[News] Late For Work 12/9: Ravens' Draft Outlook Over Final Stretch

[budman]

Great post, I completely agree, however I accidently hit the down arrow instead of the up arrow, so consider this post having more ups ..... I hate the up and down arrows right next to each other, I have hit the wrong arrow so many times..... Ugh.....

No worries. I think more people should look at the whole body of work that Harbaugh has done and realize that he has done a remarkable job with this team considering (record aside). To just throw hands in the air and say "Fire him" is not what the man deserves. IMO. 

[balfan23]

I think we can assume that Cleveland has a stranglehold on the #1 overall. Looking at the rest of the group, we have by far the hardest schedule. I don't need to repeat that I'm not in the camp of wanting to see us lose, but it is going to be seriously difficult to beat any of these teams who are all clearly playoff bound and are fighting to solidify their position. 

 

I really thought we'd win last week and was looking at us picking in the 6-10 range. I thought we'd eek out one more out of this last month and finish 6-10. Now 5-11 or even 4-12 seems more likely. I'm thinking we're going to be in the 4-7 range at this point. 

[balfan23]

No worries. I think more people should look at the whole body of work that Harbaugh has done and realize that he has done a remarkable job with this team considering (record aside). To just throw hands in the air and say "Fire him" is not what the man deserves. IMO. 

I think you can count Steve Bisciotti among those "people".

 

Some cite the firing of Billick - also a Super Bowl champion, after his 5-11 season as a guide to how we should handle Harbaugh. They forget that the 6 years leading up to and including that 5-11 season we saw 3 losing seasons, 2 playoff appearances and an 0-2 record in those playoff appearances. I don't need to review Harbaugh's previous years with this team ... they look nothing like that. 

 

That said, the term "put on notice" ... I'm not sure what that exactly the previous poster means by that - but this season is a mark on the whole of the FO. Grace points are being burned. Bisciotti isn't Dan Snider ... but he's also not going to sit by and watch the franchise veer off in the wrong direction. The ship will need to be righted and in relatively short order or there will be consequences for those at the helm. 

[ellicottraven]

Honestly, despite his 4 INTs I don't think Schaub has played terribly. He has found several receivers for completions, had a couple of long completions and had at least 3-4 INTs batted prior to being intercepted. Let us try to be fair here. Like Flacco he always comes back after a bad play and doesn't seem fazed by his mistakes. He is able to see the field and diagnose defenses reasonably well given his experience. So, why the hate?

[ravenwildman]

Glad Big Joe is doing well! If we do end up in the first 5 or so of the draft I hope we can snag Laremy Tunsil of Miss. He is the LT I think we need bad. .....as a side note to this sad season, with having a top talent first rounder, a second round pick pretty close to where the Ravens usually get their first rounder, and everyone (I hope) coming back next season....the Ravens should be locked and loaded to have a strong year. GO RAVENS!

[ellicottraven]

Regardless of where we end up in the draft, 2016 has to be a great year for the Ravens. A high draft pick, several compensatory picks to choose from and all those injured players coming back to replenish the talent we have not to mention some changes in the coaching assistants, most notably the secondary coaching.

[steelcityraven]

L Treadwell- WR- Ole Miss

[MissRay27]

Great news on Joe. Speculation already has Ravens taking Fla CB Jalen Ramsay, personally a LT is far more important to protect Joe. Certainly Monroe, even if here is here is not dependable. How did this so call lingering injury from college get past the team doctors?? Maybe, we need a new medical staff as well and a few changes in scouts.

[blindbat]

I understand that Joe flacco is our quarterback but last not forget he throws interceptions like there no tomorrow and keep in mind he we playing with Steve Smith sr Shaub never played with Steve Smith I'm not saying Shaub is a better QB than Flacco but let's not kid ourselves Flacco is starting to become a turnover machine the year after we won the Superbowl he was throwing tons of interceptions and this year the bronco game the 49er game even the steelers game he was turning the ball over to much. All I'm saying maybe we should adopt the Packer philosophy on atleast drafting a QB in every years Draft cause if our defense keeps regressing we can't keep turning the ball over.

