[News] Late For Work 10/20: Joe Flacco's Injury Not Surprising Behind Banged-Up Line, But Good News Ahead

[BR News]

Seeing Jimmy Smith at practice is a very encouraging sign. Despite a projected 4-6 week recovery time, Big Ben is aiming for a return against Baltimore. The Ravens' chances of top-10 draft pick are better than reaching the playoffs. Receiving corps ranked No. 28 in NFL.

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[crazyboutravens]

A very nice BS article. Lots of positive words but they are not charming me into
believing that anything they come up with about injuries is usually BS. I will wait
until Sunday to see if ANY

 

of our starters actually play. That way I can be truly surprised or I can wait another 3 weeks to see if they are out there.

 

Truth about injuries is not a Raven strong suit but lying about them is not either.

[fusuymada]

Personally, I think the problem with the Ravens occurs during the offseason and not during the time they are actually playing. We knew when we moved Webb to safety he was too slow to play in the secondary anymore but we ignored the facts and moved him there anyway. He was too slow to even react to Beckham as he flew by him even though he caught the pass 15 yards in front of him. We knew Shareece Wright isnt a starting NFL cornerback but yet we ignored it and stuck him out there. After being shocked the first week, he is what we knew he was. Drafting a rookie at left tackle and then turning around and dismissing your backup. We knew when we let Monroe go that our backup was Hurst and yet we did it anyway because Harbaugh didn't like his stance on things that have nothing to do with football. We knew SSS, Suggs, Yanda, etc... were long in the teeth, but we still put the load on them to carry the team and now we are short players because we are relying too much on old players. We could have had Ramsey which would have shored up our secondary and since Stanley has missed half his games and Kaufusi hasn't even played in one, we should have known. Once again, we have 2nd and 3rd round draft picks that just aren't producing. You should be able to plan on starting your first and second rounders and outside of Jernigan, I can't think of a second rounder that has amounted to anything in recent drafts.

I am sure if they polled the front office people like they have in the past, the Ravens FO which usually ranks in the top 2 or 3 would be a lot lower considering the results of the last 5 years of off season activity.

[ibleedpurpleandblack]

Coaching staff should be ashamed that this make shift line is the best they can do to protect their franchise QB. To be honest I'm surprised Flacco hasn't been injured even worse than he has been.

[nj_ravens]

Personally, I think the problem with the Ravens occurs during the offseason and not during the time they are actually playing. We knew when we moved Webb to safety he was too slow to play in the secondary anymore but we ignored the facts and moved him there anyway. He was too slow to even react to Beckham as he flew by him even though he caught the pass 15 yards in front of him. We knew Shareece Wright isnt a starting NFL cornerback but yet we ignored it and stuck him out there. After being shocked the first week, he is what we knew he was. Drafting a rookie at left tackle and then turning around and dismissing your backup. We knew when we let Monroe go that our backup was Hurst and yet we did it anyway because Harbaugh didn't like his stance on things that have nothing to do with football. We knew SSS, Suggs, Yanda, etc... were long in the teeth, but we still put the load on them to carry the team and now we are short players because we are relying too much on old players. We could have had Ramsey which would have shored up our secondary and since Stanley has missed half his games and Kaufusi hasn't even played in one, we should have known. Once again, we have 2nd and 3rd round draft picks that just aren't producing. You should be able to plan on starting your first and second rounders and outside of Jernigan, I can't think of a second rounder that has amounted to anything in recent drafts.

I am sure if they polled the front office people like they have in the past, the Ravens FO which usually ranks in the top 2 or 3 would be a lot lower considering the results of the last 5 years of off season activity.

"We could have had Ramsey which would have shored up our secondary and since Stanley has missed half his games and Kaufusi hasn't even played in one, we should have known. "

How should we have known? No seriously, HOW? How did you know Stanley would hurt his foot and Kaufusi would break his ankle? Injuries are just an unfortunate part of the game. And for young guys with little to know medical history, there is know way they should have or could have known. Stop it with the Ramsey comments. He's a sassy punk anyway.

I agree on Wright and Webb to an extent. Not great so far.

I agree with our second round picks needing to produce, to an extent. They weren't expecting Orr to play as well as he has at ILB. That's why they were training Correa at that spot. So he could start, as you said. now we don't have to. So he has to develop as a pass rusher, which may take time (Look at Shane Ray in Denver as an example). He has motor but not hand technique, which was noted when he was drafted. That part is going to take time. So for now he is our ultimate backup for ILB, OLB, RUSH, and Special teams, which is an important position to have, because of all injuries and having veteran players.

