Welcome to Baltimore: Darren Waller

[Purple_City39]

Yea i go back to thinking about the game vs the Chargers a few years back when the Ravens just didn't have an answer for the trees that SD had in Jackson Floyd and Gates. It was just like lob city, no routes, just run deep, look up and be ready to jump for the ball. Man that game was so frustrating. 

 

Now looking at Perriman, Brown, Waller and Williams I can't help but to get excited for the possibilities. If i'm any one of these guys i'm at the Castle bright and early everyday, headed straight to the basketball court and working on my post up game. lol. Flacco has proven time and time again to have the trust in his WR to just give them an opportunity to go up and make a play. If i'm those guys i'm doing everything possible to show Flacco he can trust me with the ball in the air, because if he can trust you he'll give you a shot. 

Oh wow.  In terms of the bolded, I said the exact same thing on another message board just this morning.  That week 2 game turned me into a fan wishing we had big receivers to just dominate corners the way theirs did Washington, Foxworth, and the safeties.  It looked so embarrassingly easy as Rivers cruised to the best game of his career, at that point anyway.  I still to do day don't get why they ran on 4th and 1.  A pass to any WR or Gates probably converts or scores since they were inside the 20 if I recall.

[Drew P]

If you put Gilmore or Juice in Camp's spot and Forsett at the back (I'm assuming our Oline plays at the last year's level), I just don't see how that offense can be stopped. Waller must be a nightmare for CBs on run plays. He is a mean blocker and corners can't do anything but run backwards if they engage him, opening a huge space for Forsett, or watch Waller catch a jump ball if they don't. The beauty is that the box can't be really stacked because Perriman and Williams or Senior are meanwhile getting open on the other side. If play turns into pass, you have 3 catchers on the field averaging just short of 20y per catch and aren't easily stoppable one-on-one.

 

When that offense gels, we will have the most complete Ravens team ever. And If they can gel early, Denver won't have enough Peyton's to beat us, no matter how warm it is.

 

Call me crazy but I am excited.

 

Call me crazy but what good is Juice anyway? I'd rather drop him than Boyle or Waller for a final roster piece

[Ravenseconbeast]

I have absolutely no high expectations for this guy, at least his rookie year, but I couldn't be happier with this pick in the 6th round. I agree people may recall memories of Streeter as the same potential size-speed guy who is very raw. I know highlight tapes arent the way to evaluate players, but if you watch his highlights when Georgia Tech played Mississippi State, there are definitely some things to like. I saw him toe-tapping the sideline, showing me he has some awareness. He sometimes just gets in the way of the man hes trying to block but also made some great sustained blocks as well. He seems to be very willing to highpoint to ball and corners simply bounce off him because of his size. Most importantly what I saw though, is the guy can catch. Obviously Georgia Tech is an option team but I saw a stat he had 26 catchable balls thrown to him, he caught all 26.

He catches with his hands and seems pretty natural doing so. I like to look at how wide receivers catch balls when theyre wide open because that can sometimes be more telling of exactly how comfortable they are catching the ball. Again I dont have expectations right now, but if this kid really wants to work and can improve, he should realize there is a potential roster spot for him, would love to see him take advantage

Well he isn't going to make it to the team if he isn't going to produce immediately. Next year is the same case.

[Purple_City39]

Call me crazy but what good is Juice anyway? I'd rather drop him than Boyle or Waller for a final roster piece

He's a FB that can easily block a defender to give the QB time and he can also sneak out the backfield since he also has good hands.  Think about pretty much any of Juice's catches.  He's usually wide open and he usually gets a lot of yards after the catch because of it.  As a FB, he's almost never going to garner much attention in the passing game so having him catch a pass or two a game is likely going to give you a big gain/first down.  And as a FB he's still a run blocker. 

 

I'd much rather have Juice on the field than Boyle easily.  Waller I like a lot more due to potential but if he can't put that potential together, give me the guy that'll save my QB some pain and probably get me at least 10 yards out the backfield

[GrimCoconut]

He's a FB that can easily block a defender to give the QB time and he can also sneak out the backfield since he also has good hands. Think about pretty much any of Juice's catches. He's usually wide open and he usually gets a lot of yards after the catch because of it. As a FB, he's almost never going to garner much attention in the passing game so having him catch a pass or two a game is likely going to give you a big gain/first down. And as a FB he's still a run blocker.

