We've Forgotten Someone!

[MKdave]

In all of the theories about our bad season that I've read on here (which is very few because I tend not to read them), I've heard about the loss of AD, the loss of McNair's arm, the loss of billicks brain, our Gargantous injury list, but at no point have I heard the name of what I consider our biggest off-season loss. Ovie mughelli. this is why...

at the begging of the season, McNair would have benefited tremendously from an experienced, powerful fullback. those checkdowns were going nowhere because they were going to receivers, but if they were going to Ovie, even ocassionaly, He would break tackles and get some yards and get some momentum, and maybe we wouldnt be sitting here today, rueing the loss to the worst team in football.

[Raven07]

True...Ovie was a force in his own way for this team and i did think that he should've stayed here But thats how it goes i guess sometimes....but as for replacing him...we have a young Player in McClain that has proven his worth more than a few times this season and I would think that he will continue to work hard and work towards the point in which he wants to be at and better this team....he most certianly has that to him

[nevermore621]

In all of the theories about our bad season that I've read on here (which is very few because I tend not to read them), I've heard about the loss of AD, the loss of McNair's arm, the loss of billicks brain, our Gargantous injury list, but at no point have I heard the name of what I consider our biggest off-season loss. Ovie mughelli. this is why...

at the begging of the season, McNair would have benefited tremendously from an experienced, powerful fullback. those checkdowns were going nowhere because they were going to receivers, but if they were going to Ovie, even ocassionaly, He would break tackles and get some yards and get some momentum, and maybe we wouldnt be sitting here today, rueing the loss to the worst team in football.

Dude, let's be serious here -- do the names Willis McGahee, and LaRon McClain mean anything to you. Ovie is a fine player, but he was lost due to free agency. And Willis and LaRon have done an excellent job.

That's why we got McGahee in the first place, to improve our running game (he is 4th in the league by the way), and because we thought he was a better fit for the checkdown role than Jamal Lewis whose ball handling skills were sometimes suspect. Rather than have a more one dimensional smashmouth downhill runner like Jamal, we traded for McGahee who is still very young and a more all around back. And Laron has done a great job with lead blocks, which is the primary job of a fullback.

[Raven07]

they both have played more than satisfactory for this team and its fan base.....both being first year Raven Players and one of which is a Rookie all together....they really have geled and come a long way from the beginning of practices and OTA's ...to now, and they have each other's back for support when the going gets rough

[MKdave]

...Rather than have a more one dimensional smashmouth downhill runner like Jamal, we traded for McGahee who is still very young and a more all around back...

Smashmouth football worked ! it won us a superbowl and it got us to 13-3 last season. With jamal lewis you stack the box and he cant do anything, but with willis, you have to watch receiving out of the backfield and you have to put more guys on the edge because he'll bounce it outside sometimes. that sounds like a good thing, but It means less space for the passing game and that has hurt us.

[Raven07]

with Jamal...you and/or our opponents kinda knew what we were going to use Jamal for and therefore they were well prepared to stop him.....when the time came for it...But now with McGahee...Teams kinda dont know what to do because he's a mobile player that can become a threat at ANY point in time when the ball is given to him whether it be through the running game OR being a efficient receiver and go to guy for our quarterback to go to.

[minford]

Mmmm I've seen LaRon make some pretty big rookie mistakes. His hands arent that great right now.

[Raven07]

as most rookies do.....that kind of thing takes a little more time to get down pat/right and what not....mistkes will happen as they are un-aviodable...but its up to the player on whether he takes it in stride and learns from it and bounces back from it or whether he dwells on it while his overall performance suffers as a result.

[MKdave]

as most rookies do.....that kind of thing takes a little more time to get down pat/right and what not....mistkes will happen as they are un-aviodable...but its up to the player on whether he takes it in stride and learns from it and bounces back from it or whether he dwells on it while his overall performance suffers as a result.

Which is why I'm saying I would have prefered to hang on to Ovie...

