Free Agency Targets

[Ravenslifer]

S Thomas DeCoud just got cut by the Panthers. Could be good vet addition with Stewart and Miles as FA's.

 

I agree with Sami - Atlanta had one of the worst passing defenses in the league in 2013 with DeCoud and released him.  Carolina, coming off a great defensive season, picked up DeCoud and proceeded to have a worse passing defense in 2014.

[cushrinada1986]

vernon is the best TE,but his numbers have declined. He will not be going any where he thinks he will not be used

Well Flacco loves his TE's and having another TE that can move into the slot and maybe even on the outside sets up some serious match up problems with his size and speed.

[Mjcows52]

Thomas decoud was released by the panthers for cap reasons. Any chance ravens get him??? would it make any sense?

[rmcjacket23]

Merge thread.

[pep_meister]

Charles Tillman! draft WR. revamp secondary via FA. draft Wr 1. pass rush 2 cb 3/4.

Edited February 18, 2015 by pep_meister

[Pirate88]

Charles Tillman! draft WR. revamp secondary via FA. draft Wr 1. pass rush 2 cb 3/4.

It would be cheaper as well as pay more immediate dividends to do that the other way around. Any good free agent corners are going to cost big time. The draft is deep with cornerbacks that would be playing well by playoff time. To get a WR via the draft that is going to make an immediate impact would require trading up into the top15 -18 picks at the least!! There's Cooper White and Parker as for explosive big body great ball skills and good route running WRs that you could count on to make an immediate impact. After that the other WRs have questions about their overall skill set or are raw and need at least a year to be coached up. Not saying no other WRs will be a difference maker/ legit starter his rookie year, but we are a team making a push for the Superbowl and if we really want a playmaker to actually expect to start for next year there are only so many of them in the draft. The rest would be more to the hope side. The offense is ready to roll and if OZ Decosta Harbaugh and Trestman add a WR they "Expect" ready to start they would have to trade up. There's no garuntee that when they pick at 26 that there will be a WR they could justify as even One of the best players available much less the best overall. I don't think they will go into the draft with the plan to draft the best WR that falls to them regardless of who it is. Unless they trade up or Funchess shows WR speed at the combine and or they like DGB they aren't likely to draft a WR in round oneone in my opinion. If DGB checks out or Funchess shows WR speed and skills they probably won't fall to 26 anyways. WRs and edge rushers get pushed up. They may draft a WR in Rd2 or later but they won't be counting on him yo start. If he can it would be a bonus.

If they draft an edge rusher in first2 Rounds not only would it have to be Mcphees replacement but it would have to be the eventual #1 edge rusher type with at least top end raw talent to be coached up. A teams best edge rusher is to the defense what the QB is to offense. A one player wrecking crew that can wreck QBs and WRs whole weekend all by himself can make a terrible defense good or below average defense very good or a good defense dominant. The rest of a defense can run off the jolt the electricity he sends. Edgevrushers get pushed up cuz of that and many never provide the shock n jolt the team is looking for. So when drafting our edge rusher its essential we don't draft A edge rusher but draft "THE" edge rusher they really trust can immediately fill Mcphees shoes and eventually be THE guy.

I like Danielle Hunter in Rd2 if he falls. Of all the talented edge rushers with raw talent to be coached up in my opinion he is one that could fall to mid-late Rd2.