[The Negotiator]

Note for next years draft Ravens you need to trade up. The drafts the last 5 Years have been average at best. We need playmakers game changers. On this current roster I can not name one person who could take over a game like Lewis and Reed or on offense like Jamal Lewis or Anquan the Playmaker Boldin. We have plenty of depth now we need to draft game changers. Time to trade up Oz because trading back has put this organization back a few years.

[nj_ravens]

Coaching staff should be ashamed that this make shift line is the best they can do to protect their franchise QB. To be honest I'm surprised Flacco hasn't been injured even worse than he has been.

They only need to be ashamed for keeping Hurst because he is truly awful. If they had kept almost any other backup T they would have been fine to deal with some injuries for a few days.

[nj_ravens]

Note for next years draft Ravens you need to trade up. The drafts the last 5 Years have been average at best. We need playmakers game changers. On this current roster I can not name one person who could take over a game like Lewis and Reed or on offense like Jamal Lewis or Anquan the Playmaker Boldin. We have plenty of depth now we need to draft game changers. Time to trade up Oz because trading back has put this organization back a few years.

Mostly right, but how do we know we need to trade up if we don't know our draft position yet? Quite possibly could stay put and get that player without giving up picks. Too early to tell. I generally agree that we don't need to trade back.

[rmcjacket23]

Note for next years draft Ravens you need to trade up. The drafts the last 5 Years have been average at best. We need playmakers game changers. On this current roster I can not name one person who could take over a game like Lewis and Reed or on offense like Jamal Lewis or Anquan the Playmaker Boldin. We have plenty of depth now we need to draft game changers. Time to trade up Oz because trading back has put this organization back a few years.

Umm, no...

1. The first rounds and in particular the top 10 have produced some major busts in the last few years. The drafts, in general, are as weak as they've ever been.

2. If teams thought the same way that you do, then they wouldn't trade back with us anyway.

3. Its kind of hard to argue that we have plenty of depth when you see certain areas like the secondary and OL struggle so badly when the starters go down injured.

We certainly need playmakers (every team does), but I'm certainly not trading quality depth possibilities to get it. Just doesn't make any sense from a roster construction standpoint.

[rmcjacket23]

Truth about injuries is not a Raven strong suit but lying about them is not either.

They shouldn't be telling the fans anything about injuries. They have no impact on whether players play or not, and it doesn't benefit the team at all to tell us anything.

[eze17]

  35 minutes ago, ibleedpurpleandblack said:

Coaching staff should be ashamed that this make shift line is the best they can do to protect their franchise QB. To be honest I'm surprised Flacco hasn't been injured even worse than he has been.

They only need to be ashamed for keeping Hurst because he is truly awful. If they had kept almost any other backup T they would have been fine to deal with some injuries for a few days.

I was surprised Hurst even made the roster...and I would throw out Kendrick Lewis as another name that had no business being on our squad. After last season one would have thought the Raven's would have understood the need for credible back-ups across the board, but as injuries on our O-line and in our secondary have shown, we kept players who did not perform well last year and haven't played well yet again this year.

Not to say this will doom us this year: The Raven's have enough talent and potential to still make improvements and become a better, more focused team. But after all the talk of getting rid of low performing players this last off season, it seems the team still holds on to several players who have shown little ability to play NFL football at the level required to consistently win games.

[RaRaRavens]

4 minutes ago, rmcjacket23 said:

Umm, no...

1. The first rounds and in particular the top 10 have produced some major busts in the last few years. The drafts, in general, are as weak as they've ever been.

2. If teams thought the same way that you do, then they wouldn't trade back with us anyway.

3. Its kind of hard to argue that we have plenty of depth when you see certain areas like the secondary and OL struggle so badly when the starters go down injured.

We certainly need playmakers (every team does), but I'm certainly not trading quality depth possibilities to get it. Just doesn't make any sense from a roster construction standpoint.

No 1 is absolutely irrelevant. Major busts have been drafted in later picks as well, say for example pick no 32 in 2013. Even Oz can't hit a home run with every pick, but picking inside the 10 greatly reduces that risk.

 

While I don't agree completely with The Negotiator, I agree in the part that we have failed to draft new franchise players. Outside of Mosley, and maybe B. Williams, we do not have consistent play-makers on either side of the ball. 

