fit a West Coast system, so let's just keep using it in the hope that Flacco will finally "get it." Really? Why not tailor an offense to actually work with the tools your QB has. He's not a noodle-armed Alex Smith. He's a gunslinger with a strong arm. Oh good, I am so glad he's best buddies with some of the players. This isn't about having tea parties. This is about winning football games. I don't care if they hate the guy as long as they are winning. 3) Proven upgrade? Marty's track record is pretty horrible as well so I don't buy this argument either. You don't always have to go with OC's either. Maybe you do something bold and "creative" just like Harbaugh said he wants to do and you promote a position coach from some other team that is turning heads? So yeah, when he had a team full of stars he did a great job calling plays and when he didn't have talent he did poorly. 4) I'd be more willing to give him a chance if I actually saw some improvement on the field. They didn't run the ball. They continued to run stupid playaction passes with no set up. They continued to run all of these stupid multiple motion plays where the whole offense looked confused and could never get in position. How many negative yard screen passes did we use? All I know is I better see something completely different next season. And now the question that begs to be asked is this. If it wasn't the coaching then the only other thing you can blame are the players? Are you admitting that the drafts were busts and that there is no talent on this team? Or is it the coaching staff not being able to develop the supposed potential and talent of these players? Got to be one or the other.

That's all on Perriman. You can't just "make a guy" be a #1 receiver if he can't get open and can't catch the football. Boldin wouldn't be ahead of anyone. He'd be a sub in package guy for third downs and short yardage redzone plays. If you need him to step up into something more than that, he can. Funny how people that slobber all over Aiken who think he's Boldin, don't want Boldin who actually is Boldin and does things Boldin does that Aiken never did.

Offensive Linemen that are good get paid. Who would think that a LG like Osemele or that Yanda would be making so much as Gaurds. RTs get paid too. And Wagner will. It is also about trade offs. The team loves Alex Lewis. Alex Lewis is cheap. What drop off in production do you get with Alex Lewis at RT for dirt cheap as compared to Rick Wagner at RT for millions of dollars? That's the gamble, one the Ravens will take. I agree with you and I like Guy. Again, it is value for dollar. Guy doesn't do anything that another person couldn't do. You could plug in guys you already have on the roster and get the same production. Guy is entitled to a certain dollar amount simply because he is a veteran. Vlad can't pass protect to save his life and he got the job for his run blocking....and we didn't run the dang ball. But, when we did run the ball we ran better because he was in there at RG. He is cheap, but you can get cheaper, younger, and better with a draft choice or with somebody else already on the roster. Levine is nothing special. He's a special teams ace...so what? Get somebody else that is an athletic safety that can actually tackle and they'll be our next ST ace. You have to remember VALUE. We can get somebody to do the same things he does for cheaper. Even if it is for a little bit cheaper. Pitta may or may not be the curse/plague we all think he is, but he's the only proven TE with hands we have that knows how to get open. Waller doesn't get open and drops the ball. Watson will be cut. Maxx Williams showed some flashes, but he got hurt. Boyle is a blocking TE that won't do anything better than Pitta other than block, and Crockett Gillmore is all banged up and may never be the same. Pitta is the best TE we have regardless of what fans think about him.

Yeap, Damon Harrison is exactly what I pictured when I mentioned DT's that don't have spectacular numbers getting PAID. The New York Football Giants paid him a 5 year $46,250,000 contract. If we didn't already have Willie Henry, Carl Davis, and Micheal Pierce in the house as his replacement(s) then maybe they try to get it done. There was a time and place for the great Haloti Ngata to walk as well. Unlike Ngata, I don't think Williams is running out of gas, I just simply think it is economics and what we have on hand. Wagner played well enough for other people to notice him. He'll get paid. Just like Williams, the Ravens have somebody they like and think is actually a better RT than LG in Alex Lewis. They'll be happy to save millions at go with Lewis while trying to develop some other guys like Broxton or Nembot and take another shot at an OL later on in the draft.

He fights for the ball is the main thing. I don't see anyone outside of Smith who did this, and even he wasn't always that great at it. I saw it far too often with other guys that go, "Oops. overthrown, well, I am not gonna catch it so I will just coast and....whoa! Interception?! What?" When all they had to do was keep running the route and stick their hands up at least and they prevent an INT. Ain't nobody beating Boldin for a pass.

