What Is More Important?

[52Kia Kaha92]

SO i was pondering as to what is more important for us in the draft
Do we need a big play WR like DHB or Harvin so Flacco can air it out to them and make massive gains or do we get a big physical lockdown corner like Vontae Davis or Sean Smith to shut down one side of the field and go up against the bigger receiers

The reason to draft a WR
We need a deep threat, Clayton is more quick than fast so if we could get a guy like DHB our offense could be great, Flacco has a rocket arm and throwing bombs to DHB all day could be a great thing to do, If we can land a bruner we can move clayton inside to the slot posistion and he will dominate like a wes welker, he will destroy nickel backs and be a force for flacco, this alos means that there wouldnt be 8 men in the box as peiple woul dbe worried about DHB going deep so it opens up the offense in every way

Why not to draft a WR
DHB is very raw and could turn out like a Devery Henderson or Troy Williamson, the guy has great speed and is a great blocker but he doesnt have the best of hands and he runs slopy routes, he may not develop into a number one or number two receiver, we know ozzies track record for WR and we also have alot of unproven WRS on the roster, do we give Mark Clayton, Demetrius WIlliams, Marcus Smith, Ernie Wheelwright, Justin Harper and Marcus MAxwell another chance or for most of those guys an actual chance, for all we know Clayton may become an elite WR, Williams could be our deeo threat we need, Wheelwright or Harper coul dbe theat bug guy Flacco needs to throw it to, we need to give these guys a chance to turn into great players as oppose to giving them one year to develop and saying goodbye

Why to draft a CB
When i sya a CB i dont mean a DJ Moore or a Darius Butler i mean a big physical guy like Vontae Davis or Sean Smith, Davis is my third raned corner and he has everything we need in a CB right now, he is very physical, has a great jam at the line and has great jumping ability, he could turn out like McAlister, We dont have a bg CB at the moment so when we play Denver who will line up against Marhsall, a 180 pounds Foxworth or Fabio who cant tackle or press very well, we need a big CB to get in peoples faces and be a lockdown type of guy for us, Sean Smith is massive with great hannds, fluid hips, great in man to man and has a great jam at the line, Chuck Pagano developed Asomugha, he can now develop Smith to become the next aso and lockdown half the field, we need a big CB that can be the next McaAlister

why not to draft a CB
We have Foxworth and Washington as our starting corners and that is an upgrade over last year as rolle and washington where the starters, We invested a lot of money into the position and have some depth, for all we know Derrick Martin could develop into the next bug physical guy we need, we have a great CB coach who could develop these guys into great players, we also have a great front seven that can creat pressure and turnovers so is a big play wr more of a need?

So please vote in the poll and tell me what you think we should do

[Marc2k6]

We have made some moves in free agency as far as CB's go so I'm leaning towards WR right now but you can not have to many CB's as we know for a fact as Raven's fan's. To me it is hard to choose either or.

[AlaskanRavensFan]

Well I would like to get a reciever, but like you said there are a number a guys on the roster that could step up. There also does seem to be a lack of size at CB. Walker and Martin are both pretty physical though, but that won't matter much if they aren't on the field.

CB's have less influence on the game IMO. Their ability to cover depends largely on the pass rush of their front 4 or 7.

I also think that a go to guy other than mason would allow Flacco much more freedom on Offense.

Honestly though, I think protection of Flacco should be the No1 priority. For example, think back to the Titans game, Collins was almost untouchable for most of the game. Anytime you ask your DB's to cover for a long time, they will break down. If Gaither is the guy then so be it, cause i'm sure Ozzie and the coaches have evaluated that, but if not, then get someone who will give Joe time in the pocket. Most QB's are good when they have time to survey the field.

There aren't many lockdown corners in the league, but there are many good pass rushers. I say build on the lines. O and D.

well, even though I went off topic, i will finish by saying WR because I think it has more value.

[RavensIQ]

I chose CB. I think our offense will still be as productive if we don't land a big WR this offseason. Last year D.Will went down and we were still able to make it to the AFC Championship without a tru #3 WR, so it's not like it's a glaring need in terms of our Offense falling off if we don't address it. But vice versa with the Cornerback situation...if Foxworth or Washington go down will our secondary depth be strong enough to sustain a superbowl run?

I know it's still early in the offseason, but as of now we only have 1 cornerback on our roster who has started more than 10 games in a regular season (Fabian Washington). I think a 1st round cornerback has the skills needed to bring high-level competition to training camp while also having a legitimate opportunity to compete for the starting nickel back job and, will be talented enough to play spot duty if it came down to it in the regular season. Frank Walker stepped up big for us last year with all the injuries we sustained but he's nothing more than a short term fix for a long term problem. I don't think he has the ability to do what Fabian did for us last year.

