What the Ravens can learn from Superbowl 49

[FlocksGottaFeed]

What I also learned from that game: Harb picked the Patriots to win by saying, "Any team that could beat us can win the Super Bowl...". I took his statement to mean that we have a Super Bowl caliber team and will get there and win it all, soon. Remember: The Patriots had to use every trick in the book to beat us but, pretty much had to play the Hawks straight-up to squeak-out a win.

 

I think Harb knows - If we got there...it was our's for the taking. Super Bowl 50 belongs to us.

 

edit - typo

[Pirate88]

1) Gotta give Pees more credit, the Patriots know how to deal with bigger physical defenses. The attacked Chancellor the same way they attacked Will Hill. It's not Pees, the Patriots are really just ahead of their time with those passing schemes.

 

2) Seattle's offense looked like the Ravens offense of old, and Russel looked like hot garbage, very reminiscent of how Flacco looked with the simple route trees and verticals. Matthews bailed him out the way Torrey used to for Joe.

 

3) Baltimore truly could have won the Super Bowl this year, let's get it next year.

Nobody bails Wilson and Joe out, they are great deep throwers!! Matthews was the only decent deep threat they had but unlike Torrey he attacks the ball!! And those passes aren't on Chancellor OR Hill!! Safety's do not line up over the WR very often. Those short passes were given underneath and uncontested. Safety's play off. Ravens were missing 3 corners and didn't play any press. The Seahawks were left unexposed when Jeremy lane who is a top nickel/slot WR and has height for a quick shifty slot corner. He was replaced with pure garbage in Simon. Then their rush was slowed when their best speed rusher went out of the game. Brady then had those uncontested short passes and a slowed rush due to the loss of Avril. Before converting to Ravensfan I actually rooted them scumbags. their system is complex but no better than most other west coast/timing spread offenses.

The difference in the Asterisks/deflatriots is Roided up Gronkowski stayed injury free. As much as I dislike Gronk he is the difference in the Patriots. Without Gronk everybody was saying Brady was no longer elite. Gronkowski is one of the top8 WR/TEs in the nfl maybe better. He is a very tough matchup. There are several corners/safety's/LBs that match up but not many and having a true #1 makes their offense go.

What we should have learned is we need a young speed edge rusher that can win off the snap and get to the qb before they hit those timing throws. Suggs n Dumervil are good technique rushers but not explosive enough to get to the qb consistently with a 3 second set n throw clock. IF OUR DEFENSE IS GOING TO BE TRULY ELITE AGAIN WE NEED THE SPEED RUSHER THAT BREATHES DOWN THE QBS NECK CONSISTENTLY!! If u need a couple moves to beat the OT then the edge rusher is not going to get there against the elite QBs. We can throw the secondary under the bus all we want but fact remains there were many plays he held the ball 3-4 seconds and the rush didn't help the secondary out!! Solder and Vollmer are both exposed terribly aginst Aldon Smith and Khalil Macks or Justin Houstons. They were eaten alive by Justin Tuck and JPP. Suggs could go over the hill any year now and a replacement is needed. Not just a replacement but that added explosive speed rush dimension. Jarrett Johnson while a tough player and guy who does the dirty work his lacked the edge rush skills held the defense back. Mcphee isn't that guy either so signing him would still leave a hole. I don't even think Justin Houston hits the market but he is right at any price. His speed and power and edge rush talent helps the whole defense. Houston makes every player in coverage that much better. KC has best rush in the NFL does anybody think it was a coincidence they not only destroyed the patriots but totally took Tom Bradys will to win. Beasley should be on the radar in the draft.

