Trade Ray Rice... Hear me out for a second

[PurpleandBlackBlood]

Ok. Probably about 99.9% of you looked at the title of this post and thought, "Oh god not another moron saying something stupid because he thinks that just because we are 3-4 going into the bye our season is over.." Because I dont think that all..

 

But I do think tradeing Ray Rice could not only help us, but also make our team better. And here's why:

 

1) The average "shelf-life" for an RB is 5-6 years. Okay, Okay. Yes, you can blame our lack of productivity in the run game on bad offensive line play. Fine. But you cant doubt that Rice is getting to the point that his worth is going to decline as time goes on. Personally, I'd like some high draft picks for the future before he drops off any more..

 

2) The "Cam Cameron" effect. Trading Ray Rice, one of the "Franchise Players", would effectivley put the entire team on Red Alert. No one would feel safe, because no one would see this coming. In turn, I think people would feel less security,forcing them to play better.

 

3) Cap, Cap, Cap. Rice made 17 Millon last year and is schedule to make 8 million by the conclusion of the 2013 season. That means over the next 3 years, if he were to stay and barring any type of restructure, he would account for roughly another 15-16 million. For those of you who would like to retain both Ngata and Suggs next year, this would help a LOT.

 

4) Depth. This is the least trade-friendly part of this post. Behind Rice, we have Bernard Pierce. Behind Pierce we have nothing. Not saying we couldnt pick up a free agent for the vet minimum but Pierce could definitley fill Rice's shoes, at least based off of this season. A Few current free agent running backs include: Michael Turner, Benie Wells, Cedric Benson. 

 

5) October 29th, 4pm. This is this season's trade deadline. It is quickly approaching. And with us now on our bye week, the time to do this is NOW.

 

6) Suitable Partners. In no way would it be acceptable to trade with in divsion. And if a trade could happen outside of the conference it would be even better. There is a flurry of NFC teams that definitley could be looking to get a running back before the deadline. Number one on that list is he Dallas Cowboys. With Murray injured, and NFL gameday reporting that the team is not sold on him, Dallas is a possible spot. Additionally you have Tampa Bay; now that Martin is done for the season, the New York Giants; yes their season is pretty much over but they could easily be a spot for him, or even Atlanta with steven Jackson still out and the falcons TRYING to not give up on the season. Obviously, in my opinion Dallas is much more likely than any of the latter but, those are just a few possible suitors.

 

In conclusion, I really think moving Rice could be extremely beneficial to our team. And no matter what happens over the course of the rest of the season, even if we lose out, I will always LOVE my team, just like the rest of you guys.

GO RAVENS.

[rmw10]

Trading him doesn't just get rid of the cap numbers, though.  It would cost us more to trade him than it would to keep him.  The bonus money still stays on our cap.

[HomeoftheBRAVENS]

What rmw10 said.

[NaveSenrag]

Trading him doesn't just get rid of the cap numbers, though.  It would cost us more to trade him than it would to keep him.  The bonus money still stays on our cap.

Is there some reason we can't negotiate part of that money to be paid by the other team?

[Ravenseconbeast]

Here me out a sec

[PurpleandBlackBlood]

WOW can a mod please change that to hear haha wow embarassing I was in a rush and completely missed that haha

[rmw10]

Is there some reason we can't negotiate part of that money to be paid by the other team?

 

We've already paid the bonus money out.  It's stuck on our cap.

[PurpleandBlackBlood]

Fair enough I didnt think about the guaranteed portion of his contract

 

We've already paid the bonus money out.  It's stuck on our cap.

[PurpleCityLights]

if we're trading Rice because of performance & offensive line problem lets Trade Joe also ......

[Purple Punishment]

Can we trade him for Adrian Peterson? If Minn is willing to do a 1 for 1 trade I'm all for it!

That was a joke

[PurpleandBlackBlood]

Can we trade him for Adrian Peterson? If Minn is willing to do a 1 for 1 trade I'm all for it!

That was a joke

 

Haha... and no lets not trade joe but I was just pointing out how moving him could prove beneficial to the team.. wasnt trying to come up with some type of "the sky is falling" mornic idea

[Ravenseconbeast]

Well we're stuck w/ him. Rice got 'his burst' back, or so he says. He might get booed @ our own stadium if he keeps this up for whole season.

