Replacing Ray...

[Ed_Reed20]

Obviously everyone here wants Ray to retire a Raven but lets just say he decides to leave after this season. Even if he doesn't leave right away, how many years of quality play does he have left? He needs a successor. I was checking through a Sporting News draft guide and this year's MLB class is very deep. Receiver and cornerback are the most pressing needs so MLB will probably be addressed in the middle to late rounds. I was wondering if you guys think the team should draft someone to replace Ray or go after someone like Odell Thurman. Harbaugh is no-nonsense coach and could set Thurman straight. He had an incredible rookie year and looked like a future All-Pro. Even if Ray stays, the team could bring him in and have Ray take him under his wing.

I was wondering what you guys thought...

[Jesse Conroy]

No one will ever really replace him.

[GoRavensNTerps]

James Laurinaitis is a beast. I could see him being drafted by us in the first round if he drops that far. I'd love to see him in a ravens uniform.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='GoRavensNTerps' post='112418' date='Dec 25 2008, 12:15 PM']James Laurinaitis is a beast. I could see him being drafted by us in the first round if he drops that far. I'd love to see him in a ravens uniform.[/quote]

Laurinaitis would be good but I think he's a top 15 pick at the least. He's going to tear up the Senior Bowl along with Rey Maualuga and the combine too. Darry Beckwith of LSU might still be on the board in the second or even third. There is also Dannell Ellerbe from Georgia. He actually took over Odell's #33 when he left.

[Bullrush]

Draft Forum.

I think Laurinaitis is overrated, he won't go in the 1st round. I would be very happy with either one of the USC linebackers though and if that doesn't work out i think Gooden deserves a shot to be our starting MLB once Ray retires.

[RavensIQ]

[quote name='Bullrush' post='112434' date='Dec 25 2008, 02:04 PM']Draft Forum.

I think Laurinaitis is overrated, he won't go in the 1st round. I would be very happy with either one of the USC linebackers though and if that doesn't work out i think Gooden deserves a shot to be our starting MLB once Ray retires.[/quote]

James Laurinaitis is going to be the next Brian Urlacher.

[TheRavenouseD2008]

what ever happened to those twins drafted b out of highschool by OSU or something like that you know the 2 big LBs they had tatoos on seperate arms they might be good to grab rumor was they were beast and were pulled by the same team so my question is can we afford to get them if they are still out there?

[bce086]

What about McClain and Gooden?

LB is the position we have a lot of depth at already... there are much more pressing needs IMO.

McClain has been stepping it up a lot of special teams and the few plays he gets on defense. We haven't heard much about Gooden as he is hurt, but in training camp he was getting praise from the coaches and Ray.

[tnravenfan]

I'd love to see Ray stay and groom his replacement , maybe play a couple more years and then .. play / coach his way to a Ravens linebacker coach .. His leadership is undeniable and he would be a great motivator / coach ... Also I like to see Florida's Brandon Spikes come to Baltimore This or next draft I've watched him play in some sec games this year and he is a beast !!!

[52Kia Kaha92]

umm we drafted goodedn to be rays replacement

[steve1873]

[quote name='Jesse Conroy' post='112417' date='Dec 25 2008, 12:06 PM']No one will ever really replace him. [/quote]

Too true.

How do you replace Ray Lewis

[PurpleClawsOfFURY]

[quote name='Bullrush' post='112434' date='Dec 25 2008, 02:04 PM']Draft Forum.

I think [b]Laurinaitis is overrated[/b], he won't go in the 1st round. I would be very happy with either one of the [b]USC linebackers [/b]though and if that doesn't work out i think Gooden deserves a shot to be our starting MLB once Ray retires.[/quote]

I must say i think the opposite James is a freak of nature, great leader, and a smart football player.
I wanna see Gooden play though he's fast and from the U lol

Wish Dan Cody never caught the injury bug some of you guys have no clue how good he was going to be. But he was OLB

[shaikh015]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' post='112416' date='Dec 25 2008, 01:06 PM']Obviously everyone here wants Ray to retire a Raven but lets just say he decides to leave after this season. Even if he doesn't leave right away, how many years of quality play does he have left? He needs a successor. I was checking through a Sporting News draft guide and this year's MLB class is very deep. Receiver and cornerback are the most pressing needs so MLB will probably be addressed in the middle to late rounds. I was wondering if you guys think the team should draft someone to replace Ray or go after someone like Odell Thurman. Harbaugh is no-nonsense coach and could set Thurman straight. He had an incredible rookie year and looked like a future All-Pro. Even if Ray stays, the team could bring him in and have Ray take him under his wing.

I was wondering what you guys thought...[/quote]
The only one that comes close is Patrick Willis....

[Guest 410finest]

Why are we tallking about replacing Ray... Let's not talk that up unless we find a suitable replacement first.

[itscbm5042]

Laurinaitis is the second most overrated player after Matthew Stafford he has been given gift stats for years on tackles, sacks, and against good competition he isn't anything other than average. He beats up on cupcakes but doesn't show up in big games. Laura = OVER RATED. To compare him to Urlacher is absolutely ridiculous.

I am very excited about the potential of Barnes, McClain, and Gooden as to the future of the LB corps. We are in good hands. I'm more interested in adding more DE/LB hybrids to aid in the pass rush like my boy Maybin.

[Shawn`]

I'm not a big fan of players who get all the attention in Senior Bowls and players that get all the talk but James Laurin. is a beast, college or pro this guy is great!

[itscbm5042]

James Laurinaitis, college or pro, is an over-rated POS that has no place being as highly regarded as he is. The ONLY reason anybody knows his name is because his daddy was a famous wrestler.