We learned Brady isn't a great deep thrower and works short passes and the middle like many great QBs. Next draft target after Vic Beasley should be Ekpre Olomu in Round2. His instincts and fluidity and explosive change of direction is the best in quite some time. He also has long arms great ball skills and a very sure tackler. You can't ask for anything better. In spite of being 5'10 1/2 he is a superb leaper with physical ball skills. We should be able to get him mid/late round2. He is a future all pro!! He will eat slot WRs for lunch and even bottle up the better WRs when they line up in the slot. Jimmy Smith Ekpre Olomu and Webb back in form should be the best trio in the NFL. A true Speed Rusher like Beasley and a bulked up Mosley and Will Hill flying around intimidating ball carriers and WRs/TEs. Ravens defense will be back to dominant.

Back to Gronkowski. It just shows how a true #1 is a real difference maker and makes an offense consistent. Not saying we need Dez or Julio or Demaryius but a possession WR who can run and play fast in his routes like Marshall if he is cut or a Crabtree or Kenny Britt. Actually Britt has skills to be a true #1 now that he is mature and focused. He had great games this year with terrible QBs. He should have a serious breakout with a good QB in a great system. Coaches and veteran teammates rave about his skills and ability to really breakout with the right qb and system. Marshall is a true#1 as well just nearing end of his prime. If he takes his training/nutrition seriously he still has talent/Athleticism/speed for couple more 1400 yard 10TD seasons with the right QB. Either way Ravens need an upgrade over Torrey who is not a #1. And I don't trust Smith to repeat at near 37 yrs old. He could easily go over the hill altogether. As for a deep threat I just really think Denarius Moore could match or exceed Torrey for about $1mil a year. He is a far sharper route runner than Torrey is. I think Torrey's deep play ability is on Joe Cools deep ball. Seattle's pedestrian WRs even make deep plays often. Ben is a great deep thrower and Mike Wallace isn't the same without him. Meanwhile Steelers keep producing more deep threats after deep threats cuz Ben throws a great deep ball. Also we need to move on from Pitta. Even if he plays he won't be the same player at 30 with major hip injuries. This is a great market for TEs in free agency and you have to strike while the irons hot with a Gresham Housler or Davis once he is cut. Marshall and Housler would be great additions and Housler is quite the bargain just coming into his own and needing a QB. He blows by corners and plucks the ball like a WR

[CalvinSmoke]

Nobody bails Wilson and Joe out, they are great deep throwers!! Matthews was the only decent deep threat they had but unlike Torrey he attacks the ball!! And those passes aren't on Chancellor OR Hill!! Safety's do not line up over the WR very often. Those short passes were given underneath and uncontested. Safety's play off. Ravens were missing 3 corners and didn't play any press. The Seahawks were left unexposed when Jeremy lane who is a top nickel/slot WR and has height for a quick shifty slot corner. He was replaced with pure garbage in Simon. Then their rush was slowed when their best speed rusher went out of the game. Brady then had those uncontested short passes and a slowed rush due to the loss of Avril. Before converting to Ravensfan I actually rooted them scumbags. their system is complex but no better than most other west coast/timing spread offenses.

 

During the Cam Cameron days, when we would run 3 streaks down the field and Joe just had to toss won and hope that his man wins his matchup yes, that's a bail out. I don't know what else could be considered a bail out. 

 

And about Will Hill and Chancellor, I'm referring to how they used Gronk to get get after them. Both physical shifty safties that still had troubles with the Gronk, I never said that they struggled with WR's

[redrum52]

I learned that NFC West teams don't know how to act, in pressure, goal line situations.  Honestly, both the Ravens and Patriots can thank bad play calling for rings.  The only difference is, we probably have time left to make something happen in our game.

[The Raven]

What did I learn? Nothing really, but the Super Bowl reinforced a few things: 1. The offensive line is essential to success. 2. You need a run game. 3. You need a run defense. 4. The short passing game is great.

[52N19]

that there is no dominate team in the NFL and the Ravens are only a couple of players and plays away from getting back to the SB. the field is wide open.

[Dr. Kelley]

Yet Skip still called Flacco the name with the u in it, but no one is calling out the Wilson's throw, just the play call. He is the ultimate hypocrite.

