Free Agents To Consider: Offense

[52520Andrew]

Does anyone else want Jeff Cumberland?  He's young, good size and speed, good blocker, and should be cheap.  We need a number 2 TE and he should be an upgrade over Ed Dickson.

 

That would be a good choice for us. He does well as a blocker and could develop into a nice receiver as well. Depends on the price

[Kev0825]

Well if the deal is correct, that's 11 million a year for Veldheer. What does Miami throw at Monroe? At this point I think the Ravens should make a play for Anthony Collins from Cincy

 Sigh, what a waste of a 4th and 5th rounder.

[0_o]

I still think Eugene Monroe is the only Free Agent on offense we should pursue until teams start making roster cuts. This draft has so much offensive talent, that we should just wait and continue the trend of patient spending.

 

My guess is we came at Eugene Monroe with a Jake Long type of deal:

(4 years - $34 million, $16M guaranteed@ $8.5M per)

 

and his agent wanted a Joe Thomas type of deal:

(7 years - $84 Million...which was pretty much 4 years - $53 Million, $22M guaranteed @$13.25 per)

 

but we'll probably settle on a Ryan Clady type of deal:

(which is pretty much 4 years $42 Million, $15M guaranteed @ $10.5M per)

[Ravenseconbeast]

yeah miami already came out and said they'll paid whatever to get monroe maybe even way overrrrrrpaying lie 58 million or 60 million which takes us out of the play for him.

 

That clueless organization really never learns.   At least we get a guaranteed 3rd round pick if that is the case..

[BloodRaven]

The FO should release a statement saying they will beat any offer for Monroe, if that scares off the other teams then thats a good thing, if Miami gives him 12+ million then lol Miami.

[RavensNation14]

Jason Avant WR would be a quality signing IMO. He is most effective on third down and that is what we have lacked since Boldin. With all the other big name WR's out there I think he will be cheap and we can sign him for 2 years. 

 

Phil Costa C I think would be worth giving a shot to come in and compete with Gradkowski. They cut him from the Cowboys because they drafted Travis Fredrick and he was expendable. He didn't play well last year, but years before he started and was ok. He only 26 too and would provide experience at least. 

 

Andre Roberts WR If we can't get Avant or if Robert's is in our price range I think we should go after him. He played a #2 role next to Fitzgerald and played well. He can work in the slot and can provide some serious YAC. He can go deep and I think he would be effective in Kubiak's play action since it involves long developing routes. 

 

Antoine Bethea FS/SS He may be out of our price range, but if somehow we can afford him he would excel in our defense. He is a play maker and great in coverage. He played on a bad colts defense and still managed to make plays. He can match up against bigger TE's and allow the Ravens to use Elam in a creative way. Our secondary would suddenly become the best part of our defense and not to mention we would have Suggs and Dumervil rushing the pasher. Would not want to be facing our defense lol 

[Purple_ICE 81]

 

 

I understand how it works, but for how cheap he'd be and how electrifying he is as a returner, he likely won't be let go. Have the Ravens tendered their ERFA yet? 

 

Trindon Holliday officially won't be tendered and will become an URFA.

[PurplePassion824]

Trindon Holliday officially won't be tendered and will become an URFA.

I like Holliday but he doesn't take care of the ball.  I guess thats what they said about Jacoby but that turned out all right.  Also, not sure if that would still cost a camp pick since he wasn't tendered.

[Tank 92]

I still think Eugene Monroe is the only Free Agent on offense we should pursue until teams start making roster cuts. This draft has so much offensive talent, that we should just wait and continue the trend of patient spending.

 

 

 

 

This ^

[BmoreBird22]

Trindon Holliday officially won't be tendered and will become an URFA.

I guess they're looking for the receiver role as well

[EdReedsOldGymSocks]

Lance Moore is reportedly being cut by the Saints... what are some thoughts on him... i've really liked this kid and he should be a bargain for his skills set.

[Ravenskid52752]

Lance Moore is reportedly being cut by the Saints... what are some thoughts on him... i've really liked this kid and he should be a bargain for his skills set.

yes he seems like a ozzie type of signing and the ravens are looking for a slot wr SO yes. but i like him and Andre roberts i think the ravens can get both at a bargain.

[PurplePassion824]

Lance Moore is reportedly being cut by the Saints... what are some thoughts on him... i've really liked this kid and he should be a bargain for his skills set.

1,000+ yards in 2012.  I definitely would not object to the signing.

[HoldingCall]

monroe is most def a better tackle and now with maybe veldheer getting 9 million per it might take 10 to 11 which i don't see happen for monroe.

11.65 is the tag amount for LTs so considering his age and rated ability, 10-11 million is not unreasonable . Add the fact that at 26 he may still get better. The FO must decide what quality of LT they want protecting Joe and can they afford it? If they want high quality at a bargain price then locate another JO in the draft. Good luck!

 

However, it doesn't make sense to be critical of either side without knowing the offer or asking price on the table. We have to just wait and see what happens. 