In my opinion you are right on about what the ravens need to win the Superbowl. I absolutely love the Tillman idea!! His age and good tackling may be a great fit at safety. With his size and skills he could play Strong or free. However my favorite idea By leaps and bounds at edge rusher is trade for Aldon Smith. When Jim Harbaugh wasn't at odds with the front office and was in complete control of the team he had Aldon Straight and focused. And Aldon was one of the truly elite edge rushers in the NFL!! He seriously abused Nate Solder!! When he is focused and the team is playing disciplined he is as explosive and dominant an edge rusher as there is. He is in the same league as Justin Houston Von Miller and Rob Quinn. SF is reportedly open to the idea of trading him since he was Harbaughs guy and they don't trust giving him a big contractcontract without Harbaugh to coach and guide him. Just my opinion the ravens should ask SF what they want for him and make the deal. A #1 or a set of #2 picks would be a steal!! Harbaugh and the ravens coaching and leadership can keep him focused and straight like The other Harbaugh. Aldon Smith is simply a player THAT CANT BE REPLACED!! At least not by any OK or good edge rusher. HE is that edge rusher in the category of Houston and Miller that can wreck a QBs weekend celebration by himself. This is a good draft for edge rushers but in my opinion there is nobody like Aldon in this draft. The ravens can trade for him to rotate with Suggs and Dumervil as he gets back to the Aldon guided by a Harbaugh while the ravens work on a longterm contract the following year when he could take over for Suggs as longterm starter and dominant edge rusher and all around player cuz Aldon is also a good run stopper and good in coverage. There is no edge the ravens could get with any of their draft picks that's anywhere ear the level of Aldon Smith!! The raven defense with him would be fearsome again. He is an explosive speed rusher that also has size power and moves. He can explode to the QB so fast he can even wreck the short throw game cuz Aldon doesn't need long to get to the QB. Its an opportunity to get the most dominant edge rusher next to JJ Watt. When Aldon was playing for Harbaugh and focused he was better than Houston and Miller. This is an epic opportunity!! Who wouldn't like to have Justin Houston but the Chiefs would ask for far more than we could get Aldon for due to Aldons off field issues that Harbaugh and the ravens coaching, leadership and structure could smooth out. A dominant talent like Aldon can cover and compensate for holes in a defense, especially in the secondary. Aldon compares to a young Demarcus Ware and could even surpass Ware!! When Aldon Smith was focused under Harbaugh, only JJ Watt was a more dominant defender.

[pep_meister]

It would be cheaper as well as pay more immediate dividends to do that the other way around. Any good free agent corners are going to cost big time. The draft is deep with cornerbacks that would be playing well by playoff time. To get a WR via the draft that is going to make an immediate impact would require trading up into the top15 -18 picks at the least!! There's Cooper White and Parker as for explosive big body great ball skills and good route running WRs that you could count on to make an immediate impact. After that the other WRs have questions about their overall skill set or are raw and need at least a year to be coached up. Not saying no other WRs will be a difference maker/ legit starter his rookie year, but we are a team making a push for the Superbowl and if we really want a playmaker to actually expect to start for next year there are only so many of them in the draft. The rest would be more to the hope side. The offense is ready to roll and if OZ Decosta Harbaugh and Trestman add a WR they "Expect" ready to start they would have to trade up. There's no garuntee that when they pick at 26 that there will be a WR they could justify as even One of the best players available much less the best overall. I don't think they will go into the draft with the plan to draft the best WR that falls to them regardless of who it is. Unless they trade up or Funchess shows WR speed at the combine and or they like DGB they aren't likely to draft a WR in round oneone in my opinion. If DGB checks out or Funchess shows WR speed and skills they probably won't fall to 26 anyways. WRs and edge rushers get pushed up. They may draft a WR in Rd2 or later but they won't be counting on him yo start. If he can it would be a bonus.

If they draft an edge rusher in first2 Rounds not only would it have to be Mcphees replacement but it would have to be the eventual #1 edge rusher type with at least top end raw talent to be coached up. A teams best edge rusher is to the defense what the QB is to offense. A one player wrecking crew that can wreck QBs and WRs whole weekend all by himself can make a terrible defense good or below average defense very good or a good defense dominant. The rest of a defense can run off the jolt the electricity he sends. Edgevrushers get pushed up cuz of that and many never provide the shock n jolt the team is looking for. So when drafting our edge rusher its essential we don't draft A edge rusher but draft "THE" edge rusher they really trust can immediately fill Mcphees shoes and eventually be THE guy.

I like Danielle Hunter in Rd2 if he falls. Of all the talented edge rushers with raw talent to be coached up in my opinion he is one that could fall to mid-late Rd2.

