Unbelievable

[kash96ravenstotalfan]

[quote name='neepo13' post='95337' date='Nov 26 2008, 06:42 PM']None of them have him and they have all won championships, the Patriots 3 with 3 different rosters... I wonder![/quote]
But the Pats have a solid offense with Brady, we do not. Our defense still wins games for us even though Bazooka Joe shows alot of promise for the future. Ray is the heart and soul of our defense

[rayvenfan_52]

[quote name='neepo13' post='95337' date='Nov 26 2008, 02:42 PM']None of them have him and they have all won championships, the Patriots 3 with 3 different rosters... I wonder![/quote]

Take away Brady and what do you have? I wonder too!

[neepo13]

[quote name='rayvenfan_52' post='95347' date='Nov 26 2008, 07:06 PM']Take away Brady and what do you have? I wonder too![/quote]

The Patriots are 7-4 right now. Tom Brady must really be lighting it up... right?

[rayvenfan_52]

[quote name='neepo13' post='95348' date='Nov 26 2008, 03:08 PM']The Patriots are 7-4 right now. Tom Brady must really be lighting it up... right? [/quote]

Yea. Theyd probably be 10-1 if he was in.

[rlh445]

[quote name='ravensgirlx88' post='95304' date='Nov 26 2008, 06:47 PM']As much as I probablly SHOULDNT say this, if he leaves.. I feel like I'd have to go to his next team with him. Ray is what turned me onto football. I love his passion on and off the feild. HE IS THE BALTIMORE RAVENS. [b]PAY THE MAN WHAT HE WANTS.[/b] I'd MUCH rather watch SUGGS leave then Ray, he is the reason our defense remains dominant and comes back from bad losses and wins. He doesnt just dominante physically but emotionally as well. You can't honestly expect ray to take a pay cut. It is a bussiness and we can't judge him on wanting to make sure he gets the money he deserves.[/quote]


*sigh* It's SO easy to say that, the bolded part. And I understand that. But the fact people, is that we CAN'T pay the man what he wants, at least not what he wanted initially. We just CAN'T. Ray Lewis is not the only player on this team. Has he been integral to the entire team for 13 years? Yes. Would it hurt IMMENSELY to see him go? Yes. Can we pay him whatever the **** he wants? No. We have an entire TEAM to think of, not just Ray. We NEED more threats on offense to win as a TEAM. We NEED to slightly reconfigure the secondary. Those are things we NEED, as a TEAM, not as individuals. If Ray asks for more money then the team can afford to keep him AND keep the team intact..how can you say it's right to keep him? Ravensgirl..you have always been pretty astute at football knowledge so far as I've seen in your posts. But are you a fan of football, or a fan of Ray? He will ALWAYS be our generation's Unitas. No question. But when things went sour, Johnny U went to another team. You'd much rather watch a 25 year old player who can play both linebacker AND defensive end as athetically as anyone you've ever seen leave then a 30+ year old MLB who is going to see his last contract after the conclusion of this season? Really? Who are you thinking about, the team, or yourself? I DON'T want to see Ray leave. I want to see him take less money, and stay a Raven, so that we can have him AND have a team. But if he's not willing to bend (and I understand that he might not have the latitude to bend) then we have to let him go..period. He's not the only reason our defense is dominat, and he's not the only defensive player back there. Is he currently the heart of our defense? Yes. And like I said..I don't want to see him leave. But if he stays and our TEAM can't get what it needs in the offseason BECAUSE of him, then it becomes a problem.

[FerrariFan87]

It doesn't matter which way we lean, all that matters is that Mr. Steve Bisciotti, umm the OWNER, has basically said he will pay whatever it takes to assure Ray stays in the purple and black, and that's fine with me.

[rlh445]

[quote name='FerrariFan87' post='95362' date='Nov 26 2008, 08:57 PM']It doesn't matter which way we lean, all that matters is that Mr. Steve Bisciotti, umm the OWNER, has basically said he will pay whatever it takes to assure Ray stays in the purple and black, and that's fine with me.[/quote]


Heh..I hope it's fine with you when we need other things shored up during the offseason and 'umm the OWNER' says, 'So sorry, Chawlie, we're out of cap space for that,'. I hope I don't see YOUR screen name ****ing about the lack of offensive weapons next season. Just sayin'.

[RavensIQ]

Last time I checked Ray Lewis is the best Linebacker in the league. There's even talks about him being nominated Defensive MVP this year and we're arguing whether or not we should re-sign him??

-Payton Mannings is (32)
-Tony Gonzalez is (32)
-Terrel Owens is (34)
-Lorenzo Neal is (37)
-Brian Dawkins is (35)
-Champ Bailey is (30)
-Shaun O'Hara is (31)
-Alan Feneca is (32)
-Matt Light is (30)
-Flozel Adams is (33)
-Jeff Saturday is (33)
-Walter Jones (34)
-Orlando Pace is (33)
-Darren Sharper is (33)
-Zach Thomas is (35)
-Brian Urlacher is (30)
-Jevon Kearse is (32)
-Kurt Warner is (37)

All Arguably the best at their position.

