[Blogs] Late For Work 6/4: Walker: NFL Or Bust!

[BR News]

Walker: NFL Or Bust!

Wednesday night former Ravens cornerback Frank Walker was drafted by the Omaha Nighthawks in the United Football League’s (UFL) Draft.

Walker didn’t find out about the selection until Thursday from his agent.

If the fact that he didn’t even know he was drafted isn’t indication enough as to whether he wants to play in the UFL, he left no room for doubt via Twitter.

“wassup so i just heard i got drafted to a UFL team which was Hilarous lol,” Walker tweeted. “No I will not be playing there.

“well it not an option for [me.] nfl or bust baby.” (sic)

The Ravens didn’t extend a June 1 tender to Walker, or to their other remaining unrestricted free agents, meaning he retains his unrestricted status, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.

That means Walker (along with Corey Ivy, L.J. Smith, Kelley Washington and David Tyree) remains free to sign with any NFL team.

Lewis: Graham Has Demons Of Missed Kicks

By now you’ve heard about newly signed Ravens kicker Shayne Graham’s infamous two missed field-goal attempts during the Bengals’ AFC wild-card playoff loss last season.

After missing from 35 and 28 yards in the loss to the Jets, the odds of Graham returning were “slim at best,” according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. 

Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis explained to Cincinnati reporters that part of Graham’s leaving was because he still has demons of those last kicks.

“He had an opportunity to probably regain what he had here,” Lewis said.

“Unfortunately for him, he’s got the demons of his last kicks here with us. He didn’t make them. He’s got to overcome those demons, and I think that was a lot of it. … Unfortunately, that’s what the fans remember around here are the kicks that he missed. That’s the way that it goes. I wish him good luck.

“The guy who got Shayne going was his coach (Darrin Simmons) and he had an opportunity to say ‘Hey look coach, I want to get this done and be a part of the team here.’ And I don’t think that’s what he wanted to do. It worked out the way he wanted it to work out.”

Speaking to Baltimore reporters Thursday, Graham said he believes he is better than those missed kicks.

“Even the best have bad days,” Graham said. “That’s what I feel has made me better over my career, is when I’ve had things not go my way, I never folded and just walked away.

“I feel like I’m not proving anything, but I’m fighting for something and I’m hungry.” 

Take Your Pick: Palmer vs. Flacco

In the latest edition of “Take Your Pick,” ESPN’s James Walker asked fans which quarterback is better: Joe Flacco or Carson Palmer?

There was support for both sides:

Red McDaniel from Versailles, Ky., writes: Carson Palmer hands down! Carson should be placed up there in the top five QBs. With the lack of weapons and protection, he hasn’t gotten to prove he is just as good, if not better, than Manning or Brady. But those times are changing so he should be able to put up big numbers to prove he has the talent to be characterized as an elite QB. Also he has shown he can play in clutch situations, and Joe “Fake” Flacco has shown he can’t handle those clutch situations.

Shawn from Provo, Utah, writes: I would have to take Flacco for two reasons. No. 1 is obviously age, Flacco has seen more success in a shorter period of time than Palmer and No. 2 would be playoff wins. Carson has yet to prove himself in the playoffs. Granted Flacco hasn’t been a phenom in his playoff games either but it all comes down to winning in the NFL, and so far Flacco had proven that he can do it more consistently when it counts than Carson.

Kiper: Dickson, Pitta Early-Impact Rookies

ESPN’s Mel Kiper offered a look at what he considers a group of impact rookies. Kiper believes that tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta will pair up to make an impact on the Ravens’ offense.

“Baltimore went from a team with few options in the passing game to borderline loaded,” Kiper said. “It’s hard to say who will get the early edge, but both Dickson and Pitta have the ability to get downfield. They’ll compete for attention from Joe Flacco and everybody wins.”

Quick Hits

• RavensInsider (Aaron Wilson’s Twitter account): Ravens rookie defensive lineman Arthur Jones’ ring tone is from the Lion King movie, he says it’s a joke between him and his little brother.
• Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is considering sitting for an interview with a national TV talk host such as Oprah Winfrey or Larry King, NFL.com reported.
• A total of $112,500 in scholarship awards went to 67 college and high school students during a Thursday luncheon sponsored by the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, reported The Baltimore Sun.
• The NFL needs a “culture change” to better protect players from head injuries, two prominent neurosurgeons said Wednesday, reported The Baltimore Sun.

