[News] Late For Work 7/11: Five Can't-Miss News, Notes & Opinions During Ravens' Break

[BR News]

Smith knocks NFL Network’s Top 100 Players list. Watson reacts to recent mass shootings. Waller’s four-game suspension buys Ravens time. After watching former team win the Super Bowl, Dumervil wants his ring. Powers has one of the NFL’s most team-friendly contracts.

View the full article

[eze17]

So i'm not the only one who thought that Waller getting suspended would actually help the Ravens...not that I like seeing such a bad thing happen to him. It would have been nice to see how it all played out. But realistically, yes, him getting suspended did help the organization.

[rmcjacket23]

10 minutes ago, eze17 said:

So i'm not the only one who thought that Waller getting suspended would actually help the Ravens...not that I like seeing such a bad thing happen to him. It would have been nice to see how it all played out. But realistically, yes, him getting suspended did help the organization.

Maybe in the short term. But once its time to reinstate him, you've got to make a roster move. If there are no injured players to put on IR at that point, you might have to cut a player that you'd otherwise like to keep.

Still won't be surprised if he simply is cut.

[eze17]

  41 minutes ago, eze17 said:

So i'm not the only one who thought that Waller getting suspended would actually help the Ravens...not that I like seeing such a bad thing happen to him. It would have been nice to see how it all played out. But realistically, yes, him getting suspended did help the organization.

Maybe in the short term. But once its time to reinstate him, you've got to make a roster move. If there are no injured players to put on IR at that point, you might have to cut a player that you'd otherwise like to keep.

Still won't be surprised if he simply is cut.

Yes, but as the article said, he would probably be less desirable for anyone else to pick up. Ergo, we could sign him to the practice squad if so desired.

But you could very well be right and we just drop him.

[Halshayeji]

Am I the only one that's glad we have no more shared practice nonsense?

[rmcjacket23]

37 minutes ago, eze17 said:

Yes, but as the article said, he would probably be less desirable for anyone else to pick up. Ergo, we could sign him to the practice squad if so desired.

But you could very well be right and we just drop him.

I mean I personally don't even see the long term potential here, so it would be an easy decision if it were up to me.

[cobrajet]

I have a feeling Powers is going to be a great addition to this team.

[TheConquerorWorm]

  2 hours ago, eze17 said:

Yes, but as the article said, he would probably be less desirable for anyone else to pick up. Ergo, we could sign him to the practice squad if so desired.

But you could very well be right and we just drop him.

I mean I personally don't even see the long term potential here, so it would be an easy decision if it were up to me.

Great special teams player. Knows the offense. Elite size & speed. Plus body control & hands. May never be anything but is the perfect Practice Squad player. Because of their triple flexbone offense, Georgia Tech WRs usually take a couple of years to acclimate to the NFL (See Demaryius Thomas ). No real downside to keeping him on the PS.

[terpmaniac]

This makes no sense to me. Why cut Waller after one season? ONE! Give the kid a chance. He seems to have a huge upside. Can we at least see what he can do before we toss him out the door. Again he is going into his second year. I don't get it. Why the heck did we draft him then. Cutting him after one season makes no sense, none.

[January J]

4 hours ago, rmcjacket23 said:

Maybe in the short term. But once its time to reinstate him, you've got to make a roster move. If there are no injured players to put on IR at that point, you might have to cut a player that you'd otherwise like to keep.

Still won't be surprised if he simply is cut.

Right but it gives us 4 weeks for him to not be in danger of being picked up- so we get to see how the first four games play out- who gets injured- who is playing well etc. As opposed to just practice squadding him before week 1. Ofcourse we'll have to make a roster move- no different than the decision we would have to make when deciding the final 53..this Just bides us some time to see how things play out.