[mettro79]

It's kind of upsetting to hear people wanting Harbaugh's head for one disappointing season. I admit that I was uncertain of him when he was hired, especially since he was hired over Rex, but the dude has done more than enough to justify his position. The fact that players, both former and current, still dig this organization shows that we're doing something right.

Bad horrible seasons happen from time to time, but in no way do I believe this rash of bad outcomes is here to stay. Once seasons like this become a trend come talk to me, but for now look at whatever positivity is left and look forward to next season.

[reed20fence]

Honestly, despite his 4 INTs I don't think Schaub has played terribly. He has found several receivers for completions, had a couple of long completions and had at least 3-4 INTs batted prior to being intercepted. Let us try to be fair here. Like Flacco he always comes back after a bad play and doesn't seem fazed by his mistakes. He is able to see the field and diagnose defenses reasonably well given his experience. So, why the hate?

I'm of the same thinking as you. I just like Schaub for some reason. Obviously the pick sixes suck, but I honestly believe that it's some very strange fluky voodoo-type coincidence. He's not a terrible QB. He's intelligent, has a functional knowledge of the offense, seems situationally aware at all time, and has the same attitude of 'moving on to the next play' as Joe does.

I like watching this guy play.

[ellicottraven]

I'm of the same thinking as you. I just like Schaub for some reason. Obviously the pick sixes suck, but I honestly believe that it's some very strange fluky voodoo-type coincidence. He's not a terrible QB. He's intelligent, has a functional knowledge of the offense, seems situationally aware at all time, and has the same attitude of 'moving on to the next play' as Joe does.

I like watching this guy play.

We are lucky we have this guy playing for us. Let's not forget his career numbers compare favorably to that of Flacco's. He is as good an option to replace Flacco as there is right now. I would rather haven him than many other back ups out there... 

 

BTW we are talking just 4 more games here. Flacco is going to be back at the helm start of next season anyway...

Edited December 9, 2015 by ellicottraven

[rmcjacket23]

We are lucky we have this guy playing for us. Let's not forget his career numbers compare favorably to that of Flacco's. He is as good an option to replace Flacco as there is right now. I would rather haven him than many other back ups out there... 

 

BTW we are talking just 4 more games here. Flacco is going to be back at the helm start of next season anyway...

Just further proves two things I've been saying for years...

 

1. There's a gigantic difference between even what some people would perceive as an "average" QB like Flacco and most backup QBs in this league. People think QBs as good as Flacco, regardless of how great or poor you feel he is, grow on trees and are available all the time. They are not.

 

2. This validates how paying $20M for a QB is worth it. Too much comparison by fans to other QBs who play at a high level, and not enough comparison at what you get when you pay a QB $10M or less. The alternative to not paying even "average" QBs high end money is more costly than paying them that.

[ellicottraven]

I think you can count Steve Bisciotti among those "people".

 

Some cite the firing of Billick - also a Super Bowl champion, after his 5-11 season as a guide to how we should handle Harbaugh. They forget that the 6 years leading up to and including that 5-11 season we saw 3 losing seasons, 2 playoff appearances and an 0-2 record in those playoff appearances. I don't need to review Harbaugh's previous years with this team ... they look nothing like that. 

 

That said, the term "put on notice" ... I'm not sure what that exactly the previous poster means by that - but this season is a mark on the whole of the FO. Grace points are being burned. Bisciotti isn't Dan Snider ... but he's also not going to sit by and watch the franchise veer off in the wrong direction. The ship will need to be righted and in relatively short order or there will be consequences for those at the helm. 