That's because flacco is actually a good quartback, and he makes great changes at the line of scrimage when he has to (remember the call he changed to throw to boldin in the superbowl?) Wilson is a decent quarterback, but in the Seattle offense he has more of a game manager role. Peyton throws boneheaded interceptions annually in the playoffs and no one blames his OC.

[Dr. Kelley]

The only way you could argue the throw was bad is because he essentially led the receiver even after already seeing and knowning that the corner was jumping the route.

Ironically, if Wilson made a "bad throw" and put the ball behind his receiver a bit, its probably an easy TD.

The nobody who made that interception actually said that he had seen them do that play on tape before... I laughed because with billicheck, it made me second guess for a moment ha

[Dr. Kelley]

If we could get all of that in two offseasons, I'd consider it an incredible success.

Hey man, team's gotta have goals! Ha

[ravensdan]

It's obvious the best two teams in the playoffs were the Patriots and the Ravens. And luck is involved when these teams are evenly matched.

[HoldingCall]

1. How to attack a pass rushing defense like the Texans had this past year.

2. They learned, the Patriots had trouble defending against Seahawks 6'5 Chris Matthews (Marlon Brown) along the sidelines and in the end zone.

3. They learned they can do well against the best teams the NFL has to offer.

[HoldingCall]

What I also learned from that game: Harb picked the Patriots to win by saying, "Any team that could beat us can win the Super Bowl...". I took his statement to mean that we have a Super Bowl caliber team and will get there and win it all, soon. Remember: The Patriots had to use every trick in the book to beat us but, pretty much had to play the Hawks straight-up to squeak-out a win.

 

I think Harb knows - If we got there...it was our's for the taking. Super Bowl 50 belongs to us.

 

edit - typo

 

Yes, the Patriots needed everything to beat the Ravens but lets not count chickens before they hatch. Next year's Superbowl is a different season and will present its own unique challenges to get there. The Ravens need to win the AFC North and more specifically, figure how to beat the Bengals in regular season while not overlooking the Steelers. I'm sure the Steelers and their fans feel they owe us something special, lol.

[ellicottraven]

The thing I think 31 teams learned from the SB is simply this:

 

Cheat as much as you can but try not to get caught. If you do get caught, make sure you deny it forever or at least till you accomplish the goal set forth to make you want to cheat. The calculus being 50 yrs from now, all people will remember are the 4 SBs you win, but now how you won them.

[Purple_ICE 81]

I think the biggest thing I want, and really hope Harbaugh and Ozzie take away from this years Superbowl showdown is that we need to add some CBs. 2 or 3 stud CBs together can make huge dividends on defense. Last offseason when the Patriots went out and picked up Revis and Browner I knew from that point that they were guaranteed at least a AFC Championship berth and a lot of people starting picking the Pats as SB favorites at that point.

If we could go out and get a solid CB (or 2) to pair with Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb I think our already solid defense could take the next step towards being truly dominant. Of course everyone wants WRs and TEs and RBs, all of the flashy positions. But if we had another defensive minded offseason I think it would pay bigtime rewards for us come next year.

[Pirate88]

During the Cam Cameron days, when we would run 3 streaks down the field and Joe just had to toss won and hope that his man wins his matchup yes, that's a bail out. I don't know what else could be considered a bail out.

And about Will Hill and Chancellor, I'm referring to how they used Gronk to get get after them. Both physical shifty safties that still had troubles with the Gronk, I never said that they struggled with WR's

My bad dude I thought u were talking bout this year and last. And also thought u were referring to amendorka and nerdelman getting those cheap short passes uncontested mostly. As u can tell I hate when them slow ewoks get cheap catches lol

However I had to send the post early cuz my pad started freezing like it needed a reset. Anyways your on point bout the patsies route schemes. Bill n McDaniels work overtime watching defenses and scheming and designing routes to free up a WR on a short route. They are fanatical about timing and rythym with each other and their WRs work overtime. Even Gronk gets to practice before Brady and practices route sharpness and detail with the backup QB and even the jugs machine til Brady gets to practice although Brady himself arrives early. I despise them but they do work hard and long on routes and blocking schemes that Belicheat and McDaniels work long and hard to scheme and design.