So as tempting as it is for us to upgrade our offense I think it's also just as important, if not more, to secure our secondary with pure cornerbacks and true depth. You can never have enough good pitchers in baseball and you can never have enough good cornerbacks in football.

Torry Holt + a solid 1st round CB and Brian Robiskie/Juaquin Iglesias in the 2nd or 3rd, sounds a lot safer with more value then a potential bust WR in the 1st and a not as productive CB in the later rounds...

[Wacko4Zacko]

We need both. Draft a WR in the 1st round, a CB in the 2nd and a LB in the 3rd.

[Canes21]

we gotta go WR in the 1st. before foxworth i woulda said CB but i think we can now go CB in the 2nd round. i really dont think mason will be around next year.

[Ozzsome]

i think we go for a WR cause we picked up foxworth via free agency

I know everybody disagrees with me about this but I don

[markorad]

wr: a speed vertical threat/playmaker for flacco to open up the running game, other wr's, AND heap/smith

we are good at cb and can look at that position in the draft in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th

[AlaskanRavensFan]

I still wonder about D and Oline at this point. Is Terry supposed to be the future at RT, or Cousins? and what about Pryce and Gregg. Are there replacements Dwan and McKinney. I mean they certainly could be, but I think if a guy at one of those positions drops down to us, we should not hesitate to take them.

[Ozzsome]

[quote name='AlaskanRavensFan' post='173610' date='Mar 27 2009, 11:37 PM']I still wonder about D and Oline at this point. Is Terry supposed to be the future at RT, or Cousins? and what about Pryce and Gregg. Are there replacements Dwan and McKinney. I mean they certainly could be, but I think if a guy at one of those positions drops down to us, we should not hesitate to take them.[/quote]
I think we go for a OT but not in the first round

Maybe we take Ziggy Hood or Fili Moala in the 2nd round

[AlaskanRavensFan]

yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking might happen. I wouldn't mind that at all. I mean we really do need a WR that is going to demand a double team. Some of the guys on our roster now can definitely help out and be productive, but none of them are going to demand that from a defense, and I suspect that is what Cam, John and Ozzie are looking for.

[ZIBBY28]

[quote name='Ray The Day' post='173603' date='Mar 27 2009, 06:33 PM']i think we go for a WR cause we picked up foxworth via free agency

I know everybody disagrees with me about this but I don

[shaikh015]

IMO I voted CB...The reason being, history as shown that a higher rank Defense is able to carry not so ranked offense into the Playoffs and in many cases the Superbowl...
DEFENSE WINS GAMES!!!!!

[MKdave]

I'd say wide receiver first. We don't need elite corners if we can rush the passer effectively. We DO need to give Flacco weapons.

[neepo13]

[quote name='RavensIQ' post='173590' date='Mar 27 2009, 06:11 PM']I chose CB. I think our offense will still be as productive if we don't land a big WR this offseason. Last year D.Will went down and we were still able to make it to the AFC Championship without a tru #3 WR, so it's not like it's a glaring need in terms of our Offense falling off if we don't address it. But vice versa with the Cornerback situation...if Foxworth or Washington go down will our secondary depth be strong enough to sustain a superbowl run?

I know it's still early in the offseason, but as of now we only have 1 cornerback on our roster who has started more than 10 games in a regular season (Fabian Washington). I think a 1st round cornerback has the skills needed to bring high-level competition to training camp while also having a legitimate opportunity to compete for the starting nickel back job and, will be talented enough to play spot duty if it came down to it in the regular season. Frank Walker stepped up big for us last year with all the injuries we sustained but he's nothing more than a short term fix for a long term problem. I don't think he has the ability to do what Fabian did for us last year.

So as tempting as it is for us to upgrade our offense I think it's also just as important, if not more, to secure our secondary with pure cornerbacks and true depth. You can never have enough good pitchers in baseball and you can never have enough good cornerbacks in football.

Torry Holt + a solid 1st round CB and Brian Robiskie/Juaquin Iglesias in the 2nd or 3rd, sounds a lot safer with more value then a potential bust WR in the 1st and a not as productive CB in the later rounds...[/quote]

I strongly disagree. If Mason doesnt play hurt at the end of last year, we dont even make the playoffs, end of disscussion. What WR do we have behind Mason that has been consistant enough to even attempt to fill his role? None of them. Last year, Rolle and Mac went down and we were able to survive with Washington, Walker, Ivy, and Oglesby. Our defensive system is built to succeed with one or two starters down. Our offense is not. At wr, Mason is all we have and we need more.

