[News] Eisenberg: Fact And Opinion On Nick Mangold, Jabrill Peppers And More

[BR News]

It wouldn't be surprising to see veteran center Nick Mangold, versatile Jabrill Peppers or receiver Anquan Boldin in purple and black next year. Plus, kudos to the Ravens defensive backs for taking the high road.

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[objective view]

I hope the talk of Peppers is just smoke because IMO we do not need him, I can't see him at LB and we probably can get a true CB in the 1st or 2nd round...

[robbie29]

I still don't think Q will return to the Ravens. His 2013 departure via trade did not, in any way, appear to be something that happened on amicable terms and the same FO is still running the show in Baltimore. It's also not a good sign that the FO didn't bring Torrey Smith back to Baltimore either. Indications are that Ozzie & Harbaugh aren't interested in any reunions with former WRs. This is a shame because the Ravens NEED a guy who is going to make contested catches in the end zone, and even at 37 Boldin would be better IMO than anyone currently on the roster.

[davymagnum]

I don't understand why Jeremy Zuttah's dead money is still with the Ravens since he was traded. Shouldn't his contract go with him to SF?

[Space11jams]

I still don't think Q will return to the Ravens. His 2013 departure via trade did not, in any way, appear to be something that happened on amicable terms and the same FO is still running the show in Baltimore. It's also not a good sign that the FO didn't bring Torrey Smith back to Baltimore either. Indications are that Ozzie & Harbaugh aren't interested in any reunions with former WRs. This is a shame because the Ravens NEED a guy who is going to make contested catches in the end zone, and even at 37 Boldin would be better IMO than anyone currently on the roster.

I highly doubt Q has any animosity built up over that. It's the NFL and we all know what that means when it comes to players and contracts. It's a business. He still got his money even if it wasn't from the Ravens. Now as far as Torrey, if we didn't have Mike Wallace than yes I say we should bring him in but we do. Why would we have two of the exact same type of player? He was brought in to replace what Torrey did for us. He's also not a red zone threat. Q yes. It's not smart to waste money on past players just to have to have them. Q would be a good pickup because his leadership and production that he can bring that we lost when SSS retired. Torrey isn't needed so it's no point of entertaining that. If anything, we need to see what we get in the draft (hopefully one of the top 3 receivers) and pick up players that's still out their or have been cut. Like Ozzie said, the team will not be finished until the second game of the regular season. Trust the process. It's what gotten us 2 SB's and solid players in all areas of the draft in FA.

[bioLarzen]

I don't understand why Jeremy Zuttah's dead money is still with the Ravens since he was traded. Shouldn't his contract go with him to SF?

Unfortunately, it's a tad more complicated than that.

[eek]

Peppers wouldn't make sense imo after resigining webb.

[ALSKAN RAVEN FAN]

I would like to see Q come back but if it will actually happen only time will tell.
Q was a fan favorite as were most veteran WR's Oz has brought in such as Mason,Q and SSS. I would like to see Q retire a Raven.
I would not mind seeing Mangold come to the Raven family if the $price$ is right and his health is good.
Would not mind having Peppers either but there are a lot of guys I would not mind us drafting we need LB both outside and inside DL, OL and WR for this up coming season and if we can get good guys in the draft they are still young so they have a lot of growth ahead of them.

[ravens4life86]

16 days left til Draft...

Last couple Dream Draft Scenarios


Round 1-Derek Barnett Olbr/DE, Mike Williams WRs
Round 2- Hassan Reddick ILBR/Olbr, TJ Watt DE/OLBr
Round 3- Sidney Jones CB, Tankersely,
Round 3- Smith Schuster, Kupp, Dupree, Westbrook, etc WR
Round 4- OL Siragusa, Pocic, Skipper, McDermott etc
Round 5-

[BiggMack91]

16: R1P16
EDGE SOLOMON THOMAS
STANFORD
47: R2P15
WR JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER
USC
74: R3P10
CB SIDNEY JONES
WASHINGTON
78: R3P14
C PAT ELFLEIN
OHIO STATE
122: R4P15
LB BEN BOULWARE
CLEMSON
159: R5P15
G ZACH BANNER
USC
186: R6P2
G GREG PYKE
GEORGIA

[Chuckx999]

If healthy sign Mangold, he has to be better than what we have had. Then draft Mangold's future replacement in rounds 4 to 7.
We need another Kick Butt LB and/or Edge player on rounds 1 to 3.
WR's are just not Ozzie's thing. He's good at OL and DL, so sign Anquan Boldin, he's just better than what we now have.