[H8R]

[quote name='itscbm5042' post='112994' date='Dec 27 2008, 11:55 PM']Laurinaitis is the second most overrated player after Matthew Stafford he has been given gift stats for years on tackles, sacks, and against good competition he isn't anything other than average. He beats up on cupcakes but doesn't show up in big games. Laura = OVER RATED. To compare him to Urlacher is absolutely ridiculous.

I am very excited about the potential of Barnes, McClain, and Gooden as to the future of the LB corps. We are in good hands. I'm more interested in adding more DE/LB hybrids to aid in the pass rush like my boy Maybin.[/quote]

I hope Barnes injury does not slow him down nwxt year, he is on the IR now i think.

[Shawn`]

[quote name='itscbm5042' post='113010' date='Dec 27 2008, 11:36 PM']James Laurinaitis, college or pro, is an over-rated POS that has no place being as highly regarded as he is. The ONLY reason anybody knows his name is because his daddy was a famous wrestler.[/quote]

I never knew that

[T-Sizzle55]

[quote name='tnravenfan' post='112440' date='Dec 25 2008, 02:50 PM']I'd love to see Ray stay and groom his replacement , maybe play a couple more years and then .. play / coach his way to a Ravens linebacker coach .. His leadership is undeniable and he would be a great motivator / coach ... Also I like to see Florida's Brandon Spikes come to Baltimore This or next draft I've watched him play in some sec games this year and he is a beast !!![/quote]

Yes, I agree! I had a post about how Brandon Spikes could definately be molded into Rays position. Spikes is even a grewat team leader like Ray.

[T-Sizzle55]

[quote name='H8R' post='113030' date='Dec 28 2008, 08:46 AM']I hope Barnes injury does not slow him down nwxt year, he is on the IR now i think.[/quote]
No it was a shoulder injury and torn pectoral muscle it sohuld not effect his speed.

As for James Laurinaitis he's had 358 tackles, 4 Forced Fumbles, 13 sacks, and 9 interceptions in 3 years at starting MLB. He is one of the hardest workers in college football, a team leader, and a serious playmaker. Why do people always say he's overrated if he keeps putting up rediculous numbers and dominating on defense? He's surrounded by other great players, but he is still making the majority of the plays.

[52Kia Kaha92]

i want him here if rex ryan moves on and we swithc to a 4-3
but if we stick with the 3-4 i dont want him here

[Shawn`]

I don't think Laurinatis will be around by the time we get our first pick which is sitting at 27 right now..


So unless we want to draft up to a really high spot for this one guy, I suggest we forget about him. I absolutely hate trading up.

[52Kia Kaha92]

dont you mean 32??

[hallmark]

I'm a big fan of Laurinitis and I hope I'm wrong, but I think he is going to be a poor man's Brian Urlacher. Which is, to say, a safety who is given the title of "MLB". I don't think we want him, even if he is available.

I don't mean this in the "I'm too cool to participate in this thread" kind of way. I mean it very sincerely...
We will not live long enough to see another Ray Lewis on the Ravens. ever.
We were unbelieveably lucky to get one Ray Lewis. But to hope for another MLB of that quality is just begging for heartbreak.

That being said, we can still fall back to the rest of the league at ILB and get a solid player. I just can't see a franchise ILB that late in the first round. Maualuga is ready to be a franchise changer, but I can't see any way for Ozzie to get him this year.

Any chance we can trade Figurs and a 6th rounder to the 9ers for Pat Willis???

yeah. I thought not.

[wspencer]

i hope people actually look at some tape of laurenitis. he had a pretty "blah" senior season. he disappeared in big games and was man handled.....a lot. laurenitis should have come out after his junior year as he probably would have been a higher pick. now, i think he's gonna go in the early 20s.....maybe late 20s once people start looking at film and stop thinking of the name.

i've long thought that's he's a bit overrated. i'm not saying he couldn't fit in here in baltimore. i'm just saying that some think he's the BEST ILB in the draft, and i whole heartedly disagree

[rastaman831226]

Absolutely useless thread. Qzzie had the foresight to draft Gooden, Barnes, Burgess, Jones, McCune and McCline. We have no needs at LB, present or future. Focus needs to be on acquring secondary help and depth at OT. With the 19 players returning healthy next season for what should be an expected SB run, Ravens priorities should be retaining Rex Ryan, Suggs, Brown, and most of all Ray Lewis. Drafting talent at LB is the least of our concerns.

[BloodRaven]

People say Laurinitis is overrated because he doesnt have the upside and elite strength/speed ratios of guys like Curry or Maualuga. But you forget that the most important attributes for MLB arent physical but ability to make reads and get a jump on the ball, also Laurinitis is a leader and high character guy, takes good angles and tackles well. If he goes to a 4-3 team that will protect him with a good d-line he will be great.

But Im sure I speak for everyone when I say lets worry about Rays replacement when the day comes (in 3 or so years )

[BmoreDavy]

Please, Ray is going no where. Not even worth the discussion that he is leaving, not going to happen. Ray will be here until he is done playing and then will be a part of the Ravens organization for years to come...

[shaikh015]

[quote name='BloodRaven' post='134343' date='Jan 16 2009, 07:56 PM']People say Laurinitis is overrated because he doesnt have the upside and elite strength/speed ratios of guys like Curry or Maualuga. But you forget that the most important attributes for MLB arent physical but ability to make reads and get a jump on the ball, also Laurinitis is a leader and high character guy, takes good angles and tackles well. If he goes to a 4-3 team that will protect him with a good d-line he will be great.

But Im sure I speak for everyone when I say lets worry about Rays replacement when the day comes (in 3 or so years )[/quote]
Bart Scott doing an excelent job out there....