[rmcjacket23]

1 hour ago, TheConquerorWorm said:

Great special teams player. Knows the offense. Elite size & speed. Plus body control & hands. May never be anything but is the perfect Practice Squad player. Because of their triple flexbone offense, Georgia Tech WRs usually take a couple of years to acclimate to the NFL (See Demaryius Thomas ). No real downside to keeping him on the PS.

1. ST is valuable, but not real sure the coaching staff is interested in keeping a 5th TE purely for ST. There's plenty of good ST players who offer more depth at other positions and aren't suspended.

2. Size and speed is overrated, particularly when you don't know how to use it. Every team has a guy with his size and speed that's a prospect just like him, and most if not all of them won't make it beyond fringe roster player.

3. He still has to clear waivers in order to make it to the PS, which isn't a given. 

4. Thomas was held back by injuries and Tim Tebow, not being a bad WR coming out of college. You don't typically see 1,000 yard increases in production year over year, but when when you get healthy and get Peyton Manning, thinks like that happen.

[January J]

59 minutes ago, terpmaniac said:

This makes no sense to me. Why cut Waller after one season? ONE! Give the kid a chance. He seems to have a huge upside. Can we at least see what he can do before we toss him out the door. Again he is going into his second year. I don't get it. Why the heck did we draft him then. Cutting him after one season makes no sense, none.

Who says we are cutting him? He's the perfect practice squad candidate at this point if you ask me.  And this gives us 4 weeks of teams not being able to swipe him up off waivers.

[rmcjacket23]

2 hours ago, terpmaniac said:

This makes no sense to me. Why cut Waller after one season? ONE! Give the kid a chance. He seems to have a huge upside. Can we at least see what he can do before we toss him out the door. Again he is going into his second year. I don't get it. Why the heck did we draft him then. Cutting him after one season makes no sense, none.

Or he could EARN a chance, instead of being given one.

You know what would be a great start to EARNING a chance? Not getting suspended. That would be a good idea for long term growth.

And its not like teams releasing late round draft picks after a season or two is such a mind blowing idea. Most late round picks never pan out in this league, and all 32 NFL teams understand this. 

Put it this way... if every single NFL teams held all of their draft picks for at least 3-4 seasons (because it would probably take that long to figure out "what you got"), you would have pretty much no space for veterans on your roster. You'd be talking about carrying upwards of 35-40 rookie deal players on a 53 man roster.

[sami]

I remember a song that told of activities equal to pissing SSS off. It goes, "ya don't pull on Supermans cape, ya don't spit into the wind, ya take the mask off the Lone Ranger and ya don't have a top 100 list without HIM

[20306cab]

Am I the only one that's glad we have no more shared practice nonsense?

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's really helped out the last couple years, huh?

[fusuymada]

I think right now Waller making the team is on Waller, I think the Ravens are going to give him the chance to prove they can't live without him. He definitely has a big upside so I am sure the Ravens will figure a way to keep him around even if he has to stumble in a pothole and twist his ankle and go on IR. I think that everyone was right about the Ravens last year but the loss of Suggs was more devastating than people could imagine. That was the team's heart and soul, the nexus of their leadership and it took an incredible psychological toll on this team. If these guys stay healthy, the prognostications from last year that put us in the big game are pretty much intact since we had virtually no turnover. Then add Weddle, Perriman, Watson and Wallace and one of the strongest tight end and running back corps and we have one heck of a team. Just keep in the back of your mind the Ravens were a Super Bowl pick last year and if healthy are better this year.

[bigcatfrank1]

Just dont think Waller going to make this team. He may be around for PS, maybe.

Wide Recievers- top 4 -Smith Sr., Wallace, Aiken, Perriman,
then 3 (ST) of -Brown or Butler/ Clay, Matthews or Moore/Renolds. (7) longshot=Campinaro.

Tight Ends- Watson, Gilmore (ST), Williams(ST)- (3) , Boyle sus/PS -
longshot= Pitta

RB - 3, (ST) I will pick later..
FB- 1 (ST), KJ
O line -8 (2ST) I will pick later
QB -2 = 24 (9 ST)

Defense- 26 ( here is the spot for development.) (11ST)

K, P, LS= 3

This team is deep and the talent is there. Though raw Special Teams will not be a problem for the Ravens.