Ray Lewis 33.

So what does age have to do with anything???? Lewis is still the best LB in the NFL by a landslide and he will remain the best LB in the league til the day he hangs up his cleats. Cut everyone on our roster but make sure you pay Ray Lewis. That simple. But the reality is it might not be as impossible as everyone thinks. In Fact, I wouldn't be surprised at all if we re-sign Bart Scott,Terrel Suggs, and Ray Lewis next year. And on top of all that a WR in FA. So can we kill all of this Sugar.Honey.Ice.Tea talk about not signing Ray Lewis?

[RoflDogs]

I don't think the defense will have the same intensity it has now without Ray Lewis.
He is the cornerstone of our franchise, and he helps other people play better.

Why did people like Deion, Shannon, and Rod come to the ravens exactly?

because of Ray Lewis that's why.

Ray has been phenomenal to this team.
He is our priority this off season.
Then comes Suggs, Brown, and Scott.

[rlh445]

[quote name='RavensIQ' post='95365' date='Nov 26 2008, 09:11 PM']Last time I checked Ray Lewis is the best Linebacker in the league. There's even talks about him being nominated Defensive MVP this year and we're arguing whether or not we should re-sign him??

-Payton Mannings is (32)
-Tony Gonzalez is (32)
-Terrel Owens is (34)
-Lorenzo Neal is (37)
-Brian Dawkins is (35)
-Champ Bailey is (30)
-Shaun O'Hara is (31)
-Alan Feneca is (32)
-Matt Light is (30)
-Flozel Adams is (33)
-Jeff Saturday is (33)
-Walter Jones (34)
-Orlando Pace is (33)
-Darren Sharper is (33)
-Zach Thomas is (35)
-Brian Urlacher is (30)
-Jevon Kearse is (32)
-Kurt Warner is (37)

All Arguably the best at their position.

Ray Lewis 33.

So what does age have to do with anything???? Lewis is still the best LB in the NFL by a landslide and he will remain the best LB in the league til the day he hangs up his cleats. [b]Cut everyone on our roster but make sure you pay Ray Lewis. [/b]That simple. But the reality is it might not be as impossible as everyone thinks. [b]In Fact, I wouldn't be surprised at all if we re-sign Bart Scott,Terrel Suggs, and Ray Lewis next year. [/b]And on top of all that a WR in FA. So can we kill all of this Sugar.Honey.Ice.Tea talk about not signing Ray Lewis?[/quote]


Um..no. First of all, the first bolded statement is just ludicrous. Cut everyone on the roster but keep Ray? REALLY? RAY DOES NOT PLAY QB. RAY DOES NOT PLAY RB. RAY DOES NOT PLAY WR. RAY IS NOT AN OL. RAY IS NOT A DB. RAY IS NOT A DL. RAY IS NOT A K/P. Ray plays ONE position. MLB. That's it. He is not the whole damn team!!!!!!! PLEASE, take off your Ray tinted sunglasses and realize that if he leaves the team will not all simultaneously die. Jeez. The entire Ravens organization has stated that with the way our cap is..we CAN'T keep Scott, Suggs, and Ray. Period. So the second bolded statement flies right out of the window, which is why this entire controversy exists in the first place, guy. 'And on top of all that a WR in FA,'. Do you honestly believe that? My Lord. If we give Ray the money he wants, we'll keep Suggs and Ray. Sure, we'll get a FA WR..a worthless one, and one we don't want. We want to DRAFT a WR, not buy one off the market. We want a young, impressionable youth who will take off for us in the coming years, not an aging millionaire set in his ways. Oh bah..why do I bother arguing with you anymore IQ, lol.

[FerrariFan87]

[quote name='rlh445' post='95364' date='Nov 26 2008, 08:00 PM']Heh..I hope it's fine with you when we need other things shored up during the offseason and 'umm the OWNER' says, 'So sorry, Chawlie, we're out of cap space for that,'. I hope I don't see YOUR screen name ****ing about the lack of offensive weapons next season. Just sayin'.[/quote]

Come on, you know Mr. Bisciotti will do what's in the overall best interest of the team when it comes down to the wire, I am just pointing out what he said, and the fact that I agree with him because paying Ray doesn't mean we won't be able to bring in more weapons, it just means we don't bring back Scott.

[PuRock]

I'm not going to go so far as saying Lewis is the best MLB in the league at the moment. But what he does do is he motivates his team better than any other MLB in the history of the NFL. We've had this thread before. Lewis should stay. Biscotti knows this, the majority of the fans know this.

