Gino Gradkowski

[rubberslinky]

I like this gino pick he just needs to up his bench a little and i'll like him even more.

[JO_75]

[quote name='Token' timestamp='1337218829' post='1078661']
I found that in the final analysis article, but that's really it I think.
[/quote]

Ugh.. why is he competing for the LG job? Why not just put KO there and be done with it. I know this team loves switching players around but for once, can we please keep players where they are slated to play? Put KO at Guard, and keep Gino at Center and let him learn from Birk for a year or so.

[gabefergy]

[quote name='JO_75' timestamp='1337229024' post='1078733']


Ugh.. why is he competing for the LG job? Why not just put KO there and be done with it. I know this team loves switching players around but for once, can we please keep players where they are slated to play? Put KO at Guard, and keep Gino at Center and let him learn from Birk for a year or so.
[/quote]
Well at this point no one is slated to play anywhere. I think KO has the leg up at LG right now, but if Gino out-plays him in camp and preseason he could very well start. I'm not saying that will happen, but competition is always a good thing. It's also good to have position flexibility when players get injured.

[The Raven]

[quote name='rubberslinky' timestamp='1337228887' post='1078732']
I like this gino pick he just needs to up his bench a little and i'll like him even more.
[/quote]

He benched 225 29 times. His bench his fine.

[quote name='JO_75' timestamp='1337229024' post='1078733']
Ugh.. why is he competing for the LG job? Why not just put KO there and be done with it. I know this team loves switching players around but for once, can we please keep players where they are slated to play? Put KO at Guard, and keep Gino at Center and let him learn from Birk for a year or so.
[/quote]

If Gino is a better guard than KO, then he plays. It's a simple concept. The best player gets the job.

[grape drank]

[quote name='BMORElegacy' timestamp='1335687327' post='1066950']
Spoken like a true patriot. By the way. We signed Texas' kicker/punter. He's got quite a leg.
[/quote]

I'm not terribly fond of patriots now a days.

[izvoodoo]

[quote name='PuRock' timestamp='1336250222' post='1072604']
Yea Gino probably won't win the job in the begginning. Birk will be sharp. Thd problem with Birk is that he breaks down quite a lot at the end of the season. And I can't see us making the switch unless Birk is injured.
[/quote]

I cans see Gino playing two games.

[DieHardRavensFan52]

[quote name='arnie_uk' timestamp='1335631147' post='1063827']
reach imo, many had him going undrafted or 6/7th, we could have got him later, or philip blake
[/quote]We could have got a hold of him later on because of some websites ranking of him? lol I'm sure agents and other teams communicate and have an idea of when and where someone will go. You can't use the value of the pick when he hasn't played a single down in the league yet. Do you have an inside source that states we could have waited and still got him? Don't try and use websites for the draft and use them as a credible source, because they are far from it

[BloodRaven]

I liked Phillip Blake a lot more than Gradkowski, they're similar in all categories except he has better footwork in pass pro, but he's also 4 years older. I'm just hoping this isn't the same grading that landed us Oniel Cousins and David Hale over Carl Nicks.

[arnie_uk]

[quote name='DieHardRavensFan52' timestamp='1337763096' post='1081235']
We could have got a hold of him later on because of some websites ranking of him? lol I'm sure agents and other teams communicate and have an idea of when and where someone will go. You can't use the value of the pick when he hasn't played a single down in the league yet. Do you have an inside source that states we could have waited and still got him? Don't try and use websites for the draft and use them as a credible source, because they are far from it
[/quote]Point is imo I'd rather have had Philip Blake. I make my own judgements and too me blake is the best center in the class I said that all along, so get off your high horse

[DieHardRavensFan52]

[quote name='arnie_uk' timestamp='1337768896' post='1081237']
Point is imo I'd rather have had Philip Blake. I make my own judgements and too me blake is the best center in the class I said that all along, so get off your high horse
[/quote]Off my high horse? is that your argument? sensitive, I guess. I was simply stating you can't determine what is a reach before they play and the PFF and other websites aren't credible as far as knowing how the teams are grading prospects. Let's use this as an example if the Ravens grade someone a third round pick and he's there in the top of the fourth, then how is it a reach? to the organization it's value to them (which is what truly matters)

So basically you have no real source to back up your claim he was a reach? Ok... I got it now.

[DieHardRavensFan52]

[quote name='BloodRaven' timestamp='1337764880' post='1081236']
I liked Phillip Blake a lot more than Gradkowski, they're similar in all categories except he has better footwork in pass pro, but he's also 4 years older. I'm just hoping this isn't the same grading that landed us Oniel Cousins and David Hale over Carl Nicks.
[/quote] It happens, Ozzie and company are human. You hit and you miss, I'll wait for him to have a couple of solid seasons in the league before I make any judgments.

[arnie_uk]

[quote name='DieHardRavensFan52' timestamp='1337770546' post='1081240']
Off my high horse? is that your argument? sensitive, I guess. I was simply stating you can't determine what is a reach before they play and the PFF and other websites aren't credible as far as knowing how the teams are grading prospects. Let's use this as an example if the Ravens grade someone a third round pick and he's there in the top of the fourth, then how is it a reach? to the organization it's value to them (which is what truly matters)

So basically you have no real source to back up your claim he was a reach? Ok... I got it now.
[/quote]my source as i said is myself, i make my own opinions, and i think blake is the best center, and he was still on the board, i even said its a reach imo, isnt that what a forum is about? stating our opinions, because at the end of the day none of us know anything, everything written here is opinion, and i made that perfectly clear that, imo he was a reach, especially with Blake on the board who i consider will have a better career than even Konz.

its not being sensitive, you called me out for stating an opinion, so why dont you quote every other post ever made on the forums? because after all they are all opinion as well, even your own, so again get off your high horse, i stated my opinion, i even made that clear, by all means say you dont agree with it, but dont try and tell me how i came to forming said opinion and jump to a Wrong conclusion i based it on "draft boards" by so called "experts" that 90% of the time are wrong.