[url=http://blogs.baltimoreravens.com/2010/06/04/late-for-work-64-walker-nfl-or-bust/]View the full article[/url]

[CRAZY FAN]

lets go ravens....cant wait till kick off

[Nick04263]

Is Walker flashing gang signs in that photo? lol

[montanagrant]

I liked Kelly Washington. He had some good moments and had a swagger. Frank Walker was the King of interference calls. I am keeping my fingers crossed with the kicker. We were so spoiled with Stover.

[ravenwildman]

Humm...the guy from Kentucky who made the comments in SI about Flacco should stick to sitting on bridges barefoot, and playing his banjo! What an idiot.

Walker did great in the playoffs, finally got that "penalty thing" under control. I don't see why he couldn't be quickly acquired by teams in the NFL, Ravens included. Right now he is the best free agent CB I can see out there, with possibly few exceptions.

GO RAVENS!

[DieHardBMoreFan]

Wish Frank the best of luck in the NFL, no hard feelings sir. Palmer vs Flacco... the argument Red McDaniel made is BS. Flacco had less targets then Palmer did, throw that argument out. They are both good quarterbacks, let this season's schedule answer that question for us.

[loverj86]

seriosly,frank if you can find a home in the nfl great as long as it's not here.
you should at least keep your options open and not say you won't play somewhere
because you might need the paycheck.shayne graham is a good kicker but those
demons mentioned are what worry me.or maybe it's just the jets ST who also
roughed up nate keading.maybe facing his demons in the first game of the season
is what he needs to overcome them.

[DanTheRaveMan]

I could care less what anybody outside of ravens nation thinks about Flacco they showed their lack of credibility when they voted Matt Ryan rookie of the year over Joe I would take #5 anyday over Palmer he just can't win the important game and he has to have top notch receivers just to win Flacco won without great recievers. Shayne Graham will make a great kicker for us I cant wait to see him in our colors

[wtrent1]

Joe Flacco is terrible. TERRIBLE. Why is everyone blinded by this? Maybe you didn't watch the same playoff games I have where he's thrown 1 TD and 6 INTs. You can't credit him at all for the NE win, Matt Stover could've played QB that game! You honestly thing Carson Palmer could NOT have done better than 4 of 10 for 34 yds and 1 INT against NE?!?!??? Seriously?? Jim Zorn said it best " We want to win because of Joe Flacco, not in spite of Joe Flacco". He wasn't even a captain at DelaWHERE his senior year....And he never beat out Troy Smith or Boller - Smith got sick and Boller got hurt.

[Riceisnice]

I love that clown from Ky. (Bengals territory), saying Palmer is a top 5 QB in the NFL. Hell, he is only the third best in the AFC North. Moron.

[Riceisnice]

Official passer ratings for 2009.

Flacco- 88.9 rating, 63.1 comp.percent.,3613 yards, 12 INTs 21 TDS


Palmer 83.6 rating 60.5 comp percent 3094 yards 13 ints 21 tds

enough said

[berad]

[quote name='wtrent1' date='04 June 2010 - 10:32 AM' timestamp='1275661935' post='417655']
Joe Flacco is terrible. TERRIBLE. Why is everyone blinded by this? Maybe you didn't watch the same playoff games I have where he's thrown 1 TD and 6 INTs. You can't credit him at all for the NE win, Matt Stover could've played QB that game! You honestly thing Carson Palmer could NOT have done better than 4 of 10 for 34 yds and 1 INT against NE?!?!??? Seriously?? Jim Zorn said it best " We want to win because of Joe Flacco, not in spite of Joe Flacco". He wasn't even a captain at DelaWHERE his senior year....[b]And he never beat out Troy Smith or Boller - Smith got sick and Boller got hurt.[/b]
[/quote]

Where are Troy and Kyle right now? Remind me. I'm sure they would love to trade places with Joe Flacco. He's been a excellent young QB; he's made mistakes, sure, but those are just growing pains. And his letdowns are minuscule in comparison to his achievements.

