The Anger Corner

[D-Rey]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' timestamp='1312581586' post='737377']
Way too many short-sighted fans.

If we can all agree the team is close, why is it so hard to believe the growth of younger players, and the contributions from rookies and second-year players could put the team over the top?
[/quote]
+1 I agree with that statement, some people make it seem our rookies are going to be inept.

[bdravens]

[quote name='sflegend89' timestamp='1312581272' post='737372']
Way too many eternal optimists. I'm not getting mad just to complain. I honestly want our team to be the best it can be and I feel we aren't doing everything we can to do that. When the goal is superbowl THIS YEAR, we can't just say "oh we'll draft those positions next year". I'm tired of "next year", how about RIGHT NOW. Let's get that ring THIS YEAR. That might mean we have to sign some talented FA's, so be it. If we are waiting for the draft next year then we are also waiting to win it all. This could be Ray and Ed's last year, you really think we can wait for the draft. We need to get better NOW, if were going to win NOW.

You guys are always looking too far ahead, the sb isn't a project that will take us years and years to win. We are close enough right now, we are just a few gamechanging players away from the promised land. Trade/sign do what we need to do to win it THIS YEAR.
[/quote]
Do you not understand what a salary cap is? We can't sign talented free agent after talented free agent. The ones we have signed, have been solid signings. we had very limited room as it was, which is why we cut 4 of our longest tenured and most respected players. It's not as easy as you are trying to think it is. We aren't a few game changing players away. That would cost money which again, we don't/didn't have. I said it before, I know fans really want our older guys like Ray and Ed to win a Super Bowl because their years are numbered now. We all want our team to be the "best we can be", but who do you suggest we trade for right now or sign right now? There's a point where you have to shed off the age, become younger, and that's what we did for the most part. We have a good chance this year, and with our decreasing age, even better chance down the road. Sometimes less moves are the best moves, because teams like the Eagles are going to be in salary cap hell in the future, which will be magnified if they don't win now. We're in good shape now (still), and even moreso in the future.

[ravensdfan]

[quote name='sflegend89' timestamp='1312579296' post='737306']
Exactly the steelers offseason has been way more successful than ours. They made the moves that needed to be made and kept their sb team intact. We lost more than we've gained and we weren't even as good as pitt last year. Stop drinking the kool aid, our team right now is good, but we need to be great. pitt's team is great right now. If we wanted to beat pitt next year we would've made some moves and stepped it up. We are looking at a repeat of last year, we need to get aggressive, this laid back FA crap isn't working. That's why we haven't been back to the sb since 2000.

Success means nothing without a ring. do we want a ring or do we want to make the playoffs and lose to pitt in the second round AGAIN.
[/quote]

The Steelers O line is far from intact. They cut starters to their O line. It now consists of rookies and 2nd year guys that have seen little playing time. They've done nothing to shore up their weak secondary. Taylor is the Steelers' best CB but he is not a shut down corner in any sense. I'd take any of our CBs over Taylor to be truthful.

We signed Yanda. Are you saying we didn't need to do that? We signed Carr back, keeping our secondary pretty much intact. We still have Boldin. Our 2nd yr TEs are not untested. Dickson has shown great potential. We lost McClain but gained Leach which is an upgrade IMO. We signed Reid for RT. All reports are that he is doing good. Oher started RT as a rookie and was amazing. We missed out on Floyd, and aside from Center, do to Birk's injury status, that is the only missing piece right now. A WR with some experience to take some heat off of Boldin. I see them probably re-signing Mason which I can't see as a bad thing as long as we give our rookies some playing time as well.

[sflegend89]

Well rookie wr's have a history of being very low impact in they're first year. I like Torey and Doss but I'm not expecting them to come in and flourish getting starter reps. In the next couple years I'm sure 1 of the 2, if not both will develop into a quality NFL wr. But right now there needs to be some sense of predictability at this position. What if they both aren't ready for that much responsibility right away, Q doesn't want a rogue mission in Pittsburgh right off the bat. Like I've said the answer is a proven wr with low mileage. We need a buffer between Q and the rooks. They will get plenty of looks this season without having to be thrown into the fire right off the bat. Rookies are bound to make mistakes, there's a learning curve at wr in the NFL.. when the rookie is in a bigger role, it affects the game in a bigger way.