In my opinion you are right on about what the ravens need to win the Superbowl. I absolutely love the Tillman idea!! His age and good tackling may be a great fit at safety. With his size and skills he could play Strong or free. However my favorite idea By leaps and bounds at edge rusher is trade for Aldon Smith. When Jim Harbaugh wasn't at odds with the front office and was in complete control of the team he had Aldon Straight and focused. And Aldon was one of the truly elite edge rushers in the NFL!! He seriously abused Nate Solder!! When he is focused and the team is playing disciplined he is as explosive and dominant an edge rusher as there is. He is in the same league as Justin Houston Von Miller and Rob Quinn. SF is reportedly open to the idea of trading him since he was Harbaughs guy and they don't trust giving him a big contractcontract without Harbaugh to coach and guide him. Just my opinion the ravens should ask SF what they want for him and make the deal. A #1 or a set of #2 picks would be a steal!! Harbaugh and the ravens coaching and leadership can keep him focused and straight like The other Harbaugh. Aldon Smith is simply a player THAT CANT BE REPLACED!! At least not by any OK or good edge rusher. HE is that edge rusher in the category of Houston and Miller that can wreck a QBs weekend celebration by himself. This is a good draft for edge rushers but in my opinion there is nobody like Aldon in this draft. The ravens can trade for him to rotate with Suggs and Dumervil as he gets back to the Aldon guided by a Harbaugh while the ravens work on a longterm contract the following year when he could take over for Suggs as longterm starter and dominant edge rusher and all around player cuz Aldon is also a good run stopper and good in coverage. There is no edge the ravens could get with any of their draft picks that's anywhere ear the level of Aldon Smith!! The raven defense with him would be fearsome again. He is an explosive speed rusher that also has size power and moves. He can explode to the QB so fast he can even wreck the short throw game cuz Aldon doesn't need long to get to the QB. Its an opportunity to get the most dominant edge rusher next to JJ Watt. When Aldon was playing for Harbaugh and focused he was better than Houston and Miller. This is an epic opportunity!! Who wouldn't like to have Justin Houston but the Chiefs would ask for far more than we could get Aldon for due to Aldons off field issues that Harbaugh and the ravens coaching, leadership and structure could smooth out. A dominant talent like Aldon can cover and compensate for holes in a defense, especially in the secondary. Aldon compares to a young Demarcus Ware and could even surpass Ware!! When Aldon Smith was focused under Harbaugh, only JJ Watt was a more dominant defender.

i'm busy at work so couldnt read the whole thing but the first part about cbs... you really have to hit one heck of a homerun to have a cb who is starting quailty year one. look at jimmy... took almost 3 years. if we are making a superbowl push the best move is taking a proven corner.

[Pirate88]

Jimmy took a while but most good corners started showing something year one or first year starting. Some take time or make the leap once they are with a better more disciplined that caters to their skills and or put them in better situations. We have 2 veteran corners to coach up another corner or 2 behind Webb and Jimmy Smith. They can transition smoothly while covering the other teams #3-4 WRs or zone assignments. Any good cornerback in free agency that's a better option will be expensive unless we find a cornerback who is struggling on their team due to a bad defense that lacks talent, undisciplined, poorly coached and missing motivation. If there is a corner that's talented but in a bad situation like that he will come cheap. I can't see them letting a tall fast good cornerback in Corey Graham go then signing a less talented and less effective TE for far more $$

[Tru11]

soooo apparently cobb is looking for 9 mil a year lol

[Kid87]

Demarco Murray, Frank Gore, Justin Forsett, or Roy Helu for RB...they are all quick and physical guys.

I'd rather Draft a WR..this years class is deep

Owen Daniels, Virgil Green, Or Jordan Cameron at TE

Danny Gorrer at CB

[GrimCoconut]

Charles Tillman is definitely a guy I think would be a good fit here. I also like Brandon Harris, another former draft bust who could turn around his career in Baltimore. He showed promise in very limited action in Tennessee. I also like Davon House, who never really got much of a shot in Green Bay. He's one of those guys Ozzie would manage to sign for cheap and who could do well here.

Edited February 18, 2015 by GrimCoconut

[Tru11]

Charles Tillman is definitely a guy I think would be a good fit here. I also like Brandon Harris, another former draft bust who could turn around his career in Baltimore. He showed promise in very limited action in Tennessee. I also like Davon House, who never really got much of a shot in Green Bay. He's one of those guys Ozzie would manage to sign for cheap and who could do well here.

 

tillman could be interesting if he can play in the slot.

 

not sure if he still got what it takes to be on the outside.

 

1 thing he would bring is turnovers though.

defense could really need more of those.