[Displaced Raven]

@wtrent1: Maybe you didn't watch the 2 seasons in a row we got into the playoffs with a rookie (then 2nd year) signal caller. How often did Boller get us into back-to-back playoffs? And how often did Palmer get the Bengals to back-to-back playoffs?

[LeerooooyJenkins]

I'm not sure I understand how carson palmer "hasn't had great weapons" ummm even though i hate him, he's had ochocino for years (a player that's killed our secondary) and lets not forget houshmandzadeh. He's had a solid running back in cedric benson, and his line is not as bad as its made out to be. Palmer's one of the better qbs in the league but being an elite quarterback means winning the big games and he has shown time and time again that he's not capable of that. He's the donovan mcnabb of the afc - wins alot but can't get to the promised land

[Guest drycleanerman]

That a half *** debate about Carson Palmer and Joe Flacco,Palmer may have 8 years more experience than Flacco but Flacco has had more success,overall I feel Joe Flacco may be the better Quarterback.Palmer had a bad start as a starter then got better for a couple years then he really hit the bottom

[Nick04263]

wtrent1, how can you say a winning QB is terrible? Joe has not done well in the playoffs but look what scenerios he ran into.
1. First time was inexperience and a very good D in Pittsburgh.
2. He ran into teams that were good enough to take away his limited receiving weapons and had good enough pass rushes to limit his time. He had no time to throw to receivers who weren't open.
3. The running game dominated that NE game from the first snap. There was no need for Flacco to throw the ball. None.
4. This post-season he was obviously playing hurt with that hip. He didn't make that excuse but you could see it in his movement.

We all know Joe needs to continue to improve but he finally has the weapons, experience, and coaching to move on up. Calling a player, who has played and played well for his first 2 seasons with all the expectations we Raven's fans have put on him, "terrible" is just wrong.

[Riceisnice]

I am betting that wtrent1 is a closet Bungles or Squealer fan, neither of which is relevant in this conversation

[Guest drycleanerman]

I understand your feelings about Joe Flacco but remember he's being brought up along slowly besides he is limit to the offensive weapons he has.The Ravens ground game is base around Joe Flacco and Ray Rice and many others,but this year you're going to see firework,I guarantee that

[wtrent1]

@Displaced Raven and Berad

By carrying the Ravens to the playoffs you mean handing the ball off to McClain in 2008 and Rice in 2009? The ravens ran the ball and played D. They were winning in spite of his poor play. Even the first game last year Flacco threw an INT to Derrick Thomas and he almost took it to the house....barely beating the Chiefs. Boller can throw it 50 yds from his knees so we drafted him (he sucks) as does Flacco who can throw it 75yds. Smith will never be given a chance to start b/c Flacco is a 1st rnd pick! Even Suggs called him out, said Smith should play. Don't be blinded by Flacco mania, the dude sucks. You can't play the rookie card in the playoffs last year after he started 35 games including the 3 playoff games. It was embarassing to watch him play QB in the playoffs last year. Palmer is done anyways, not the same after his knee injury however I would pretty much take any QB over Flacco. Every ravens game I see a Flacco jersey I puke. I've had season tickets since memorial stadium and even own a Testaverde autographed jersey! Seen some crappy QBs but Flacco takes the CAKE!!!!!!!!

[bmorecareful30]

Whoa whoa ! I can't beleave the stuff I read down here ! Flacco terrible wow ! If anything flacco should have won rookie of the year over ryan he had same stats and won two. Playoff games his first year ! But to say he's terrible is crazy ! And by the way what wr did flacco have last year just mason so how good can I qb do with one good WR how many 2nd year guys can put up numbers like joe did wit one WR ?????? Waitin nobody so if you pin point mason you only gonna go 4 of 10in any game doesn't matter if your manning alls I'm gonna say is wacth the year flacco has wit this squad ! We the ravens are the most stacked team on O and D in the afc if not the whole NFL we ready and primed for dallas ! We there all ready . Jets done first game who cares bout there cb's that's where those lovly 6'5 6'4 TE's come in can't cover 2 WR and 2 TE's wit 2 corners sorry bart gonna have to show you why you should have stayed in prup !