[Raven07]

lol thats fine but give McClain time and he will serve as a Great succeedor type player from Ovie

agree?

[minford]

Which is why I'm saying I would have prefered to hang on to Ovie...

Agreed but we couldn't have afforded him. He signed the biggest contract for a fullback of all time with Hotlanta.

[MKdave]

lol thats fine but give McClain time and he will serve as a Great succeedor type player from Ovie

agree?

yeah, I agree, but I'm not really a 'means to an end' kind of guy, I want wins now!

[Raven07]

and im a guy that takes the saying of "performance will come with TIME....if not given the time and practice...how can you expect anyone to do well?"....i believe in that

the Wins will come with experience and Fans in which are PATIENT...and able to wait

[nevermore621]

Smashmouth football worked ! it won us a superbowl and it got us to 13-3 last season. With jamal lewis you stack the box and he cant do anything, but with willis, you have to watch receiving out of the backfield and you have to put more guys on the edge because he'll bounce it outside sometimes. that sounds like a good thing, but It means less space for the passing game and that has hurt us.

You can counter this with having 4 wideouts and stretching the defense on some plays. If you keep the TE home and send the RB out for a checkdown in the flat, on such a play you create a lot of possibilities. Or do what I just said, and then run it up the gut. I am not a football expert, but I just think we have lacked a lot of razzle dazzle on offense that is still possible, with the talent we have, IF the OL would play as it did against the Pats.

We have the talent, they just need to play 110% every game!!!

[theFRANCHISE]

Well...seeing as how Ovie hasn't done much in Atlanta to justify earning the "richest contract for a fullback in NFL history," I'd say we got the better end of the deal, 4-10 record or not.

[#1 D]

Well...seeing as how Ovie hasn't done much in Atlanta to justify earning the "richest contract for a fullback in NFL history," I'd say we got the better end of the deal, 4-10 record or not.

What a relief to know we let go of a fluke this time

[Mista T]

Ovie, Schmovie .... the losses which have hurt us the most on both sides of the ball have been Tony Pashos & Adalius Thomas.

[#1 D]

Ovie, Schmovie .... the losses which have hurt us the most on both sides of the ball have been Tony Pashos & Adalius Thomas.

Nice to see you back, Mista T!

Well, heres how I see it:

Pashos is going to be well replaced by Yanda, and Thomas will be well replaced by Antwan barnes imo

[smashmouth82]

i'm going to be honest here. i think this was the first year in a SHORT re-building mode. it wasn't expected but with the injuries and some players that are simply past their prime it came. the reason i am optimistic in saying this will be a short re-building process is because the ravens DO have a core of young players already on the roster who will be much improved as soon as next year. they have drafted rather efficiently the past few years and these guys are ready to contribute. it's tough as a fan to watch the losses mount but do you think these guys are going out there and trying to lose the games? it's just a lot of inexperience that gets patched up with sufficient playing time. this won't take long to fix. have faith and keep rooting on!!!

[#1 D]

i'm going to be honest here. i think this was the first year in a SHORT re-building mode. it wasn't expected but with the injuries and some players that are simply past their prime it came. the reason i am optimistic in saying this will be a short re-building process is because the ravens DO have a core of young players already on the roster who will be much improved as soon as next year. they have drafted rather efficiently the past few years and these guys are ready to contribute. it's tough as a fan to watch the losses mount but do you think these guys are going out there and trying to lose the games? it's just a lot of inexperience that gets patched up with sufficient playing time. this won't take long to fix. have faith and keep rooting on!!!

Yep. I think by next year our rebuilding thing should be over, when we get some pro bowl cornerback or from draft

[heapitup247]

Ovie was good, but he wouldnt have made a difference in this season. McClain has done well, and should continue to grow into an elite fullback, especially in the blocking aspect.

[Jamal]

I think we miss AD a lot more than anyone thinks.