[gtalk12]

In my opinion you are right on about what the ravens need to win the Superbowl. I absolutely love the Tillman idea!! His age and good tackling may be a great fit at safety. With his size and skills he could play Strong or free. However my favorite idea By leaps and bounds at edge rusher is trade for Aldon Smith. When Jim Harbaugh wasn't at odds with the front office and was in complete control of the team he had Aldon Straight and focused. And Aldon was one of the truly elite edge rushers in the NFL!! He seriously abused Nate Solder!! When he is focused and the team is playing disciplined he is as explosive and dominant an edge rusher as there is. He is in the same league as Justin Houston Von Miller and Rob Quinn. SF is reportedly open to the idea of trading him since he was Harbaughs guy and they don't trust giving him a big contractcontract without Harbaugh to coach and guide him. Just my opinion the ravens should ask SF what they want for him and make the deal. A #1 or a set of #2 picks would be a steal!! Harbaugh and the ravens coaching and leadership can keep him focused and straight like The other Harbaugh. Aldon Smith is simply a player THAT CANT BE REPLACED!! At least not by any OK or good edge rusher. HE is that edge rusher in the category of Houston and Miller that can wreck a QBs weekend celebration by himself. This is a good draft for edge rushers but in my opinion there is nobody like Aldon in this draft. The ravens can trade for him to rotate with Suggs and Dumervil as he gets back to the Aldon guided by a Harbaugh while the ravens work on a longterm contract the following year when he could take over for Suggs as longterm starter and dominant edge rusher and all around player cuz Aldon is also a good run stopper and good in coverage. There is no edge the ravens could get with any of their draft picks that's anywhere ear the level of Aldon Smith!! The raven defense with him would be fearsome again. He is an explosive speed rusher that also has size power and moves. He can explode to the QB so fast he can even wreck the short throw game cuz Aldon doesn't need long to get to the QB. Its an opportunity to get the most dominant edge rusher next to JJ Watt. When Aldon was playing for Harbaugh and focused he was better than Houston and Miller. This is an epic opportunity!! Who wouldn't like to have Justin Houston but the Chiefs would ask for far more than we could get Aldon for due to Aldons off field issues that Harbaugh and the ravens coaching, leadership and structure could smooth out. A dominant talent like Aldon can cover and compensate for holes in a defense, especially in the secondary. Aldon compares to a young Demarcus Ware and could even surpass Ware!! When Aldon Smith was focused under Harbaugh, only JJ Watt was a more dominant defender.

 

 

That would BE INSANE

[GrimCoconut]

tillman could be interesting if he can play in the slot.

not sure if he still got what it takes to be on the outside.

1 thing he would bring is turnovers though.

defense could really need more of those.

I think we have guys who can play the slot. We need an outside corner opposite of Jimmy. Tillman fits that. Webb can hold up in the slot. If not him then Jackson.

[JO_75]

Charles Tillman is definitely a guy I think would be a good fit here. I also like Brandon Harris, another former draft bust who could turn around his career in Baltimore. He showed promise in very limited action in Tennessee. I also like Davon House, who never really got much of a shot in Green Bay. He's one of those guys Ozzie would manage to sign for cheap and who could do well here.

 

I was just thinking about this too. Tillman said he won't retire until he wins a Super Bowl so he'd have a great chance at that here. He would def fill the corner void and with Jimmy coming back, Webb, Melvin coming back, Asa, we'd be set at Corner if we were able to sign Tillman. 

 

soooo apparently cobb is looking for 9 mil a year lol

 

According to the Tampa GM, Vincent Jackson isn't going anywhere despite his high salary in 2015. So there's two veteran receivers off the board lol. Back to hoping for Marshall. *Heads back to Marshall Thread*

Edited February 19, 2015 by JO_75

[Sunday QB]

What about Crabtree or garcon for a Free Agent WR and Gresham for TE.

[fistfullwales]

Demarco Murray, Frank Gore, Justin Forsett, or Roy Helu for RB...they are all quick and physical guys.

I'd rather Draft a WR..this years class is deep

Owen Daniels, Virgil Green, Or Jordan Cameron at TE

Danny Gorrer at CB

Helu would be perfect for WC offense and doesn't have a lot of mileage on him.

[Ravenslifer]

What about Crabtree or garcon for a Free Agent WR and Gresham for TE.