[Riceisnice]

I assume trent wants Boller back, who was second string on a 1-15 team last year and now is third string for Oakland. Smith wants out, there's loyalty. When Balt. goes 12-4 this year and makes the AFC title game vs SD, these detractors will be saying how great Joe is

[LeerooooyJenkins]

@wtrent1

2008 - flacco was a rookie. Did he play sub par in those games? absolutely, he had little experience and it definitely showed.
2009 - flacco isn't a rookie but in the patriots game, he didn't have to be a good quarterback, the defense took the patriots to school and ray rice did a little teaching himself. In the second game, lets not forget that he was playing against imo the best team in the league and the pass rush of mathis and freeney.

Flacco has a lot of work to do but he has shown his dedication and willingness to put in work and has shown that he is capable of winning in clutch situations. He will be fine, think back to early peyton manning and early big ben, they both experienced dismal seasons. Its all about the work and the study and flacco is willing (and has done so since he got here) to do both.

[wtrent1]

Kyle Boller sucks and no I don't want him back. I heard the same pushback when I was bashing the Boller selection in the draft 5, 6 years ago. We don't throw the ball across the middle for a reason, and it's not becasue of our receivers. It's because Flacco will throw an INT. What happened at IND when we couldnt run the ball 40 times? His 35th game started? At NE yes, he didn't have to throw but 4 of 10 with an INT? Really? It's okay to be blinded by Flacco mania....He'll start this entire season, his 3rd year, still making the same mistakes. Locking on 1 receiver, dumping it off to Ray Rice blah blah. We'll start saying HEY maybe Boldin isnt a true #1 and blame our recievers AGAIN, that's fine though. Flacco will be gone after his rookie contract is up, thank god. Counting down the days.....

Go Ravens!

[bobseeds]

Dude you want terrible? Stoney Case,Tony Banks, Scott Mitchell, Jeff Blake, Anthony Wright, to name a few. Real Baltimore ravens fans know terrible.

[bmorecareful30]

And I know this off subject ! But I'm tried of hearin bout how Rex made this D ! Most I remind ppl are D was great before he got there in 2000 when we won the bowl who was are D cord. Marvin lewis what happen to him are D got him head coachin job ! Rex ryan steps in what does ray and are D give him a head coachin job ! Man are D makes head coaches the coaches don't make us ! I just hope that when ray retires he stays and coaches some where on the team till the D cord. Is open and take that ! Don't go to nfl network to talk bout football let's still have your hand in it buddy

[wtrent1]

@ Bobseeds

Anyone can google past Ravens QBs bud. Banks led us to our first .500 season and Wright wasn't terrible. Case was bad, so was Jim Harbough.

[philly_raven]

The fact that Flacco, who is 25, is being compared to Palmer, who is 30, shows how ahead of the curve Flacco is. What Flacco has that Palmer doesnt is potential. Everyone knows Flacco is going to get better. There are HOF quarterbacks who havent been as productive in their first 2 seasons as Flacco has been.

[philly_raven]

[quote name='wtrent1' date='04 June 2010 - 10:16 AM' timestamp='1275664592' post='417684']
@ Bobseeds

Anyone can google past Ravens QBs bud. Banks led us to our first .500 season and Wright wasn't terrible. Case was bad, so was Jim Harbough.
[/quote]

Are you insane? Your cool with Banks for a .500 season, but not with Flacco for our only back to back playoff appearances. And Wright was terrible. 20 career TD's and 25 career ints. I think your the one thats blinded my friend

[DanTheRaveMan]

@Bmorecareful I heard that all the time too man and even jim leonard and bart scott say that Rex gave them the shot to play with the ravens. LOL Ozzie gave them both the chance and lets not forget Rex cost us the game against the patriots in 07 I think it was he called that time out Rex gets the credit for all the good but none of the bad

[bmorecareful30]

And that's real talk ! Forget rex this a team called the ravens here !