[PurpleandBlackBlood]

Im just saying, its better to not be so emotionally attached to people and know that everyone, sadly including joe, should be expendable.. thats how good teams stay good..

 

ex. see heap, reed, o. brown, ellerbe, kruger

[The Raven]

I'd be more than willing to trade him, but the fact is that trading him won't actually help. We still have to pay his bonus. If it wasn't for that, I'd have already traded him.

 

Actually, if I was in charge, we wouldn't have even re-signed him to begin with.

[GrimCoconut]

I'd be more than willing to trade him, but the fact is that trading him won't actually help. We still have to pay his bonus. If it wasn't for that, I'd have already traded him.

Actually, if I was in charge, we wouldn't have even re-signed him to begin with.

Yeah. I'm of like mind. Rice is a great back but he's not the same and hasn't been since he signed his deal. I could care less about the San Diego game. I wish we kept Grubbs over him but nobody wanted that except a few. I was never the biggest fan of Grubbs to tell the truth but the bottom line is that he was a good player.

If we can trade him I'd be all for it if we can afford it financially. There are quite a few nice RB in this class and I'd use the picks to upgrade the OL.

[ThePurpleWall]

no, if the offensive line can block better which it showed Sunday,Rice will get more yards.

[TimeEdReed]

Obviously trading him in the middle of this season is out of the question. But moving on from him next year is perhaps a different story. I don't know how his contract works or what we'd have to do but I can't imagine he's going to be worth the money for three more seasons. He'd really have to turn it on and blow everyone's doors off the remainder of this year to change my mind. Best case scenario I guess would be drafting a RB of the future and reducing Rice's carries with a three headed attack, as well as using him more in the passing game than as a pure runner.

[easternshore97]

Can we trade him for Adrian Peterson? If Minn is willing to do a 1 for 1 trade I'm all for it!

That was a joke

A smart joke though. Every running back will have a slump somewhere. However, every running back has different health concerns. Where do you rank Ray Rice on the list of injury prone RBs? He's probably 2nd to last right above AD, unless you put AD above him.

 

Come on man, somebody 2 or 3 more backs who have been more durable since he came into the league...

[GrimCoconut]

A smart joke though. Every running back will have a slump somewhere. However, every running back has different health concerns. Where do you rank Ray Rice on the list of injury prone RBs? He's probably 2nd to last right above AD, unless you put AD above him.

Come on man, somebody 2 or 3 more backs who have been more durable since he came into the league...

Rice has been extremely durable since he entered the league and he's such a good guy. I love the guy. He's a great person. I'm happy he's a Raven and I understand why we gave him his context but I never supported it. I'd take a dominant OL over a dominant RB any day. Not saying you're saying otherwise. Just wanted to make my point here lol

[Purple_ICE 81]

Ok. Probably about 99.9% of you looked at the title of this post and thought, "Oh god not another moron saying something stupid because he thinks that just because we are 3-4 going into the bye our season is over.." Because I dont think that all..

 

But I do think tradeing Ray Rice could not only help us, but also make our team better. And here's why:

 

1) The average "shelf-life" for an RB is 5-6 years. Okay, Okay. Yes, you can blame our lack of productivity in the run game on bad offensive line play. Fine. But you cant doubt that Rice is getting to the point that his worth is going to decline as time goes on. Personally, I'd like some high draft picks for the future before he drops off any more..

 

2) The "Cam Cameron" effect. Trading Ray Rice, one of the "Franchise Players", would effectivley put the entire team on Red Alert. No one would feel safe, because no one would see this coming. In turn, I think people would feel less security,forcing them to play better.

 

3) Cap, Cap, Cap. Rice made 17 Millon last year and is schedule to make 8 million by the conclusion of the 2013 season. That means over the next 3 years, if he were to stay and barring any type of restructure, he would account for roughly another 15-16 million. For those of you who would like to retain both Ngata and Suggs next year, this would help a LOT.

 

4) Depth. This is the least trade-friendly part of this post. Behind Rice, we have Bernard Pierce. Behind Pierce we have nothing. Not saying we couldnt pick up a free agent for the vet minimum but Pierce could definitley fill Rice's shoes, at least based off of this season. A Few current free agent running backs include: Michael Turner, Benie Wells, Cedric Benson. 

