In Ozzie We Trust (2014 Edition) The Ravens Free Agency Thread

[rmw10]

That truly is a very plausible scenario. I don't think we will be THAT pinched for cap space that he is given an ultimatum, but if that scenario plays out, I think that is the FO tipping their hand that they are targeting a specific player in FA or trade.

 

We're going to be pretty tight up against the cap again.  A lot of people forget the RFA/ERFA tenders that eat up a majority of the cap space each offseason, as well as the draft class budget that we have to account for as well.  It's obvious that we want Monroe back, and it's looking highly likely that we want Pitta, Smith, and Graham as well.  With all of the tenders and draft class costs I mentioned, it would be very very tight, even with McClain and Leach cuts, to get those guys in, and that's without any other free agents.  Suggs may stay, but I don't see any way that happens at his current cap number.  At that point, we have to question whether we're going to ask him to take a straight pay cut, or examine whether we want to extend him or not.

[flynismo]

We're going to be pretty tight up against the cap again. A lot of people forget the RFA/ERFA tenders that eat up a majority of the cap space each offseason, as well as the draft class budget that we have to account for as well. It's obvious that we want Monroe back, and it's looking highly likely that we want Pitta, Smith, and Graham as well. With all of the tenders and draft class costs I mentioned, it would be very very tight, even with McClain and Leach cuts, to get those guys in, and that's without any other free agents. Suggs may stay, but I don't see any way that happens at his current cap number. At that point, we have to question whether we're going to ask him to take a straight pay cut, or examine whether we want to extend him or not.

Personally, I think we will see a mass exodus this off-season, after reviewing the guys who are up for contracts. We'll keep a few, but I can't see a lot of guys returning.

Regardless, it is in our best interest to do everything we can to reduce or eliminate Suggs' cap number.

[rmw10]

Personally, I think we will see a mass exodus this off-season, after reviewing the guys who are up for contracts. We'll keep a few, but I can't see a lot of guys returning.

Regardless, it is in our best interest to do everything we can to reduce or eliminate Suggs' cap number.

 

I don't think it's going to be a mass exodus.  A lot of our FA's were basically complementary pieces and/or expected to go anyway.  Of the 13, I'd split them into 3 categories

 

Dallas Clark, Terrence Cody, Ed Dickson, Michael Oher, Bernard Scott are all obvious ones that we expect to leave, and I imagine there won't be a big drop off.  I'm not concerned about losing any of these guys.

 

Arthur Jones, Jacoby Jones, James Ihedigbo are tougher to lose, but we can't afford them and/or just need to move on.  Arthur Jones is the obvious big loss we'll have this year.

 

Then we have the must keeps/affordable guys.  It's obvious that we aren't going to let Monroe go.  Pitta is probably in the same boat.  I really can't see us letting someone like Smith go, since he adequately replaced an all time great like Ray Lewis.  I don't know if you saw the Harbaugh press conference, but they really want Graham back, and I doubt he'll cost much.  Lastly, and the oddity on this list, is Jeromy Miles, who was stellar on ST and will be incredibly cheap.

 

Then, of the guys on the roster, Suggs, McClain, Koch, and Leach are the obvious and likely cut candidates.  With all of that being said, the roster turnover isn't really going to be that great.  If things play out how I personally think they will, we'll have lost 12 guys, only 3 of which would be somewhat concerning.

[flynismo]

I don't think it's going to be a mass exodus. A lot of our FA's were basically complementary pieces and/or expected to go anyway. Of the 13, I'd split them into 3 categories

Dallas Clark, Terrence Cody, Ed Dickson, Michael Oher, Bernard Scott are all obvious ones that we expect to leave, and I imagine there won't be a big drop off. I'm not concerned about losing any of these guys.

Arthur Jones, Jacoby Jones, James Ihedigbo are tougher to lose, but we can't afford them and/or just need to move on. Arthur Jones is the obvious big loss we'll have this year.

