[News] Late For Work 10/14: Four Reasons Ravens Shouldn't Make Another Trade

[Run Pass Pass Punt]

Does everyone think the Ravens are the only AFC team sucking it up right now!  KC, Phins, and others aren't very far behind.  We just may very well be like the NFC was last year.  Didn't a 7-9 team make it to the tournament???  I know we have issues...  trust me.  Call me an eternal optimist, but I'm keeping the faith for now.

 

As for the draft picks???  I'm with Cobra and a few others.  Hang on to them for Draft day.  We can use them to move up if needed.

Besides the Jags who are better this year and the Browns again... look at the schedule and tell me who you think we can beat...

[dorie80]

Too many negative people here. We could be 1-14 and i would still be yelling just as much at my tv for that last game cheering for the Ravens. If we dont win another game this season then fine. We still have a lot going for us though. Call me an optimist but I still have faith in Perriman making an impact. He hasn't hit the field and people are calling him a bust. We have Mosely who didn't have his best game but is still one of the top linebackers in the game in his second season. Brandon Williams is living in the opponents backfield. We will get injured players back next season for guys like Suggs to finish his career on top. Even this season I'm not willing to give up no matter how many games we lose. Thats the Raven way

[The Mom Gene]

Too many negative people here. We could be 1-14 and i would still be yelling just as much at my tv for that last game cheering for the Ravens. If we dont win another game this season then fine. We still have a lot going for us though. Call me an optimist but I still have faith in Perriman making an impact. He hasn't hit the field and people are calling him a bust. We have Mosely who didn't have his best game but is still one of the top linebackers in the game in his second season. Brandon Williams is living in the opponents backfield. We will get injured players back next season for guys like Suggs to finish his career on top. Even this season I'm not willing to give up no matter how many games we lose. Thats the Raven way

YUP, That---^

[stuckonaboat13]

No one on the Ravens schedule scares me except @Arizona @ Pitt. Every other game is very winnable even @ cinci because its the last game of the year my moneys on them resting starters. People forget to quickly the scores of these games we lost. All 1 possesion . O we lost to the browns ? I forgot the browns games are never close right ? This team is not dead fairweather fans and apparently writers. I see 8-3 down the stretch with losses @arizona @ pitt. and home to san diego

[trevorsteadman]

Besides the Jags who are better this year and the Browns again... look at the schedule and tell me who you think we can beat...

49ers are not doing great. Cardinals are a solid team and may be the best all around team in the NFC. Bengals we should have won the first game and they are a top AFC contender. Steelers we beat once. Browns we should have beat. Seahawks are struggling as well. Chargers are struggling to close games.... My question to everyone on here is how do people think we are that terrible when we have been ahead in every game the first 58 minutes. If the defense can put games away we wouldn't be talking about this. What teams on there can't we beat? We should have beat Denver and Cincinnati who are two of the top 3 AFC teams. Look at who else is struggling... Everyone but them. 

[GO_Ravens]

Dean Pees has to go period. Now that all of our studs are gone Pees is really get exposed due to his lack of coaching skills.

[trevorsteadman]

Bold Prediction: Breshad Perriman starts week 10 after the bye after having two full weeks of practice and finishes the last 8 games with 500 yards and 4 touchdowns.

[Bob DE]

Hello Ravens fans. I have a question not related to this article but need some help. What do I need to download in order to hear the Coach Harbaugh live press conference ?

I click on the live feed and can see a frozen picture of the Coach standing behind the Ravens podium...but no sound and the picture stays frozen.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance!

[TheConquerorWorm]

When the secondary coverage plays 10 yards off of the receivers constantly, there is no way a defense can succeed. Underachieving is not totally the players fault.

We all saw what happened when Smith played press coverage against Amari Cooper (then again with AJ Green). The secondary HAS to play 10 yards off the receivers otherwise, they get beat deep every time. Coaching won't change the fact that Arrington, Daryl Smith & Kendrick Lewis are HORRIBLE in coverage. But yet, you want them to play man to man, press coverage. If that happens, these games aren't even close. 