 

Sure, if we had the cap space.  I wouldn't expect any big name receivers to come here - more likely if we sign someone it will be a vet ala SSS last year.  I'm thinking along the lines of a Kenny Britt or Hakeem Nicks type signing, if Torrey were to leave.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Ravenslifer

[PurpleCity5]

George Johnson DE--Detroit, Rahim Moore FS--Denver and Tarrell Brown CB--Oakland are on my wishlist.

[usmccharles]

Sure, if we had the cap space. I wouldn't expect any big name receivers to come here - more likely if we sign someone it will be a vet ala SSS last year. I'm thinking along the lines of a Kenny Britt or Hakeem Nicks type signing, if Torrey were to leave.

I would love to have Britt here...

Edited February 19, 2015 by usmccharles

[Pirate88]

That would BE INSANE

Really?? OK prove its a bad idea. I'LL actually give u multiple chances. Name 4 edge rushers you like that may turn out to be better than Aldon Smith that we can get at #26. Keep in mind we only get to actually pick one of these players. But just to show how rare a talent Aldon Smith is and how difficult it would be to get an elite edge rusher, you can take as many guesses as you want actually of who will be better than or anywhere near Aldon. Don't 4get to ## your guesses of who you like best to least likely to be better than Aldon Smith. Playoff time next year you can check the progress of your players to see if any of them even flashes Aldons Skills and production.

Edited February 20, 2015 by Pirate88

[rmcjacket23]

Really?? OK prove its a bad idea. I'LL actually give u multiple chances. Name 4 edge rushers you like that will turn out to be better than Aldon Smith that we can get at #26. Keep in mind we only get to actually pick one of these players. But just to show how rare a talent Aldon Smith is and how difficult it would be to get an elite esge rusher, you can take as many guesses as you want actually of who will be better than Aldon. Don't 4get to ## your guesses of who you like best to least likely to be better than Aldon Smith. Playoff time next year you can check the progress of your players to see if any of then even flashes Aldons Skills and production.

I think the thing that you are ignoring is that this isn't Madden... there are costs and consequences to every decision.

 

1. Aldon is a prototype 4-3 DE, which means he would either need to transition to OLB in a 3-4 or play DE in a 3-4, which has some significant differences in responsibilities.

 

2. He has a well-noted history of off-field problems, and basically another single offense would probably put him in danger of missing an entire season or most of it.

 

3. He's a FA in 2016, so I don't really understand the point of trading for him in a contract-year.

 

4. If he were to be traded and did play well, you'd be looking at spending significant amounts of cap space and cash on a new contract for him, funds that we almost certainly don't and won't have.

 

Ignoring everything else, those are all serious considerations that would have to be addressed before you even sniff a trade for him. Trades are never just as simple as "well he's better than any first rounder we would get", because that's not the whole picture of compensation being given.

 

All of this is moot, obviously, because you and I both know that the Ravens aren't trading for him anyway.

[redrum52]

I think the thing that you are ignoring is that this isn't Madden... there are costs and consequences to every decision.

1. Aldon is a prototype 4-3 DE, which means he would either need to transition to OLB in a 3-4 or play DE in a 3-4, which has some significant differences in responsibilities.

2. He has a well-noted history of off-field problems, and basically another single offense would probably put him in danger of missing an entire season or most of it.

3. He's a FA in 2016, so I don't really understand the point of trading for him in a contract-year.

4. If he were to be traded and did play well, you'd be looking at spending significant amounts of cap space and cash on a new contract for him, funds that we almost certainly don't and won't have.

Ignoring everything else, those are all serious considerations that would have to be addressed before you even sniff a trade for him. Trades are never just as simple as "well he's better than any first rounder we would get", because that's not the whole picture of compensation being given.

All of this is moot, obviously, because you and I both know that the Ravens aren't trading for him anyway.

Thanks for saving me the time.

[ellicottraven]

Ian Rappaport just reported on NFL network that Julius Thomas may be available since the Broncos are going to allow him to test the market. What do you guys think? Does he fit our system? I have heard he is a reluctant pass protector. But, otherwise a huge target that can catch the ball.

 

Evidently the Broncos made him a huge offer that he refused.

[Inqui]

Ian Rappaport just reported on NFL network that Julius Thomas may be available since the Broncos are going to allow him to test the market. What do you guys think? Does he fit our system? I have heard he is a reluctant pass protector. But, otherwise a huge target that can catch the ball.

Evidently the Broncos made him a huge offer that he refused.