[mpplaya07]

didnt they say earlier that ray lewis was resigned or was i dreaming

[PuRock]

[quote name='mpplaya07' post='95379' date='Nov 26 2008, 08:49 PM']didnt they say earlier that ray lewis was resigned or was i dreaming[/quote]

That was rumor that was proved false.

[rlh445]

[quote name='PuRock' post='95378' date='Nov 26 2008, 09:45 PM']I'm not going to go so far as saying Lewis is the best MLB in the league at the moment. But what he does do is he motivates his team better than any other MLB in the history of the NFL. We've had this thread before. Lewis should stay. Biscotti knows this, the majority of the fans know this.[/quote]


Arggh. I don't think ANY Baltimore fan is saying he should go, at least as a favorable option. Yes, he motivates the team. And even if he's not the 'best' MLB in the game, that doesn't matter. The issue is keeping him at the expense of the rest of the team..that's all.

[Ravens52]

I'm actually confident we'll find a way to keep all three. I mean can't we franchise Bart Scott for the year and then resign him the year after? It would break my heart to see the 1 out of the 3 leave Baltimore. But we can sign Suggs and Lewis then tag Bart for the next offseason.

[TXRaven]

Got to Keep Ray. End of Discussion.

[ravensgirlx88]

This is something I WILL NOT talk about further until the time comes. I don't think biscotti is an idiot, he and ray both want to win championships. I can't see him letting Lewis retire in any other Jeresy. You can't deny that ray is the heart of our team. Besides? Who will do the HOT IN HERE dance if he's not with us next year?

No further arguements, thank you.

[BmoreLAT52]

Just think of how many #52 jerseys have been sold. come on

[Marc2k6]

[quote name='rayvenfan_52' post='95297' date='Nov 26 2008, 05:28 PM']I really dont care how much goes to Ray.

I just want him to be a Raven.[/quote]



Now this is what I'm tlking about! I do not know how many time I've heard this statement or someone say just give Ray a blank check. In order to run a football team, you have to do what is in the best interest for the team. There is not 1 player on the Baltimore Raven's that is more important than the entire team.

Ray Lewis. Hmmmmm! I think if Ray Lewis was given a blank check that he would include money to keep Suggs and Scott along with himself. To be honest Ray Lewis has never struck me as a selfish person when it comes to football. He knows what is coming up at the end of the season as far as contracts go. Know one knows for a fact how much money he wants to get paid or if he is considering the other player's around up for new contracts along with him. So I think we should just wait and see.

I know one thing, no matter how good a player is, you can not just pay a big contract out if it will hurt your team in the long run.


[size=7] RAY LEWIS for El Presidente![/size]

[Brit_Ravens_Fan]

it makes me feel ill thinking of lewis going and i know am not the only one but am hopeing Bisciotti will make sure ray dosent leave
plus i just ordered my first ravens jersey with number 52 and if he leaves thats just a double wamey for me can see the tears now

[ROH522155]

seriously, i would cry if Ray Lewis left the Ravens

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='Ravens52' post='95384' date='Nov 26 2008, 09:04 PM']I'm actually confident we'll find a way to keep all three. I mean can't we franchise Bart Scott for the year and then resign him the year after? It would break my heart to see the 1 out of the 3 leave Baltimore. But we can sign Suggs and Lewis then tag Bart for the next offseason.[/quote]

I could see that happening. Weird, I know. But that just means that it's unlikely T.J. Houshmandzadeh will be brought in. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though; I'd personally prefer to draft a receiver, but that conversation is neither here nor there in this thread, so we'll leave it at that.

[quote name='ravensgirlx88' post='95396' date='Nov 26 2008, 10:20 PM']This is something I WILL NOT talk about further until the time comes.[/quote]

Same here. Good idea.

[quote name='ravensgirlx88' post='95396' date='Nov 26 2008, 10:20 PM']Besides? Who will do the HOT IN HERE dance if he's not with us next year?[/quote]

...I WILL!

[Tank 92]

In Ray's case to make the comment " The impact that a QB has on a team is not the same as one that a MLB has on a team" is just short sighted and nonsensical. He is the heart and soul of a defense that not only wins games, but has given this Team respect, even when we had no offense. Ray IS the Ravens and to let him go elsewhere would just be stupid.(For those that remember, think of Johnny U going to the Chargers?!) We need not only to keep him here until retirement, but keep him in the organization after retirement, to pass on the unbelievable passion he has for the game and the Ravens.

Yes, of course, the QB potentially has the biggest impact on the game because he touches the ball on every play. But does anybody remember 2000? We won it all with Dilfer, who was adequate and just didn't make mistakes. Who was the MVP of that game?

And I'm not suggesting we don't need to have a premier QB, because I think we now have one. But just think where we will be with the #1 defense along with an offense that can score. I think we stay on that path by keeping Ray whether he is playing or not playing.