We need "Cap Space", make Flacco take a pay cut !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MadStorkSociety]

16: R1P16
EDGE SOLOMON THOMAS
STANFORD
47: R2P15
WR JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER
USC
74: R3P10
CB SIDNEY JONES
WASHINGTON
78: R3P14
C PAT ELFLEIN
OHIO STATE
122: R4P15
LB BEN BOULWARE
CLEMSON
159: R5P15
G ZACH BANNER
USC
186: R6P2
G GREG PYKE
GEORGIA

Nice draft. Every team thinks they are getting Sidney in the third !! It would be worth bringing Boldin back to mentor JuJu

[woolly61]

If healthy sign Mangold, he has to be better than what we have had. Then draft Mangold's future replacement in rounds 4 to 7.
We need another Kick Butt LB and/or Edge player on rounds 1 to 3.
WR's are just not Ozzie's thing. He's good at OL and DL, so sign Anquan Boldin, he's just better than what we now have.

We need "Cap Space", make Flacco take a pay cut !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Flacco restructured his contract last March to reduce the cap hits of '16 & '17. Just how do you propose the Ravens "make" him take a pay cut? Threaten to release him? That would be a smart salary cap decision...

[Somerset Ravens]

1 hour ago, davymagnum said:

I don't understand why Jeremy Zuttah's dead money is still with the Ravens since he was traded. Shouldn't his contract go with him to SF?

Zuttah's salary will transfer to the 49ers. The signing is spread over the length of the contract with a portion hitting the salary cap each year. The remaining portion of the signing bonus does not transfer to the 49ers, it is ours to absorb.

[b93333]

Most "dead money" in the NFL... again. What does that say about our FO's skill at doing business?

[woolly61]

Most "dead money" in the NFL... again. What does that say about our FO's skill at doing business?

The Ravens have $4.4M in dead money this year for LT Eugene Monroe, who is retired at age 29, never displayed real passion during the games for Baltimore, and only had 17 regular season starts in the two years (plus not starting the NE playoff game in which he was supposedly healthy enough) after he signed his free agent deal that included $17M in guaranteed money. At the time the Ravens had to decide between paying Monroe or Michael Oher, who wasn't worth the money then and has played for two teams since. Hindsight is always 20-20, and "at the time" most felt the Ravens made the right move. It turned out to probably be the worst free agent signing in club history.

Another $2.4M in dead money this year goes to Elvis Dumervil. Again, hindsight is 20-20; Dumervil certainly played well before last year when he was bothered by injury. (A 12/30/16 piece here on this website noted that Dumervil had surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon. He apparently suffered an Achilles injury at the end of the '14 season, played through it in '15, and found his Achilles was 60% torn at the end of the '15 season. Dumervil was told by some to wait until the '17 season to come back but he wanted to return earlier because he felt the Ravens could do something special. As we saw in '16 he just never got healthy and his production was a far cry from two years prior.) So releasing Dumervil saved the Ravens $6M on the cap, but will carry the dead hit. Was that a bad move by the Ravens front office when they signed Dumervil to a 5-year, $26M contract in March 2013? The first two years they received great production from Dumervil, with 9.5 and 17 sacks, then injuries seemed to slow him down. But it easy to look now and criticize a dead money figure...

Here's an article by ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley, written March 24 of this year, on the Ravens' front office's ability to typically make the right call when it comes to their own free agents:

http://www.espn.com/blog/baltimore-ravens/post/_/id/34664/release-of-art-jones-is-reminder-ravens-typically-make-right-call

[Fastynart]

If Peppers is there and the Ravens don't take him, they need someone else to do the picking. This guy is the real deal and we are really hurting for linebackers that can cover. Only Moseby is of the caliber that we need. Suggs injuries have slowed him really bad. It is a shame, but, at his age, he should think about packing it in. He was nothing after that injury last year.

[sizzlingdoom]

If Peppers is there and the Ravens don't take him, they need someone else to do the picking. This guy is the real deal and we are really hurting for linebackers that can cover. Only Moseby is of the caliber that we need. Suggs injuries have slowed him really bad. It is a shame, but, at his age, he should think about packing it in. He was nothing after that injury last year.

