Free Agents To Consider: Defense

[The Oakland Cathedral]

Manning would be a great addition if he's released.

[Flacco2Mason]

So what role does Darian Stewart play for us?

[Inqui]

So what role does Darian Stewart play for us?

Depth SS or ST guy. This is just a routine cheapo signing from Ozzie, nothing to get really excited or upset about imo.

[Flacco2Mason]

Thats what i figured but I dont see why people are acting like its the end of the world because we signed him.

[GrimCoconut]

I'd really like Manning

[jazz1988]

I dont know much about Darian Stewart but Aaron Wilson tweeted that The Ravens had high grades on him also according rotoworld.com   he was a favorite of Steve Spagnuolo. 

[Ravenskid52752]

Russell St. Report ‏@RussellStReport 4 hrs

Source says Stewart is a possible starter if #Ravens don't get a good FS in draft. They think he's better than Dig, more rangy < physical

[Ravenskid52752]

Would that mean Matt Elam will still be "listed" as the free safety?

 

This board is going to lose it IF the Ravens field an Elam/Stewart duo at safety, next season... LOL

yeah maybe lol.

[Tenacious Faulker]

He's has something left in the tank and he can play both free and strong safety.  It would eliminate the need/pressure to draft a free safety for a year or two and dedicate those picks to OL, WR, TE.  He also fits Ozzie's value-grab profile - proven vet, but was released out-right and coming off an injury.  He may even come at a 1 year deal, but is a safe bet on 2-3 year deal. 

 

...either that or reunite with Ed Reed for a 1 year deal...

[bMore Heathen]

I'd really like Manning

Just saw on NFL Insiders that the bengals signed SS D. Manning. Personally, I didn't really think he was a fit, and he's coming off a season ending injury. For the better I think.

[Puntit]

...

...either that or reunite with Ed Reed for a 1 year deal...

For the reasons discussed in the Ed Reed thread this would be the most foolish thing we could do short of bringing back Huff to play safety again. Reed of the last two years isn't a starter quality safety. We, and then the Texans and Jets only let him back on the field because of who he was five years ago. He stopped making tackles about two years ago. We watched WRs vault him multiple times. His hip, shoulder etc kept him on the injury report weekly. We didn't get a full Ed Reed caliber game out of him during his last year here, and then he was swiftly cut by the Texans, and the Jets aren't interested in bringing him back either. He gets a one day deal when he's ready to come back. One year -- you are nuts, or living in 2012. I'm glad he found a sucker to give him a last payday, but if he's going to milk someone else for another year, it better not be us. If we did bring him back, dancing is not the emoticom that comes to mind.

[Tenacious Faulker]

Hardly foolish.  He didn't get a fair shake in Houston because of Wade Philips.  In the 5 games with the Jets he started, Reed had 3 INTs for 49 yrds and 4 PDs.  Not too bad.  

 

Has he lost a step?  Yes.  

Is he a full time starter?  No.  

Can he lead by example, share his passion for analyzing film, and impart his experience breaking down offenses?  Hell yeah!

 

The 2013 draft class missed out on so much by not have either Reed or Lewis as living legend to the Ravens-way in defense.  It showed too.  Also, Reed wouldn't have to be (or is expected to be) a full time starter either at his age.  

[dhstandard]

Russell St. Report ‏@RussellStReport 4 hrs

Source says Stewart is a possible starter if #Ravens don't get a good FS in draft. They think he's better than Dig, more rangy < physical

 

I wouldn't mind having Stewart or one of the young guys like Omar Brown starting at safety.  It is really the only position on defense which is up in the air.  Every other part is pretty solid.  I won't be disappointed if we draft a safety in the 1st or 2nd round with plans to have him compete.

 

Not the end of the world.

[ravensdan]

What about Jim leonhard as a vet minimum one year signing. He was always one of my favorite underrated players when he was here. This will be his last year but he actually played well last year in limited time. He could be a strong veteran presence our DBs are missing. Also very solid on special teams.

[RavensNation14]

What about Jim leonhard as a vet minimum one year signing. He was always one of my favorite underrated players when he was here. This will be his last year but he actually played well last year in limited time. He could be a strong veteran presence our DBs are missing. Also very solid on special teams.

Doubt we sign another safety at this point unless a veteran gets cut that we think can be our guy. Ozzie burned a comp pick on Stewart so that shows how much they like him. He is reunited with Steve Spags who coached Stewart for 2 years so Spags knows what he is doing with him. 

[GrimCoconut]

Doubt we sign another safety at this point unless a veteran gets cut that we think can be our guy. Ozzie burned a comp pick on Stewart so that shows how much they like him. He is reunited with Steve Spags who coached Stewart for 2 years so Spags knows what he is doing with him. 

Stewart signed a 1-year, $1.3M deal. I highly, highly doubt he eliminates one of our compensatory selections at that salary. That's practically peanuts. I'm not sure where people are insinuating that he will burn one of our compensatory selections due to his signing. It makes zero sense to me. We've signed players in the past on cheap deals who didn't count against our compensatory picks and we've had players signed for cheap deals who didn't count towards our picks. It's how the system works. Cheap players do not count against your picks.

[Mt. Crushmore]

Stewart signed a 1-year, $1.3M deal. I highly, highly doubt he eliminates one of our compensatory selections at that salary. That's practically peanuts. I'm not sure where people are insinuating that he will burn one of our compensatory selections due to his signing. It makes zero sense to me. We've signed players in the past on cheap deals who didn't count against our compensatory picks and we've had players signed for cheap deals who didn't count towards our picks. It's how the system works. Cheap players do not count against your picks.