 

For some reason, most players from at least our 3-4 past drafts have failed to develop into great starters. It's strange, considering the high potential ceiling and great praise they received after the draft. And it's really worrisome, because soon when our current veteran leaders retire, there is virtually no one to pick up the torch, because almost none of the young guys has stepped up in the past 5 years the way we have been expecting them to - being consistent difference makers and starters.

[The Negotiator]

  38 minutes ago, The Negotiator said:

Note for next years draft Ravens you need to trade up. The drafts the last 5 Years have been average at best. We need playmakers game changers. On this current roster I can not name one person who could take over a game like Lewis and Reed or on offense like Jamal Lewis or Anquan the Playmaker Boldin. We have plenty of depth now we need to draft game changers. Time to trade up Oz because trading back has put this organization back a few years.

Umm, no...

1. The first rounds and in particular the top 10 have produced some major busts in the last few years. The drafts, in general, are as weak as they've ever been.

2. If teams thought the same way that you do, then they wouldn't trade back with us anyway.

3. Its kind of hard to argue that we have plenty of depth when you see certain areas like the secondary and OL struggle so badly when the starters go down injured.

We certainly need playmakers (every team does), but I'm certainly not trading quality depth possibilities to get it. Just doesn't make any sense from a roster construction standpoint.

Are you kidding me we need playmakers and the whole depth thing is what the Ravens like to say about trading back. They have drafted bad the last 5 years period. Zero playmakers and last I checked this is a passing league and we have a 120 million dollar QB with no playmakers.

[TheRavengers]

Regarding Kamalai Correa, I'm just eager to see if he gets to have more snaps after bye week, even with Zach Orr playing playing well.

[rmcjacket23]

1 minute ago, RaRaRavens said:

No 1 is absolutely irrelevant. Major busts have been drafted in later picks as well, say for example pick no 32 in 2013. Even Oz can't hit a home run with every pick, but picking inside the 10 greatly reduces that risk.

 

While I don't agree completely with The Negotiator, I agree in the part that we have failed to draft new franchise players. Outside of Mosley, and maybe B. Williams, we do not have consistent play-makers on either side of the ball. 

 

For some reason, most players from at least our 3-4 past drafts have failed to develop into great starters. It's strange, considering the high potential ceiling and great praise they received after the draft. And it's really worrisome, because soon when our current veteran leaders retire, there is virtually no one to pick up the torch, because almost none of the young guys has stepped up in the past 5 years the way we have been expecting them to - being consistent difference makers and starters.

1. Its certainly not irrelevant, particularly in the context that we are talking about, which is TRADING UP to a higher draft slot to get a player. That comes with a price tag, and oftentimes, depending on how high up you want to go and how much ground you need to cover to get there, that price tag is gigantic. In most cases, at least multiple players in multiple rounds. 

So while the risk of a top 10 pick being a bust is lower than say a top 30 pick being a bust, the risk to the organization of failure also increases dramatically with a trade up. Because if that player doesn't pan out (and expectations are generally significantly higher for players you traded up to get), you didn't just miss on a single draft pick... you missed on multiple, because you gave up multiple to get that single player.

If this process were risk free, and the only risk was whether the player was a bust or not, every team would try to trade into the top 10 every year, and no team would likely ever trade out. But the reason why that doesn't happen is because you're essentially swapping risk for risk. Most teams would say that you end up riskier at the end of the trade, depending on the cost.

2. Nobody is disputing we need more talent and impact players. I think that's been obvious for years.

 

[rmcjacket23]

4 minutes ago, The Negotiator said:

Are you kidding me we need playmakers and the whole depth thing is what the Ravens like to say about trading back. They have drafted bad the last 5 years period. Zero playmakers and last I checked this is a passing league and we have a 120 million dollar QB with no playmakers.

Obviously we need playmakers. Nobody is disputing that. They also don't grow on trees, and if you get ONE in any given year, you've done well. 

Also the entire concept of "playmakers" is inherently subjective anyway, because there's no definitive measure of what one is. I consider Brandon Williams a playmaker, as I do for CJ Mosley as well. In time, I think Stanley will be on that list as well.

Most of the time, I think fans get caught up in the fantasy-like playmakers, where they want a RB or WR who puts up monster yardage, or a safety like Ed Reed (a generational talent the likes of which we haven't seen since) who's constantly intercepting passes.

As I said earlier, incredibly hard to find. Only a handful of them even exist in a given draft, and they're all over the place.