Then we have the must keeps/affordable guys. It's obvious that we aren't going to let Monroe go. Pitta is probably in the same boat. I really can't see us letting someone like Smith go, since he adequately replaced an all time great like Ray Lewis. I don't know if you saw the Harbaugh press conference, but they really want Graham back, and I doubt he'll cost much. Lastly, and the oddity on this list, is Jeromy Miles, who was stellar on ST and will be incredibly cheap.

Then, of the guys on the roster, Suggs, McClain, Koch, and Leach are the obvious and likely cut candidates. With all of that being said, the roster turnover isn't really going to be that great. If things play out how I personally think they will, we'll have lost 12 guys, only 3 of which would be somewhat concerning.

Maybe my idea of mass exodus was a misnomer...I anticipate us letting around 15 guys walk, but when I think about it, that isn't an inordinate amount.

Of those guys, I think we are for the most part on the same page. I see us bringing Arthur back for less than some expect, I can't imagine any scenario where we let Daryl Smith or Pitta walk, but imo everyone else is not a lock to return.

[baltimorefan328]

One thing I've thought about, and as we've seen with the past couple years and probably this offseason as well, is the ravens FO is not afraid to release or not resign big time players if its eventually going to be better for the team. The question is why does the Ravens front office not take that same cut-throat approach with its coaches. Cam did help Flacco originally, but Im surprised it took so long to fire him. Now Caldwell did great in the super bowl run, but I find it hard to believe him to be a true offensive coordinator. Its just sort of shocking to me that the Ravens arent even considering looking at other big name offensive coordinators and would probably only replace Caldwell if he went elsewhere. The Ravens should be a very attractive place for an offensive coordinator because we have a capable quarterback, 2 good running backs, and assuming we resign Pitta and draft a big time wide receiver this year there are some offensive weapons. I would just love the Ravens to go this isnt working, our offense was unacceptable, and we will be looking elsewhere rather than just doing what theyve always done and give these coaches too many chances while the offense continues to sputter. This also includes the offensive line coaches, wide receiver coaches...everyone should be held accountable for their performance, either good or poor

[rmw10]

Maybe my idea of mass exodus was a misnomer...I anticipate us letting around 15 guys walk, but when I think about it, that isn't an inordinate amount.

Of those guys, I think we are for the most part on the same page. I see us bringing Arthur back for less than some expect, I can't imagine any scenario where we let Daryl Smith or Pitta walk, but imo everyone else is not a lock to return.

 

Yeah it isn't unusual to think that 15-20 new guys will be on the roster next year.  It's pretty standard.  Last year seemed so odd because it was so many big name players.  This year at least seems to be pretty standard in that there are a few good players, but most are backups or people that won't be missed.

[GrimCoconut]

Suggs is in an interesting spot. Literally a 50/50 chance. A lot of good points on both sides. He's potentially past his prime, disappeared down the stretch when we needed him the most, didn't live up to expectations, endurance is a question mark, a noticeable loss in step, may be getting prone to injuries. But then again, you also have his early season performance, his typical ability to be a complete LB, his experience and knowledge, and his reputation. The problem with him is price. 

 

Then you have a guy like Ngata, who was inconsistent throughout the year and did a bit better at he end then finished a bit poor against Cincinnati from what I saw. Problem with him is he's due 16M and if we cut him we only save 7.5. We also don't know what his deal is as a fanbase, so it's difficult to speculate. I'm not sure if he's the same player or if it's something else. If Ngata is at the end of his career and though I know the savings is minimal, I would rather cut/trade Ngata and use the saved money (next year, not really this year) for Arthur Jones. By that I mean load Jones' contract so it's heavy next year. We'd essentially replace Ngata with Jones. My question is whether Ngata is wearing down or not. We'll never know, unfortunately, until he's either traded/cut or he's simply worn out and it's clearly evident. 

 

I'd hate to lose Arthur Jones if Ngata is at the end of his career, and we would have uncertainty again at the DT position. We've proven to fill holes well at the DL, so perhaps Jones' potential loss won't be so severe. We do have guys like Tyson, KLM, Williams & even McPhee (to an extent). If we fully switched to a 4-3 it would also soften the loss as well, which may very well be in the inevitable cards. 