First thing's first, want to give a shout out to rmw10 He made the OP and the template here I used for my response to him. Unrestricted FAs: 1. Kamar Aiken WR - GONE: I agree with the OP on some points, but I don't think he's better than the opportunity given to him this year, he simply wasn't the best option when everyone else is healthy. 2. Vladimir Ducasse OG - GONE: While he might be cheap he will still get a certain minimum for being a veteran and he was a street free agent signing for us. There's better talent out there and possibly cheaper and we might have some options in house like Broxton or Skura. 3. Matt Elam S - GONE: Dude has already had MORE than enough chances to prove he can hang and he didn't stay healthy and when he did play he was a train wreck. The ONLY reason he would stay is because somebody is trying to prove they didn't whiff on him. Useless player. Can't cover, can't tackle. 4. Lawrence Guy DE/DT - GONE: I like him for all the reasons the OP gave, but he will be due a raise and we've already got bodies behind him in Carl Davis, Timmy Jernigan, and Brent Urban. 5. Kyle Juszczyk FB - STAY: Nobody will value him like we do and I don't think his contract will break our bank. 6. Anthony Levine S/DB- GONE: Sure we like his versatility but he was hampered by toe injuries all season long. Versatile only wins you a job while you're cheap. Once you start costing money you're cut bait and the team will look to skew younger and possibly faster here. 7. Chris Lewis-Harris CB- STAY: Made some plays and held his own. He'll get a shot to stick because we're cutting a lot of other bait at this position. 8. Ryan Mallett QB - GONE: The walking headache inducer will have to ply his trade elsewhere and we'll look to pick up a veteran cast off on the cheap and hope and pray Joe never gets hurt. 9. Jerraud Powers CB - GONE: He was nothing special to begin with and proved he was nothing special here. Couldn't cover the slot and that's precisely why we got him. Buh-bye. 10. Rick Wagner OT - GONE: Somebody will pay him, we won't. We've got Alex Lewis waiting in the wings and the team loves him. 11. Brandon Williams NT/DT- GONE: For some reason DT's like Brandon Williams who make tackles and play against the run pretty well but don't record sacks got HUGE contracts last off season. By Brandon. They drafted your replacement three times over in Carl Davis, Willie Henry, and Micheal Pierce. Restricted FAs: 1. Michael Campanaro WR/KR/PR - STAY: They'll take another chance on his health because of his potential to be that Wes Welker guy for us and he is right now the leading candidate for the return job unless Keenan Reynolds takes it away from him. 2. Marqueston Huff S - STAY: We're cutting bait with some of the older and underwhelming guys on this team. He's cheap and showed up a few times. Good enough. 3. James Hurst OT - GONE: He's gotten opportunities at both tackle positions and has looked absolutely horrible in just about every showing. He got Flacco's knee destroyed. 4. Ryan Jensen OG - GONE: Been around for a few years, looked okay at times, looked bad at times. Had a chance to start at G and the team decided to go with Vlad Ducasse. THAT tells you all you need to know. 5. Zach Orr MLB - STAY: Absolutely stay. You can pencil him in as a starter and you can always try to improve the position through the draft or with another FA signing, but he provided exactly what we needed along side of Mosley. A guy that can cover, make some turnovers, and he's not a turnstile against the run, but he could use a little beefing up. 6. Chris Matthews WR - GONE: Never did much of anything, was on IR all season. We're going in another direction. 7. Jumal Rolle DB - GONE: Hurt too often. Need to be healthy to stay on a roster. 8. Terrance West RB - STAY: Was the #1 until Dixon was healthy and then outperformed him in the second half. Still a good 1-2 punch. Needs to understand his role next season. Good back up plan if Dixon breaks down. Cuts: 1. Kyle Arrington CB - Was terrible before he got hurt, now is hurt. Gone. 2. Elvis Dumervil OLB - There's a chance he might be back, but they'll restructure him if anything. We need talent here and he's got it if healthy. 3. Kendrick Lewis S - Gone. Useless player for us. 4. Dennis Pitta TE - He's not getting cut. He might take a pay cut, but no way the team is going to cut the only guy Flacco has any chemistry with at all. 5. Ben Watson TE - Luckily for us Pitta was healthy, but I liked the signing at the time. Now, we don't need him. We have younger and hopefully healthier talent. 6. Shareece Wright CB - I lamented at the time of his big contract that this was a half-year wonder that parlayed that into a big contract and then he came back down to reality. He's gone due to the emergence of Tavon Young. Team will still be looking elsewhere to revamp secondary. Extensions: 1. Mike Wallace WR - I think some sort of negotiation is done here to free up some money. He may not be the Pittsburgh version of himself, but he has proven that at times he can make something out of nothing and can hit a home run. As long as we use him properly and don't depend on him as THE guy, we'll get good value out of him. 2. Lardarius Webb S - He was actually serviceable as a safety and performed about as well as I expected. There's a chance in another year at playing the position for the first time since his college days that he will be a bit better. Money is a factor, but also the fact that we have absolutely nothing waiting in the wings behind him is also a major factor.

He signed a 1 year $2.75 million contract with the Detroit Lions. He caught 67 passes for 584 yards and 8TDs. That does work out to a pretty paltry and career low 8.7 yards a catch, but you aren't grabbing him to be a big play home run hitter. You're getting him to move the chains and catch those short redzone TD passes and he's proven once again he can still get it done. I think 8TDs for receiving would have led the Ravens?