If You Were General Manager

[Ravensfan_till_DEATH]

A lot of people here that know there stuff but have different views on how this team could be successful. I want to get some different perspectives on how and where people would take this team if they had the power to do so.

So my questions are: How would you manage the 2008 ravens? who would you cut, trade for, draft, restructure contracts and any free agents you would pick up.

If you type it i'll read it. Serious answers only please

[nevermore621]

I think the first thing you have to do is evaluate the talent you have. Get your coaches to do their homework, and figure out who stays, who must go and who is on the bubble.

With the list of who is definitely going to go (via free agency), or must go filled, concentrate on those that will definitely be staying and see if you cannot restructure their contracts, if it would work out in the long term interests of them and the team.

Then I would concentrate on the "bubble" players. Will they succeed with the right coaching, do they love and have enthusiasm for the game, do they have the right physical makeup/skill set for their position???

After that evaluation: where are the holes that need to be filled??? Do you fill them through the draft, or free agency --- knowing that a draftee is somewhat of a gamble, and a work in progress, wheras a free agent is proven talent at his position. Do you build for the future, or do you plan for immediate/proven results. (Most of us agree that the holes we see are at OL, DE, CB/DB, QB (???), and possibly WR)

I have no doubt that Ozzie Newsome has somthing like the above going right now...I just wish we were privy to more of his information so we knew where we are headed into the future!!!!

All the best to Ozzie/Harbaugh and their staffs as they make these tough decisions!!!!!

[neepo13]

I'd waive Anderson, Cody, Boller, and Martin or Pittman. Anderson is old and we seem to have two decent backups in Ross and Smith, neither of which take up alot of cap space. Cody cant stay healthy. Boller became expandable the moment Billick was fired because his only advantage was that he knew the system better then anyone else. I personally dont think Boller will be the franchise QB of this team and 3 million is a lot to pay a backup. Martin or Pittman will have to go simply because we will need the roster spot for another corner that can add good depth.

I would seriously consider shopping Bart Scott around. He's in the last year of his deal and we will probably lose him to FA next year anyways, he counts about 5 million against our cap now but his bonus would be a little less then a million, and he's in his prime. A desperate team would easily give up a few draft picks for him. We dont really risk losing anything because we still have Barnes, Suggs, and Johnson, none of them have reached their potential to this point and they are all still young.

Rolle, McNair, and Ogden would all be asked to take pay cuts and if they refused, at least one of them- probably McNair would be shown the door.

Suggs and Brown would get 5 or 6 year contracts.

My draft board:

DE or OL, in the first round- "games are won and lost in the trenches"- Harbs

CB, QB, or WR in the second round

All of them would be addressed during the draft- dont follow college football so I cant really name the players.

And I would also look into adding another LB and Safety, keeping in mind that Reed is nearing 30 and Landry is a RFA next season.

[Ravensfan_till_DEATH]

There are so many talented WR's in college that it would be hard for me to take a WR in the early rounds, unless a steal was presented.

-1st round i agree with neepo, DL/OL really cant go wrong either way

-2nd round i would go with a QB depending on who is there OR..the best corner available. (1 or the other)

-4th, 5th, 6th, 7th strictly dedicated for rebuilding the future. I don't see any players drafted in those rounds being needed to help Ray and the crew win another Ring.

Bart Scott is way to good to be traded for just draft picks alone but i agree it would relieve the cap so i see your point neepo.

I would stop beating around the bush and get a proven impact WR that's gonna force the defense to change its game plan and respect the pass. With our talent at Rb and agility on O-line i think it would really open the running game wide open.

If you think about it we have all the pieces for a winning offense on our team right now. (The D is obviously already there.)

In my mind a successful Offense needs a solid QB that can deliver the ball to the play makers(Mc9).

-TE for the running game that forces the D to respect his receiving ability. (Heap is the perfect TE especially for the PA and Wilcox fits that hybrid WR role + offers blocking protection. Also the depth is there in Sypntheonwkjhewoi-SKI)

-A WR corp that puts pressure on the outside to keep the D honest. Doesn't have to be a dominant wr corp just Wr's with sure hands and high motors(like Hines Ward, Mark Clayton, and Bryant Johnson)

-A Physical RB, (Willis and Musa)

and offensive linemen that can hold there own 1 on 1

We have the majority of those pieces. So my mindset would be to find "Hardcore-Football" players that love the game not just the money, and focus my time on developing the future. But as long as we have Aging Pro-Bowlers on our team that are itching for a RING A.S.A.P. we have to make big moves now!!

So I'd look to trade Scott for salary purposes only, and hit the free agency full force for key players: WR, CB, and O-line

-Ask key vets like (Rolle, McNair, Ogden and C-Mac) to restructure or like neepo said, "show them the door". I'd cut the players that were given a chance last year that didn't show any solid play to build on(mainly the young cb's and wr's). Also players like Anderson and Dan Cody that aren't contributing equal value for the $$ they are making.

Every year its the same "superbowl or bust mentality" but i think this year is truely ALL-IN or COMPLETELY REBUILD. We have to either take a shot while the window is still cracked open or cut our losses and build something solid. If we wait 'till all of our key players on the team reach the end of their contracts we won't have the same trade potential or leverage we have now.

Playoffs one year and then total bust the next has to stop! This team has to decide its future and i think we have now the personel to do just that. My key positions to focus on this year is the WR Corp, CB's and the Trenches

Can this season take any longer to start? Can't Wait!!

[theFRANCHISE]

I'll just assume that this is playing devil's advocate from NOW (after Terrell Suggs has been franchised) until the start of the 2008 regular season.

At this stage in the offseason, I would evaluate the roster and make cuts right off the bat.

In a perfect scenario, Steve McNair, Mike Flynn, Jonathan Ogden, and Samari Rolle would restructure their contracts if (in the case of the first three) they won't retire. However, if necessary, all four would be cut (even though I wish they could all retire as Ravens).

Immediately, Dan Cody, Mike Anderson, David Pittman, Jamaine Winborne, P.J. Daniels, and any free agents other than Devard Darling, B.J. Sams, Matt Katula (long-snapper), and Gerome Sapp would be cut.

Cory Ross would be retained for a closer look during the preseason as a possible reserve running back or emergency back-up returner to Figurs/Sams.

Ronnie Prude, Derrick Martin, Edgar Jones, Justin Green, and Cullen Finnerty would be assigned to the practice squad.

After those cuts comes free agency.

During the initial free agency period, I would make it a point to be more discerning than other teams. I'd target WR Bryant Johnson from Arizona or Patrick Crayton from Dallas for mid-range contracts, OT Max Starks from Pittsburgh as a luxury pick-up (if possible), maybe experiment with LB Boss Bailey from Detroit on the cheap, and push hard for CB Dominique Foxworth from Denver.

Assuming that I have success in getting at least three of those players, I'd still go into the draft with the same agenda:

1st round: CB (Antoine Cason from Arizona)

2nd round: QB (Joe Flacco from Delaware) OR Best Player Available if Flacco's not on the board

Remaining rounds: BPA, in order of priority (OL, RB, DL, LB, DB)

As a personal aside, I'd also pick up Delaware RB Omar Cuff (a bit of bias here) if he's available as a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent.

From there, I'd let the coaches handle everything else, but would stress that there must be an open competition at QB and that no starter should be named until opening day.