[News] Should Ravens Target A First-Round Running Back?

[Crusader]

You see what happened when Pitts and Greenbay had no pass rush and we're talking about a running back?. Yea, be that stupid and push for a Runningback in first round. When Ngata was here you seen many other defensive backs getting sacks and hits even with injuried players. How's that been since he left. Never replaced him neither.

[Halshayeji]

11 hours ago, ellicottraven said:

If Fournette or Cook is available, it would be foolish not to pick one. We need star playmakers on this team because we are riddled with mediocrity everywhere on offense right now. Look at the AFC North, almost every team has better running backs than we do. When Rice was here, we were the best, but now?

Also, taking one of these top playmakers in the first round will force the hand of the coaches to use the run more too. It'll relieve pressure on Flacco to just hand the ball over when he is being blitzed instead of dinking and dunking all day long or committing stupid and costly interceptions.

We need a superstar offensive player that can become the identity of our offense and the face of it. Fournette and Cook have the potential to be that player. I say the Ravens should strictly stick to the best player available strategy in the first and second rounds period. That is the only way we are going to amass talent again.

Finally, John needs to keep his butt out of the draft room and try not to force the scouting department and front office to draft position players only if they are ace special teamers too anymore. He needs to get back to focus primarily on coaching and let Ozzie, Eric and Hortiz do the drafting.

I absolutely agree that if we draft a running back early then it would probably force the coaches to run more. But I'm afraid the problem isn't the running back as much as it is scheme, tendency, and an underperforming line.

i also agree that fournette is from the same mold that zeek gurley and Gordon were. (If they fall so far then teams have to consider changing their whole draft board) theyr just freaks of nature that any team would love to have for 5 years on a bargain price.

i simply don't see cook in the same category unless he runs a 4.35 or something like that in the combine. 

Id also like to add that we have invested a 3rd and two 4th round picks on RB the past 3 years (I'm not even including pierce). I'd like to see a return in that investment.

last but not least, wev also killed10 mil  cap between Forsett and rice.

in other words, FO have made moves to fix the run but all have failed drastically! Idk who is to blame but if it's not right by midseason then Mr Bischotti needs to intervene and chop some heads off!

 

[sizzlingdoom]

Tired of seeing "West for No gain" or "West for 1 yard". He's a plodding smash against the wall RB. Dixon has some wiggle and some toughness - hoping he takes over the lead back. But the bottom line is none of these guys are on the level of a Zeke or Bell - they're not even on a Thomas Rawls, Spencer Ware level. Let's face it, if you lined up all the RBs in the NFL and picked them, these guys would be at the bottom. Just look at the play-off teams - they are not there because of their secondary or defense, it's because of Ben/Bell/Brown; Ryan/Julio/Freeman; Brady/Edelman/Blount; Rodgers/Montgomery/Jordy.

I agree about West. He should be a third back at best. I disagree about Dixon though. I honestly would take him over Ware and Rawls easily. I think he's special, and just needs time to learn the little things. And like you said, he needs to get lead back duties. Then everything will come to him, like protections. I think Dixon is awesome and wouldn't mind seeing us add a back in rounds 3-5. But are you suggesting we pick one in round 1...or 2? I think the playoffs and recent ball has been about qbs ballin through the air, or dominant defenses. And I don't think we're that far from a dominant D....at least for one more year while Sizzle is still around. I think we absolutely have to go corner, or maybe Adams or Hooker if they're there. I think corner though. Cook looks overated. Fournette is a freak though. Can't believe some people have Cook going before Fournette

[sizzlingdoom]

hate watching other teams in the playoffs. should be in there if it were not for some greedy calls by the hc, crappy offensive game plans and a dc that got too conservative with leads.

