Who Goes? Who Stays? Post regular season roster evaluation

[GrimCoconut]

[quote name='CapoRocky' timestamp='1360168809' post='1347719']


I know this might create controversy, but what if we made Allen the FB? He has the hands and is an excellent blocker.
[/quote]
I think AA could play FB. Him or Berry I think could do it. Berry looked huge in camp.

[itscbm5042]

The defense is going to take another step back and to counter that, the FO will have to keep the offense intact as much as possible - that means restructuring Boldin, extending Jones, and resigning McKinnie and keeping him out of the doghouse, Joe need a good OL and putting Oher back at LT would be catastrophic. Also Suggs and Ngata taking 13 and 11 mil respectively in cap space has to be addressed.

(F) = Franchise
® = Restructure
(E) = Extension
(S) = Sign new deal
(D) = Draft

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]QB - Flacco (S), Taylor[/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]RB - Rice, Pierce, Allen[/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]FB - Leach[/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]WR - Boldin ®, Smith , Jones (E), Doss, Thompson, Draft[/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]TE - Pitta, Dickson[/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]OL - McKinnie (S) Osemele, Gradkowski, Yanda, Oher, Reid, Harewood[/background][/size][/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]DL - Ngata ®, Cody, A. Jones, McPhee, Tyson[/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]LB - Suggs®, Ellerbe (S), McClain, Upshaw, McClellan, Draft[/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]CB - Webb, Graham, J. Smith, C. Brown, A. Jackson[/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]S - Pollard, Ehedigbo (S) C. Thompson, D[/background][/size][/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]K - Tucker[/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]P - Koch[/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]LS - Cox[/background][/size][/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]We lose: Reed, Kruger, Williams, and Lewis, Birk, Bobby Williams to retirement and will really need to have a great draft to replenish our defense with youth and speed at the LB and DE position. Basically...Flacco's desire for a huge contract is screwing us and the oft injured never 100% Ngata IMO has not performed to fulfill his contract either[/background][/size][/font][/color]

[Klas]

Boldin is a must. Under no circumstances should Q not be a raven next year. The offense, especially Joe, would miss him dearly. He is so critical on third downs. He reminds me so much of Ozzie when he was with the Browns. Q is BIG TIME!!

[Klas]

Boldin is a must. Joe would never have had the playoff success he had without Q. Under no circumstances should Q not be a Raven. He might be the most valuable player on the offense

[Gordo52]

I'm just predicting this...

Cary goes to either (WAS,TB,NYJ,IND,MIA).
Kruger goes to either (IND,GB,KC,NO,NYJ,WSH).

I don't see a chance of either of them being here next season.

[ravensfan2424]

Flacco is #1 priority to sign, but I don't know if $20 million a year is right. He has impressive stats in the postseason, and he has the most wins in a QB's first 5 seasons, but its because he has good team around him to help when he plays mediocre in the regular season. A fair deal for Flacco would be around Eli Manning money with about 16 million a year.

Once Flacco is resigned, Ellerbe, Reed, Pitta (Extension), and McKinnie hold importance in that order.

[Ravenseconbeast]

Who goes, who stays all really depends on Joe.

This is either the beginning of the end, or a beginning to a dynasty.

15-16mill (original offer?) range will probably offer us to restructure few contracts to keep key players & get key FA's(Ellerbe/Kruger/Reed)

17-20m will probably force us to cut one key receiver (Boldin or Jacoby) and keep Ellerbe

Anything over that will more likely force us to cut all the key players & key FA's. Basically a beginning of the end for Ravens playoff contention.

[redrum52]

Cary is gone due to lack of need. Kruger done due to lack of funds. Ellerbe I think is the highest priority on defense now due to production and cost. If Flacco can hold off on a huge cap hit his first year the team should be fine. Hope they can retain Reed.