I'd much rather have Juice on the field than Boyle easily. Waller I like a lot more due to potential but if he can't put that potential together, give me the guy that'll save my QB some pain and probably get me at least 10 yards out the backfield

Yeah but what his critics will use against him is that he does have ball security issues where he coughs up the ball. I'm expecting that issue to be remedied this year.

Take note that I am not against Juszczyk. Just saying what I expect someone critical of his impact might say. It's a valid concern but one I believe is fixed

Edited May 4, 2015 by GrimCoconut

[allblackraven]

Call me crazy but what good is Juice anyway? I'd rather drop him than Boyle or Waller for a final roster piece

No way - Juice is a big part of our ground game, blocking and screens.

[allblackraven]

Yeah but what his critics will use against him is that he does have ball security issues where he coughs up the ball. I'm expecting that issue to be remedied this year.

Take note that I am not against Juszczyk. Just saying what I expect someone critical of his impact might say. It's a valid concern but one I believe is fixed

 

Yeah, I feel his was the case of inexperience rather than bad hands. Trying to do more than is needed.

[Drew P]

He's a FB that can easily block a defender to give the QB time and he can also sneak out the backfield since he also has good hands.  Think about pretty much any of Juice's catches.  He's usually wide open and he usually gets a lot of yards after the catch because of it.  As a FB, he's almost never going to garner much attention in the passing game so having him catch a pass or two a game is likely going to give you a big gain/first down.  And as a FB he's still a run blocker. 

 

I'd much rather have Juice on the field than Boyle easily.  Waller I like a lot more due to potential but if he can't put that potential together, give me the guy that'll save my QB some pain and probably get me at least 10 yards out the backfield

 

An obsolete position and every time he caught he fumbled it

[harfordravenfan]

steelers fans will argue to the death that senquez golson would intercept any pass thrown to waller with his incredible ball skills, and then theyll argue that golson was their original target in the 2nd and we didnt steal williams from them

 

Only after they delete all the pissed off fan comments about us jumping up and taking their replacement to Miller

[FerrariFan87]

He's big, fast, can jump, has good hands, and can block. What's not to like? Low risk, high reward pick.

[Blackbirds Rule]

I like the pick of Walker and I think he could be more, but as of now he's JAG. I'm hoping he becomes more. I honestly wouldn't be surprised either way. He could be that guy who pushes someone like Marlon Brown or Kamar Aiken eventually off the team. I think he makes it harder for Butler to make the team. This WR corps has a chance to be better than good. I'm really excited.

I haven't stopped smiling since the draft. Now I can't wait until training camp.

[jazz1988]

An obsolete position and every time he caught he fumbled it

Juice only fumbled the ball twice last year and he not your traditional fullback. He's  a hybrid whom versatile enough to play tight end , fullback, and etc. Those type of players/fullbacks are quite useful in my opinion because you can use them in the passing game and even come in and help block for the running back, I think it's good to have a player like Juice  on the offense because he's only gives the  defense another player to worry about.

[Crabcakes&Football]

Waller as we know comes from Gt's triple option offense. You pretty much have no idea what to expect. His lack of production/polish is due to what is asked of him in that program. But you have to be encouraged by several things: he caught 26/26 catchable balls in 2013, he improved in the last few games of the year, he has bulk to go with the height, he's a hands catcher. 6'6 230+ wrs with sub 4.5 speed don't grow on trees, and even if he doesn't make it, it was a good roll of the dice. A little patience and a creative oc who knows how to use a guy like Waller could be the difference. If you use him right he could be a matchup problem.

[Guest]

No way - Juice is a big part of our ground game, blocking and screens.

 

Maybe and Juice does have soft hands, but he only has one move after catching the ball and that is to go immediately down.  Don't think the front office should get overly possessive about a one dimensional fullback.

[GrimCoconut]

Waller as we know comes from Gt's triple option offense. You pretty much have no idea what to expect. His lack of production/polish is due to what is asked of him in that program. But you have to be encouraged by several things: he caught 26/26 catchable balls in 2013, he improved in the last few games of the year, he has bulk to go with the height, he's a hands catcher. 6'6 230+ wrs with sub 4.5 speed don't grow on trees, and even if he doesn't make it, it was a good roll of the dice. A little patience and a creative oc who knows how to use a guy like Waller could be the difference. If you use him right he could be a matchup problem.

Yep, and another thing about him is that he's a quality run blocker due to their reliance on the run game. He has a lot of experience blocking.