 

I think Stewart does.  Brian McFarland, the RSR salary cap guy––who always seems to be right––says that the signing will eliminate a compensatory pick.  Ihedigbo signed a similar deal so Stewart probably cancels Ihedigbo's comp pick.

[GrimCoconut]

I think Stewart does. Brian McFarland, the RSR salary cap guy––who always seems to be right––says that the signing will eliminate a compensatory pick. Ihedigbo signed a similar deal so Stewart probably cancels Ihedigbo's comp pick.

Okay. I'll research this and bring back some hard facts and we'll see. I'm not buying it but I could be wrong. That deal is super cheap. I don't see it counting against our compensatory picks when deals similar to that haven't in the past.

[rmw10]

Okay. I'll research this and bring back some hard facts and we'll see. I'm not buying it but I could be wrong. That deal is super cheap. I don't see it counting against our compensatory picks when deals similar to that haven't in the past.

It does count from my understanding. The lower limit seems to be the $1M mark from what I've gathered.

[GrimCoconut]

It does count from my understanding. The lower limit seems to be the $1M mark from what I've gathered.

As I said, I'll research it further because I've seen similar deals not count.

[52520Andrew]

Does it matter that Ihedigbo was signed for an extra year or does the contract length not matter?

[GrimCoconut]

Does it matter that Ihedigbo was signed for an extra year or does the contract length not matter?

It doesn't matter. Contract amount (AVG salary, from the looks of it), Pro Bowl honors, Playoffs, games started are what determine compensatory value. Contract amount determines whether they could at all.

[52520Andrew]

It doesn't matter. Contract amount (AVG salary, from the looks of it), Pro Bowl honors, Playoffs, games started are what determine compensatory value. Contract amount determines whether they could at all.

 

Okay then that makes sense. With Ihedigbo being 3.15/2 or 1.575 mil per year and Stewart being 1.3 mil for the year, it should be close. 

[GrimCoconut]

Okay then that makes sense. With Ihedigbo being 3.15/2 or 1.575 mil per year and Stewart being 1.3 mil for the year, it should be close. 

What I'm not sure about is this: I'm not sure whether Ihedigbo would have given us a compensatory pick anyway. With the size of the contracts handed out this year, I could easily see contracts needing to be over $2M a year to even count as a compensatory pick in the seventh round. The league doesn't have to hand out compensatory picks for lost players, either. They usually hand them out for lost players between rounds 3-7, but round seven is a fair game round. What I mean by that is, if the league has handed out all it will in terms of compensatory picks, then the teams at the top of the draft will simply get more picks in the seventh round to augment their draft picks. That is, if they're done handing out all their compensatory picks.

 

I guess I just think it's a moot point with Stewart, because I don't think we would have received a pick for Ihedigbo anyway.

[rmw10]

What I'm not sure about is this: I'm not sure whether Ihedigbo would have given us a compensatory pick anyway. With the size of the contracts handed out this year, I could easily see contracts needing to be over $2M a year to even count as a compensatory pick in the seventh round. The league doesn't have to hand out compensatory picks for lost players, either. They usually hand them out for lost players between rounds 3-7, but round seven is a fair game round. What I mean by that is, if the league has handed out all it will in terms of compensatory picks, then the teams at the top of the draft will simply get more picks in the seventh round to augment their draft picks. That is, if they're done handing out all their compensatory picks.

 

I guess I just think it's a moot point with Stewart, because I don't think we would have received a pick for Ihedigbo anyway.

 

If that ends up being the case, we'd be left with 3 comp picks anyways.  Our 3 remaining FAs are Dallas Clark, Ed Dickson, and Bernard Scott - none of which should command much more than the minimum if they even get a contract.  If above $1M does garner a comp, Ihedigbo and Stewart will likely cancel out.  If not, we still end up with 3.

[GrimCoconut]

If that ends up being the case, we'd be left with 3 comp picks anyways.  Our 3 remaining FAs are Dallas Clark, Ed Dickson, and Bernard Scott - none of which should command much more than the minimum if they even get a contract.  If above $1M does garner a comp, Ihedigbo and Stewart will likely cancel out.  If not, we still end up with 3.

Yeah, I'm understanding now what people are saying. I think we're likely to end up with three, because I really don't think they're going to count unless they exceed 1.8-2M a year. I think that will be the floor this year. I really think it'll be more like 2M a year, though. A lot of players got around $2M a year, and I feel that will set the floor for the comp picks next year. 2M-2.7M will probably be 7ths, 2.8M-3.5M likely 6ths, 3.6M-4.9M 5ths, and 5M and above likely 4ths.

[52520Andrew]

So I would guess we end up getting 2 4ths and a 5th next year then.

[rmw10]

So I would guess we end up getting 2 4ths and a 5th next year then.

 

Probably lower going purely by contract value, but that could change depending on playing time.  The link below shows what guys signed for this year.  Obviously you have to throw out the ones that were cut, but either way, there are still a lot of guys that got a lot more than Michael Oher got.  I agree that Art Jones qualifies for a 4th, but I think Oher may fall just behind.

 

http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/

[Mt. Crushmore]

I'd say a 4th and two fifths would be right.

[RavensNation14]

Okay. I'll research this and bring back some hard facts and we'll see. I'm not buying it but I could be wrong. That deal is super cheap. I don't see it counting against our compensatory picks when deals similar to that haven't in the past.

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Darian-Stewart-Could-Start-At-Free-Safety/e9dfbbe3-d7f6-40f6-a9c2-2be14fda6017

 

Read the 7th paragraph down. Many people believe since he was an unrestricted free agent he will affect our comp picks.