[HoldingCall]

Is there a replacement for Michael presently on the team? I've notice the he rarely misses playing time and has played multiple positions. I think the Ravens would like to keep him but due to other more pressing contracts I believe they will try to draft a replacement.

[0_o]

Lance Moore is reportedly being cut by the Saints... what are some thoughts on him... i've really liked this kid and he should be a bargain for his skills set.

 

 

1,000+ yards in 2012.  I definitely would not object to the signing.

 

No, I would stay away from Lance Moore. He'll be entering the season at 31 years old and is coming off a dismal season where his production fluctuated quite heavily. Last year he only had 37 catches for 457 yards with 2 TDs and wasn't even the 4th Wr at times. That's saying a lot coming from a Drew Brees led offense who threw the ball 650 times for over 5,100 yards and 39 TDs . He did have a minor injury but as a beat writer who closely follows the Saints said, "it's not injury-related"

[jaege]

It's like people dont even put in the effort to review the person though. I honestly think our line could get worse with Satele in the line up. I feel if Michael Oher was on another team and we didn't pay much attention to him, someone would be out there saying we should try to pick him up now.

 

Maybe its guys that want to contribute to the conversation and do not have anything relevant to say.

[Purple_ICE 81]

Lance Moore is a big play kind of receiver who could come for cheap.

[Ravenslifer]

Lance Moore is reportedly being cut by the Saints... what are some thoughts on him... i've really liked this kid and he should be a bargain for his skills set.

 

For the right price, he'd be a good signing - he lined up all over the field in New Orleans, and that kind of versatility is something that we could use here.

[Purple_ICE 81]

No, I would stay away from Lance Moore. He'll be entering the season at 31 years old and is coming off a dismal season where his production fluctuated quite heavily. Last year he only had 37 catches for 457 yards with 2 TDs and wasn't even the 4th Wr at times. That's saying a lot coming from a Drew Brees led offense who threw the ball 650 times for over 5,100 yards and 39 TDs . He did have a minor injury but as a beat writer who closely follows the Saints said, "it's not injury-related"

Well a lot of player's production dropped this year. The Saints spread the ball around alot and its hard to get the ball to everyone let alone your 4th or 5th read. Hell Marques Colston had his first non-1000 yard season since 2008. Darren Sproles was also another player who saw dropped production and is part of the Saints current trade bait along with Pierre Thomas.

 

Moore was passed on the depth chart because Kenny Stills made a few big plays in preseason and they wanted to get bigger on the outside. This accompanied with some inuries is what caused his down year. Overall even at age 31 he provides veteran depth behind Torrey and Marlon.

 

Wouldn't care to see us go after him...or not go after him, but he could be a decent addition.

[BmoreBird22]

yes he seems like a ozzie type of signing and the ravens are looking for a slot wr SO yes. but i like him and Andre roberts i think the ravens can get both at a bargain.

Did Marlon Brown fall off the face of the Earth?

[Ravenskid52752]

Did Marlon Brown fall off the face of the Earth?

what? um no

[RichieAsh]

Lance Moore impressed me as a funny guy doing the Key & Peele Mckringleberry TD dance. Youtube that if you've never seen it. 

 

[0_o]

The trend for LT contracts, is to offer large base salaries in the first 3 years with a low signing bonus. This acts to serve as "guaranteed money" in a sense because the odds of them being on the team 3 years from now are pretty high. The problem with that is you eat up a lot of cap space every season, whereas, the Ravens like to structure contracts to be cap friendly in the early years. It's not that they are opposed to paying him the money that he's worth - because the market says he's worth $10M+ - it's how they go about paying him. I think that's where the hiccup has been between the two sides.

 

For example:

 

We give him $52.5 Million w/$22M Guaranteed upon signing for 5 years. That equals $10.5M per, the standard you have to pay for a top 10 LT in today's market.

 

You could structure it as:

(bs = base salary, sb = signing bonus, rb = roster bonus)

 

yr1 - $1.5M (bs) - $.6M (sb) - $10.5M (rb) - cap hit = $12.6M  <----would eat up half of our current cap 0_o

yr2 - $8.0M (bs) - $.6M (sb) - --------------- - cap hit = $8.6M 

yr3 - $8.5M (bs) - $.6M (sb) - $1.5M (rb) --- cap hit = $10.6M 

yr4 - $9.5M (bs) - $.6M (sb) - --------------- - cap hit = $10.1M <-----could become a cap casualty candidate (saves $9.5)

yr5 - $10.M (bs) - $.6M (sb) - ---------------- -cap hit = $10.6M <-----likely to be cut or restructured (saves $10M)

 

*notice the smaller $3M signing bonus (prorated over 5 years =$0.6M against the cap each year) + the $1,5M base salary + the $10.5M roster bonus = $15M guaranteed in the 1st year + the $8M base salary in year 2  = $22M "guaranteed"...after that he could be cut with no cap ramifications. The 3rd year roster bonus suggests they at least expect him to be serviceable three years from now, but in the event that he's not - they would have to cut him before a specific date to avoid paying him the $1.5M roster bonus, saving $10M in cap space. However, if they don't cut him he will have earned $32M in 3 years. That's a lot of dough.