[bioLarzen]

Bold Prediction: Breshad Perriman starts week 10 after the bye after having two full weeks of practice and finishes the last 8 games with 500 yards and 4 touchdowns.

 

Even bolder prediction: Perriman won't play at all this season.

[757RavensFan]

Hello Ravens fans. I have a question not related to this article but need some help. What do I need to download in order to hear the Coach Harbaugh live press conference ? I click on the live feed and can see a frozen picture of the Coach standing behind the Ravens podium...but no sound and the picture stays frozen. Any help would be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance!

 

The Official Ravens App, it can be found in the Google Play Store or on iTunes Store. 

[bioLarzen]

A 7-9 record assumes we'll win 6 of the remaining 9 games. I am not sure we'll do that considering the way we're playing and all the mounting injuries with no end in sight.

 

And that wouldn't even be good: a 7-9 record is nowhere near good enough for the playoffs, but good enough to push us back at around the 15-17th spot in the draft... I say if we can't help sucking this season, let's get some good out of it - for example in the form of a high (near-top ten) draft position...

[757RavensFan]

Why not bring back Means... He knows the system and showed some flashes before he was cut, he is also still young and cheap.

 

They offered him an injury settlement after the 1st pre-season game.  I'm not sure if they're allowed to bring him back. 

[PeRK82]

I know they are trying but im pretty sure almost everyone is thinking the same damn thing. A LITTLE LATE AREN'T WE?? These aren't new issues, we were going into this season with issues at the secondary and did NOTHING to address it ( we picked up Bil a checks throw away ) If he couldn't fix Arringtion then NO one can. There were holes in the secondary and like i said nothing was done and we only lost and didn't replace our front 7 and this was before the injuries set in.

Lets be honest, we got lucky last season back pedaling into the play offs with our hurt secondary. The Def. Coordinator needs to be fired, he hasn't done jack with what we had from day one after Pags left. I think our O.C. is a push over but I'm more worried about this Defense. No team is going to be scared of us and with good reason. This team is broken, I have hope but that is all I have. Is this what BROWNS fans feel like?

[stixfix69]

Instead of bringing Asa and James up, they should have brought up Asa, and Mcgee, we don't know how serious Forsett's injury is.....

[PeRK82]

What has killed us the most is these stupid unforgivable penalties at the most valuable time. Babin took that money to the bank and is still laughing, this guy owes me money for Sundays wasted. I think I have contributed more than this guy. Especially when Babin saw how much bull caused by Jernigan ( and I still feel he was a big part of why we lost that game, I know its a team sport but Jesus Mary and Joseph, wth were you thinking. REALLY???) I'm not even pissed off about how this season is unfolding, I'm honestly sick to my stomach with this kinda bull.

[Guest ColoradoSpringsRaven]

When times get rough like this for Baltimore, I like to go back and look at the Ravens roster on Madden NFL 2013 and reminisce! It's amazing how many studs were on that defense and also how much turnover we've had since then..All I personally ask is that these current Ravens finish the season playing with some passion and pride

[sofgman]

Whatever you do .1-5 coming ...

[Darkraven23]

Despite whats been said i think Ian rapport is right perriman is out indefinately at this point if u think about it because this injury is moving to slow just needing a few weeks to heal and still no update

[budman]

We all saw what happened when Smith played press coverage against Amari Cooper (then again with AJ Green). The secondary HAS to play 10 yards off the receivers otherwise, they get beat deep every time. Coaching won't change the fact that Arrington, Daryl Smith & Kendrick Lewis are HORRIBLE in coverage. But yet, you want them to play man to man, press coverage. If that happens, these games aren't even close. 

Have to disagree with you on this one. They should not be playing off receivers 10yds on 3rd down and 3 or 4. Watch the film and they do it all the time. Even if it was 3rd and long, they need to be good enough to line up against these receivers and hit them to disrupt the route. All they are doing now is lining up 10yds off and taking off as if every play is real deep. That's why other teams are completing whatever they want across the middle and quick down & outs. I don't know if it is the players or schemes that is the problem but which ever it is, it needs to get fixed.