I would like to hear bout Ravens players showing up to practice early and staying late. My opinion everybody working a little longer and more detail oriented is something we can take from the Superbowl cuz its not fun to watch our most hated rivals win the Superbowl.

Even more so I would like every player to take off season training, conditioning and nutrition more serious than ever. I think a conditioning and nutrition program for maximum endurance and stamina as well as muscle and body composition and overall playwright is crucial in winning. Jerry Rice owned the fourth quarter cuz he didn't get tired due to his rigorous off season conditioning. He leaned out when he wanted more speed and suddenness in his game and added muscle when he wanted to be more physical. Tim Jernigan for example I truly believe could be as good as Geno Atkins or better than Atkins when he was at his peak. Jernigan could stand to get in a little better condition for a penetrator. He could lose 10-12 lbs or so of excess weight while adding another 5-8 lbs of functional muscle evenly through his frame. He would also benefit tremendously from a stretching and flexibility regime like martial arts training or Pilate resistance training for stronger and more flexible hips and ankles as it wouldn't hurt him to be a touch more flexible. Stuff like that I would like the team to shoot for.

As for personnel I think we saw the plays and matchup probs a big WR or TE that also has speed can create and how it could get our offense to the next level. I would like one of the young prime TE bargains on the market. I really believe the FA TEs could produce far more than they have with their sub par QB play. Gresham and Housler both have breakout seasons in them and capable of far more than the what they have done thus far. Even Cameron can easily exceed his 2013 season and Davis once cut could have a career year. These guys all except Cameron could sign for under $6mil/yr and even he could take a prove it deal for a mega contract next yr.

I also think we saw speed rushers are needed to hit the qb early and often before those short timing routes are hit. As well as a fast instinctful corner with ball skills that can play tight press or zone to control the middle of the field to neutralize the elite timing offenses. Like A Vic Beasley in Rd One and Ekpre Olomu in Rd2 could be what our defense needs to dominate again. I think Gresham or Housler or Marshall in FA and Vic Beasley and Ekpre Olomu in the draft are very realistic options. Ekpre Olomu cuz of the injury is going to be an absolute Steal in RD2

In my opinion that dude is going to be an elite Corner in the NFL.

Back to What Oz and the front office can take from the Superbowl and getting there is choosing their contracts more carefully in this particular cap and fa era. Managing the players you give contracts to and let go as well as scanning through the players on the market. I don't think a team should make a decision on resigning their own free agents til they consider and scout all the free agents available to them on the market that year just as they do all players in a draft. Many times teams get so caught up in the game of being so concerned if they can resign their UFA's that they don't stop to think if they are really the best players for their team moving forward. Jacoby Jones should never have been resigned. He was a one hit wonder and dancing/Stars sensation but never a go to WR. Also the contracts given to your players need to be constructed to give our team some outs kinna like a hand of poker. Especially on injury prone players. Pitta even if he plays will not be the same player yet cutting him won't save much but in my opinion they do need to try to negotiate an injury settlement so Pitta can consider retirement. Even if he is on the roster we still have a need for a go to TE cuz Pitta likely won't be the same. There are also other contracts Oz and his staff could have constructed a little differently to give us some cap space to work with when extended or renegotiated. I'm not sure how much of Webb's big cap hit can be lowered if renegotiated. To many of these back loaded contracts have big cap hits that Often seem can't be lowered all that significantly or injury prone players be cut with actual cap savings.