 

Or you could structure it as:

(bs = base salary, sb = signing bonus, rb = roster bonus)

 

yr1 - $1.5M (bs)------ $3.5M (sb) - cap hit = $5M  <--------much more manageable, gives us flexibility this year

yr2 - $3.5M (bs)------ $3.5M (sb) - cap hit = $7M  <--------still relatively low

yr3 - $8.0M (bs) ----- $3.5M (sb) - cap hit = $11.5M  <----about league average for premier LTs

yr4 - $10.75M (bs) -- $3.5M (sb) - cap hit = $13.25M  <--could become a cap casualty candidate (saves $7.25M)

yr5 - $12.25M (bs) -- $3.5M (sb) - cap hit = $15.75M  <--likely to be cut  (saves $8.75M)

 

*notice the larger $17.5M signing bonus (prorated over 5 years = $3.5 against the cap each year) + the $1.5M base salary = 19M guaranteed in the 1st year + the $3.5M base salary in year 2 = $22.5 million "guaranteed"...year 3 is pretty much guaranteed because if you cut him the cap hit remains the same. The third year base salary of $8M gives him $30.5M through the first 3 years of the contract. If you release him in year 4 you would create a cap savings of $7.25 Million

 

It's rumored that the Ravens offered Monroe $45 million over 5 years but Monroe's camp feels they can get more on the market. (Which means Teams have probably already tampered and offered a larger contract similar to the 1st example)

 

Hope this helps.

[BmoreBird22]

what? um no

Marlon is a slot receiver, so the Ravens would be signing for depth there when they need an outside receiver much more

[BmoreBird22]

Lance Moore impressed me as a funny guy doing the Key & Peele Mckringleberry TD dance. Youtube that if you've never seen it. 

 

That's awesome. Perfect touchdown celebration

[Ravenskid52752]

Marlon is a slot receiver, so the Ravens would be signing for depth there when they need an outside receiver much more

he can play both slot and outside. he not a traditional (wes welker) slot WR which the ravena are looking for . he a match up nightmare yes but he not just a Slot wr.  getting a guy like Moore or Andre robert fits that mode better. plus the ravens are looking for both types of WR big and a wes welker type guy.

[Purple_ICE 81]

Marlon is a slot receiver, so the Ravens would be signing for depth there when they need an outside receiver much more

He is an outside WR who benefits from playing on the inside due to his slower speed. He used to be fast and said in an interview with an Atlanta newspaper that he used to run 4.4 times before injuring his ACL. He can play outside or inside and has shown he can have success  nearly anywhere on the field. 

[BmoreBird22]

he can play both slot and outside. he not a traditional (wes welker) slot WR which the ravena are looking for . he a match up nightmare yes but he not just a Slot wr.  getting a guy like Moore or Andre robert fits that mode better. plus the ravens are looking for both types of WR big and a wes welker type guy.

He's like Boldin in the sense that he could play inside and out, but is best for the slot. I thought he operated much better out of the slot since he has trouble tracking the ball over his shoulder, can't really do back shoulder fades, and sometimes had trouble with body control.

I'm not opposed to getting a shifty slot receiver if they can just get open, but I'd look for that outside presence first.

[0_o]

Well a lot of player's production dropped this year. The Saints spread the ball around alot and its hard to get the ball to everyone let alone your 4th or 5th read. Hell Marques Colston had his first non-1000 yard season since 2008. Darren Sproles was also another player who saw dropped production and is part of the Saints current trade bait along with Pierre Thomas.

 

Moore was passed on the depth chart because Kenny Stills made a few big plays in preseason and they wanted to get bigger on the outside. This accompanied with some inuries is what caused his down year. Overall even at age 31 he provides veteran depth behind Torrey and Marlon.

 

Wouldn't care to see us go after him...or not go after him, but he could be a decent addition.

 

I agree with a lot of your points but i think you've really hit the nail on the head when you said, "its hard to get the ball to everyone let alone your 4th or 5th read". I think that's all he would be for us. Honestly, i believe there are better alternatives out there than Lance Moore if that's the direction you wanted to go. For Veteran Minimum, I think we could bring in Kenny Britt for a year as a "prove it to me" kinda deal. I'd even be willing to spend a little more on a guy like Andre Roberts - who's really been flying under the radar lately - big body, athletic, slot receiver who can make big plays on 3rd down. Jerome Simpson could be an interesting fit in the slot. I think even bringing back a guy like Doss would be a better option than Lance Moore.

 

My ideal strategy for WR though would be to wait until teams start making roster cuts because of all the young talented Wr's ready to enter the league. Some really good players are gonna be replaced with these younger, cheaper, more talented rookies. That's where Ozzie makes his bread-and-butter, picking up the scraps and cast-offs from bad teams, polishing them up and turning them into a shiny new Lombardi Trophy. But since this thread is about signing players already out there - if i had to target 2 players I'd go after Jacoby Jones or Andre Roberts then draft a rookie.