[display name]

Check this out:
[url="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000136795/article/lardarius-webb-says-ravens-will-return-to-super-bowl"]http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000136795/article/lardarius-webb-says-ravens-will-return-to-super-bowl[/url]

[display name]

[quote name='redrum52' timestamp='1360185299' post='1348087']
Cary is gone due to lack of need. Kruger done due to lack of funds. Ellerbe I think is the highest priority on defense now due to production and cost. If Flacco can hold off on a huge cap hit his first year the team should be fine. Hope they can retain Reed.
[/quote]
Don't need or want Reed. I'd like to keep Boldin, Kruger, and Ellerbe (if a Flacco deal gets done it could happen), and Cary and Jameel McClain are gone.

[luvrayrice27]

[quote name='Klas' timestamp='1360179676' post='1347945']
Boldin is a must. Under no circumstances should Q not be a raven next year. The offense, especially Joe, would miss him dearly. He is so critical on third downs. He reminds me so much of Ozzie when he was with the Browns. Q is BIG TIME!!
[/quote]yeah i agree completely!! Q has to be back! I cant imagine FO even having to think about bringing him back. It should already be a given. That being said, Idk very much about what goes into keeping players and releasing players and the salary situation and all that. idk understand who exactly is in talks of either leaving or staying.

[Yatagarasu]

I say let's go all out this year and put a bunch of contracts into next year, when the big money kicks in and hope it can eat up ll our salary cap madness.

Extend Boldin to 2 more years, so we can turn his $6 million down to veteran minimum and the rest into signing bonus to spread out the three years. I believe Boldin can still play a high level up to 35.

Extend Jacoby Jones to 2 more years because you never cut an All-Pro player who can stretch the field and return kicks. He's a cheaper yet a better WR than Devin Hester.

Extend Vonta Leach because All-Pro FBs are worth their money when the game is on the line and we decide to run the ball.

Franchise Flacco and talk him into signing a very nice team friendly contract to fit in some good players

Sign Dannell Ellerbe because LB contracts are team friendly and don't eat much.

Sign Ed Reed to a nice contract that is under market value, but have a long extension, so he can retire as a Raven. A 50% Ed Reed is still better than half of the league players out there, unless Reed keeps getting hurt.

We lose Kruger and Williams, who is looking for a big payday.

We cut Bobbie Williams, Jameel McClain.

Reconstruct Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, and Marshall Yanda, but those are the only three biggest contracts we have that we can use to make room.

[bdravens]

[quote name='Corvus Amplus' timestamp='1360193645' post='1348357']
I say let's go all out this year and put a bunch of contracts into next year, when the big money kicks in and hope it can eat up ll our salary cap madness.

Extend Boldin to 2 more years, so we can turn his $6 million down to veteran minimum and the rest into signing bonus to spread out the three years. I believe Boldin can still play a high level up to 35.

Extend Jacoby Jones to 2 more years because you never cut an All-Pro player who can stretch the field and return kicks. He's a cheaper yet a better WR than Devin Hester.

Extend Vonta Leach because All-Pro FBs are worth their money when the game is on the line and we decide to run the ball.

Franchise Flacco and talk him into signing a very nice team friendly contract to fit in some good players

Sign Dannell Ellerbe because LB contracts are team friendly and don't eat much.

Sign Ed Reed to a nice contract that is under market value, but have a long extension, so he can retire as a Raven. A 50% Ed Reed is still better than half of the league players out there, unless Reed keeps getting hurt.

We lose Kruger and Williams, who is looking for a big payday.

We cut Bobbie Williams, Jameel McClain.

Reconstruct Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, and Marshall Yanda, but those are the only three biggest contracts we have that we can use to make room.
[/quote]
I don't think they will cut McClain, nor should they. I feel like many people undervalue Jameel on here. He's somewhat above average IMO and he doesn't have a ridiculous contract. Assuming he is healthy, he's a must to keep around with Ellerbe.

[Ravenseconbeast]

[quote name='bdravens' timestamp='1360195538' post='1348390']
I don't think they will cut McClain, nor should they. I feel like many people undervalue Jameel on here. He's somewhat above average IMO and he doesn't have a ridiculous contract. Assuming he is healthy, he's a must to keep around with Ellerbe.
[/quote]

but he was terrible this year. soon as he got paid, he started playing soft. tackling machine turned into butter-hands

[bdravens]

[quote name='Ravenseconbeast' timestamp='1360195939' post='1348405']


but he was terrible this year. soon as he got paid, he started playing soft. tackling machine turned into butter-hands
[/quote]
That doesn't mean he can't turn it around next year. I mean, he got paid for a reason. I wouldn't call close to 80 tackles terrible, but he can be better for sure.