Too expensive and there are too many questions about whether Peyton "legendary padder of stats" Manning made him look better than he necessarily is.

[TDubbs]

Too expensive and there are too many questions about whether Peyton "legendary padder of stats" Manning made him look better than he necessarily is.

 

As well as having other guys like DT, Welker and Sanders/Decker who attracted their fair share of attention. Some team is going to buy high on him, won't be us, and there are legitimate ?'s whether he can be the 'go-to' guy. 

[allblackraven]

Ian Rappaport just reported on NFL network that Julius Thomas may be available since the Broncos are going to allow him to test the market. What do you guys think? Does he fit our system? I have heard he is a reluctant pass protector. But, otherwise a huge target that can catch the ball.

 

Evidently the Broncos made him a huge offer that he refused.

 

He might fit the system but he won't fit our pocket / cap space. As far as he goes as a TE, I can't make up my mind on him.

[Pirate88]

Sure, if we had the cap space.  I wouldn't expect any big name receivers to come here - more likely if we sign someone it will be a vet ala SSS last year.  I'm thinking along the lines of a Kenny Britt or Hakeem Nicks type signing, if Torrey were to leave.

Hakeem Nicks is terrible now. I heard he runs in the 4.7 range now. The injuries took his athleticism. Kenny Britt would be a great addition. He had some big games even with terrible QBs. However Crabtree and Gresham are both very realistic. Both of them are a Lil undervalued actually due to bad QB play. From the info I'm getting both are expected to make under $7mil a year. Crabtree figures to get less than Decker and Gresham is very under valued considering how much upside he has if he plays with a top10 QB. I like Crabtree slightly more than Britt cuz of a fuller route tree but its close.

However if Torrey signs else where I'm sure they will sign another WR. Regardless of which WR they sign I think the most essential player the raven need is Vernon Davis!! There's lots of scenarios and ideas but Vernon Davis would complete the offense. I like Rob Housler and Jermaine Gresham but Vernon Davis is the guy if we are serious about a Superbowl. As much as I like the tremendous upside of Housler and the bargain he represents Vernon Davis is the guy we need. I just watched some of his games last year and he still has 4.4 speed with ball skills and fast and smooth route running. He still blows by cornerbacks and is a serious speed mismatch for LBs and Safety's. If he isn't released the ravens Ned to make it a priority to trade for him.

The FA's on defense that is most essential in my opinion is Daryl Washington, Sean Weather spoon or bring Ellerbe back if he is cut. Rolando Is an idea but he is probably going to be expensive whereas the others are bargains. I know Daryl Smith made many tackles and plays smart but he has clearly list a step so far and could be a huge liability next year. I skimmed through games on the DVR and there was so many plays he left on the field cuz he was a step late. Many of his tackles were made after the ball carrier got extra yards by dragging him or due to it took him extra time to close on the ball carrier or finish the tackle cuz he doesn't have much closing speed. He plays smart have to give him that but there were far to many plays he failed to make when he was in the area. One of the plays that stands out is Bradys TD run. That was terrible burst and closing speed by Daryl!! He was as close to Brady as Brady was the goal line and he hesitated even after Brady crossed the scrimmage line then failed to close on him. Had we still had Ellerbe or Rolando or if we had Washington or Weatherspoon Brady may not have been the same the rest of that game cuz he was completely exposed and would have got lit up and rocked!! Daryl Smith 4 yrs ago would have smashed Brady right b4 the goalline. I know he made many tackles( mostly after big or moderate yards) and plays smart. And many fans look at his tackle ##'s and feel we are set at ilb. However wouldn't you prefer another CJ Mosley type player that is physical and instinctful but also explosive and athletic and can cover sideline to sideline like Mosley?? And at a bargain price. While everybody else is fighting over and vastly overpaying cornerbacks we can signsign a 3 down LB that can help in coverage and cover a zone and close like an xtra SS on the field but with LB size and physicality. I heard Cornerbacks are going for far more $$ than they should. Maxwell has several teams bids up to $10 million/yr or more. Im sure Tramon Williams is looking at a big contract to. I like Tillman a lot as a safety at his age.

[GrimCoconut]

Daryl Washington isn't a free agent. He's under contract until, I think, 2018 or something like that

[Pirate88]

He is expected to be dealt for a mid/late Rd pick or released