EdTheMythicalOne

That's saying this site would go in that direction, but I agree. If you are already a PSL owner or are a season ticket holder then I believe that perk should come to you, but that would take a bit of logistics for this site to determine who actually is and is not one of those people in order to get that perk.

I think the site should obviously offer the fans that would pay a subscription something extra. Not sure what that could be. Maybe all of the paid members could be in a raffle to pick a guest on one of the podcasts each month? Get some special access to the site that the normal free accounts don't get..though not sure how that would play out. I know ESPN would restrict some of their articles unless you were an "insider" and were a paid member. I hated that model and do not condone it. Maybe a chance to win some free pre season tickets or a chance once a year to win a ticket to a season game. Talk about connecting with your fan base.

Based on the comments I received in this thread I added a third option for questions 2 and 3. If you didn't vote on those questions already then I hope these new options allow you to give an answer. If you did already vote for them using a choice you didn't really want then I apologize for not giving you that option earlier. I wasn't exactly sure how to cover all the bases for everyone. The subscription thing is not something I advocate, just curious about it to show the people in charge how strongly some fans feel about this site. I completely understand the logic behind the people wanting to keep this a free site based on all the various factors already given.

On the other hand with Brock Osweiler is that the Browns reportedly want a 3rd round pick for him. So then the question becomes this: If; and that might be a pretty big if, a team is interested in Osweiler as a starter how much do they value that 3rd round pick over the money they might save in trading for him as opposed to what it would take to get him on a FA deal? I actually don't pretend to know what Brock's market would bear but I can't imagine teams leaping over each other to pay him big money on another long term contract. I mean Cleveland virtually has nothing at QB and they don't even want him in their QB competition or even as a backup. The reason why Glennon got his deal is because the team that inked him thinks he's capable of being a starter again. Brock got his chance and blew it so he's back to the "prove it" stage. How about that Tony Jefferson though? It was exciting reading his comments. He just oozes confidence not only in himself, but in Eric Weddle. I liked that he said, "...we can do anything."

Thank you all for voting and to those of you issuing feedback on why you voted the way you did. This is serving as good information for myself as well as I hope the people in charge that make the decisions around here. I hope they are paying attention to the people that are voting. Some long time members in here sharing their votes and feedback is very helpful. People with thousands of posts, and then our very long distance fans who don't post very often are none the less compelled to show their displeasure as well.

Trumaine Johnson is available for trade from the Rams. I am not sure what kind of draft pick they are looking for and with a $16.7 million salary figure thanks to him being franchise tagged a second time if I were making the deal I would be asking for a whole heck of a lot of money to off set based on the level of draft pick(s) I send their way. Of course Cleveland has money to burn and they are going after him. As for House he seemed to have a down year for a number of reasons. Firstly, he had gotten banged up on a hit he tried to level on Gronkowski, then he was dealing with a hamstring injury. He was demoted/benched after getting lit up by being tasked with playing man to man on DeAndre Hopkins which a lot of people don't think was quite fair, including House. There are a lot of corners that wouldn't do well trying to single handedly take on Hopkins with no safety help. He might be a pretty good pickup, but apparently the Packers really want him back. If I am House I am thinking I like my chances with the Pack a little better. BTW: when are you gonna approve my registration @BOLDnPurPnBlacK ?

Okay, here's one last thing about the Terrence Cody/Dwan Edwards debate. Both players played 5 seasons with the Ravens. Terrence Cody: G: 57 GS: 21 PD: 2 FF:0 FR: 0 TACKLES: 46 AST TACKLES: 46 SACKS: Career after the Ravens: None. Dwan Edwards: G: 56 GS: 23 PD: 4 INT: 1: FF: 1 FR: 2 TACKLES 89 AST TACKLES: 30 SACKS: 2 Career after the Ravens: 2 Seasons with Buffalo and 4 seasons with Carolina. Clearly Dwan Edwards was the better talent while with the Ravens and in the NFL. Part of Dwan's plight is that they played him all over the line and he was behind some other players for most of his career and those players being: DT: Kelly Gregg, DT: Ma'ake Kemoeatu, DE: Anthony Weaver (fellow 2nd round pick), DE: Marques Douglas, DL: Aubreyo Franklin, DT: Haloti Ngata, DE: Trevor Price, DL: Justin Bannan. In Terrence Cody's case in his first year he was behind several other players, but immediately in 2010 he was handed the starting job. He so underwhelmed that he lost the job to the second coming of Ma'ake Kemoeatu at age 33 in the last season of his career in 2011. Then Cody couldn't stay on the field and when he was on the field he never impressed. The way was paved for him to be a starter and he just couldn't handle it. He was so bad that no other team is even interested in him as a rotational player even with his massive size.