[ravensnick]

Maybe and Juice does have soft hands, but he only has one move after catching the ball and that is to go immediately down.  Don't think the front office should get overly possessive about a one dimensional fullback.

 Fullbacks, while not what they used to be, are still pretty widely used. See: Carolina, Houston, Seattle, SF, us, etc. Juice technically isn't even a fullback: He is an H-back, which is a TE/FB hybrid. He is fundamental to our run game, which would highly suffer without him. He also is athletic enough to catch some balls and finds some wiggle room. He shouldn't be juking everyone off the field. he isn't a finesse player. But he is a useful gadget. Furthermore, he blocks and catches well. That's two dimensions right there.Getting rid of him is like saying: who needs a specialized long snapper, just get the center to do it. We really don't have another player on the roster to take his job, he is talented (pro bowl alternate), and extremely cheap.

Edited May 4, 2015 by ravensnick

[JoeyFlex5]

Waller as we know comes from Gt's triple option offense. You pretty much have no idea what to expect. His lack of production/polish is due to what is asked of him in that program. But you have to be encouraged by several things: he caught 26/26 catchable balls in 2013, he improved in the last few games of the year, he has bulk to go with the height, he's a hands catcher. 6'6 230+ wrs with sub 4.5 speed don't grow on trees, and even if he doesn't make it, it was a good roll of the dice. A little patience and a creative oc who knows how to use a guy like Waller could be the difference. If you use him right he could be a matchup problem.

yeah i wasnt a big fan of his because with all of his size he doesnt seem to move very well, but then again at that size do you really need to gain separation? 

 

he is VERY different than the super raw 6'5+ sub 4.5 project wr's we normally see in the 6th round, those guys typically are skinny as a rail and cant catch to save their life, tommy streeter types. waller is just not that type, he has the bulk and the catching ability, he can time his jumps to highpoint the ball consistently, and he sort of seems to have an understanding of what to do rather than just run downfield. 

 

while i wont jump to conclusions on waller, i will say i feel better about him than any of the other oversized late round projects that never see the field.

[Guest]

Darren Waller is my 2015 High Reward Return Draftee Special.  I literally LOVE this guy. LOVE HIM.

 

Not only will he Make this team..........HE WILL MAKE THIS TEAM.  Do you know what I'm saying?  Joe Flacco is due at least 3 more Championships in his tenure and this is the guy that is going to make it happen.  This is the guy Joe once had and has been waiting for since. I cannot overstate how significant this selection was.

 

He can line up as a TE or a WR and he has the sneakiest quick way of going one could ever imagine a Big Man having. He literally puts Cornerbacks to sleep with his effortless stride and is by them before they know it. No linebacker stands a chance.  

 

His hands could be larger, but they are as soft as cotton. You'd have to have seen the film to know that.  Someone in our Front Office saw it, but I have to state that on the 2015 Draft Board, I've been crowing about this guy for nearly two months.  I believe he was selected upon my insights. That's right, My Insights were borrowed by the Raven Front Office, but you know what?...I am elated. 

 

He's not a Calvin Johnson, but he is a ton more than where we drafted him.  This guy is gonna be pivotal THIS COMING YEAR in lighting up the Scoreboard.

 

Now, I've asked Oz to cut Elam, we'll see if he does it.

He's a project player.  Those haven't worked out so well for this team in the past.

 

He is a project player. I project him to vault us to our second championship in the Flacco era next year.

I like taking the chance on him.  It hasn't worked out in the past, but hey, what's another shot at it?

 

He's gonna make a lotta G.M.s scratch their heads.

 

I have a feeling hes gonna be big time for the Ravens. Everyone doesn't have any expectations for him, but hes measurables are off the charts. 6'6 240 4.46 40 with a 37 Vert. And when I actually watch him play, he actually plays his size while making circus catches.

 

His hands will get better with more targets.  This guy is gonna light it up for us. Perriman on one side, Waller on the other or in the slot, or even tight end.  This is gonna get good.

for my money i liked dez lewis much better in the 6th as i think he has #1 written all over him, he is a small school guy but less of a project as he is pretty well rounded, only 2 inches shorter and good size overall, good length, bigger hands, quicker, can run the route tree for the most part, and has a great ability to pluck the ball outta the air against tight coverage. i think everything about dez is better than waller aside from the 2 inches, i even think his ceiling is higher. 