I'm sure Ozzie is looking into a few possibilities after losing Floyd (probably Mase which I'm not thrilled about). it's a shame too.. Floyd fit what we needed so well, and we didn't have to give up any draft picks like we might have to now.

[melvinmelon123]

[quote name='sflegend89' timestamp='1312583781' post='737440']
Well rookie wr's have a history of being very low impact in they're first year. I like Torey and Doss but I'm not expecting them to come in and flourish getting starter reps. In the next couple years I'm sure 1 of the 2, if not both will develop into a quality NFL wr. But right now there needs to be some sense of predictability at this position. What if they both aren't ready for that much responsibility right away, Q doesn't want a rogue mission in Pittsburgh right off the bat. Like I've said the answer is a proven wr with low mileage. We need a buffer between Q and the rooks. They will get plenty of looks this season without having to be thrown into the fire right off the bat. Rookies are bound to make mistakes, there's a learning curve at wr in the NFL.. when the rookie is in a bigger role, it affects the game in a bigger way.

I'm sure Ozzie is looking into a few possibilities after losing Floyd (probably Mase which I'm not thrilled about). it's a shame too.. Floyd fit what we needed so well, and we didn't have to give up any draft picks like we might have to now.
[/quote]

See this is the kind of post I was hoping for from you. You clearly explained your concerns and why you have them. And you calmly pointed out the reason we need a vet WR.

[D-Rey]

[quote name='sflegend89' timestamp='1312583781' post='737440']
Well rookie wr's have a history of being very low impact in they're first year. I like Torey and Doss but I'm not expecting them to come in and flourish getting starter reps. In the next couple years I'm sure 1 of the 2, if not both will develop into a quality NFL wr. But right now there needs to be some sense of predictability at this position. What if they both aren't ready for that much responsibility right away, Q doesn't want a rogue mission in Pittsburgh right off the bat. Like I've said the answer is a proven wr with low mileage. We need a buffer between Q and the rooks. They will get plenty of looks this season without having to be thrown into the fire right off the bat. Rookies are bound to make mistakes, there's a learning curve at wr in the NFL.. when the rookie is in a bigger role, it affects the game in a bigger way.

I'm sure Ozzie is looking into a few possibilities after losing Floyd (probably Mase which I'm not thrilled about). it's a shame too.. [b]Floyd fit what we needed so well, and we didn't have to give up any draft picks like we might have to now.[/b]
[/quote]
ya but unfortunately Baltimore isn't everyone's #1 place to be. There are 31 other teams trying to get these FAs.

[JohnJohnson]

[quote name='sflegend89' timestamp='1312583781' post='737440']
Well rookie wr's have a history of being very low impact in they're first year. I like Torey and Doss but I'm not expecting them to come in and flourish getting starter reps. In the next couple years I'm sure 1 of the 2, if not both will develop into a quality NFL wr. But right now there needs to be some sense of predictability at this position. What if they both aren't ready for that much responsibility right away, Q doesn't want a rogue mission in Pittsburgh right off the bat. Like I've said the answer is a proven wr with low mileage. We need a buffer between Q and the rooks. They will get plenty of looks this season without having to be thrown into the fire right off the bat. Rookies are bound to make mistakes, there's a learning curve at wr in the NFL.. when the rookie is in a bigger role, it affects the game in a bigger way.

I'm sure Ozzie is looking into a few possibilities after losing Floyd (probably Mase which I'm not thrilled about). it's a shame too.. Floyd fit what we needed so well, and we didn't have to give up any draft picks like we might have to now.
[/quote]

I think the problem is that you presume that everything went exactly as reported. The Ravens were never the front runners for Floyd, he just used us and other teams as leverage to get the contract he wanted. Why wouldn't he want to stay with Phillip Rivers and their high powered passing offense? For similar money, it's much less trouble for him. Plus, he'll still probably get another good contract after this one, because he'll put up better numbers with the Chargers. Just relax, the Ravens will be fine. Even if they don't win the SB this season, they are built for the long run. The playoffs are largely about luck, anyway. Building for one all out shot at the SB is a foolish way to approach it.