[Poes Crows]

One thing I've thought about, and as we've seen with the past couple years and probably this offseason as well, is the ravens FO is not afraid to release or not resign big time players if its eventually going to be better for the team. The question is why does the Ravens front office not take that same cut-throat approach with its coaches. Cam did help Flacco originally, but Im surprised it took so long to fire him. Now Caldwell did great in the super bowl run, but I find it hard to believe him to be a true offensive coordinator. Its just sort of shocking to me that the Ravens arent even considering looking at other big name offensive coordinators and would probably only replace Caldwell if he went elsewhere. The Ravens should be a very attractive place for an offensive coordinator because we have a capable quarterback, 2 good running backs, and assuming we resign Pitta and draft a big time wide receiver this year there are some offensive weapons. I would just love the Ravens to go this isnt working, our offense was unacceptable, and we will be looking elsewhere rather than just doing what theyve always done and give these coaches too many chances while the offense continues to sputter. This also includes the offensive line coaches, wide receiver coaches...everyone should be held accountable for their performance, either good or poor

 

How'd that work out this year?

 

To anyone thinking we will be better next year, I'd ask them to articulate how?

 

It would take a phenomenal draft and can you trust the guy calling the shots there?

 

Finally, Flacco has proven that it takes him quite a bit of time to get comfortable with a receiver.  A great pickup at WR will not produce immediate and substantial results.  It will take Joe a couple years at a minimum to establish rapport. Joe is not a quick study.

[baltimorefan328]

How'd that work out this year?

 

To anyone thinking we will be better next year, I'd ask them to articulate how?

 

It would take a phenomenal draft and can you trust the guy calling the shots there?

 

Finally, Flacco has proven that it takes him quite a bit of time to get comfortable with a receiver.  A great pickup at WR will not produce immediate and substantial results.  It will take Joe a couple years at a minimum to establish rapport. Joe is not a quick study.

 

Well you cannot always judge moves on one year stints...The ravens did a similar thing last year to an extent and they won the super bowl...and you could argue there was a ton of turnover there too with Suggs not the same and Lewis out for much of the year and Webb being out. What I am saying is I think it would be wiser, maybe even now more than ever after missing the playoffs, to bring in new offensive coaches with a different philosophy that could still maximize Flacco's talents as well as at least look to see what other position coaches are out there. I just think if the front office is so willing to turn over players to save on money or because they believe there is better talent, the front office should be just as willing to do that with a coordinator. This year wasn't just a down year with Caldwell, i mean the offense was absolutely abysmal. With the player turnover on offense we will likely have this offseason, why not bring in a coordinator who is innovative and can mold a new system around the offensive guys we have now and the ones that may be brought in. I realize the offensive line was bad, but if it was so bad why didn't caldwell implement quick hitting slants and outs like brady runs. If a 5' 10 190 lb guy in edelmen can catch 12 balls in a game, how can a guy in torrey smith who has much more talent go in a game with something like 3 catches for 24 yards. The lack of innovation and ability in the coaches seems to be just as much a reason for failure as player turnover

[Alexir]

I would cut Suggs and Re-Sign Art Jones. Hopefully Ozzie feels the same way. I would also cut Suggs and give that money to Monroe. Either way, we can't let both of those guys go away.

[KillaBirdTJ]

My off season wish list... Cut/Resign/Restructure or Trade Suggs and Ngata, and target FS Byrd, and C Alex Mack... Resign Art Jones, D. Smith, Monroe, Pitta, draft:
 

1st- WR

2nd- RT (or LG- could Osmele be a better RT than a LG?)