Speaking candidly, I don't think Harbaugh's job is in jeopardy even if we don't win another game this year. I don't think his job is in jeopardy if we have a similar record next season. He is a very good coach that allows his coordinators decent control over the play calling and is not a control freak. He is a leader out there that is respected for his fairness and his positive 'never say never' attitude. That is what the Baltimore Ravens signify as a team and he fits the bill best for us. He is going to be here for a long, long time at least till Steve Biscotti owns this team in my honest opinion. That is exactly how it should be. 

 

I was mad at everybody when the season started falling apart, including Harbaugh. However, seeing him week after week despite tough losses, head held high, accepting responsibility for the loss while at the same time steadfast in his belief of his team made me appreciate him that much more! He is a great leader that can rally his troops regardless of how ravaged they are by injuries or circumstance. Kudos to him!

[Minionhunter]

Tom Brady 2015-12-09 "No one the NFL is good at converting 3rd and long. If the offense can convert 1-2 of those a game they are doing a pretty good job."

Anyone want to get Ravens stats on this?

[RavensBaltimore]

I understand that Joe flacco is our quarterback but last not forget he throws interceptions like there no tomorrow and keep in mind he we playing with Steve Smith sr Shaub never played with Steve Smith I'm not saying Shaub is a better QB than Flacco but let's not kid ourselves Flacco is starting to become a turnover machine the year after we won the Superbowl he was throwing tons of interceptions and this year the bronco game the 49er game even the steelers game he was turning the ball over to much. All I'm saying maybe we should adopt the Packer philosophy on atleast drafting a QB in every years Draft cause if our defense keeps regressing we can't keep turning the ball over.

 Flacco has only had 2 seasons where he has thrown a lot of ints, and he has literally had the worst receiving corps in the league both times. When he has even mediocre weapons to throw to, he doesn't turn the ball over much. Let's keep things in perspective here. Flacco has thrown more than 12 ints once in his career. Peyton Manning has thrown more than 12 ints 10 times in his career. Brady's done it 4 times, and he has also developed a habit of throwing ints since his WRs started getting injured. Schaub is throwing more ints than Joe, and he's faced 2 of the worst defenses in the league. Flacco didn't have SSS when he played Cleveland, nor did he have Gilmore or Givens, and the offense put up 30 with no ints. If you're looking for a qb who can do any better than Flacco with a bunch of third stringers at WR, you're not going to find one.

[blindbat]

I never said we should replace Flacco I'm just saying that every other positions we always draft for the future like corners linebacker the o line I'm just saying why can't we just look at other qbs in the draft just like the pack does its not like there replacing Aaron Rodgers in green bay its for security reasons and facts are facts I believe currently flacco owns the most turnovers on the road in the NFL right now I'm not bashing flacco I'm not hating flacco.

[burnbigben]

I think picking in the top 5 could do wonders for the rebirth of our team. The only 2 picks we've had in the top 15 the last 15 years are suggs and ngata!

[The Greek]

way too many 4 win teams left which could drop us to 10th if we were to somehow win another game and the other teams were to not win one. sorry you all and coach harbs but at this point we need to be in position to get the best talent possible so i hope we continue to lose close games and the younger players continue to show improvement.  look what it did for the bengals haviing all of those top 5 picks for 10 years in a row.

Edited December 9, 2015 by The Greek

[Crusader]

4 or 5 is where Ravens will stay.

[Crusader]

I think picking in the top 5 could do wonders for the rebirth of our team. The only 2 picks we've had in the top 15 the last 15 years are suggs and ngata!

That's up to Ozzie and honestly I don't have much confidence in Ozzie for a few years now..  I heard it was Cam that wanted Joe and Ray.