[Saxxin]

The ravens will find a way to keep Waller around even if it's some mysterious injury that puts him on IR. Watson is short term and Pitta, even if he does play is too. They won't need a TE for years with the four guys they have. Waller may sit out the 2016 season but he'll be back next year with Watson and Pitta most likely gone. You don't dump a guy after one year unless he proves he can't play on the field. Waller didn't do that. He played like a roie at times but he also made some catches as a WR. As a TE he'll do even better because he won't be covered by a corner. He's to fast for LB's and so he'll either get free fast or draw double coverage which leaves the WR's one on one. Plus he's a deep threat and right up Joe's alley.

[Guest]

Well, I don't know who Tony Lombardi is, but if he thinks Waller will survive a Practice Squad poaching he's dreaming.

[Crusader]

I wish the sports media would stop reporting on what players say about political or other events. Opinions are like behinds; everyone has one and they stink.

[rmcjacket23]

11 hours ago, Saxxin said:

The ravens will find a way to keep Waller around even if it's some mysterious injury that puts him on IR. Watson is short term and Pitta, even if he does play is too. They won't need a TE for years with the four guys they have. Waller may sit out the 2016 season but he'll be back next year with Watson and Pitta most likely gone. You don't dump a guy after one year unless he proves he can't play on the field. Waller didn't do that. He played like a roie at times but he also made some catches as a WR. As a TE he'll do even better because he won't be covered by a corner. He's to fast for LB's and so he'll either get free fast or draw double coverage which leaves the WR's one on one. Plus he's a deep threat and right up Joe's alley.
 

Even IF Pitta and Watson were gone, that'd put Waller as, at best, the 3rd TE, competing with Nick Boyle for that job.

AND... that's assuming that we don't add a TE at all via FA or the draft.

The path to significant offensive playing time for Waller is very difficult to see for more until at least 2018.

[eze17]

  15 hours ago, Danny D said:

Well, I don't know who Tony Lombardi is, but if he thinks Waller will survive a Practice Squad poaching he's dreaming.

Its amazing how often Ravens fans think their project/prospects are so good that teams will kill to raid their PS for them, yet the same fans also think the team is garbage.

 

Well, I agree with you about fans always think another team will swoop down and grab bubble guys we put on our PS, when most teams face the same problem worrying about their guys and really don't have room to grab a player off another team. The exception seems to be teams(like our neighboring NFL team)that trade away most of their draft picks and don't really have the rookie talent the majority of squads have. That being said, I DO have a suspicion the Pats may well snag Reynolds if we put him on the PS.

Another point:just because a team snatches someone off another teams PS doesn't always mean they keep them, and a lot of times the original team can get them back. Of course we all know about the guy the Ravens picked off the Squealers PS a few years back, only to cut him and let Splitsburg get him back...

[rmcjacket23]

39 minutes ago, eze17 said:

Well, I agree with you about fans always think another team will swoop down and grab bubble guys we put on our PS, when most teams face the same problem worrying about their guys and really don't have room to grab a player off another team. The exception seems to be teams(like our neighboring NFL team)that trade away most of their draft picks and don't really have the rookie talent the majority of squads have. That being said, I DO have a suspicion the Pats may well snag Reynolds if we put him on the PS.

Another point:just because a team snatches someone off another teams PS doesn't always mean they keep them, and a lot of times the original team can get them back. Of course we all know about the guy the Ravens picked off the Squealers PS a few years back, only to cut him and let Splitsburg get him back...

Caveat with another team poaching your PS is that they MUST put that player on their active roster. So if somebody steals Waller, he's gotta be on their 53.

I don't see many, if any, teams in the league right now where Waller is worth a 53 man roster spot on.