3rd- TE

4th- DT

 

Could you imagine this as our starting D:

 

Cb- J. Smith, Webb, C. Grahm, Asa, C. Brown

 

Fs- (Fa) Byrd, Omar Brown

 

Ss- Elam, Diggs (comes back at a low cost)

 

MLb- D. Smith, Arther Jones,  R. McClain (will more than likely make his come-back, Bynes and J. McClain are released IMO), 

 

Olb- Dumerville, Upshaw, Adrian Hamilton, John Simon, Suggs?

 

Dl- Canty, Art Jones, B. Williams, K Lewis-Moore, McPhee, Ngata?,

[KillaBirdTJ]

How nice of an O-line would this be:

 

Monroe- 2nd Rd Pick- Alex Mack- Yanda- Osemele

Our weapns

 

#1 WR- 1st Rnd Pick

#2 Wr- T. Smith

#3 Wr- M. Brown

#4 Wr- J. Jones

#5 & #6 could be anyone from A. Mellete, T. Doss, D. Thompson... I cant see all of these guys returning

 

#1 Te- Pitta

#2 3rd Rd Pick/Frustenberg

 

#1 Rb- I see a highly motivated top 5 Rb version of R. Rice at around 195-200 lbs

#2 Pierce comes in with about 5-10 lbs added muscle/power/explosion

#3 Draft or Fa (we need a physical and fast rb)

[Sami84]

My off season wish list... Cut/Resign/Restructure or Trade Suggs and Ngata, and target FS Byrd, and C Alex Mack... Resign Art Jones, D. Smith, Monroe, Pitta, draft:

 

1st- WR

2nd- RT (or LG- could Osmele be a better RT than a LG?)

3rd- TE

4th- DT

Dear lord how? Give me the math. Id love just half of that to happen.

[rmw10]

My off season wish list... Cut/Resign/Restructure or Trade Suggs and Ngata, and target FS Byrd, and C Alex Mack... Resign Art Jones, D. Smith, Monroe, Pitta, draft:

 

1st- WR

2nd- RT (or LG- could Osmele be a better RT than a LG?)

3rd- TE

4th- DT

 

There's a thing called the salary cap that would make this impossible.

[KillaBirdTJ]

There's a thing called the salary cap that would make this impossible.

 

Hence "wish list". lol

 

Perhaps something somewhat similar is possible...

[KillaBirdTJ]

Dear lord how? Give me the math. Id love just half of that to happen.

 

Even if it costs is Suggs AND Ngata, Byrd an Mack would help our team more at this point IMO... but even then not sure how we could afford this but would like to see it happen...

[omar586]

we need to draft at least 2 Oline.

[omar586]

draft wish list:

• OLine help- G/C, G/T
• WR- possessional  WR, Q clone
• QB- a Kapernick type QB, that can sling it and run it.
• LB- we need depth
• RB-depth,
• FS-need  a ball hawk

[baltimorefan328]

If the ravens draft a TE he needs to be a good blocker as well as pass catcher. If the Ravens re-sign Pitta and are high on Furstenburg then they cannot have 3 receiving tight ends post draft. I would not be opposed to drafting a receiving tight end who has at least some blocking prowess and then resigning bajema. If Pitta is resigned I just dont see how Furstenburg could make the team unless the Ravens went with 2 running backs and used Juice as a blocking/receiving option as well and not have Leach. With our offensive line struggles the Ravens need another blocking tight end in the mix because Pitta is not that guy and I gotta believe if Fursteburg could block he would have been called up

[Willbacker]

Does anyone know if #74 Rich Ornberger(hope thats spelled right) of the Chargers is an FA after this year. He looked awfully good filling in for Hardwick holding his blocks on pass protection and pushing people back on running plays.

[LEGEN-wait for it-DARY]

Does anyone know if #74 Rich Ornberger(hope thats spelled right) of the Chargers is an FA after this year. He looked awfully good filling in for Hardwick holding his blocks on pass protection and pushing people back on running plays.

 

Yes, he is.

[Willbacker]

Yes, he is.

Could be the answer to our C position. He looked awfully good out there. Probally wouldn't cost an arm and a leg neither.

