AwakenTheDemon

For my two cents: QB - Flacco, Schaub HB - Forsett, Allen, Taliaferro FB - Juszczyk WR - Smith, Perriman, Campanaro, Aiken, Brown, Waller TE - (If Pitta can go:) Pitta, Williams, Gillmore (if Pitta can't go:) Williams, Gillmore, Boyle LT - Monroe, Hurst LG - Osemele, Myers C - Zuttah RG - Yanda, Urschel RT - Wagner, Reid LE - Jernigan, Davis NT - Williams, Guy, Tyson RE - Canty, Lewis-Moore LOLB - Dumervil, Upshaw MLB - Mosley, D. Smith, Brown, McClellan ROLB - Suggs, Z. Smith CB - J. Smith, Webb, Jackson (ugh), Melvin, Walker FS - Lewis, Brooks SS - Hill, Elam, Trawick (they just won't get rid of this guy thanks to ST) K - Tucker P - Koch LS - Cox

Thank you for that snippet regarding drops. Maybe people who are trashing Breshad for his drops should start throwing the same critism at that, almost who's-who, list of receivers as well

People saying Perriman can only run fly routes are drinking the same koolaid as those saying the guy absolutely cannot catch. Perriman did run fly routes, but he also ran ALOT of slants, some come backs, and some digs. I also believe a few out routes here and there. Will he "go long"? Sure, because he's the most fitting player we have at wide out who can do that, but regulating him to just going deep is a disservice to him and the team.

Yeah, there's a fair amount of variables on who #6 can be: special teams/return game namely.

Steve Smith - Safe, no question. Breshad Perriman - First rounder, safe. Michael Campanaro - Looked great before hurting his hammy last year. Safe. Kamar Aiken - Shined at times when given the playing time he's been fighting for his entire career. Safe. Marlon Brown - Showed what he could do his rookie year. Team could see what he could do with more playing time again. Safe. Jeremy Butler - Has some measurables and speed, signed as an undrafted free agent. So no real investment thus far. Shaky future. Aldrick Robinson - Signed and found his way onto the practice squad with Baltimore. Again, no real investment, shaky future. Darren Waller - Extremely athletic, big bodied receiver. Invested a sixth round pick in him. If he's willing and able to play ST, he should be on the final roster. Extremely likely he could end up on the practice squad, and risk being plundered. The way I see the final cut being for receivers is: Steve Smith Breshad Perriman Michael Campanaro Kamar Aiken Marlon Brown Darren Waller Without any real investments in Butler and Robinson, they'll find themselves cut or on the practice squad, if eligible.

I'm sure everyone said the same thing about a 7th round pick out of smaller school Hofstra called Marques Colston. But seems like he turned out pretty well, right? Waller is coming from a very run first offense, where he did pretty damn well when they actually passed the ball, routinely beating coverage and making some tough catches while averaging 19 yards a catch. I do believe I said he'll need time to develop since he came from a triple option offense. You can't coach up size. You can't coach up speed. You can coach up route running, catching, and the fundamentals of the game. The good thing, Waller has size and speed in spades, and the times he got to catch, he wasn't half bad. You don't just stumble into a third round grade by being 6'6.

Taiwan Jones signed with the Jets, Fua with the Cardinals. I think Collins' is off the radar for us. I believe Waller was the only pick we had that had any sort of significant red flags, with two one game suspensions and I think a positive test? Even if Collins is cleared, this circus was way too much with how the Ravens are approaching PR and any sort of issues with players. Hell, Pierce may have tanked the past two seasons, but he was pretty clean off the field. They didn't blink twice cutting him over a DUI. Monroe just signed a big deal last off season, he's young, and I still think it's way too early to say he's on his last legs. If, if, Monroe struggles this year, then I'd see Baltimore take an offensive tackle next year to take over and replace him. But I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Monroe is closer to who we traded for, than what we somewhat got. Meanwhile, the depth at guard is pretty thin outside of Urschel. The team also needed to potentially plan for the future in case Osemele or Yanda are no longer in black and purple (both are in the last year of their contracts). We really don't want to walk into the draft next year with an absolutely glaring hole on the offensive line, potentially two if Monroe still struggles. Waller was seen as a third or fourth round pick, and his ceiling is high. So grabbing him in the sixth was crazy value for someone who can play at a potential high level. I even said he'll most likely be stashed either on the practice squad (and risk him getting plundered) or by heading to IR with an injury. Otherwise, we have eight receivers right now counting Perriman and Waller. That also includes Jeremy Butler and Aldrick Robinson. Its not a stretch that the team could see Waller's potential as being greater than Butler or Robinson, and keeps him especially if Waller is willing and able to play special teams.