 

that said, im happy to give waller a shot, a 6th round flier on a guy this big who can get down field rather quick and actually use his size and length by attacking the ball and catching with his hands, he could end up being the real deal with the way our offense is looking right about now

 

Oz chose well this time.

I heard he already has solid hands to go with his measurables.

 

He has good hands that will develop more with coaching. He's got the natural ability.

If you put Gilmore or Juice in Camp's spot and Forsett at the back (I'm assuming our Oline plays at the last year's level), I just don't see how that offense can be stopped. Waller must be a nightmare for CBs on run plays. He is a mean blocker and corners can't do anything but run backwards if they engage him, opening a huge space for Forsett, or watch Waller catch a jump ball if they don't. The beauty is that the box can't be really stacked because Perriman and Williams or Senior are meanwhile getting open on the other side. If play turns into pass, you have 3 catchers on the field averaging just short of 20y per catch and aren't easily stoppable one-on-one.

 

When that offense gels, we will have the most complete Ravens team ever. And If they can gel early, Denver won't have enough Peyton's to beat us, no matter how warm it is.

 

Call me crazy but I am excited.

 

We're gonna have an offense that can Rock n Roll.

 

Waller has the hands and he has the hips to go with that size and speed. He may not have a lot of experience catching the ball, but he's not as raw as you might think (recommend watching his tape). This guy could be the steal of our draft. First Campanaro, now Waller, our FO is starting to get a handle on how to draft WR in the late rounds.

 

Yeah man..........wassssssssssssssup

Edited May 4, 2015 by Danny D

[GrimCoconut]

yeah i wasnt a big fan of his because with all of his size he doesnt seem to move very well, but then again at that size do you really need to gain separation?

he is VERY different than the super raw 6'5+ sub 4.5 project wr's we normally see in the 6th round, those guys typically are skinny as a rail and cant catch to save their life, tommy streeter types. waller is just not that type, he has the bulk and the catching ability, he can time his jumps to highpoint the ball consistently, and he sort of seems to have an understanding of what to do rather than just run downfield.

while i wont jump to conclusions on waller, i will say i feel better about him than any of the other oversized late round projects that never see the field.

I know you preferred Lewis to Waller, but Waller reminds me of a larger and faster Marlon Brown. I like his run blocking and while I certainly think Lewis is more polished, I think Waller can help more as a run blocking WR than Lewis. I think that was the edge over Lewis.

[ravensnick]

yeah i wasnt a big fan of his because with all of his size he doesnt seem to move very well, but then again at that size do you really need to gain separation? 

 

he is VERY different than the super raw 6'5+ sub 4.5 project wr's we normally see in the 6th round, those guys typically are skinny as a rail and cant catch to save their life, tommy streeter types. waller is just not that type, he has the bulk and the catching ability, he can time his jumps to highpoint the ball consistently, and he sort of seems to have an understanding of what to do rather than just run downfield. 

 

while i wont jump to conclusions on waller, i will say i feel better about him than any of the other oversized late round projects that never see the field.

Waller gets my benefit of the doubt because of his last two games of the season last year and the fact he played in a triple option offense with another drafted WR, which limited the amount of ball coming his way. 

[beasy2487]

Darren Waller is my 2015 High Reward Return Draftee Special.  I literally LOVE this guy. LOVE HIM.

 

Not only will he Make this team..........HE WILL MAKE THIS TEAM.  Do you know what I'm saying?  Joe Flacco is due at least 3 more Championships in his tenure and this is the guy that is going to make it happen.  This is the guy Joe once had and has been waiting for since. I cannot overstate how significant this selection was.

 

He can line up as a TE or a WR and he has the sneakiest quick way of going one could ever imagine a Big Man having. He literally puts Cornerbacks to sleep with his effortless stride and is by them before they know it. No linebacker stands a chance.  

 

His hands could be larger, but they are as soft as cotton. You'd have to have seen the film to know that.  Someone in our Front Office saw it, but I have to state that on the 2015 Draft Board, I've been crowing about this guy for nearly two months.  I believe he was selected upon my insights. That's right, My Insights were borrowed by the Raven Front Office, but you know what?...I am elated. 

 

He's not a Calvin Johnson, but he is a ton more than where we drafted him.  This guy is gonna be pivotal THIS COMING YEAR in lighting up the Scoreboard.

 

Now, I've asked Oz to cut Elam, we'll see if he does it.

 

He is a project player. I project him to vault us to our second championship in the Flacco era next year.