I watch what i can, i give opinions onn who and what ive seen, i dont speak on players i dont know, because after all, it isnt my opinion it would just be what ive read, and i dont do that.

So again, argue against my opinion, but dont question how it was formed when you really have no clue

[GrimCoconut]

I like the Gradkowski pick but I understand where Arnie is coming from with his comments. According to Arnie's "big board", he had Gradkowski lower. I think that's a fair thing to say. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

With that said, I personally think Blake could be the more ready center and I also agree that he is better than Konz. I don't know if he will have a better career than Gradkowski, but I can say that I have an idea why we chose Gradkowski over Blake.

I think the Ravens saw a young Matt Birk in Gino. I also think Blake's age played a minor part in the choice. Finally, the biggest factor to me was Gradkowski's versatility. Blake doesn't strike me as a guy who can rotate between guard and center. That was probably the edge Gradkowski had.

[arnie_uk]

[quote name='GrimCoconut' timestamp='1337779166' post='1081260']
I like the Gradkowski pick but I understand where Arnie is coming from with his comments. According to Arnie's "big board", he had Gradkowski lower. I think that's a fair thing to say. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

With that said, I personally think Blake could be the more ready center and I also agree that he is better than Konz. I don't know if he will have a better career than Gradkowski, but I can say that I have an idea why we chose Gradkowski over Blake.

I think the Ravens saw a young Matt Birk in Gino. I also think Blake's age played a minor part in the choice. Finally, the biggest factor to me was Gradkowski's versatility. Blake doesn't strike me as a guy who can rotate between guard and center. That was probably the edge Gradkowski had.
[/quote]i agree that age played a huge factor, blake is more pro ready, gino has potential to take over in a few years, by that stage blake would be almost 30. I think if birk retired we would have picked up blake, but because we think he can play 2/3 more years (by length of contract) we dont need a center to start immediately and that was blakes problem.

Blake played tackle as well, thats were his athleticism came from, so its not like he wouldnt be versatile i dont think, we just didnt need a swing tackle when we have KO, Yanda and Reid that can all fill in RT if need be. Id assume, not knowing the full ins and outs of oline play id admit, that if he can play tackle and center, he could have learnt guard pretty well, he seems like a smart kid, that can just play football. But again by the time we would need him to play C, hed be pretty old.

He had to go on a team to start tbh.

[The Raven]

Considering that New England, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco all had Gino rated as one of the highest centers in the draft (reportedly), I think we made a good decision to take him there. Maybe a little early, but reports say that many teams are crazy high on him. He's ridiculously athletic, and strong too. He kind of reminds me of Chris Myers from the Texans, in that he's undersized, but he's strong, tough, and quick.

[Guest RBates]

Gino looks outta shape honestly.

[BMOREHAWAII]

[quote name='RBates' timestamp='1338000555' post='1082611']
Gino looks outta shape honestly.
[/quote]
Exactl what i was thinking.
If he has the motivation, im sure they will whip him into shape by training camp.

[The Raven]

[quote name='RBates' timestamp='1338000555' post='1082611']
Gino looks outta shape honestly.
[/quote]

What makes you think that?

[Guest RBates]

[quote name='The Raven' timestamp='1338035428' post='1082676']
What makes you think that?
[/quote]Not sure it could be the gut, or the lack of definition in the muscles. He doesn't look big enough, not to have some kind of cut.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='RBates' timestamp='1338082684' post='1082830']
Not sure it could be the gut, or the lack of definition in the muscles. He doesn't look big enough, not to have some kind of cut.
[/quote]

That's pretty common for rookie o-lineman. He'll be fine after an off-season or two in an NFL weight room.

[JO_75]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' timestamp='1338131204' post='1082921']
That's pretty common for rookie o-lineman. He'll be fine after an off-season or two in an NFL weight room.
[/quote]

Yep. Give it a year or so and he'll be good. Hopefully nothing happens to Birk and Gino can stay on the bench and learn for a year or two.

[The Raven]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' timestamp='1338131204' post='1082921']
That's pretty common for rookie o-lineman. He'll be fine after an off-season or two in an NFL weight room.
[/quote]

Especially in a smaller size school where the quality of the equipment and especially program is not likely to be up to par with schools like Alabama and Texas.. I've also heard that Delaware's strength and conditioning coach while Gino was there is a joke of a trainer.

And, for what it's worth, he did put up 29 reps on the bench press. Definition doesn't always tell the whole story. Some guys look strong and aren't, some guys look weak, but are strong.

[The Raven]

Anyone hear any news on Gino? I haven't heard his name much.

[rmw10]

[quote name='The Raven' timestamp='1339519419' post='1088486']
Anyone hear any news on Gino? I haven't heard his name much.
[/quote]

You probably won't hear his name much. I don't think he was ever really considered a candidate for the LG spot. It seems to me he's going to be one of those guys that comes in scarcely this year and spends most of his time learning under Birk on the sidelines.

[The Raven]

[quote name='rmw10' timestamp='1339519701' post='1088491']
You probably won't hear his name much. I don't think he was ever really considered a candidate for the LG spot. It seems to me he's going to be one of those guys that comes in scarcely this year and spends most of his time learning under Birk on the sidelines.
[/quote]

That's good. That's the role I had in mind for him anyway. Coming from a small school I wouldn't expect him to make an impact immediately. I just want him to work on improving as a center so he could hopefully come in late this year as relief for Birk, and earn a starting spot next year. I never really had him in mind for the left guard competition.