[ravens4life86]

Heres one thing that starting to bother me... Hey Ravens Front office. Either Activate Dennis Pitta and let the guy attempt a comeback like he wants.... Or just be done with it and agree to injury settlement.

But stop dancing around the subject for months like he couldnt help us any, or the organization couldnt get that contract off the books.

Millions of people across the world get into car accidents every day, but you know what? People still get into cars and drive.

Stop opetsting out of fear with this Pitta thing. Let him play. Or Injury settlement..enough

[DBsRAVENS]

When your cornerback coach is a former PUNTER who John hired because of his connection to Jim while at Stanford and promoted to the position, no wonder the cornerback only play 10 yards off the ball. I think this is also the first year the Ravens have actually had a WR coach who played the position. Unless you're an exceptional coach aka the running back coach or D-line coach then I think it would help if the coach actually played the position he is coaching.

[BillyD]

Have to disagree with you on this one. They should not be playing off receivers 10yds on 3rd down and 3 or 4. Watch the film and they do it all the time. Even if it was 3rd and long, they need to be good enough to line up against these receivers and hit them to disrupt the route. All they are doing now is lining up 10yds off and taking off as if every play is real deep. That's why other teams are completing whatever they want across the middle and quick down & outs. I don't know if it is the players or schemes that is the problem but which ever it is, it needs to get fixed.

Good call budman.  It's the basic scheme that Pees always runs.  A lot of people blame the pass rush or lack of a pass rush...which makes no sense seeing as we're tied with 2 other teams with the 5th best sack total on the season (15).  It's the pass rush not getting there in key situations.  Again, scheme.  How is it that we can get to the QB early on in games, run stunts or blitzes, but when we drop 7 and rush 4 we can't cover, guys are wide open early on in their routes and the pass rush has no shot of getting to the QB?  It's scheme.  And you're right, we don't press in those situations, 3rd and 4, 2nd and 5.  We are 8 to 10 yards off the receiver, allowing the receiver to run to the sticks, turn, catch the ball...1st down.  Over.  And over.  And over again. In key situations.  If you drop 7, why wouldn't you press, split the field with your safeties to bring help over the top, and bracket the receivers.  I don't know.  And I also love all the talk about penalties.  Blame it on the league, blame it on "technique"...what it really comes down to is coaching.  If you don't coach your players and instill discipline, if you have basically, as a staff, eliminated all of the leaders on your team either through attrition (retirement) or trades, or free agency, well, you as a coaching staff better do a heck of a job coaching these guys up.  Folks, welcome to the actual beginning of the REAL Harbaugh era.  Time will tell if his philosophy works.  Doesn't seem to be working presently. 

Edited October 14, 2015 by BillyD

[ravensfan347]

I know a trade we should make, trade KO NOW. We won't be able to re-sign him this offseason anyway, the season is done, time to get Urchel acclimated to the O-line.

[nevermorebmore]

Other reasons not to make trades?

5. As the season sinks, draft picks become more valuable. Not in the metaphorical 'rebuilding' sense, but in the literal sense that teams that do worse get higher draft picks in every round. It's the engine behind parity in the NFL. Don't mortgage one of the few years that the Ravens might potentially be picking before 20 in each round.

6. Trading for picks for current veterans sacrifices future years of rookie salary contracts. In essence, trading away a fourth round pick this year is pinching our salary cap for contracts that are on the distant horizon such as CJ Mosley, Brandon Williams, or Timmy Jernigan.

7. Trading away a future pick limits the downstream impacts of the compensatory pick formula, which in turn, effects the team's future trade currency.

The front office is undoubtedly thinking these things, it's just surprising that sports reporters don't bother mentioning the long term implications of trades. In the age of mega QB salaries in a salary cap, the value of rookie contracts can't be underestimated.

[Halshayeji]

I'm sorry Sarah buy your argument is pathetic!

1- Very little cap room? We can easily extend Yandas contract and free up more than enough cash needed to make moves. Besides I can write the names of 5-10 guys that could be cut today and not hurt the team. Stop making it seem like we are going to bring someone in and pay him 10 mil a year. A.jeffry would have cost us less than 1 mil against the cap but we payed Babin to sit a game, and lose us another. Cap space is not the biggest issue here.