[RavensIQ]

[quote name='neepo13' post='173867' date='Mar 28 2009, 02:54 PM']I strongly disagree. If Mason doesnt play hurt at the end of last year, we dont even make the playoffs, end of disscussion. What WR do we have behind Mason that has been consistant enough to even attempt to fill his role? None of them. Last year, Rolle and Mac went down and we were able to survive with Washington, Walker, Ivy, and Oglesby. Our defensive system is built to succeed with one or two starters down. Our offense is not. At wr, Mason is all we have and we need more.[/quote]

"Strongly" Not surprised actually...

But you do realize if we draft a #1 WR in the 1st he's not going to have significant contribution for us next year...So it's not like by drafting a WR in the 1st all our WR problems will be solved. He still has to grow and develop...that takes a while. Look at Megatron in 07. He's [i]just now[/i] starting to come around as a big time WR.

Go down the list of WRs drafted in the 1st round since 2005...Santonio Holmes, Braylond Edwards, Tedd Ginn Jr.; Robert Meachem, Greg Davis, Anthony Gonzales, Troy Williamson, Mike Williams, Matt Jones, Mark Clayton, Roddy White.

Would you say that anyone of those players are considered "Elite" or for that matter a True #1? Would you say that anyone of those players give significant production to their team?

DHB is one of the rawest WRs in this years class and Nicks has recently proven "something" by gaining 15 pounds in 3 weeks, during one of the most important times of his life. Percy Harvin is explosive but small; we already have enough small possession WRs. Kenny Britt is big and fast but has questionable hands and questionable work ethic.


So...


I'm just gonna throw out some 2nd-4th round WRs drafted over the last 4 years:

Donnie Avery, Eddie Royal, DeSean Jackson, Gregg Jennings, Vincent Jackson, Roscoe Parrish, Brandon Marshal...


And don't sleep on Demetrius Williams and Marcus Smith. Plus, even if we did draft a 1st round WR he's definitely not taking Mason's job or Clayton's; he wouldn't even be a starter. He'd be our #4 Wr at BEST...

[MKdave]

[quote name='RavensIQ' post='173920' date='Mar 28 2009, 09:47 PM']But you do realize if we draft a #1 WR in the 1st he's not going to have significant contribution for us next year...So it's not like by drafting a WR in the 1st all our WR problems will be solved. He still has to grow and develop...that takes a while. Look at Megatron in 07. He's [i]just now[/i] starting to come around as a big time WR.

Go down the list of WRs drafted in the 1st round since 2005...Santonio Holmes, Braylond Edwards, Tedd Ginn Jr.; Robert Meachem, Greg Davis, Anthony Gonzales, Troy Williamson, Mike Williams, Matt Jones, Mark Clayton, Roddy White.

Would you say that anyone of those players are considered "Elite" or for that matter a True #1? Would you say that anyone of those players give significant production to their team?[/quote]

Santonio Holmes was superbowl MVP, Braylon Edwards is a top reciever, Gonzalez will become one this year and Roddy White is one of the best recievers in the league. So yeah, they've given their teams significant production.

[RavensIQ]

[quote name='MKdave' post='174071' date='Mar 29 2009, 04:09 AM']Santonio Holmes was superbowl MVP, Braylon Edwards is a top reciever, Gonzalez will become one this year and Roddy White is one of the best recievers in the league. So yeah, they've given their teams significant production.[/quote]


Yeah! That's exactly my point! How long did it take for these players to come around?

Drafting WR in the 1st doesn't mean we're going to have a monster WR corps next year, or that our passing game will be top 10 material. It's gonna take awhile for that WR to de-vel-op. A lot of people think that by drafting a #1 WR we're gonna be this unstoppable force next year. Sorry to break it to ya, but that aint so Billy Jean, it just aint gon' happen. People are getting their hopes up with DHB and Hakeem Nicks and their forgetting to realize that neither player will see enough playign time next year to make it worth while. Maybe a couple plays here and there on 3rd down. Or as an occasional pass play to mix it up a lil. But it's not gonna be this dream world where DHB runs down field every play and Flacco launches a bomb and we score all of these Tom Brady + Randy Moss type of touchdowns.

Our 1st round WR might be ready to start in 2010 or 2011. Do you actually think a 1st round Wr is gonna push Clayton and Mason out of a job?