[757RavensFan]

 Flacco has only had 2 seasons where he has thrown a lot of ints, and he has literally had the worst receiving corps in the league both times. When he has even mediocre weapons to throw to, he doesn't turn the ball over much. Let's keep things in perspective here. Flacco has thrown more than 12 ints once in his career. Peyton Manning has thrown more than 12 ints 10 times in his career. Brady's done it 4 times, and he has also developed a habit of throwing ints since his WRs started getting injured. Schaub is throwing more ints than Joe, and he's faced 2 of the worst defenses in the league. Flacco didn't have SSS when he played Cleveland, nor did he have Gilmore or Givens, and the offense put up 30 with no ints. If you're looking for a qb who can do any better than Flacco with a bunch of third stringers at WR, you're not going to find one.

 

Actually, Joe only had ONE year where he's thrown a lot of INTs and that was the year after we won the SB with 22.  Other than that, he's never had more than 12 INTs in a season. However, he was definitely on track to throw a lot this year, he already  had 12 INTs prior to getting hurt.  

[757RavensFan]

way too many 4 win teams left which could drop us to 10th if we were to somehow win another game and the other teams were to not win one. sorry you all and coach harbs but at this point we need to be in position to get the best talent possible so i hope we continue to lose close games and the younger players continue to show improvement.  look what it did for the bengals haviing all of those top 5 picks for 10 years in a row.

 

Yeah but we undoubtedly have the hardest remaining schedule of all of the 4 win teams.  4-12 would not surprise me at all considering our remaining schedule.  Seahawks, Chiefs, Steelers, & Bengals and all of them are playing good ball right now.

[rmcjacket23]

I never said we should replace Flacco I'm just saying that every other positions we always draft for the future like corners linebacker the o line I'm just saying why can't we just look at other qbs in the draft just like the pack does its not like there replacing Aaron Rodgers in green bay its for security reasons and facts are facts I believe currently flacco owns the most turnovers on the road in the NFL right now I'm not bashing flacco I'm not hating flacco.

So you want to draft a QB to replace a QB who will probably play AT LEAST 4-5 more years?

 

The guy's rookie contract would be up before its even his turn to play. The days of NFL teams spending a first round pick on a QB and letting him sit for 2-3 years are over. Its not financially beneficial to the franchise to do so.

[Flamengo1265]

Next year it's gonna be like having 2 first round picks because Perriman will get on the field (assuming he can make it through a practice without going on IR). This team has needs on both sides of the ball so whether they go o-line, LB or secondary it doesn't really matter.

[Bohica5]

You do realize that those "sub par coaches" left to become Head Coaches on NFL teams, right? SMH

Did you not read this??....I said kept!.....he can't keep the good ones and can't get rid of the bad ones.......jeez

[Bohica5]

I agree that we do need to go best available ... that's just what smart teams do. Given we have a wide range of needs, it shouldn't be hard to make that work. Also, I agree that it has gotten kinda ridiculous to talk about playoffs. I thought we all agreed to stop using the "P" word weeks ago. 

 

The rest of what you said - couldn't disagree more. 

TY That's about 50%........

[Bohica5]

I used to think Harbs  was just managing a team run by ed and ray but after seeing how he has kept this team fighting even after we are all but guaranteed no playoff run has me changing my tune. Our guys fight for him. He is their coach and I have a new found respect for John .

I have to say he is improving(Love the way he's going for it on 4th down more often but he need's to be more unpredictable and that's hard when you've been around a long time).....but is the damage already done?...We will see next year and i for one we go Undefeated next year!

[OzzieBisciotti]

Oz messed up by not paying tyrod matt schaub money- tyrod would've stayed for a million a year,but oz cheaped out again at a crucial position, took another gamble as he did with our receivers and cbs. let's be real honest here, our past five drafts haven't been fruitful- that's why we're waiver watching every week to pick up other team scrubs. only on this year's team do we have typical backups starting for us. we do not draft as well as the packers, squeelers and pats- that's just another fact. washington has a stud gm and most of his picks, esp lower picks too, are all contributing this year- they dont sit on the bench like kindle, elam, arthur browmn,etc...

[Zeus]

Harbaugh believes we can still make playoffs? What the heck is this guy drinking.... This explains a lot of what has happen thus season.