Then in signing and resigning often contracts are given while it seems we let good players get away. With Webb's injury history Graham should never have been let go. Especially in in a league where multiple WRs/TEs are routinely putting up 100 yards and more and QBs are routinely throwing for over 300 yards. My uncle is an acc scout and routinely tells me Torrey isn't a go to guy but that I'm to harsh on him not being a #1. But after hearing bout the $35 contract and our current cap situation is against it now cuz it still leaves a hole and need for a consistent go to WR. However that's why it was my opinion to not resign him. It likely prevents us from signing a go to WR or TE. Joe is a great deep thrower and I think a deep threat to replace him has good potential to be found. I actually wouldn't Ind Torrey back but not for go to WR $$. Also back to scanning scouting and considering every fa b4 resigning anybody. Malcolm Jenkins is the best FS in the game next to earl Thomas and maybe Harrison Smith. He looked bad on a very poor saint defense but I never thought for a second he lost his talent. He signed for a cap friendly amount and an outright bargain. Like I think many of the TE's on this years market could very well be.

The thing is with players hitting FA in 4 yrs, scouting free agents is as important as scouting players in the draft. Even if you draft well it won't do much good if your resigning and signing the wrong players while watching impact players or future impact players sign elsewhere. Finding talented players in FA that are underrated or underperforming on terrible teams and poorly coached that will flourish on better harder working teams and better coached teams at a bargain is just as good as a draft steal. Malcolm Jenkins and Will Hill together and safety wouldn't be a need. That signing and or resigning Corey Graham could have very well been the difference in the patsie game. Slightly better coverage and our rush would have deflated Brady and taken his will like KC did!! I watched that game and Brady completely gave up and was rattled.

[JoeyFlex5]

I learned that the Patriots win over the Ravens by dink and dunk was not a fluke, they beat the great Legion of Boom with the same stuff. Pees better be prepared for it next season if we meet them again in the playoffs.

i was thinking this too, and i feel like, with a healthy jimmy and a new toy somewhere in the secondary, he will once again be a patriot-killer. 

[Pirate88]

Seattle lost 2 starting corners and their best speed rusher in that game. Even without the corners they made Brady look bad in quarter 3 til Avril got the concussion. The key to beating the short passing game is not only a playmaking secondary but physical LBs that have speed athleticism and cover skills of a safety in the frame of a physical explosive hard striking LB like CJ Mosley,Patrick Willis, Weatherspoon,Daryll Washington, Navorro Bowman and Daryl Smith in his prime Also a big help neutralizing Gronk. He is to big for most CBs and Safety's fast with good receiving skills for most LBs. So far big and talented corners and safety's have neutralized him as well as fast and explosive physical LBs that can cover and close on him. So I agree Jimmy and safety to partner up with Hill. However good all around safety's are hard to find. My opinion a younger version of Daryl Smith would be cool like Weatherspoon Daryl Washington Rolando or if miami releases Ellerbe, he would be a good player to bring back. As for safety a mid season trade for William Moore would be a great pickup to pair with Hill. Moore is a prototype safety. He is 6'0 fast, smart, can cover tackle and really lay the wood.

[Dr. Kelley]

The thing I think 31 teams learned from the SB is simply this:

Cheat as much as you can but try not to get caught. If you do get caught, make sure you deny it forever or at least till you accomplish the goal set forth to make you want to cheat. The calculus being 50 yrs from now, all people will remember are the 4 SBs you win, but now how you won them.

One caveat : this plan works best when your team is in a major media market and has a large national fanbase the league doesn't want to risk losing money from

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

The only way you could argue the throw was bad is because he essentially led the receiver even after already seeing and knowning that the corner was jumping the route.

Ironically, if Wilson made a "bad throw" and put the ball behind his receiver a bit, its probably an easy TD.

Yea absolutely, but that's why I do argue it's a bad throw. In traffic on a crossing route, especially in the end zone where you aren't looking for YAC you have to put the ball right on your receiver or even slightly behind to force him into a position where his body is naturally shielding the defender.

Leading him with the throw in that situation is about the worst place you can put that ball. You want it low and into the body or even slightly behind.

Bad throw.

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

.

