41 replies to this topic

[BR News]

The connection between the personnel department and coaching staff is a big part of the success.

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Edited by Grapple Raven, 18 February 2013 - 05:22 PM.
Added the missing letter "T" to the first word of the discussion title.

[metalraven]

I hope they trust their own scouting process. ;)

[TheSim]

I'm wondering how it was that this team got so much better at drafting offense, but started struggling to draft defense in the last few years. Kruger took 4 years to become starter-quality, Jimmy Smith and Terrence Cody aren't developing like we'd hoped either. Using a high draft pick on a defender for this team used to always mean we were getting a Pro-Bowler. I think Upshaw could be the guy to break that trend, and I hope that's the case, but what happened to the team that drafted Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs?

[RavensFanatic11]

haloti ngata and suggs come every once in awhile. i think smith is coming around if he stays healthy. you forgot about lardarius webb drafted three years ago who could be an all pro. we will never know how good sergio kindle could have been...but not the ravens fault its his. ellerbe is becoming very solid. you cant expect us to draft a hall of fame caliber player every year. just not gonna happen.not that many hof players around. i expect us to sure up the d this year and add some depth at o line for mckinnie and birks replacements when needed.

[steelcityraven]

Kruger didnt take four years to develop.... it took him four years to crack the lineup and get enough playing time to emerge. He had the talent from day 1 and our scouts found that...that is there job. But Reps are key to any players development... problem is that on a good team... sometimes there are quality players in front of you

JJ was a quality player- and unless your a 1st or 2nd round pick your not expected to come in an make an immeadiate impact.

In the case of Jimmy Smith and Terrence Cody... I do think more was expected out of those two (and at least with Jimmy still is)

Jimmy looked steadily improved with healthy reps in the 2nd half of this season
I hope that trend continues (but he has to saty healthy...somethign that he has struggled with up to this point)

Cody... looked better as a rookie and last season... I think he has went backwards this year... and without a significant injury. All accounts seem to suggest a lack of work ethic and poor commitment to improving. This is somethng that will be harder to change
(not that it cant-look at McKinnie) but harder.

COdy and Jimmy both have the talent... and that is a scounts job... question is to the have the commitment to being a professional.... (hopefully you figure that out before the draft but every scout will tell you that is what makes the draft such a gamble)!

Typically our body of work suggests that we do as well as anyone in eliminating risk and identifying talent. No reason to think that will not continue this season or in the future!!!!!

[SC Ravens Fan]

@TheSim
I think the main "problem" is that we have been consistently picking later in the first round. Ngata and Suggs were picked 12th and 10th overall respectively. The last success we had picking defense in the latter part of the first round was Ed Reed which has been some time ago. I do agree though that Upshaw can break that trend. However, I think our "problem" is a good one to have, picking at the end of the first round.

[wademan2636]

whether it be minter, te'o, or ogletree, i think all 3 of those guys could step in and help us right away. if all of them are gone, we could take someone like eric reid to help the safety depth or someone like jesse williams to help shore up the front line.

[4evermore23]

I like kevin mintner and tavon austin i hope they do well at the combine we get those two il b happy. Teo was ok but he didnt flash against nfl talent in playing against alabama his 40 time is gonna b big ii think we have to reach to get him and we dont do that. In ozzie we trust this is were we shine and stay a playoff contender but teams r copying us now bht our staff still make great finds if it werent for players like pierce a i liknd k.o we may have not made it over the hump i trust our staff but mintner and austin is my wish list nothing to flasy but they play like ravens i like em

[steelcityraven]

SInce 1996 we drafted Ray Lewis, Chris McCallister, Ed Reed, Peter Boulware, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Adaulis Thomas, and Jamie Sharper. THat is 3 Def POY... one Super bowl MVP - 7 super bowl rings. And everyone of them were at one point pro bowlers....

That dont even metion people like Webb and Bart Scotts who we picked up without a draft pick. I am sure that is not another team that has found that much success (on one side of the ball) since 1996... and I beleive that if you told any owner that over the next 13 years you will draft atleast three defensive MVPs//// the great LB and greatest S ever - and along with that multiple other probowlers adn multiple other
great contributors (just on one side of the ball)...

I am sure that every owne in the NFL would jump on that!

[Popeye the sailor man]

When it comes to linebackers I like small guys who can pop out of nowhere and tackle you

[HoldingCall]

In today's NFL, 1st rounders should be able to make an immediate impact hopefully as a starter.

However Tom Brady and Richard Sherman, round 5 and 6 for example show talent exist in all rounds of the draft. The Ravens kicker, Tucker was undrafted, Bobbie Rainey is another example. So, talent can be had from many levels that are NFL ready.

[bmore_kman]

SInce 1996 we drafted Ray Lewis, Chris McCallister, Ed Reed, Peter Boulware, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Adaulis Thomas, and Jamie Sharper. THat is 3 Def POY... one Super bowl MVP - 7 super bowl rings. And everyone of them were at one point pro bowlers....

That dont even metion people like Webb and Bart Scotts who we picked up without a draft pick. I am sure that is not another team that has found that much success (on one side of the ball) since 1996... and I beleive that if you told any owner that over the next 13 years you will draft atleast three defensive MVPs//// the great LB and greatest S ever - and along with that multiple other probowlers adn multiple other
great contributors (just on one side of the ball)...

I am sure that every owne in the NFL would jump on that!

EXACTLY!!! I think some people get so spoiled by the team's success, that they lose touch with reality...

[D3x3001]

I am proud to say we have one of the best front office's, if not the best, in the entire league. In Oz we trust.

[BmoreB]

Only 190 days until kickoff, can't wait !!!


Until then, it sure is nice being the champs :)

[easternshore97]

Who will be the next Lardarius Webb??

[jbr719]

i dont know how to hit reply but @steelcityraven, webb was a third round pick of the ravens. he was not undrafted.

[jrs034]

In Ozzie we trust he always finds a few late round gems

[Wiley]

Sharper was not a Pro Bowler. His brother did make it to 5 of them.

[Italian Raven]

whether it be minter, te'o, or ogletree, i think all 3 of those guys could step in and help us right away. if all of them are gone, we could take someone like eric reid to help the safety depth or someone like jesse williams to help shore up the front line.

while nobody can disagree on the LBs you just mentioned, I think there are couple of more talented safeties than Reid
In this last year he showed he's usual to take bad tackling angles; and he's not even a top ball hawk
I'd rather give a better look at Matt Elam (Flo), Rambo (Geo)...just my personal opinion

[T-ray]

As far as safeties go, I'd rank Vaccarro, Elam,Rambo, and even Swearinger all ahead of Reid. Reid is an excellent in the box safety, but we already have that in Pollard. What we may be missing is the ballhawk safety we've had for years and years, Ed Reed. So only naturally, if we lose him, its important to find someone to step up in his spot. Is that in Thompson?? Brown?? Or is that in this draft class?? I trust the organization to figure that out.