 

5) October 29th, 4pm. This is this season's trade deadline. It is quickly approaching. And with us now on our bye week, the time to do this is NOW.

 

6) Suitable Partners. In no way would it be acceptable to trade with in divsion. And if a trade could happen outside of the conference it would be even better. There is a flurry of NFC teams that definitley could be looking to get a running back before the deadline. Number one on that list is he Dallas Cowboys. With Murray injured, and NFL gameday reporting that the team is not sold on him, Dallas is a possible spot. Additionally you have Tampa Bay; now that Martin is done for the season, the New York Giants; yes their season is pretty much over but they could easily be a spot for him, or even Atlanta with steven Jackson still out and the falcons TRYING to not give up on the season. Obviously, in my opinion Dallas is much more likely than any of the latter but, those are just a few possible suitors.

 

In conclusion, I really think moving Rice could be extremely beneficial to our team. And no matter what happens over the course of the rest of the season, even if we lose out, I will always LOVE my team, just like the rest of you guys.

GO RAVENS.

Ozzie Newsome doesnt trade bigtime players like that. Ray Rice is a top 10 RB and one of the most consistent players on our offense. He cant run block for himself or designate run plays for himself. Is he having an off year so far? Absolutely...he has yet to clear 100 yards rushing in a single game this season, but he is still a huge weapon on offense. To trade him would to be throwing in the towel on the season and Ozzie Newsome is the type of guy who wouldnt throw in the towel even if we were winless. Our run game has to improve...but its not Rice's fault our offensive line is absolutely awful at opening up lanes for him.  Trade Juan Castillo for a box of pop tarts though... he obviously sucks at his job.

[PurpleDoc]

I would consider trading him if he sucks all season.  But let's give him a chance after his injury.  Plus, the o-line is terrible, so they are a lot to blame for his poor performance this season.   Although, now that I think about it, Ray has fumbled a number of times in past 2 seasons.....

[TimeEdReed]

Even when he has seen daylight this year though he always seems to be getting tackled easier/sooner than he used to and sometimes falling down on his own. He's lost half a step or more. Its a brutal position and he can't hold up forever. If he's not explosive anymore you have to question his value versus his contract numbers. Maybe he can still create matchup problems in space, but it doesn't really look like it so far, although we could probably use more opportunities to judge that.

[GrimCoconut]

I would consider trading him if he sucks all season. But let's give him a chance after his injury. Plus, the o-line is terrible, so they are a lot to blame for his poor performance this season. Although, now that I think about it, Ray has fumbled a number of times in past 2 seasons.....

If we trade Ray Rice it won't be until after this season. I could be wrong but I would be stunned if we traded him before. That's if we even trade him. It's easier to fix the OL and fire a coach than to trade a potentially game breaking player like Ray Rice especially if his slump is related to scheme or injury.

[izvoodoo]

Even when he has seen daylight this year though he always seems to be getting tackled easier/sooner than he used to and sometimes falling down on his own. He's lost half a step or more. Its a brutal position and he can't hold up forever. If he's not explosive anymore you have to question his value versus his contract numbers. Maybe he can still create matchup problems in space, but it doesn't really look like it so far, although we could probably use more opportunities to judge that.

You also have to appreciate schematically how different they're playing him.  Since we have nothing at TE, they pretty much always have someone responsible for ray rice.

[edreedfromtheu]

Ok. Probably about 99.9% of you looked at the title of this post and thought, "Oh god not another moron saying something stupid because he thinks that just because we are 3-4 going into the bye our season is over.." Because I dont think that all..

 

But I do think tradeing Ray Rice could not only help us, but also make our team better. And here's why:

 

1) The average "shelf-life" for an RB is 5-6 years. Okay, Okay. Yes, you can blame our lack of productivity in the run game on bad offensive line play. Fine. But you cant doubt that Rice is getting to the point that his worth is going to decline as time goes on. Personally, I'd like some high draft picks for the future before he drops off any more..

 

2) The "Cam Cameron" effect. Trading Ray Rice, one of the "Franchise Players", would effectivley put the entire team on Red Alert. No one would feel safe, because no one would see this coming. In turn, I think people would feel less security,forcing them to play better.