Back to What Oz and the front office can take from the Superbowl and getting there is choosing their contracts more carefully in this particular cap and fa era. Managing the players you give contracts to and let go as well as scanning through the players on the market. I don't think a team should make a decision on resigning their own free agents til they consider and scout all the free agents available to them on the market that year just as they do all players in a draft. Many times teams get so caught up in the game of being so concerned if they can resign their UFA's that they don't stop to think if they are really the best players for their team moving forward. Jacoby Jones should never have been resigned. He was a one hit wonder and dancing/Stars sensation but never a go to WR. Also the contracts given to your players need to be constructed to give our team some outs kinna like a hand of poker. Especially on injury prone players. Pitta even if he plays will not be the same player yet cutting him won't save much but in my opinion they do need to try to negotiate an injury settlement so Pitta can consider retirement. Even if he is on the roster we still have a need for a go to TE cuz Pitta likely won't be the same. There are also other contracts Oz and his staff could have constructed a little differently to give us some cap space to work with when extended or renegotiated. I'm not sure how much of Webb's big cap hit can be lowered if renegotiated. To many of these back loaded contracts have big cap hits that Often seem can't be lowered all that significantly or injury prone players be cut with actual cap savings.

Do you really think the FO doesn't consider every FA equally? Assuming that they get emotional in their free agency plans and focus on our own free agents before considering any others is more than a little misguided. Especially since the ravens have a reputation for being unattached and maybe even a bit cut throat when it comes to letting our own players walk.

And you can't allow the draft to play any part in your early FA decisions. Projecting what "might" happen and who you might get and making decisions to let certain players walk because you're expecting to land a replacement in the draft would be disastrous. Even if you could guarantee you get to draft a certain player you can't guarantee they pan out. Not offering a contract to a known commodity in favor of an unknown rookie is irresponsible. You're best off drafting players at positions that aren't an immediate need so they can take the proper time to develop if needed and if they don't pan out you don't have a gaping hole in your roster.

And if there is even a slight preference shown to our own FA's it's for good reason. We know that player and what he can do in this team. It's quantifiable and there's tape. Even if a player has succeeded in the nfl there's no guarantee that he'll perform the same way on another team. You said as much with comments about Mike Wallace.

In a league and game where so much of player evaluation is a guessing game there's no replacement for the known. A player who has had success at this level is going to be more desire able than a draftee even if the talent, skills and measurables favor the rookie. And to a further degree, a player who has performed and had success on a specific team within that system is going to get the nod and be more desirable than an equal or slightly better player who has done it elsewhere.

Anyways, assuming that our FO who might just be the best in the league is ignoring FAs from other teams that could upgrade the roster bc they're blinded with a focus on retaining our own FAs is ridiculous. If they don't pursue someone it's because they're out of our price range, aren't perceived to fit the scheme or culture, or the price doesn't match the value. And they certainly apply that decision-making process evenly across to board and don't leave any stone unturned. It's why were so good at shopping the bargain bin and consistently replenish talent to the roster when we consistently lose our own, young, talented players to free agency.

But even if it were true -- it would only be with good reason. You prefer the guy whose done it and done it in Baltimore over a guy whose done it and hopefully can do it in Baltimore. You don't gamble with precious cap space.

[cushrinada1986]

Left with the thought that we desperately need to find the next Sizzle.. Great pass rusher/ elite run stopper and excellent dropping into the flat

Should see a lot more offenses follow suit to what patriots did all playoffs with their quick passing game

Kinda makes you wish the Texans had gotten in, JJ Watt would have kill that quick pass real quick. Speaking of which, I would like to see Brent Urban teamed up with Brian Mihalik next season. 6-8/6-9 and 288lbs but still has enough quickness as a DT or DE to get to the edge to cut off runners.

[Pirate88]

Do you really think the FO doesn't consider every FA equally? Assuming that they get emotional in their free agency plans and focus on our own free agents before considering any others is more than a little misguided. Especially since the ravens have a reputation for being unattached and maybe even a bit cut throat when it comes to letting our own players walk.