I would agree with that. They all haven't been great and they all haven't been terrible. I don't think it is how Ozzie views these players. Just about all of the good ones were good enough to be a starter for any team in the NFL and it comes down to what the Ravens have available to spend, what they have in house, and what is available on the FA market and in the draft. In that sense for the most part Ozzie has been pretty good at replacing the talent that has walked out the door. When Jamie Sharper left he was replaced by Ed Hartwell. When Hartwell left he was replaced by Tommy Polley for a year and then Bart Scott, when Ray Lewis left he replaced him with Daryl Smith and drafted C.J. Mosley.

I think Powers should be a fall back option if we need him after we see what else can be had on the market and what we can get in the draft. He was okay but I wasn't thrilled with him.

And now you've doomed us all! LOL.

I am not sure if we can get a weight by year break down on Ray Lewis but just from the eyeball test he wasn't his lightest and leanest in 2012. That would be in the Tony Siragusa/Sam Adams years when Rod Woodson was here. Once those big body guys in front of Ray left he was getting panned for being pushed around to easily and not being able to shed blocks anymore. He even complained vocally that he needed some people to keep those guys off of him so that he could do what he does. That's why he was thrilled when Haloti Ngata was drafted.

I appreciate your feedback. We may not need immediate starters at all of the positions I list, but we will need them very soon. QB: We're set. HB: We've got some meh choices so far. I am not very keen on West, I am higher on Dixon but he will miss four games next year, and Danny Woodhead should be a good 3rd down back. I am not sure what Buck Allen or Lorenzo Taliafero have left to offer, but we need another body. FB: We lost Juice, but I honestly think one of or TE's can take this spot when we don't use Woodhead here on passing downs since he can both block and catch. You can always find a lead blocker late or in UDFA. WR: Wallace is in his last year, very high expectations for Perriman and Moore and I am not sure they can live up to them. Poor Camp hasn't been able to stay healthy in any season he's been with us so far and is unlikely to do so in the future. Reynolds is still very raw. We need a legit #1 target and finally getting one through the draft would be a feather in Ozzie's cap since that's a big knock on him. TE: We've got sure handed if not spectacular Pitta, and then a bunch of enigmas. Maxx Williams looks like he could be the next Heap or Pitta when he was healthy..but he can't stay on the field. Crockett is a beast but he beat himself up playing like a bulldozer. Nick Boyle can block and can catch some, but he was popped twice for PEDS. Then Waller can't catch so that nullifies his ability to be a freak mismatch. LT: Set LG: Dunno. If Yanda doesn't stay here and they use Alex Lewis at RT instead...I actually didn't like Lewis at LG. C: Zuttah for now, if not him you have a bunch of question marks behind him as I previously stated. RG: If Yanda, we're set. If not because he's playing LG then see LG. RT: Dunno. If not Alex Lewis I am not thrilled with our other options in house right now. LE/LDT: Should be Jernigan NT/DT: Should be Williams. RE/RDT: Should be a mixture of names we already know, but are any of them ready? LOLB: Dumervil's old spot, we've got some bodies but who will step up? MLB1: Mosley MLB2: ? Correa? Not so sure. ROLB: Suggs for now, but who going forward. CB1: Jimmy Smith; when he's healthy, which isn't often unfortunately. CB: Nobody. Defaults to Tavon Young right now. FS/SS: Weddle/Jefferson. As for Skura I have been pumping his name to this board a lot and I always get panned for it. "You think a PS guy is an answer?" My response is that what I think is irrelevant. What the Ravens think is much more important. They obviously saw enough out of him to ink him to a futures/reserve contract which takes him off the shelf for other teams looking to poach him. They were thrilled that he became an UDFA and were able to put him on the PS.

The best part of this site is actually all of you fellow posters, whether I agree with you or not. It engages my brain and sometimes makes me consider things a bit differently because I am turned onto a different view point that I hadn't considered before.

Why don't you all participate in this to give the people with the power to make the decisions see what we really think and will do.

I don't think anyone can debate being stronger and leaner than being flabby and heavier is better. I think it is the notion that every player can or will dedicate themselves to dieting, cutting the weight, and then working out like a maniac to get all that muscle. Terrence Cody certainly never did. Ray Lewis did spout that credo mid way through his career while Rod Woodson was here. Later on in his career he bulked up again realizing he was too light to do the same things he did in his prime years. See, unlike the machines you use in a very good example, people are not machines. Sometimes genetics and metabolism get in the way of what a body will do. So it is a matter of if a player CAN do it, it might be beneficial in making that player a better athlete. Does that make them a better football player though? Only if the issue with them is lacking the physical abilities to play at this level.