 

3) Cap, Cap, Cap. Rice made 17 Millon last year and is schedule to make 8 million by the conclusion of the 2013 season. That means over the next 3 years, if he were to stay and barring any type of restructure, he would account for roughly another 15-16 million. For those of you who would like to retain both Ngata and Suggs next year, this would help a LOT.

 

4) Depth. This is the least trade-friendly part of this post. Behind Rice, we have Bernard Pierce. Behind Pierce we have nothing. Not saying we couldnt pick up a free agent for the vet minimum but Pierce could definitley fill Rice's shoes, at least based off of this season. A Few current free agent running backs include: Michael Turner, Benie Wells, Cedric Benson. 

 

5) October 29th, 4pm. This is this season's trade deadline. It is quickly approaching. And with us now on our bye week, the time to do this is NOW.

 

6) Suitable Partners. In no way would it be acceptable to trade with in divsion. And if a trade could happen outside of the conference it would be even better. There is a flurry of NFC teams that definitley could be looking to get a running back before the deadline. Number one on that list is he Dallas Cowboys. With Murray injured, and NFL gameday reporting that the team is not sold on him, Dallas is a possible spot. Additionally you have Tampa Bay; now that Martin is done for the season, the New York Giants; yes their season is pretty much over but they could easily be a spot for him, or even Atlanta with steven Jackson still out and the falcons TRYING to not give up on the season. Obviously, in my opinion Dallas is much more likely than any of the latter but, those are just a few possible suitors.

 

In conclusion, I really think moving Rice could be extremely beneficial to our team. And no matter what happens over the course of the rest of the season, even if we lose out, I will always LOVE my team, just like the rest of you guys.

GO RAVENS.

When I suggested this two years ago, people said it was absolutely the most ridiculous thing ever.  So I don't expect you to get any better of a response.

His value is already diminishing.  Returns on RBs just won't be that good.  Everyone is already laughing at Indianapolis for what they gave up for Richardson.
 
The Ravens won't do it.  If there's one thing they've proven as an organization, they are way too loyal to players that are expendable.  If the player is a fan and media favorite.... they are staying. 

But one thing they could do is get rid of all the fullbacks.  This team/staff just doesn't know how to use them, and it's a waste of a spot on the field.  That's killing the run game more than anything else.  It's a clear signal where the run is going.  And the backs aren't using the FB effectively.  No defense respects Flacco or the passing game... so they clog the middle up close to the line. 

Getting rid of the fullback and putting in another receivers at least thins the defense out slightly, giving more room for a single back set to find some holes.

They might also force Flacco to watch/practice some play action fakes that actually resemble a handoff.  You know, so the defense actually pauses for a second to find the ball.

[RedFire]

Ozzie Newsome doesnt trade bigtime players like that. Ray Rice is a top 10 RB and one of the most consistent players on our offense. He cant run block for himself or designate run plays for himself. Is he having an off year so far? Absolutely...he has yet to clear 100 yards rushing in a single game this season, but he is still a huge weapon on offense. To trade him would to be throwing in the towel on the season and Ozzie Newsome is the type of guy who wouldnt throw in the towel even if we were winless. Our run game has to improve...but its not Rice's fault our offensive line is absolutely awful at opening up lanes for him. Trade Juan Castillo for a box of pop tarts though... he obviously sucks at his job.

Two words: Herschel Walker

"What are the cowboys doing?" ... OOoops they built a dynasty and the Vikings were left looking foolish.

Bonus might still be on the books...but that can be offset with a lot of draft picks as in good&cheap labor.

[Purple_ICE 81]

Yeah. I'm of like mind. Rice is a great back but he's not the same and hasn't been since he signed his deal. I could care less about the San Diego game. I wish we kept Grubbs over him but nobody wanted that except a few. I was never the biggest fan of Grubbs to tell the truth but the bottom line is that he was a good player.

If we can trade him I'd be all for it if we can afford it financially. There are quite a few nice RB in this class and I'd use the picks to upgrade the OL.