And you can't allow the draft to play any part in your early FA decisions. Projecting what "might" happen and who you might get and making decisions to let certain players walk because you're expecting to land a replacement in the draft would be disastrous. Even if you could guarantee you get to draft a certain player you can't guarantee they pan out. Not offering a contract to a known commodity in favor of an unknown rookie is irresponsible. You're best off drafting players at positions that aren't an immediate need so they can take the proper time to develop if needed and if they don't pan out you don't have a gaping hole in your roster.

And if there is even a slight preference shown to our own FA's it's for good reason. We know that player and what he can do in this team. It's quantifiable and there's tape. Even if a player has succeeded in the nfl there's no guarantee that he'll perform the same way on another team. You said as much with comments about Mike Wallace.

In a league and game where so much of player evaluation is a guessing game there's no replacement for the known. A player who has had success at this level is going to be more desire able than a draftee even if the talent, skills and measurables favor the rookie. And to a further degree, a player who has performed and had success on a specific team within that system is going to get the nod and be more desirable than an equal or slightly better player who has done it elsewhere.

Anyways, assuming that our FO who might just be the best in the league is ignoring FAs from other teams that could upgrade the roster bc they're blinded with a focus on retaining our own FAs is ridiculous. If they don't pursue someone it's because they're out of our price range, aren't perceived to fit the scheme or culture, or the price doesn't match the value. And they certainly apply that decision-making process evenly across to board and don't leave any stone unturned. It's why were so good at shopping the bargain bin and consistently replenish talent to the roster when we consistently lose our own, young, talented players to free agency.

But even if it were true -- it would only be with good reason. You prefer the guy whose done it and done it in Baltimore over a guy whose done it and hopefully can do it in Baltimore. You don't gamble with precious cap space.

Not at all!! Just cuz you already know what a player can do on your team doesn't necessarily mean it makes him the better option!! Especially when that player hasn't been anything special. You have to consider what the other player could bring once surrounded by our teams talent and system!! Take Dumervil for example he has played his best football of his career once he came to the Baltimore Ravens as has Daryl Smith although he is losing some athleticism and speed now. As other players have underperformed once leaving Baltimore for big contracts. What would Dumervil have received if he hit the open market when he did if he were coming off his performance these past couple seasons. More than likely nearly double the bargain we got him at!!

That's the entirety of it. A team would benefit greatly to consider how a more talented player could perform on their team in that system with the coaching he will receive. Being skeptical of letting a player go and replacing him with a player the coaching staff and front office believe can be better is just keeping the football team stable. Oz Decosta and Harbaugh are looking for quantum energy....They are looking to get better being that they fell short of that awesome Superbowl trophy!!

And of course its a process that works both ways. It works the other way to. Oz Decosta and Harbs have to select carefully which players they let walk as well. I never liked the idea if letting Graham go as well as much as I disliked the signing of Jacoby Jones and a contract with Pitta without a way out due to him being very injury prone b4 they signed him. They were just my opinions of course. For the record my opinion Osemele should be a priority to resign or franchise. I absolutely liked him as a draft pick and think he could very well replace Yanda as the best gurad in the NFL as Yanda gets older. I would prefer Osemele over the guards that got drafted top10 in 2013. Our OLine in my opinion is the best in the NFL without question if Monroe returns to form as a top10 LT. And especially if Urschel can win the starting center job outright!! Outplaying a solid center is something to write back about.

[ellicottraven]

One caveat : this plan works best when your team is in a major media market and has a large national fanbase the league doesn't want to risk losing money from

I will concede the major media market point but as for the large national fanbase - 4 SB wins will do that for you, however ill gotten they may be!

[frozen joe flacco fan]

I'm with this, other than the slot receiver.  Camp is the guy there.

 

Even though it will hurt the cap next year and barring some bionic medical procedure, I hope Pitta stays off the field. Don't know if I could bear to watch........ On the bright side, I think Gilmore will prove to be more than he appears. 

 

We need the big, physical(built like an NBA power forward) receiver with hands.

Yep! I'd take someone like Labron James in a heartbeat even if he hadn't played any college football.