Wow. My thoughts exactly. I just might interchange stupid with greedy

[sizzlingdoom]

Cook Maybe, Fournette is injury prone , but for me CB-CB-CB-CB oh did i mention I Think we should draft a#1CB

OMG we have to go corner. Esp bc there are plenty of awesome ones. We're guaranteed to get a corner at 16, that would easily go in the top 10 of most drafts. Period. Gotta do it

[TheConquerorWorm]

  6 hours ago, TheConquerorWorm said:

Tired of seeing "West for No gain" or "West for 1 yard". He's a plodding smash against the wall RB. Dixon has some wiggle and some toughness - hoping he takes over the lead back. But the bottom line is none of these guys are on the level of a Zeke or Bell - they're not even on a Thomas Rawls, Spencer Ware level. Let's face it, if you lined up all the RBs in the NFL and picked them, these guys would be at the bottom. Just look at the play-off teams - they are not there because of their secondary or defense, it's because of Ben/Bell/Brown; Ryan/Julio/Freeman; Brady/Edelman/Blount; Rodgers/Montgomery/Jordy.

Completely false

"The Ravens’ Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon combined for only six plays of 20 or more yards"

Stats don't lie.

Terrance West - 67 Rushes for 1 yard or less
Terrance West - 26 Rushes for 2 yards

That's 93 of his 193 rushes that went for 2 yards or less.....

And only had 19 rushes that gained 10+ yards. Isaiah Crowell, playing behind one of the worst O-lines AND whose offense ran the ball less than the Ravens, had 26 rushes of 10+ yards.

[sizzlingdoom]

it's sad because we never wanted ELLIOT,we we suppose to trade for RAMSEY but the deal got screwed up! we can get our CB this year with DEE KING he can also play safety just like RAMSEY can,KING is not ranked the highest cb on the board,but many insiders believe he is the best,physical corner in the draft,J SMITH,when healthy has lost a step due to injuries,they can put him in as a slot guy,then we have 2 physical shutdown corners in TAVON YOUNG who will get even stronger this offseason,and KING a true shutdown guy,our secondary would be as good as ARIZONAS and a tad lower than SEATTLES,but then again,we have the best run stopping D in football! so we will just be,very good at doing both,the first thing i do before all that is give ZUTAH his pink slip,he's a walking penalty,drive killer! draft a strong BULLDOZER like DENVERS MCGOVERN and STANLEY another offseason to get stronger and DIXON and WEST will be a fine 1-2 punch!

I agree with a lot of your points on your posts on this article. First I have to say how it is absolute LUDICROUS if we even slightly considered taking a rb in the first this year! Madness. It would look as ridiculous as our coaching looked this year!!!!!! And that's saying something.
Getting Ramsey would've been awesome, no doubt. We'd probably still be playing if we did, who knows. I'm not too bummed about it though cuz Stanley looks awesome, and he plays a very important position. I'm with you about King though. The guy looks awesome! Really looks like a young Revis to me. Shut down corner capability, awesome and natural returner, and I think he would make an amazing FS.
Where I disagree is that Jimmy has lost a step due to injuries. He's injury prone, we all know that. But I have faith in him staying healthy next year. I also think the slot would be a terrible place to put him. Quickness and covering small wrs is not his strength at all. If he gets himself healthy this summer and comes to camp hungry, I still believe he's a top 10 cover cb in the NFL. He doesn't cause turnovers which sucks, but he just doesn't give much up at all when healthy. So slight tweak to your thinking, I think Jimmy and King on the outside, with quick little Tavon in the slot. Tavon is a straight baller. Too bad we don't usually trade up. It'd be so worth it to draft 2 first rounders this year. I sincerely believe if we drafted a corner that we're talking about like King, or maybe Wilson, Tabor, or Jones. And we added Jamal Adams or Malik Hooker. We would have THE best secondary in the NFL. For years too. Can you imagine trying to throw on Jimmy+Tavon+King+Adams+Weddle.....LOL Combined with the way we stop the run...haha, the Ravens D would be officially back. We should trade up and do that, esp with the way we've been wasting picks for the past several years. I can't even imagine. That would be amazing.
I also agree that Dixon is a baller and more than adequate as our lead rb. And Zuttah needs to go and we need to draft a big mauling Center. in the second or third I'd say.

[sizzlingdoom]

A lot of our running issues were on the coaches. Just one of the many ways coaching overall couldn't have gone much worse than they did, the WHOLE season. Minus Miami. Add to this to the fact that the Ravens just can't really coach offense + the best offensive coach and qb mind in the past 5 years becomes available as a head coach. AND he's probably going to go coach the worst team in football......bummer. I think he would've chose the Ravens instead. And I'm talking about Shanahan btw

[law215]

Looking a the final four teams, Ravens have their work cut out for them. I think it is a mistake to keep the same coaching staff and not shake up the scouting department.