[GrimCoconut]

[quote name='bdravens' timestamp='1360195538' post='1348390']
I don't think they will cut McClain, nor should they. I feel like many people undervalue Jameel on here. He's somewhat above average IMO and he doesn't have a ridiculous contract. Assuming he is healthy, he's a must to keep around with Ellerbe.
[/quote]
I'm not a fan of McClain. I wasn't when we re-signed him. I'd cut him if we could. With that said, I want to say I don't think the Ravens drop him like some want. He's in a Chris Carr situation. He'll stay this year at the very least. If Ray returned, I could have seen him cut if we re-signed Ellerbe. With Ray retiring, I don't see it happening. I think we're going to take an ILB early, as in the first two rounds of the draft. I think we'll keep McClain around. If he continues to do poor, or if his injury hampers him, he'll get cut in 2014. Simple as that.

I think there's a great risk Ellerbe could be claimed by another team.

[bdravens]

[quote name='GrimCoconut' timestamp='1360197372' post='1348437']

I'm not a fan of McClain. I wasn't when we re-signed him. I'd cut him if we could. With that said, I want to say I don't think the Ravens drop him like some want. He's in a Chris Carr situation. He'll stay this year at the very least. If Ray returned, I could have seen him cut if we re-signed Ellerbe. With Ray retiring, I don't see it happening. I think we're going to take an ILB early, as in the first two rounds of the draft. I think we'll keep McClain around. If he continues to do poor, or if his injury hampers him, he'll get cut in 2014. Simple as that.

I think there's a great risk Ellerbe could be claimed by another team.
[/quote]
I agree with you there. I do think if one of the safety prospects drop in the draft, we should take them at 32. However, I honestly think Te'o is going to drop to us. Will we take him, is the question. I really don't know what to think.

I think we will get something done with Ellerbe. Definitely need to keep him. If we can keep Ellerbe and Reed and draft a MLB, we can afford to lose Kruger and Williams. If that happens, I think we can repeat. Pitta is a no brainer obviously.

[MJS]

I agree that we need to keep Jameel McClain and see what we get. Some need to come out of the shadow of others to shine. I think Jameel played very well when Ray Lewis was injured, but would not take the reins when Ray was in the middle.

[MJS]

As for Kruger, I think that to let him go would be a mistake. Right when he is producing we let him go. We did the same with Jarrett Johnson. We need to make the line and the edge solid, not punch holes and hope to fill them. True, Upshaw showed more promise toward the end of the season and in the playoffs, but he is still raw and prone to running himself out of the play.

[Juviebest]

[quote name='MJS' timestamp='1360262551' post='1349311']
I agree that we need to keep Jameel McClain and see what we get. Some need to come out of the shadow of others to shine. I think Jameel played very well when Ray Lewis was injured, but would not take the reins when Ray was in the middle.
[/quote]

I agree. Plus cutting him would only save a little over $1 Million...totally not worth it.

[jdynamite]

Wonder if the Texans want to release anymore players for them to reach their potential here with us. Leach , Pollard, J.Jones. Houston pipeline lol

Lets say I finally forgive them for stealing Jermaine Lewis & Jamie Sharper in that supplemental draft years ago.

[GrimCoconut]

[quote name='Juviebest' timestamp='1360263956' post='1349333']


I agree. Plus cutting him would only save a little over $1 Million...totally not worth it.
[/quote]
Actually, it's even worse than that. Cutting Jameel would accelerate his bonus and mean we would only save $600,000 because we would take a cap hit of $2.4M.

[GrimCoconut]

[quote name='jdynamite' timestamp='1360265486' post='1349364']
Wonder if the Texans want to release anymore players for them to reach their potential here with us. Leach , Pollard, J.Jones. Houston pipeline lol

Lets say I've finally forgive them for stealing Jermaine Lewis & Jamie Sharper in that supplemental draft years ago.
[/quote]
Maybe they release Johnson, Brown, or let Shaun Cody (realistic) who is a free agent walk & he walks to Baltimore.