[balfan23]

Suggs is in an interesting spot. Literally a 50/50 chance. A lot of good points on both sides. He's potentially past his prime, disappeared down the stretch when we needed him the most, didn't live up to expectations, endurance is a question mark, a noticeable loss in step, may be getting prone to injuries. But then again, you also have his early season performance, his typical ability to be a complete LB, his experience and knowledge, and his reputation. The problem with him is price. 

 

Then you have a guy like Ngata, who was inconsistent throughout the year and did a bit better at he end then finished a bit poor against Cincinnati from what I saw. Problem with him is he's due 16M and if we cut him we only save 7.5. We also don't know what his deal is as a fanbase, so it's difficult to speculate. I'm not sure if he's the same player or if it's something else. If Ngata is at the end of his career and though I know the savings is minimal, I would rather cut/trade Ngata and use the saved money (next year, not really this year) for Arthur Jones. By that I mean load Jones' contract so it's heavy next year. We'd essentially replace Ngata with Jones. My question is whether Ngata is wearing down or not. We'll never know, unfortunately, until he's either traded/cut or he's simply worn out and it's clearly evident. 

 

I'd hate to lose Arthur Jones if Ngata is at the end of his career, and we would have uncertainty again at the DT position. We've proven to fill holes well at the DL, so perhaps Jones' potential loss won't be so severe. We do have guys like Tyson, KLM, Williams & even McPhee (to an extent). If we fully switched to a 4-3 it would also soften the loss as well, which may very well be in the inevitable cards. 

Ngata's release would only save 1M, not 7.5M. Therefore, we're not going to cut him. He's got a lot of years on his contract and based on how much future cap issues we're going to face, I don't see us pushing more problems to the future by restructuring his deal... and besides, as you indicate, there probably isn't much tread left on the tires. 

 

Suggs is an entirely different story .. he's the one we'll save 7.5M. We will not stand pat with him - it will be either cut or restructure via short term extension. The question again becomes - how much is left in the tank? To give him an extension, that's a commitment by the team to feel he has 2 or 3 more years left of being worth a fair amount of money. If the FO doesn't feel he's worth committing to for that time or if Suggs is difficult to deal with in terms of making an extension happen, he'll get cut. That's not a perfect situation either. He really did disappear down the stretch when we needed him most, but we're kidding ourselves if we think he wouldn't be missed. 

 

Jones is a possibility, if we make a move on Suggs, but it will also depend upon the payday he is set to get on the open market. If he commands absolute top-dollar elsewhere, we'll pass. You could say Monroe would fall into the same category, but I think the FO is going to treat him like this year's must-sign. 

[ravensnj]

Need a slot wr kinda like Randle Cobb.....Hawkins from bengals will be available, cheap

[cursona pirate]

How nice of an O-line would this be:

 

Monroe- 2nd Rd Pick- Alex Mack- Yanda- Osemele

Our weapns

 

#1 WR- 1st Rnd Pick

#2 Wr- T. Smith

#3 Wr- M. Brown

#4 Wr- J. Jones

#5 & #6 could be anyone from A. Mellete, T. Doss, D. Thompson... I cant see all of these guys returning

 

#1 Te- Pitta

#2 3rd Rd Pick/Frustenberg

 

#1 Rb- I see a highly motivated top 5 Rb version of R. Rice at around 195-200 lbs

#2 Pierce comes in with about 5-10 lbs added muscle/power/explosion

#3 Draft or Fa (we need a physical and fast rb)

Yeah Jacoby still there! I want him to retire a Raven. I mean come on the logo is on his back.

Pitta and Monroe are our big deals we need to get done. Probably Suggs will leave or restructure.