Grades, at least in my opinion, at this juncture are more a reflection of talent level, pick value, and team need. So therefore I don't see how they are "pointless". It's really not much different from a team's grade/rank on talent heading into the draft. Sure, someone graded as an A could bomb and be out of the league in a few years, while a D flourishes after a year or two. You have a generalized idea of what you're getting and potentially getting at this point.

Once again I've reappeared... Anyways, long time no see, my brothers and sisters. I'm sure many of us can remember me being... critical of the past drafts from us (*cough*TorreySmith*cough*), so it's actually really refreshing that I'm, well, happy with this one. To begin with, I had us taking Marcus Peters or Breshad Perriman in the first. I do believe if Kansas City hadn't puzzlingly snatched Peters up at 18, we may have well taken him. I did not expect Maxx to be anywhere near us in the second, so I had us taking Quinten Rollins from Miami Ohio. After seeing how the first two days went, my approach to what I wanted in the fourth through sixth was: 4th: RB David Cobb 4th: CB Charles Gaines (Surprised he fell so far) 4th: OLB Davis Tull 5th: CB Kevin White (still cannot believe this kid went undrafted) 5th: WR DeAndre Smelter 6th: OG Bobby Hart I was completely off on the players themselves, but not far off position-wise, if you swapped out the second corner for the tight end. As for the draft itself, I'm pretty happy with it. I think Ozzie, Eric, and company got tremendous value at most of their picks. If we're looking at it more in depth, though... Round 1 (26): Central Florida WR Breshad Perriman I know this is another polarizing pick for some fans from what I've seen. Some would have much rather had Jaelen Strong here, but I think Perriman is an ideal fit here, truthfully. Some people are really turned off by the drops that ESPN ripped into him for, but I do believe that it's more of a mental aspect, rather than an issue with his hands. When you examine his entire body of work, though, he is exactly everything that the team needs at receiver. Big body. Good catch radius. Isn't afraid to climb the ladder to high point the passes. Dangerous after the catch on slants over the middle. Oh.... and fast. I apologise because I can't remember where I saw it, but someone likened Perriman to Andre Johnson with Josh Gordon speed, which I somewhat agree with. Speaking of Andre, when he was coming out of college, people praised his blend of size and speed, while questioning his route running and ability to catch the ball. Well, he turned out pretty well. I'm not saying he's the next Andre Johnson, just that some players are better pros than college players. And when all is said and done, I wouldn't be surprised is the best receiver out of this class after Cooper and White. Grade: A Round 2 (55): Minnesota TE Maxx Williams This very well may be the best pick of out draft, and it wouldn't surprise anyone. The value aspect of the pick is off the chart, since there were talks of him being a middle of the first pick earlier in the draft season. Watching Maxx, he doesn't seem to play very fast, but I find it somewhat deceptive. Even so, he has no issues getting open, whether it's down the seam, or breaking inside or towards the side line. Speaking of the side line, he's good at getting the feet down in bounds. Williams' catch radius is amazing, and he makes some difficult catches, even against tight coverage. Much like Perriman, he can high point the ball and come down with those high passes. His ability to make all the hard catches, along with his big frame is going to give linebackers and smaller corners fits. If Pitta is healthy and can continue his playing career, he and Williams could be Baltimore's version of Gronkowski and Hernandez (before the truth of what he did for a hobby came out). We've all seen what tight ends do in a Trestman offense, which bodes well for Maxx. Grade: A+ Round 3 (90): Iowa DT Carl Davis If a cornerback wasn't taken in the first two rounds, I fully expected one to be had in the third. Granted, with the way the dominos were falling at the position, I could understand why Ozzie and Eric saw any cornerback a reach at this point. I did not see a defensive lineman at this juncture, though. I'm really off and on about this pick when it comes down to it. From a need standpoint, I saw a need for depth at line over immediate return after resigning Canty. Upon thinking of it further, Canty isn't the long term answer, and could benefit from young blood to rotate in and mentor. This is where I do see Davis playing