[The Raven]

Maybe I'm still high off our championship, but I feel like some of the vets like Yanda, Ngata, Bolding, and Suggs may be more open minded to a pay cut or restructure so we could make another run. Now that we won the Lombardi, they might be okay with less money, if it means we could repeat.

Probably just a pipe dream.

[bauer77]

[quote name='The Raven' timestamp='1360267450' post='1349410']
Maybe I'm still high off our championship, but I feel like some of the vets like Yanda, Ngata, Bolding, and Suggs may be more open minded to a pay cut or restructure so we could make another run. Now that we won the Lombardi, they might be okay with less money, if it means we could repeat.

Probably just a pipe dream.
[/quote]

Oz said today the only way that happens is if there's some vet we really want that gets cut or something. Otherwise, we won't do that at all. He doesn't want to repeat what happened in 2001.

[Ravens_fan]

[quote name='Sunday QB' timestamp='1357165037' post='1287341']
OL - Oher, Osemele, Gradkowski, Yanda, Reid.

Please be kidding, we need a better OL that that.
[/quote]

God, I can not stand Oher on the left and Reid not sold on...your right...Joe world be on his rear all season..

[Hjulmann]

My top 5 that I want to keep for whatever reason:
1. Ed Reed
2. Bryant McKinnie
3. Jacoby Jones (I know we will)
4. Cary Williams, I know he's taken a bunch of heat, but I actually like him
5. Yanda

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='Hjulmann' timestamp='1360270243' post='1349459']
My top 5 that I want to keep for whatever reason:
1. Ed Reed
2. Bryant McKinnie
3. Jacoby Jones (I know we will)
4. Cary Williams, I know he's taken a bunch of heat, but I actually like him
[b]5. Yanda[/b]
[/quote]

He still has three years left on his contract.

[GermanRaven]

KEY MOVES

- [b]Resign[/b] Flacco long term(18 Base + Roster and sining Bonuses)
- [b]Franchise Tag[/b] Reed so Bill & Tom can't pick him up
- [b]Restructure[/b] these contracts: Q, Suggs, Yanda & Ngata
Bring back with this extra money, Ellerbe(sounds like he also wants to stay with the team)
then
- [b]resign[/b]: Pitta, Arthur Jones
I like Dickson BUT if someone wants him, and getting an extra 3rd round pick in the draft would be cool!

[b]DRAFT DAY[/b]
[b]Trade the 1st round[/b] pick to get an higher extra 2nd rounder.
Draft
[b]2nd round[/b]
Barrett Jones OL - Alabama
[b]2nd round[/b]
Da'Rick Rogers WR - Tennessee Tech
[b]3rd round[/b]
Tony Jefferson S - Oklahoma or Bacarri Rambo S - Georgia
[b]3rd round[/b] -compensation pick for Dickson-
Tyrann Mathieu CB - LSU
[b]4th round[/b]
Michael Williams TE - Alabama
[b]5th Round[/b]
Brandon Williams DT - Missouri Southern State
[b]6th Round[/b]
Shayne Skov ILB - Stanford
[b]7th Round[/b]
Travis Bond OG - North Carolina or Zach Boren FB - Ohio State

If we find a way to spend some money for [b]FA's[/b], go after DT Henry Melton or CB Keenan Lewis

[uhhhh]

There are a lot of questions going into this season

- How much will Joe get (17,5mil up to 20)?
- Will Matt Birk come back and if not is Gino ready to step up?
- Will McKinnie be back to anchor our line and if not how will our line look? (There isn't a LT at 32 and there isn´t any money to get one in FA. No Oher at LT I hope)
- What to do to fix the run D? Draft a DT/DE at 32?
- Will Ed come back and if not who will be the new FS?
- The health of some players with (serious) injuries (Webby, Sizzle, Jameel, Haloti)
- Kruger will probably go somewhere else. Who will be able to replace his 9 sacks?
- What can we expect from guys like Streeter, McAdoo and McBean?
- With Ray and Ed (probably) gone. Who will police our D on the field?

I'm probably forgetting a lot more.