[FlocksGottaFeed]

Well you cannot always judge moves on one year stints...The ravens did a similar thing last year to an extent and they won the super bowl...and you could argue there was a ton of turnover there too with Suggs not the same and Lewis out for much of the year and Webb being out. What I am saying is I think it would be wiser, maybe even now more than ever after missing the playoffs, to bring in new offensive coaches with a different philosophy that could still maximize Flacco's talents as well as at least look to see what other position coaches are out there. I just think if the front office is so willing to turn over players to save on money or because they believe there is better talent, the front office should be just as willing to do that with a coordinator. This year wasn't just a down year with Caldwell, i mean the offense was absolutely abysmal. With the player turnover on offense we will likely have this offseason, why not bring in a coordinator who is innovative and can mold a new system around the offensive guys we have now and the ones that may be brought in. I realize the offensive line was bad, but if it was so bad why didn't caldwell implement quick hitting slants and outs like brady runs. If a 5' 10 190 lb guy in edelmen can catch 12 balls in a game, how can a guy in torrey smith who has much more talent go in a game with something like 3 catches for 24 yards. The lack of innovation and ability in the coaches seems to be just as much a reason for failure as player turnover

I agree that we should consider adding a QB Coach and Receivers Specialist, not clean house. I feel your pain, but there's just no fair way to completely blame the offensive failures of this season solely on Caldwell. There were just to many variables to mention. In addition, 1 season with all of the variables (key injuries for receivers and backs, trades, scheme adjustments, youth inexperience, etc.) is no reason to scrape the entire offensive coaching staff and start from scratch. The last thing Joe and rest of the offense needs is a brand new, self-inflicted, panic reflex rebuilding year. We are right now a couple of players and an offseason away from another 5 year playoff run. There's not a respectable OC in the league that would take the job with the Ravens if Caldwell is fired after winning a Super Bowl and given the overall panic the Ravens would be displaying in cleaning house after nearly making the playoffs again for a 6th season.

 

Joe and the entire offense just needs film study, defense scheme recognition, pre-play audibles to match schemes, intense situational coaching, trust building and most importantly continuity. The Patriots can fit anybody in an offensive position and be successful because of continuity (and all of the previous things mentioned). Remember, TO did well in their system and Chad did not simply because Chad never figured it out. Special Note: Not to take away from Edelmen, but Torrey led Edelmen in receiving stats for the year and Joe was not that far behind Brady. We just need a little more continuity. Next season we'll be right back in the hunt. 

[balfan23]

People keep mentioning Alex Mack ... I will be stunned if we even bother trying for him. We're going to be looking at a tier of FA centers well below him. Mack is 1st rate and the Browns, who have ridiculous cap space are going to shower him with money. They will want him around to protect the shiny new QB that they draft. 

[cursona pirate]

People keep mentioning Alex Mack ... I will be stunned if we even bother trying for him. We're going to be looking at a tier of FA centers well below him. Mack is 1st rate and the Browns, who have ridiculous cap space are going to shower him with money. They will want him around to protect the shiny new QB that they draft. 

Colt McCoy? lol 

What is this their 15th QB in the last 5 seasons. I mean they have to get a good QB eventually. 

[juanman7]

Is there anyone on here who would like the Ravens to try and sign Hakeem Nicks? I know he's injury prone but if he finds a way to stay healthy he could be big for the offense and he has the potential to be a big number 2 receiver who would really complement Torrey and then if we signed a stud wide receiver in the draft we would finally have the weapons Joe needs. Also what about Maclin? He will not be as expensive because of his injury but if he came back to his old form after the injury he could be great. Any other Free Agent WR possibilities not named Eric Decker we could consider?

[ravensnj]

I believe we will be very limited in funds and the oz will get low pay , production type players, while trying to keep some of our less expensive free agents. Jacoby hopefully, will stay. He really solidfied himself as a receiver, to go along with his exceptional return ability. We really don't want Webb or an experiment back there, as jacoby is smart and takes minimal hits, while really producing.

I like the scat-back slot receiver, who gets open quickly, and adds another dimension to the offense, ala randle Cobb. The bengals have Hawkins, who is a free agent that doesn't get enough playing time and would be a great possession type wr for us. Another one that comes to mind is an Oklahoma wr named Shepard . I'm sure the oz has him on the radar after watching the Sugar bowl, Opinions?