Patriots - had the #1 scoring defense and reached the Super Bowl without Gronk

Steelers - have an explosive offense and put up a lot of points without Bryant
Add to that Hargraves, Tuit, Heyward are a great defensive line. Shazier and Burns are playmakers on an improving defense

Raiders - are a young talented team

Bengals - seems to have the Ravens number and are stock with talent on both sides of the ball.

Chiefs - have a lot of talent of defense and are well coached

Ravens will have a hard time playing catchup to these teams. Ravens need for some of these young guys (Maxx Williams, Correa, Perriman, Gilmore, Moore, Dixon, Judon, Young) to be guys they can rely on to make plays consistently. Flacco has to be better.

Maintaining status quo with so many strong and up coming teams seems like a mistake.

[Rav'n Maniac]

I don't see the sense in taking a RB as our first selection when we have so many other needs at key positions. We can make do with what we have after we fix the Oline. To me, selecting a RB in the early rounds is a luxury pick when you don't have other needs at skill positions.

[sizzlingdoom]

Looking a the final four teams, Ravens have their work cut out for them. I think it is a mistake to keep the same coaching staff and not shake up the scouting department.

Patriots - had the #1 scoring defense and reached the Super Bowl without Gronk

Steelers - have an explosive offense and put up a lot of points without Bryant
Add to that Hargraves, Tuit, Heyward are a great defensive line. Shazier and Burns are playmakers on an improving defense

Raiders - are a young talented team

Bengals - seems to have the Ravens number and are stock with talent on both sides of the ball.

Chiefs - have a lot of talent of defense and are well coached

Ravens will have a hard time playing catchup to these teams. Ravens need for some of these young guys (Maxx Williams, Correa, Perriman, Gilmore, Moore, Dixon, Judon, Young) to be guys they can rely on to make plays consistently. Flacco has to be better.

Maintaining status quo with so many strong and up coming teams seems like a mistake.

agreed. We have enough talent that it can be done. But we have to make a lot of very nice some before next season starts. And the whole coaching staff just needs to watch every single game from this season and that should say enough. It'd be nice if Steve had a change of heart. But looks like things are set unfortunately

[BigUgly]

If Dalvin Cook falls to the Ravens at 16, then maybe snag him. Definitely not worth trading up for as this draft is deep at RB (and CB). I think I'd like to see a WR like Williams or Davis, but the safe play will likely be OLB or CB.

Of course, that means that Tim Williams, Marlon Humphrey, or a reach for Reuben Foster will be our #16 because, you know, 'Bama.

[sizzlingdoom]

If Dalvin Cook falls to the Ravens at 16, then maybe snag him. Definitely not worth trading up for as this draft is deep at RB (and CB). I think I'd like to see a WR like Williams or Davis, but the safe play will likely be OLB or CB.

Of course, that means that Tim Williams, Marlon Humphrey, or a reach for Reuben Foster will be our #16 because, you know, 'Bama.

Yup, I'm worried about Cam Robinson too

[whobilly]

i CRINGED when they gave RICE that big contract and wrote to not please do it,but they did anyway.RICE was good,but it is when we had the top O-LINE in football at the time,i cringed when they gave FLACCO a big contract,they didn't listen then either,i wish just sometimes we were like SAN DIEGO and didn't hand out ANY big,long term contracts.

Rivers makes 20 mill a season.

[sizzlingdoom]

  8 hours ago, dirtybird66 said:

i CRINGED when they gave RICE that big contract and wrote to not please do it,but they did anyway.RICE was good,but it is when we had the top O-LINE in football at the time,i cringed when they gave FLACCO a big contract,they didn't listen then either,i wish just sometimes we were like SAN DIEGO and didn't hand out ANY big,long term contracts.

Rivers makes 20 mill a season.

And Rivers has been ballin as a top 10 QB for the last ELEVEN years. I sincerely believe the Ravens would have at least 4 rings if RIvers was our QB the past 11 years.

[KidNme]

If there's one we'd like, I'd go QB in first round! That would put fire under Joe and let us groom our future QB. If not this year then we'll be doing it soon enough I think.