 

He's gonna make a lotta G.M.s scratch their heads.

 

 

His hands will get better with more targets.  This guy is gonna light it up for us. Perriman on one side, Waller on the other or in the slot, or even tight end.  This is gonna get good.

 

Oz chose well this time.

 

He has good hands that will develop more with coaching. He's got the natural ability.

 

We're gonna have an offense that can Rock n Roll.

 

 

Yeah man..........wassssssssssssssup

 

Interesting...but how do you feel about Darren Waller?

[ravensnick]

I've asked Ozzie to cut Matt Elam.

 

Elam would cost us more to cut than to keep him. Plus it's straight up dumb to cut a first rounder after two years. 

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/baltimore-ravens/matt-elam/

[JoeyFlex5]

I know you preferred Lewis to Waller, but Waller reminds me of a larger and faster Marlon Brown. I like his run blocking and while I certainly think Lewis is more polished, I think Waller can help more as a run blocking WR than Lewis. I think that was the edge over Lewis.

i could understand that preference because of the blocking, its quite an asset to have such a dominant, willing, and experienced blocking wr in a stretch zone. but man i just thought dez lewis had some serious potential, everything about him screams true #1 wr, while i think waller is much more a longshot. 

[GrimCoconut]

i could understand that preference because of the blocking, its quite an asset to have such a dominant, willing, and experienced blocking wr in a stretch zone. but man i just thought dez lewis had some serious potential, everything about him screams true #1 wr, while i think waller is much more a longshot.

I am not sure I agree, but I don't disagree regarding Lewis. What I will say is that I think Waller has a higher floor but a lower ceiling than Lewis. Regardless, I'm very happy to have him. I know you are, too. Just in case anyone isn't clear because it's easy to misunderstand lol Edited May 4, 2015 by GrimCoconut

[Guest]

Elam would cost us more to cut than to keep him. Plus it's straight up dumb to cut a first rounder after two years. 

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/baltimore-ravens/matt-elam/

 

Cut Elam

 

Just pick up another Free Agent Safety with even a modicum of potential and his valuation far outweighs Elam's.

 

One has to fish or cut bait and recognize when a decision was a bad one.  Waiting additional time will not rectify a monumental mistake, it will only exacerbate it. (See the AFC Divisional Round)

 

Enough of the bleeding by a thousand paper cuts, throw the offender overboard 

[JoeyFlex5]

I am not sure I agree, but I don't disagree regarding Lewis. What I will say is that I think Waller has a higher floor but a lower ceiling than Lewis. Regardless, I'm very happy to have him. I know you are, too. Just in case anyone isn't clear because it's easy to misunderstand lol

nah im definitely happy, its a 6th round no risk high reward pick lol. 

 

and he is in trestmans offense, with joe flacco throwing to him, id call it a good situation for him, nothing wrong with a jumpball specialist who can actually highpoint and hang on to the ball

[ravensnick]

Cut Elam

 

Just pick up another Free Agent Safety with even a modicum of potential and his valuation far outweighs Elam's.

 

One has to fish or cut bait and recognize when a decision was a bad one.  Waiting additional time will not rectify a monumental mistake, it will only exacerbate it. (See the AFC Divisional Round)

 

Enough of the bleeding by a thousand paper cuts, throw the offender overboard 

What a smart idea. Let's completely chuck a third year player to the wolves after he showed some promise his rookie year. Not to mention we take a cap hit of almost a $1 million more dollars (1.8 vs 2.6) to have him off the team than on the team. Plenty of guys are late bloomers. And financially, it would be one of the dumbest moves ever. Every team would point and laugh at us and then Tricky BB or someone else would take Elam and turn him into a Pro Bowl (exaggeration for dramatic effect).

Edited May 5, 2015 by ravensnick

[Gordo52]

Boy would it be nice to see Elam progress. Would be a huge boost to our secondary.... A healthy Jimmy and Hill playing together should help, but it won't matter if he keeps hitting the hit stick and failing.

[cushrinada1986]

I know the ceiling is pretty low for this guy but if he can show some potential look out. Good luck to any 5'10 DB trying to defend a back shoulder pass from Flacco to this guy....

[allblackraven]

I know the ceiling is pretty low for this guy but if he can show some potential look out. Good luck to any 5'10 DB trying to defend a back shoulder pass from Flacco to this guy....

What makes you think his ceiling is low? That he's 6'6" and WR for the Ravens?