a role. Jernigan should have one end spot locked in, and I believe Brandon Williams should be the one manning the nose tackle spot. Davis could eventually be the third piece to that defensive line. Sure, he may not be an always-on pass rusher, but he should be a run stuffing anchor, that could wrap up some blocks for the outside linebackers. Honestly, on short yardage, and obvious run downs, having Upshaw on one side of the line and Davis on the other could really make it difficult for opposing running backs... if Davis pans out. Davis was another player that some people thought could be a late first/early second pick, so the value was there and could pay dividends in the long run. Grade: B+ Round 4 (122): Kentucky OLB Za'Darius Smith This is one of my two favorite picks (the other I'll get into later). In my mocks, I frequently had Baltimore nabbing Smith to groom for a future spot post-Doom/Suggs, while taking over for McPhee in the mean time. Oh, and we all know how much Baltimore loves it's "Smiths". I absolutely love his size and non stop motor on plays. Smith just doesn't give up on plays, both against the run and the pass. Plays to the whistle, and tracks the ball/carrier well, he can really be a handful around the edge. Weaker offensive linemen could really be abused by the large Smith, which may lead to alot of linemen being walked back into the quarterback they're charged with protecting. While most people talk about Dupree when it comes to linebackers from Kentucky this year, I really think Smith isn't that far behind him, and could have flirted with being a late third pick too. Grade: A- Round 4 (125): Southern California RB Javorius Allen I'm not surprised that we waited this long to take a running back, although I wasn't exactly expecting Allen. Personally, I was hoping we'd snatch up Minnesota's David Cobb, who I think could turn into a monster running back. Once you take scheme into consideration, though, Allen makes total sense. In a Trestman offense, the running back needs to have a set of hands to go with his wheels (see exhibit A: Forte, Matt), and Allen has both. He ran for over 700 yards, and had over 200 yards receiving his sophomore year before skyrocketing both his junior year when he ran for over 1400 and had over 400 yards receiving. I've seen some statements on him being more of a compliment piece in a backfield over a feature guy, which I don't disagree with exactly. But once you take this scheme into consideration, I think Allen could flourish as a starter after a few years playing Robin to Forsett's Batman. He could very well be another version of Rice in his prime, when it comes to making plays in both the rushing game and passing game. He doesn't have the patience or balance that Rice did, but he is better at running through contact, and makes some pretty slick slashing cuts. Don't be surprised if one day Allen takes over with Taliaferro plays relief and short, power yardage downs. Grade: B Round 4 (136): Texas Southern CB Tray Walker Not a fan of this pick at all really. We all know the team loves it's small school prospects, and usually does hit on them. I truly hope this is one of those instances. Walker definitely has the size that I think the team wants manning the backfield and can play press well. However, I don't think he'll be immediately ready to contribute a ton in his first year (or two even). After getting some time and coaching under his belt, he may eventually shine as a potential outside corner to pair with Jimmy and maybe Webb in the slot. But after a year where the team needed any Joe Schmo it could sign to fill in for the countless injuries at the position, I would have liked to have seen a more ready cornerback, such as Louisville's Charles Gaines. Grade: C- Round 5 (171): Delaware TE Nick Boyle Maybe the front office knows more about Pitta's health than they're letting on. Otherwise, I'm not too sure I understand the pick. Second rounder Maxx Williams could easily handle a starting role, and second year Crockett Gillmore handled his role as second on the depth chart admirably last year. So even if Pitta can't return and they needed a third tight end, they could go with Supernaw or look into a potential free agent/undrafted free agent while addressing another position. Taking the pick for the player himself though, it isn't a bad pick. Boyle has good size and a nice mix of blocking and receiving talents, similar to someone they already have with Gillmore. I could see Boyle eventually panning out into a solid secondary piece to the offense that specializes in blocking, but able to hit a soft spot on a short route if needed. I