[RavensDieHard21]

14 hours ago, The Greek said:

hate watching other teams in the playoffs. should be in there if it were not for some greedy calls by the hc, crappy offensive game plans and a dc that got too conservative with leads.

I said before the game the steelers would get blown out. I said only the Ravens and Broncos have been able to hang with the pats in the post season. 

Realistically though, coaching did suck this year, but I think we only would have won maybe two more games--Pittsburgh not being one of them. 

Harbaugh single handedly cost us the Raiders game. He should have never accepted the penalty on 3rd down because it immediately led to a TD after instead of a FG. Plus the failed 2 point conversion. That is a 5 point swing making the score Ravens 28 Raiders 23 

the Giants game was decided by coaching too. Harbs was so cocky thinking we could punch it in with our banged up offensive line vs a stout Giants line that he refused to just kick the FG after his OC designed 0 plays to get us in there on the first 3 downs--probably fearing Joe would throw a pick. We kick that FG, regardless of the OBJ show the score would have been 27-26 and we were well within Tucker's range at the end. It would have been an easy 42 yarder. 

[RavensDieHard21]

11 hours ago, law215 said:

Watching this AFC Championship game, it is clear that if the Ravens want to compete with Steelers and Patriots, they must improve the secondary.

Also, since Orr is out, they need to keep B. Williams. He makes the LBs better. And IMO is the clear cut best player at his position for the Ravens defense. Cut Dummervil, Webb, Wright and restructure whoever to make it work.

I agree we need to start keeping our own players and he makes the defense better, but I do believe Ozzie is trying to claw his way out of cap hell right now and will not overpay anyone. 

Post-SB we have had terrible cap space every year. We have a bunch of bloated contracts such as Flacco's, Webb, J. Smith and others that are decent deals but are not even making it onto the field, such as Ben Watson, Arrington, Lewis. 

I am sure we will make solid offers to Williams and Wagner, but you cannot pay someone like Williams $9-10 million a year. He is a run stuffer that occupies blockers and occasionally makes a brilliant play. He has almost no pass rush threat like a Donald, McCoy, or Suh so there isn't much value in paying someone that much, especially with CJ and Jernigan both up for contracts next year. 

[RavensDieHard21]

14 hours ago, TheConquerorWorm said:

Tired of seeing "West for No gain" or "West for 1 yard". He's a plodding smash against the wall RB. Dixon has some wiggle and some toughness - hoping he takes over the lead back. But the bottom line is none of these guys are on the level of a Zeke or Bell - they're not even on a Thomas Rawls, Spencer Ware level. Let's face it, if you lined up all the RBs in the NFL and picked them, these guys would be at the bottom. Just look at the play-off teams - they are not there because of their secondary or defense, it's because of Ben/Bell/Brown; Ryan/Julio/Freeman; Brady/Edelman/Blount; Rodgers/Montgomery/Jordy.

It's a new formula every year. There is no golden template on how to make the playoffs. In all actuality it is always about how the teams matchup. 

Falcons are obviously best offense all year yet have the sack leader and an aggressive defense, 

steelers have a strong front 7 that can get pressure and slow the run , yet still have a putrid secondary as always. 

Patriots have the #1 scoring defense. 

Just last year everyone was in shock of the ability of a shut down defense now it's about high flying offenses. I'll tell you the best solution to stop those teams, great cover corners. 

[Crusader]

I think I missed any type of pass rush in those two games.

[RavensDieHard21]

9 hours ago, Crusader said:

You see what happened when Pitts and Greenbay had no pass rush and we're talking about a running back?. Yea, be that stupid and push for a Runningback in first round. When Ngata was here you seen many other defensive backs getting sacks and hits even with injuried players. How's that been since he left. Never replaced him neither.

With Ngata we always had the combo of a space eater with a disruptive pass rusher who could make athletic plays. That is another one of our needs. An athletic interior guy that can provide pressure. Only Jernigan for about 5 games a season has shown this ability. 

Pressure is key. It always has been. A 4 man rush that can consistently get pressure and tight man coverage has always been Brady's weakness. So let's make it happen. 