[Guest I-70WestRaven]

Look at the bright side. At least Peter Angelos doesn't own the Ravens! We wouldn't even have a web site!

[Yatagarasu]

vs.

All this whining makes me hungry...

[K-Dog]

I am not worried at all.
Next man up. We have tons of talent and tons of potential talent.

Lets get a coupla' games under our belts and see how things shape up before we slap on the blood pressure cuff.

[D_UP]

Why would anyone be mad because the ravens didn't go break the bank on overpriced players when the team is solid. I like this team they have assembled this offseason.

[darklight1216]

[quote name='D_UP' timestamp='1312602822' post='737866']
Why would anyone be mad because the ravens didn't go break the bank on overpriced players when the team is solid. I like this team they have assembled this offseason.
[/quote]
One could argue that this team isn't really solid. The offensive line is full of question marks: can Oher become a franchise LT, the issue with center, who will play RT?

Boldin is the only proven receiver (and no proven TEs) and the best receiver the Ravens have every drafted is either Stokely or Clayton so that may not be the best sign for some other players on the roster.

The back-up running back situation is "up in the air" so to speak as is the not-Ray-Lewis middle linebacker position.

Not to mention the fact that even before the cuts and Birk's injury, it was the same squad that struggled against a woeful team like the Bengals and couldn't beat Roethlisberger, Manning, or Brady which, of course, is not a good thing during the post-season in the AFC.

I'm not in panic mode yet, but I don't really blame those who are bit concerned.

[ellicottraven]

[quote name='D_UP' timestamp='1312602822' post='737866']
Why would anyone be mad because the ravens didn't go break the bank on overpriced players when the team is solid. I like this team they have assembled this offseason.
[/quote]

Well the bottom line is we are suddenly a young and inexperienced team on offense. However, we do have talented youngsters so we will see how it plays out during the season...

[reediddy]

[quote name='D_UP' timestamp='1312602822' post='737866']
Why would anyone be mad because the ravens didn't go break the bank on overpriced players when the team is solid. I like this team they have assembled this offseason.
[/quote]

Because there are plenty of positions that need to be addressed. Philly got themselves Ryan Harris at RT for the veteran minimum! Though it can be argued that he was ok with the pay cut because he bought into the hype...still! He would be an immediate starter at RT. We could've addressed the CBs, maybe by retaining Josh Wilson. Still not that confident in Foxworth (don't understand how anyone is), but Wilson is a playmaker and solid CB. We could have addressed the backup RB or QB positions.

What I'm trying to get at is we should have been more aggressive in FA because you can argue our window is closing and there were definitely positions of need

[Bltravens]

[quote name='TheSim' timestamp='1312580389' post='737355']
I'm sorry but that's an extremely strict interpretation of the phrase "full-time starter". Le'Ron was also a starter. T.J. was our 3rd receiver, not an insignificant part of the team. Josh Wilson was our No. 1 corner for the last 9 regular season games plus two playoff games because he earned it (not like Starks, who started because everybody else was injured). And you're still ignoring the three starters we cut and who have yet to re-sign.
[/quote]
We cut McGahee because he was a 2nd string HB making like 4.5 mil, we cut Mason because he runs two routes and complains when he doesnt get the ball even though he disappeared in the playoffs with extremely young corners covering him, the Heap cut im actually disappointed in. If your talking abut Duane Starks(?) he was the best #2 CB we've ever had in my opinion and Ive been watching games since 2000 and have that super bowl run on DVD, McAlister wasnt even as clean in his backpedal as Starks was that year. Le'Ron isnt even a true FB, hes a soft blocker who thinks he can rush for 1200 yards in a season, we upgraded with Leach point blank in the blocking department. Losing Josh Wilson hurts a little bit, but we have 4 solid CBs in Smith, Foxworth, Carr and Webb. What would we even have done with Wilson?