[Raven07]

but we seem to have the player(s) neccessary in order to fill that missing link or "viod" within the defensive unit.....and with the younger rookie type players like Antwan Barnes, coming on strong and seem to be have a Great first year and yet still has alot to learn about the game and whatever....i think it speaks for itself and spells out that we will be fine...with the younger talent in which we can teach/mold the player into the type of player we want them to become and to become the best player to perform and show off his skills and why exactly we drafted him for. otherwise known as "proving his value"

[Football North]

The full back is the most underrated player on the field and is crucial in picking up the mic. they need to be able to lead block and take on linebackers. Not to mention they need to be able to catch passes in the falt and on ocassion pound the ball for those tough yards. Ovie was a experinced vet that new his blocking assignments and was a monster when lead blocking. His presence in the passing game is defintly missed but Mclain is a better reciver and can make people miss in the open field. he is only a decent pass and run blocker but he will improve with time. But losing Pashos hurt us in pass blocking his experince was needed badly. I felt that Johnson and Cody did a great job filling in for AD.

[PuppyPuncher]

The full back is the most underrated player on the field and is crucial in picking up the mic. they need to be able to lead block and take on linebackers. Not to mention they need to be able to catch passes in the falt and on ocassion pound the ball for those tough yards. Ovie was a experinced vet that new his blocking assignments and was a monster when lead blocking. His presence in the passing game is defintly missed but Mclain is a better reciver and can make people miss in the open field. he is only a decent pass and run blocker but he will improve with time. But losing Pashos hurt us in pass blocking his experince was needed badly. I felt that Johnson and Cody did a great job filling in for AD.

Dan Cody was on IR all year.

[neepo13]

I think we miss AD a lot more than anyone thinks.

I dont think we do but we wont truely know until next season because we never got to see what our defense playing with all its starters can do without him. I still think letting him go was the right thing to do. Promising a 30 year old player 20 million dollars in my opinion is just not a good idea for a franchise in our cap situation.

[Corvus]

I don't know, I mean from all the games I actually got to watch, McClain did a pretty decent job helping to pave the way for McGahee's 1200 yards, especially for a rookie. He can only get better in that sense and as a possible receiver coming out of the backfield and I think that he will simply because he was given the opportunity to start as a rookie (instead of using Justin Green). That kind of faith in him probably made him pretty grateful for the opportunity and he will be starting next year too with that much more experience under his belt.

[Raven07]

exactly....for a rookie type player like he was and to be put immediately into the starting role (pretty much...for the most part of it) he responded quite well and adapted or made the necessary changes that were needed in order for him to get the most out of his performance and get the most of out every play, every down, every game.....and seeing how that was only his rookie season.......lord only knows as to what the future has in-store for such a good, developing athlete.

[slugz]

Ovie, Schmovie .... the losses which have hurt us the most on both sides of the ball have been Tony Pashos & Adalius Thomas.

right

[Reed_4_President]

In all of the theories about our bad season that I've read on here (which is very few because I tend not to read them), I've heard about the loss of AD, the loss of McNair's arm, the loss of billicks brain, our Gargantous injury list, but at no point have I heard the name of what I consider our biggest off-season loss. Ovie mughelli. this is why...

at the begging of the season, McNair would have benefited tremendously from an experienced, powerful fullback. those checkdowns were going nowhere because they were going to receivers, but if they were going to Ovie, even ocassionaly, He would break tackles and get some yards and get some momentum, and maybe we wouldnt be sitting here today, rueing the loss to the worst team in football.

He was a BIG LOSS.

But Le'Ron McClain was the BEST FB in the draft last year hands down HE is going to be GREAT!. I remember a few pittsburgh fans coming on here when we picked him up about how they wanted the STEELERS to get him so bad and how were going to have a GREAT FB. I do not follow any COLLEGE teams except THE OHIO STATE

( Some OF MY FAMILY IS FROM OHIO AND MY MOM) so i was BORN A FAN =/. Anyways i take it from the fans saying how good he is that i believe them if they followed him like they said they did in college so hopefully this year he will be our new OVIE!. And they said in the DRAFT unless i am wrong i thought that he was the best back in the draft last year to get.