Peppers is about the last thing we need. A 213 lb pound "LB"?? That can cover?? 1 career interception and 1 pass defensed last year. Vs college players. There aren't any 213 pound linebackers in the NFL for a reason. We just signed our own, proven version of Peppers, to a 34 million dollar contract to play SS. There's no room for Peppers on the Ravens

[law215]

Opinions:

Peppers may be a Troy Polamalu type safety. Constantly around the football but much better in the box than center field. OR he is more ILB than safety. Since there is value in rounds 2-3 at safety, they could get a center field type later since that player would learn behind Weddle, Jefferson, and Webb without the risk.

If Perriman, Correa, Maxx Williams, Gilmore, Moore, Dixon, Kafusi, Young can improve and contribute, they would be a better football. My concern is Ravens are always putting veterans ahead of young guys. Until they learn to develop young players, old men like Boldin, Mangold always seem appealing, but are short-term answers to mask a coaching issue.

[sizzlingdoom]

We've gotta go Mangold, or draft Elfein or Pocic to play Center. Relying on drafting one of the two would be risky, and require a high pick. If we're planning on playing Lewis at LG, Mangold would be the perfect person to play right next to him.
There is ZERO chance we draft Peppers, luckily. Our top 3 safeties are set in stone for at least 2 years, and no, the Ravens aren't bringing in a 213 pound "ILB".

[BigUgly]

There is some depth at Edge and WR, but it will be depleted after the second round. I think the Ravens need to take BPA from those two positions in the first two rounds, and then look CB, C, OG, and/or ILB over rounds 3-4.  I think Ozzie will be more tempted than ever to trade back from #16 to gain an extra pick in the first 3 rounds.

The only exception would be if Allen, Lattimore, Adams, Hooker or Fournette fell to #16.

Edited April 12 by BigUgly

[sizzlingdoom]

There is some depth at Edge and WR, but it will be depleted after the second round. I think the Ravens need to take BPA from those two positions in the first two rounds, and then look CB, C, OG, and/or ILB over rounds 3-4.

agreed. With that statement, are you assuming Lewis is gonna play RT, LG, or be a reserve?

[Drew P]

18 hours ago, BiggMack91 said:

16: R1P16
EDGE SOLOMON THOMAS
STANFORD
47: R2P15
WR JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER
USC
 

Solly will go top 5

[ByTheBay]

6 hours ago, Fastynart said:

If Peppers is there and the Ravens don't take him, they need someone else to do the picking. This guy is the real deal and we are really hurting for linebackers that can cover. Only Moseby is of the caliber that we need. Suggs injuries have slowed him really bad. It is a shame, but, at his age, he should think about packing it in. He was nothing after that injury last year.

No to players that are good at several possitions but master of none.

[ByTheBay]

15 hours ago, woolly61 said:

The Ravens have $4.4M in dead money this year for LT Eugene Monroe, who is retired at age 29, never displayed real passion during the games for Baltimore, and only had 17 regular season starts in the two years (plus not starting the NE playoff game in which he was supposedly healthy enough) after he signed his free agent deal that included $17M in guaranteed money. At the time the Ravens had to decide between paying Monroe or Michael Oher, who wasn't worth the money then and has played for two teams since. Hindsight is always 20-20, and "at the time" most felt the Ravens made the right move. It turned out to probably be the worst free agent signing in club history.

Another $2.4M in dead money this year goes to Elvis Dumervil. Again, hindsight is 20-20; Dumervil certainly played well before last year when he was bothered by injury. (A 12/30/16 piece here on this website noted that Dumervil had surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon. He apparently suffered an Achilles injury at the end of the '14 season, played through it in '15, and found his Achilles was 60% torn at the end of the '15 season. Dumervil was told by some to wait until the '17 season to come back but he wanted to return earlier because he felt the Ravens could do something special. As we saw in '16 he just never got healthy and his production was a far cry from two years prior.) So releasing Dumervil saved the Ravens $6M on the cap, but will carry the dead hit. Was that a bad move by the Ravens front office when they signed Dumervil to a 5-year, $26M contract in March 2013? The first two years they received great production from Dumervil, with 9.5 and 17 sacks, then injuries seemed to slow him down. But it easy to look now and criticize a dead money figure...

Here's an article by ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley, written March 24 of this year, on the Ravens' front office's ability to typically make the right call when it comes to their own free agents:

http://www.espn.com/blog/baltimore-ravens/post/_/id/34664/release-of-art-jones-is-reminder-ravens-typically-make-right-call

Don't forget that when Suggs missed the 2015 season Doom was forced to play all 3 downs. He was always too tired by 3rd down to be an effective pass rusher.