[Ravenseconbeast]

[quote name='Bltravens' timestamp='1312622419' post='738016']
We cut McGahee because he was a 2nd string HB making like 4.5 mil, we cut Mason because he runs two routes and complains when he doesnt get the ball even though he disappeared in the playoffs with extremely young corners covering him, the Heap cut im actually disappointed in. If your talking abut Duane Starks(?) he was the best #2 CB we've ever had in my opinion and Ive been watching games since 2000 and have that super bowl run on DVD, McAlister wasnt even as clean in his backpedal as Starks was that year. Le'Ron isnt even a true FB, hes a soft blocker who thinks he can rush for 1200 yards in a season, we upgraded with Leach point blank in the blocking department. Losing Josh Wilson hurts a little bit, but we have 4 solid CBs in Smith, Foxworth, Carr and Webb. What would we even have done with Wilson?
[/quote]


Trade/Cut foxworth out. Bring in better cap space, and better player(win/win), and use some of that money into getting higher quality FA when we could have. Too late now though.

[JohnnyBoy8102]

[quote name='darklight1216' timestamp='1312603960' post='737871']
One could argue that this team isn't really solid. The offensive line is full of question marks: can Oher become a franchise LT, the issue with center, who will play RT?

Boldin is the only proven receiver (and no proven TEs) and the best receiver the Ravens have every drafted is either Stokely or Clayton so that may not be the best sign for some other players on the roster.

The back-up running back situation is "up in the air" so to speak as is the not-Ray-Lewis middle linebacker position.

Not to mention the fact that even before the cuts and Birk's injury, it was the same squad that struggled against a woeful team like the Bengals and couldn't beat Roethlisberger, Manning, or Brady which, of course, is not a good thing during the post-season in the AFC.

I'm not in panic mode yet, but I don't really blame those who are bit concerned.
[/quote]

Could not have said it any better myself.

[Kwothdaraven]

[quote name='darklight1216' timestamp='1312603960' post='737871']
One could argue that this team isn't really solid. The offensive line is full of question marks: can Oher become a franchise LT, the issue with center, who will play RT?

Boldin is the only proven receiver (and no proven TEs) and the best receiver the Ravens have every drafted is either Stokely or Clayton so that may not be the best sign for some other players on the roster.

The back-up running back situation is "up in the air" so to speak as is the not-Ray-Lewis middle linebacker position.

Not to mention the fact that even before the cuts and Birk's injury, it was the same squad that struggled against a woeful team like the Bengals and couldn't beat Roethlisberger, Manning, or Brady which, of course, is not a good thing during the post-season in the AFC.

I'm not in panic mode yet, but I don't really blame those who are bit concerned.
[/quote]

But they aren't the same squad. Webb isn't our #1 corner now. At best he will be 4th behind, foxworth, jimmy and chris carr. Big improvement there.

Oniel cousins wont be our rt. Jah ried might be a rookie but that's still a lot better than cousins. Which also puts yanda back at gaurd. So that's an automatic boost to the oline.

Kindle is back and looking great, that can only help.

We lost mason, but come on, he was 37, slow, and only ever ran 3 routes. Ill take my chances with torrey smith. Although I would still like to see steve smith brought in.

The only change that I see that could be a sigbificant drop off is heap. Even so, dickson is much faster and has good hands. He showed last year his potential to be a deep threat and an ebdzone threat.

I will also take terrence cody all day over a washed up kelly gregg who was pourous against the run

[AZravensfan]

[quote name='Ravenseconbeast' timestamp='1312622637' post='738017']
Trade/Cut foxworth out. Bring in better cap space, and better player(win/win), and use some of that money into getting higher quality FA when we could have. Too late now though.
[/quote]

Not sure about his trade value but I dont think cutting him would be smart as he isnt counting too much against the cap space I dont think. Not sure though just saw it posted in another thread that he was only counting 1.4 against the salary cap. How is it too late for moves? The preseason hasn't even started...