2- little roster flexibility? Really?! That's why u make moves. You release the weakest guy in a position or IR him and bring an upgrade.

3- We have 46 guys under contract next year. 50 if we re sign Yanda KO Tucker and Upshaw. So tell me where the heck are we gonna fit 12 rookies that we draft without cutting guys we drafted this year and last year? Something's gotta give. We have a whole bunch of good players but not enough impact players. U see where we disagree. I'd rather have a "starter" like Zuttah than 2 or 3 mid round guys who need a year or 2 to develop.

4- So you are basically saying this season is over why bother........ That's why we should have made moves earlier! And no the season is not over until the fat lady sings and no I don't hear her...... Call me a proud Raven or call me a spoiled Raven but I expect this team to fight. Even if we are 1-14. You also mentioned that guys take time to gel so why not bring a guy in and let him fit in and be 100% ready by next year. Why wait when we obviously need bodies now and they can't hurt if we have depth when the guys are back.

[steelcityraven]

We have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. We have a franchise QB and a pro-bowl RB. WE have a very good OL with depth (if we can secure either Yanda or KO or both). We have some good young TE's. We have a very talented and young DL (need some help at DE but Urban should be back next season). We have a great LB corp (and we will re-sign Upshaw). We have Jimmy, Webb, Will, and KLewis with a developing TBrooks and Elam back next year. We need to add some talent at the WR and CB position but the nucleus to a very good team already exists. Do we need some help? YES... do we have enough talent to allow us some freedom - if we want to make some moves? Yes. DO I think we need to make major moves? NO (only one and that is at the DC position). I Really believe that if we add a good WR or two and one more talented Corner... we are as talented as anyone in the league... now we need to put our players in a position for success. (something our defensive coaches have not been doing)... and showing regression and full out deterioration. Our needs... (DC, WR, CB) in that order!

[napaman]

As far as scheme vs. talent it's pretty clear that both stink. If you had to argue which is more important then again it's clear that talent is the answer. Impact players find a way to win matchups even if the scheme isn't the greatest. Its hard to go against Ozzie but this team is just not very talented. Many veterans are under performing and many young guys are not playing near the level the team hoped they would. Jimmy Smith, Steve Smith and Brandon Williams are the only impact players do their job at a high level this year and that's just not good enough.

Also what is up with CJ Mosley? Not getting hardly any tackles and just got abused time and time again trying to cover Gary Barnidge. He must be playing hurt.

[Puntit]

The worst teams we still get to play are SF, Jags, Miami, Chiefs and Cleveland. Jags are improved this year and we already couldn't keep up with Cleveland at home. And we are going into SF very banged up, possibly without Doom or Forsett. So best case scenario we sweep this bottom crowd and finish the season with 6 wins. More likely we get 4-5. So everyone should really stop thinking about playoffs -- just not realistic based on what we've shown the past five games.

This season we just need to see what we've actually got to build on. If Ozzie thinks he can't sign both Yanda and KO, our next "trade" should be to deal whichever one we aren't keeping to a contender for a draft pick. Maybe deal SSSr if he's truly set on retiring after this year. We need picks more than one year players right now. From the looks of it right now we will potentially need to pull in two OLB, two CB and a WR in the first five rounds of the next draft to right this ship. Other teams discards haven't panned out, of late.

[cbrook1862]

Can someone tell me why Perriman isn't practicing, a week and a half ago he got scoped and they said no more damage to the knee, and I know some of the fan base doesn't believe they have been or were 100% honest, but I don't see why they wouldn't be truthful about something like that, they literally have no reason to lie, so I don't think that's the case. Perriman as no work ethic, he is the softest player on the team until I see otherwise. Him not practicing for 3 months for a knee sprain with no extra damage is inexcusable. If he doesn't play this season, he may be the most disappointing and weakest players in team history. I was one of those people supporting and defending him when he was being called a bust and talked down, but now I can't defend him anymore.