Bisciotti will find a way to keep Ray and not compromise the core of the squad. Always remember, offense scores points, defense wins championships!

[mhurricane1]

Gotta keep Ray....

[noy]

Ray is not the only player on the Ravens. He is a solid linebacker who always wraps on tackles, that's why I love him. His leadership is important no doubt, but all you people are assuming that once he left nobody else would step up. That's a real shame and let's the rest of us realistic fans know who the unrealistic ones are. Thanks.

Candidates:

Haloti Ngata
T Suggs
Ed Reed

All young, all able to lead. There is only one Ray Lewis, but his absence would not cripple this defense into not playing stellar football....we have too much talent on that side of the ball.

Oh, to add, so all you people think that if Ray got seriously injured our defense would crumble to the ground? That is laughable.

[Tank 92]

I haven't read anything about the defense crumbling if Ray was out. We have too much depth of talent to crumble.
When he was out for a period of time, he was on the sideline acting as assistant defensive coordinator and head cheerleader. Don't you think that energized his team mates and pushed them to play their best?

Knowing keeping Ray is best for the Team has nothing to do with being unrealistic and everything to do with recognizing how the value of the intangibles he possesses contributes to the success of the Team. Ed Reed, Ngata or Suggs could take over as leader if Ray were gone, but none of the three are leaders in the mold of Ray Lewis. I bet if you asked them, they would say the same.

We do have great talent on defense, but a leader like Ray inspires talented players to play to and above their potential and to play as a cohesive unit. His demeanor on and off of the field pulls the pieces together. You can't draft or trade for the uncommon leadership qualities of THE Man.

No need to say any more on this subject as will be apparent when Ray returns next year and hopefully, as he remains a valuable part of the organization for many years to come.

[rlh445]

<oops, sorry we missed that the first time it was posted...let's all cut out the personal attacks, please>


Anyway, Franchise also suggested we may be able to keep all three, and yet still has the common sense to say it's weird. Because it's not very feasible. I'm sure ALL Ravens fans would want this, I know I would. But it's just not a reality, and having been listening to 105.7 every day since the new sports lineup became available, that is the word that EVERYONE closely involved within the Ravens organization is saying. So your baseless accusation that my 'ideas' are useless are well....useless, and untrue. And, on a side note, when were we looking for a 2nd tier WR? Hasn't everyone been clamoring for a 'deep threat', a guy like Boldin, or maybe Heyward-Bey?

[Rinbee]

[quote name='rlh445' post='95358' date='Nov 26 2008, 07:47 PM']*sigh* It's SO easy to say that, the bolded part. And I understand that. But the fact people, is that we CAN'T pay the man what he wants, at least not what he wanted initially. We just CAN'T. Ray Lewis is not the only player on this team. Has he been integral to the entire team for 13 years? Yes. Would it hurt IMMENSELY to see him go? Yes. Can we pay him whatever the **** he wants? No. We have an entire TEAM to think of, not just Ray. We NEED more threats on offense to win as a TEAM. We NEED to slightly reconfigure the secondary. Those are things we NEED, as a TEAM, not as individuals. If Ray asks for more money then the team can afford to keep him AND keep the team intact..how can you say it's right to keep him? Ravensgirl..you have always been pretty astute at football knowledge so far as I've seen in your posts. But are you a fan of football, or a fan of Ray? He will ALWAYS be our generation's Unitas. No question. But when things went sour, Johnny U went to another team. You'd much rather watch a 25 year old player who can play both linebacker AND defensive end as athetically as anyone you've ever seen leave then a 30+ year old MLB who is going to see his last contract after the conclusion of this season? Really? Who are you thinking about, the team, or yourself? I DON'T want to see Ray leave. I want to see him take less money, and stay a Raven, so that we can have him AND have a team. But if he's not willing to bend (and I understand that he might not have the latitude to bend) then we have to let him go..period. He's not the only reason our defense is dominat, and he's not the only defensive player back there. Is he currently the heart of our defense? Yes. And like I said..I don't want to see him leave. But if he stays and our TEAM can't get what it needs in the offseason BECAUSE of him, then it becomes a problem.[/quote]


Absolutely. You have to think about 52 guys, not just one. The day will come when Ray, Ed, Todd, Matt and all out favorites are gone. Those who are Ray fans and want to leave when Ray leaves, fine...your choice. But if you call yourself a Ravens fan, think about what is best for the team. Ray could not do what he does without 10 other guys on D. Do what you can to make him happy, but everyone -- Ray and the front office -- have to be willing to bend for the good of the team.

[neepo13]

[quote name='rayvenfan_52' post='95350' date='Nov 26 2008, 07:09 PM']Yea. Theyd probably be 10-1 if he was in.[/quote]

But he's not there and they still have a great shot to make the playoffs. Thats called depth and thats what you get when you dont allow one player to control the teams entire destiny.