just would have rather had the team go a different route than tight end with this pick. Grade: C Round 5 (176): Tennessee State OG Robert Myers Another small school pick, this time on offense. Most expected Baltimore to address some offensive line depth in the draft, and I originally had them waiting until their last pick, either with Bobby Hart or Miami's Jon Feliciano (who I just cannot fathom being picked in the fourth by Oakland... and I'm a 'Canes fan). Myers isn't going to be someone like Yanda who can be kicked out to tackle in a pinch, he'll stuggle in that much open space. But at guard, he has some potential. Myers has good size and seems to have a head for the game. I don't see him being an eventual starter (but I hope Yanda and Osemele can both be retained), but I think he could be a tremendous back up/spot starter, similar to Urschel last year, just with a lower ceiling. Grade: B+ Round 6 (204): Georgia Tech WR Darren Waller This is my other favorite pick that I mentioned earlier. Originally, I had us taking Waller's teammate Smelter at the end of the fifth round, but I never thought Smelter would have been taken in the fourth. In that same vein though, I never would have thought that Waller would be available in the sixth. Waller is an absolute mammoth of a receiver at 6'6, and uses every inch on high passes. He uses his crazy athleticism to make plays from sideline to sideliner and down field. Waller may be a bit rough at the moment, and coming from a very, very, VERY run heavy offense, but the potential is off the charts. He uses his body well to push around, block, and fight for the ball, while keeping track of where he is to make sure he completes the catch. I wouldn't expect him to contribute much this year, and wouldn't be surprised to see him stashed somehow, whether risking it on the practice squad or... otherwise. Waller absolutely needs to be kept and developed, his ceiling is just too high, which is even more impressive as a sixth round pick, to pass by. Waller could eventually turn into a monster receiver starting alongside Perriman down the road, abusing smaller cornerbacks as he makes plays. Grade: A Overall: I can't remember the last time Baltimore came away with such an offense heavy draft, but that's a good thing right now. The defense is perfectly fine (as long as not every cornerback is injuried), it's the offense that needs that little push to get it up over the hump. The best part of the draft was that Ozzie and Eric didn't sacrifice value for need. Nearly every pick was had at absolutely tremendous value (Williams, Davis, Waller), and filled either an immediate or near future need. Multiple starters could come from this class (Perriman, Williams, Davis, Smith, Allen, and Waller), while long term depth could also be had. Grade: A- I have one last thought to mostly amuse myself. Going with the assumption that Trestman is successful and sticks around for a while, and the hopeful thinking that Pitta will continue playing and remain his talented, effective self, the offense has some nice long term sustainability. In a few years, I see the starting offense looking a little something like: QB - J. Flacco HB - J. Allen FB - K. Juszczyk WR - B. Perriman (outside), D. Waller (outside), M. Campanaro (slot) TE - M. Williams, D. Pitta LT - E. Monroe LG - K. Osemele C - J. Urschel RG - M. Yanda RT - R. Wagner The skill positions may look underwhelming right now, but I have high hopes for Allen and Waller to really flourish in the Trestman offense. Flacco would have two 6'4 tight ends, a 6'2 receiver, a 6'6 receiver and a 5'9 receiver to throw to. That's alot of size that has alot of speed to match it. Hopefully we won't be talking about a lack of weapons for the offense soon... Joe has to be happy.

Yup. Already did that, I wanted a 12 man but I suppose 10 will do this year. We can expand next year I guess lol

Yup, it is what it is though. The draft will still happen, it can roll with an even amount, just not an odd amount.

I have the draft set for tomorrow night at 9:00PM EST. Does that work for most of us, or should I move it to later time/date?

I have the draft set for tomorrow night at 9:00PM EST. Does that work for most of us, or should I move it to later time/date?

What was your team name so I can erase your invite to get Bmore?

Hey everybody. All of us who played in my Fantasy League last year, I've gone ahead and renewed the league. You should be receiving invites in your email (hopefully you haven't changed your addresses ) I have the draft tentatively set for Aug. 30 at 9:00PM, but I will change it to accommodate as many of us as possible.