You are the Kyle Boller of Madden '17. Congratulations!

We're putting a lot of stress on this next draft class: Starting WR, Starting CB, Starting OLB, Starting RE/DL, Starting RT, and starting MLB. I think Harbaugh did mention the possibility of James Hurst playing RT and I honestly do not like that idea. So far your options for RT as it stands now: James Hurst, Alex Lewis, Stephane Nembot, De'Ondre Wesley Your options for either LG/RG (excluding Yanda of course): Alex Lewis, Ryan Jensen (if retained), John Urschel, De'Ondre Wesley, Jarrod Pughsley, Jarrell Broxton, Matt Skura Your options for C (other than Zuttah) Ryan Jensen, John Urschel, Matt Skura. There are a lot of bodies there for sure but not sure about the level of talent. Ozzie also said we were not done in free agency even after inking Jefferson, retaining Mallett, and Brandon Williams.

Absolutely none. Apparently they think more people are having "conversations" through the team's other social media outlets like the team's Twitter and Facebook pages. They think that most of us will convert over to those other outlets and I for one can assure you I have absolutely no interest in doing that unless the people in charge are paying me to do so. I've had no feedback from anyone from my "contact us" message and I have only just recently messaged Admin3 since it was said here that this person is the digital media boss. At this point I think we all need to remind them just how many of us there are and how many of us will absolutely not follow this site, its authors, or its other social media outlets. To me this site doesn't offer anything unique other than this message board. The news this site offers is not anything I can't read or access elsewhere. The columns the authors write I usually find lacking substance and treating me as if I am some idiot that doesn't remember yesterday or know anything about football at all. The video nuggets this site has are worthless to me as well and not worth my time to watch and listen to. Long story short, the message board is the main reason why I come to this site. They take that away and I won't be around anymore. Not that they really care I am sure, but if enough people are committed do doing the same thing then they might take notice. I personally feel like this is a slap in the face to all of us. "Gee thanks for making us so successful and making the boards a great place to be, but we now invite you all to sincerely take a long walk off a short pier because reasons. Buh-bye." That's my interpretation of the post made to start this thread.

So are the reports correct about him on the negatives? That when matched up against superior strength/talent he doesn't have the ability to work out of it and he gets redirected out of the play? That most of his production comes from his relentless motor and not really from pure talent/moves/skills?

In this context no, but the picks you get in return are compensation for losing the player you tendered.

Hard to tell at this point. Usually they don't really start occurring until after the draft and then there are the pre season cuts. Teams find out what they got in their rookie class and decide if they are better than the veteran carrying a hefty contract.

I also think Micheal Pierce could find some snaps at RE/LDT.

Hard work and dedication can't overcome Father Time. I am sure he is working to get himself back into the best shape he possible can. He's been carrying heavy loads over his 30's and guys don't suddenly turn back the clock unless they are Barry Bonds and get some "help" to do so. Pitta broke the same hip twice. It is no wonder he's not quite the same guy that he was. I agree that when the Ravens signed Watson it was with the full expectation that he'd be the number one. At that time of his signing, nobody knew if Pitta would even be able to step on the field again. Steve Smith Sr. wasn't the same Steve Smith that he was, I think everybody knew that. He was still good, but he obviously had lost a little something. I just simply don't think Ben Watson has a whole lot left to offer entering age 37 now and coming off of his injury. I am sure some team will give him a chance based on his history. If he proves me wrong so be it. I am under the impression that you are that we need to focus on the future of the position now and that is Maxx Williams first and foremost. I don't see Boyle as anything other than a supplemental blocker. Gillmore has a chance to be a starter again if healthy, but Maxx is a better athlete. Waller could be an option if he ever puts it all together but so far he's been unimpressive.

And I just messaged this person to see if I can get some straight answers out of somebody about why this decision is being made. The press release statement offered to start this thread seems to be completely contradictory in my opinion. If you want to better communicate with your avid fans, why shut down one of the best places for us fans to carry on conversations? It would also be nice if the personalities of this site might actually, I dunno, acknowledge that we are here.

I have watched one video segment on this site and it was the first and also the very last one I ever watched. It was a mailbag feature with Mink and the other one. I don't care enough to know his name. The duo didn't offer any tangible evidence for the answers to specific questions asked and just offered up what they think. Quite frankly, based on Mink's articles and his persona I could give a flying anvil what he thinks. His opinion matters very little to me. They might as well ditch those video segments and the podcasts and save themselves all the time, money, and effort put into them because I find them to be completely worthless. I give more credence to what the fans on this board have to state because at least they usually back up their opinions with some hard data.