[Chuckx999]

The teams that got to the playoffs had a good O line. Pass blocking and opening holes for runners. We are two players short on the O line, starting at center. The Cowboys and Steelers both got better through the draft and picking O line players first. We also need the ALL-WORLD receiver Ozzie has been talking about for 15 years, but he would never pick one. He has to learn to trade up and get at least two starters every year. WE need DB's, QB, WR and those O linemen. A new head coach maybe needed after next year. It may even be time to replace Ozzie.

[balfan23]

19 hours ago, Tru11 said:

so you want to pass on surrounding flacco with an elite talent?

Cook and fournette have the tools to become elite players in the NFL.

No - I would love elite talent all around Joe and at every position on this team. 

We've gone on the cheap on drafting CB for years and we better get someone that can come in and help NOW. If we can get that in the 2nd, great, but if a game changing CB is available in the 1st, I want us to take him. I'm not a talent evaluator, so perhaps such a CB doesn't exist and perhaps BPA will end up being one of these RBs should they drop. 

If that is the case, then God help him if we don't improve our O line this offseason (no matter how elite he is) and God help the team if that RB gets us a 4th quarter lead with the opposition having a minute left on the clock and a couple TOs. 

 

[Derrel]

A reality check last night watching the Pats take apart the Steelers. Bell wouldn't have made a difference.

[Derrel]

If there's one we'd like, I'd go QB in first round! That would put fire under Joe and let us groom our future QB. If not this year then we'll be doing it soon enough I think.

not sure Joe would care that much. The competitive fire has gone out of him. He's been paid and seems to be on the downside.

[Swift 1]

20 hours ago, outkast1 said:

Next year we will draft in the top 10 with this lame coaching staff.Qb Luke Faulk -)

Didn't That coaching staff that drafted Cousins rate him as the back up to RG3, then procede to try to kill RG3. I don't know how they got promoted to Atlanta? Think that proves it is the player not the coach?

[Popeye the sailor man]

if it was possible, the Ravens can get 53 of the best football players in the NFL and still find a way to lose the games, perhaps they would do better under another name, I was thinking how about the Baltimore Crabbers..LOL

Edited January 23 by Popeye the sailor man
add more

[RavenManiac#7]

I don't see the sense in taking a RB as our first selection when we have so many other needs at key positions. We can make do with what we have after we fix the Oline. To me, selecting a RB in the early rounds is a luxury pick when you don't have other needs at skill positions.

I tend to agree with you. You know, Dallas was in a much different situation than we are now when they took Ezekiel at #6. Thay already had the best Oline in the NFL, and Elliot was better than any RB coming out this year. Plus, we have SO many other, more important, needs than a RB that it just doesn't seem to make sense to take one so high. I hate to sound like a pessimist, but we are really not a good team right now. Bisciotti says he didn't get where he is today by firing everybody. That may be true in his profession, but I don't think that his decision to keep Harbaugh and his OC and DC was very wise at all. The Ravens did not improve this past year, despite Harbs' spin that we did. The year before was the year of the Incredibly high # of injuries and we went 5-11. Well, thinking that 8-8 was so much better when we did Not have so high a # of injuries is really just that, spin. With so many less injuries we Should have had a better record than the previous year. And the bottom line is that the very bad coaching was one of our biggest problems, causing us some of those losses. Maybe not as a general philosophy, should firing people be the norm. But, sometimes, you just need to pull the trigger and realize that it's time for a fresh start. At the very least, Harbs should have been told that he either fires both his coordinators or he is fired himself, along with them. This team needs a lot of positions upgraded, and perhaps most importantly, it needs a new coaching staff. And that's to say nothing about Ozzie's reliance on quantity verses quality in his drafting philosophy. But, maybe he believes in that because he has whiffed so frequently of late with his high draft choices. Without an improved Oline, a 1st rd RB would probably be a mistake. He wouldn't be able to help hold a lead late in the game, among other things.

[crazyboutravens]

No No. Just go defense. Then get more defense. It is a much surer way to get
to the playoffs than fighting to get offense which has never worked.

[powers2be]

No, No and No. Hint Ezekiel Elliot had a great year. The Ravens backs would have had much more productive years behind the same line. Continue to build an All Pro line and reap the benefits of All Pro running backs. Oh and stop dialing up forward passes completed BEHIND the line of scrimmage.