Well Ben Grubbs has been kind of stinking up the place in NOLa anyway I feel like everytime I watch a NOLA game he is always called out by the commentators for poor blocking or penalties. Rice was well worth the contract.. he wasnt paid a monster 100M AD contract, ...he has been one of the most durable, dependable and consistent backs over the past 4 seasons-- 5,000+Rushing yards,  311rec for another 2,700 through the air and like 40 tds . You can say "he hasnt been the same since signing his deal" but last year he had like 50 less carries in 2012 from 2011 and still maintained nearly 1200 yards on the ground and over 4 yards per carry and a lot of that was related to the terible play calling...how many times the last 2 seasons have you hard somone say "If the Ravens would have given rice more carries, theyd probably win". I agree there i something terrible going on with our run game this year and Rice has had one of his worst years since becoming a starter in 2009...but I think without him it would have been a totally different story to the end of ray lewis' career honestly. But just due to general RB lifecycles I woulnt be surprised if Rice were playing for another team in a few seasons, once his contract is up im not sue what oz will do

[GrimCoconut]

Well Ben Grubbs has been kind of stinking up the place in NOLa anyway I feel like everytime I watch a NOLA game he is always called out by the commentators for poor blocking or penalties. Rice was well worth the contract.. he wasnt paid a monster 100M AD contract, ...he has been one of the most durable, dependable and consistent backs over the past 4 seasons-- 5,000+Rushing yards, 311rec for another 2,700 through the air and like 40 tds . You can say "he hasnt been the same since signing his deal" but last year he had like 50 less carries in 2012 from 2011 and still maintained nearly 1200 yards on the ground and over 4 yards per carry and a lot of that was related to the terible play calling...how many times the last 2 seasons have you hard somone say "If the Ravens would have given rice more carries, theyd probably win". I agree there i something terrible going on with our run game this year and Rice has had one of his worst years since becoming a starter in 2009...but I think without him it would have been a totally different story to the end of ray lewis' career honestly. But just due to general RB lifecycles I woulnt be surprised if Rice were playing for another team in a few seasons, once his contract is up im not sue what oz will do

I can't deny that Rice has a critical role in our Super Bowl run. There's no question. Grubbs isn't playing bad from what I've seen. He doesn't have the best LT next to him though. No excuses. I'm not a big fan of Grubbs and meant my comment more to say I'd rather invest in the OL than a RB. I love KO and he looked dominant last year. It's a shame he is having his back issues because I believe our struggling OL is heavily his fault.

As for Ray, he hasn't been the same since last year. He has had a balance problem since last year. I've seen him lose his balance quite a bit. I think it went unnoticed because we found ways to win and the OL played better than right now. Rice is injured but his current struggles aren't necessarily new and acute but are somewhat chronic and present as far back as last year.

[easternshore97]

Rice has been extremely durable since he entered the league and he's such a good guy. I love the guy. He's a great person. I'm happy he's a Raven and I understand why we gave him his context but I never supported it. I'd take a dominant OL over a dominant RB any day. Not saying you're saying otherwise. Just wanted to make my point here lol

I know how you value OL. Heck if you were GM, I think I could guess how you would manage the 2014 draft - take a C with the first pick, then trade back in the 2nd round to get an extra pick so you could take an LG, then in the last 2 rounds take a backup RT and RG...lol although I can't say I'd disagree too much with that given the way some teams pick up guys off the street all the time to line up at WR/RB/TE

 

I guess I'm speaking more from the perspective of a fantasy football GM although I didn't draft any Ravens this year at all (tried for the Defense and was late pulling the trigger every time). There are just too many guys in the league right now who always come up limping - sometimes it's due to over-utilization. I just can't think of too many guys that you can count on to line up outside of Beastmode, AD, and Ray Rice...and even Beastmode will have a potential hamstring issue every so often

[GrimCoconut]

I know how you value OL. Heck if you were GM, I think I could guess how you would manage the 2014 draft - take a C with the first pick, then trade back in the 2nd round to get an extra pick so you could take an LG, then in the last 2 rounds take a backup RT and RG...lol although I can't say I'd disagree too much with that given the way some teams pick up guys off the street all the time to line up at WR/RB/TE

I guess I'm speaking more from the perspective of a fantasy football GM although I didn't draft any Ravens this year at all (tried for the Defense and was late pulling the trigger every time). There are just too many guys in the league right now who always come up limping - sometimes it's due to over-utilization. I just can't think of too many guys that you can count on to line up outside of Beastmode, AD, and Ray Rice...and even Beastmode will have a potential hamstring issue every so often

Nope. I think it's too early to give up on Gino and even then I wouldn't spend a first round pick on any center in this class. Go look at my post in the draft forum called My Top 5. You'll see pretty much who I would take.