[Drew P]

Pitt could put Bradshaw back there and torch those knuckleheads

[araveninwaconc]

Hello everyone? I have been a Baltimore fan since the Colts! When the Ravens came to town I was soooo ecstatic! Winning two Superbowls great. However, what I don't understand is why so many problems now? The Patriots always seem to step up with or without injuries? This is becoming a real issue with me? If John is such a good coach then the time for him to show is now. His antics and political like speeches aren't cutting it! One excuses after another from him> Iam beginning to suspect it might be time for a head coach change? I look at New England year after year moving winning playoffs. With average players? Football has gotten weak nothing like the years past. This is a sport for Pre- Madonnas? Com on guys lets play ball. Ravens I realize that there are good years and there are bad years but damn it has to end sometimes! Joe you got all that money? And now you suck? it could be blamed on lots of things but there was a time when we got the ball last and needed to score touchdown or field goal we were sure to win. So the superbowl run was a fluke? Joe you throw like some damn rookie who dosent have a clue you have regressed! Now we look like the damn Jaguars? SSS comes back for this? Oh wow what memories he will have, It is not fun watching footbal when you are use to winning and your team is a complete joke and totally disrespected. However, the sports writers claimed the Ravens were crap even when they were 3-0? There was a time when we relished the moment to prove them wrong! We are just out there taking up space, no energy or hype? Thanks for the years Ray and Reed It is times like these that helps me understand just how good you guys were! Thanks for those precious memories because now we are a joke and the NFL writers love burying us deep.

[araveninwaconc]

This crap all began when we allowed ourselves to let Boldin go! injury free people go! now all we have r people related to the injury bug?

[araveninwaconc]

A team full of Micheal Campanaros!

[araveninwaconc]

Somebody help me! I am about to turn into a patriot? Help me I am trying to hang on! Never thought this could happen to me thought it only happen to other people? Catch me Iam falling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[araveninwaconc]

Ravens I need you now! Hit me with an anti virus quick!

[araveninwaconc]

Oh dont let me start on Perriman! I thought we had something in him since his Father was a quality receiver? He sucks! You would think after all that down time he would have taken notes and learned something? He is a joke no hands no get open skills where is the speed? A complete joke he is! First round. I must admit that I am jealous of players like cooper and other rookie wide out who have shown flashes of their abilities. Perriman hasent torched any one or even come close? Man what a waste! 4.4 Haaaaaa Haaaaa We waited all this time for what?

[Drew P]

7 minutes ago, araveninwaconc said:

 I am about to turn into a patriot?

Go for it.

 

[nj_ravens]

Somebody help me! I am about to turn into a patriot? Help me I am trying to hang on! Never thought this could happen to me thought it only happen to other people? Catch me Iam falling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok, leave. If you're that easy to leave your team then leave. We don't want you. I've never seen a fan base blow up over 3-3 like this before. Freaking chill out.

[araveninwaconc]

# 10 sucks too every pass thrown to him he has dropped but they say he can stretch the field are you serious fellas comon! He cant even stretch his arms to catch the ball. And why is Wallace going cross the middle? Something are just hard to understand for the ravens

[BMORE = BEASTING]

Note for next years draft Ravens you need to trade up. The drafts the last 5 Years have been average at best. We need playmakers game changers. On this current roster I can not name one person who could take over a game like Lewis and Reed or on offense like Jamal Lewis or Anquan the Playmaker Boldin. We have plenty of depth now we need to draft game changers. Time to trade up Oz because trading back has put this organization back a few years.

10 games left of the regular season way, way too soon to be thinking about the draft.

[Crusader]

If Jeremy Butler has a a great game someone should be re educated on talent selection.

[Crusader]

Pitt could put Bradshaw back there and torch those knuckleheads

When does it fall on Coaching? How many guys do they have to go thru before the start looking else were for the issue?

[The Negotiator]

  1 hour ago, The Negotiator said:

Note for next years draft Ravens you need to trade up. The drafts the last 5 Years have been average at best. We need playmakers game changers. On this current roster I can not name one person who could take over a game like Lewis and Reed or on offense like Jamal Lewis or Anquan the Playmaker Boldin. We have plenty of depth now we need to draft game changers. Time to trade up Oz because trading back has put this organization back a few years.

10 games left of the regular season way, way too soon to be thinking about the draft.

Saying in general over the last few years we should have traded up for better talent then trade back. We have traded back to much