Or...we can draft a different position this year like CB/DL/OL that can give us more on field production and then sign a free agent WR next year like: Braylond Edwards, Lee Evans, Gregg Jennings, Roddy White, Brandon Marshal.

The idea of signing a big time WR in the 1st round sounds great. Flacco's big arm plus 1st round talent = instant success, right? Wrong! It's. Going. To. Take. Awhile. To. De-Vel-Op.

Did anyone of these 1st round WRs over the last 4 years enter the league in their rookie year and light it up: Santonio Holmes, Braylond Edwards, Tedd Ginn Jr.; Robert Meachem, Greg Davis, Anthony Gonzales, Troy Williamson, Mike Williams, Matt Jones, Mark Clayton, Roddy White.

No! They didn't!

[Ed_Reed20]

The team finally has a QB that has the potential to be a future-All-Pro. They need to get someone who will stretch the field.

[neepo13]

[quote name='RavensIQ' post='174115' date='Mar 29 2009, 03:08 PM']Yeah! That's exactly my point! How long did it take for these players to come around?

[b]Drafting WR in the 1st doesn't mean we're going to have a monster WR corps next year, or that our passing game will be top 10 material. It's gonna take awhile for that WR to de-vel-op. [/b]A lot of people think that by drafting a #1 WR we're gonna be this unstoppable force next year. Sorry to break it to ya, but that aint so Billy Jean, it just aint gon' happen. People are getting their hopes up with DHB and Hakeem Nicks and their forgetting to realize that neither player will see enough playign time next year to make it worth while. Maybe a couple plays here and there on 3rd down. Or as an occasional pass play to mix it up a lil. But it's not gonna be this dream world where DHB runs down field every play and Flacco launches a bomb and we score all of these Tom Brady + Randy Moss type of touchdowns.

Our 1st round WR might be ready to start in 2010 or 2011. Do you actually think a 1st round Wr is gonna push Clayton and Mason out of a job?

Or...we can draft a different position this year like CB/DL/OL that can give us more on field production and then sign a free agent WR next year like: Braylond Edwards, Lee Evans, Gregg Jennings, Roddy White, Brandon Marshal.

The idea of signing a big time WR in the 1st round sounds great. Flacco's big arm plus 1st round talent = instant success, right? Wrong! It's. Going. To. Take. Awhile. To. De-Vel-Op.

Did anyone of these 1st round WRs over the last 4 years enter the league in their rookie year and light it up: Santonio Holmes, Braylond Edwards, Tedd Ginn Jr.; Robert Meachem, Greg Davis, Anthony Gonzales, Troy Williamson, Mike Williams, Matt Jones, Mark Clayton, Roddy White.

No! They didn't![/quote]

I am not implying that it will. But with our tradition of "developing" wr, or lack there of, we need to be looking for the best prospect available. And if we want that guy we need to get him early. We cant wait around and hope that we can find a diamond in the rough in later rounds. Our defensive system, with the talent we have, is built to make so-so players servicable. Our offense is not.

Lee Evans has already signed a contract extension. And a guy like Jennings, Edwards, or Marshall is not going to solve our problems. We need more then that. Most teams with solid passing attacks have 3 good wr's, we have ONE and he's old. Once Mason retires, we are going to need a vet to replace, a young guy that we pick up in the draft, and hope that either Clayton or Williams become consistant enough to compete as a number 2 and fill the void as a number 3. Right now we are 0 for 3. Thats how thin we are at wr.

And not all wr are unable to produce right out of college. Dwayne Bowe, Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquan Boldin.

Bowe came out the same year as Ginn and Gonzalez, and if he hadnt been stuck in the QB shuffle down in KC, he'd probably be a household name by now.

[Swampthing]

My thing with this question is our defense, although giving up ridiculous 'big plays' to passing teams like the Colts, and even just passing threats like the Giants, BMore D was still obviously stout when the time came; they would get passed on then in the red zone make a huge play.

Also, and I know I'm not alone in this, many feel with just one more force on offense, the Super Bowl would have been a lock for the Ravens, as they would have defeated the Steelers in a very close game. That was the difference; they had playmakers at WR.

With that said, I think the signing of Dom and Carr were good enough to allow us to draft a WR first, or at least best player on the board, but WR before CB, I mean.

So, the most pressing need for us is a power forward-like banger wideout. Someone who will stretch the field, go over the middle, block and perhaps most importantly, be a force in the Red Zone to start getting TD's, not just field goals.

and that individual is from Bayonne, NJ

and rhymes with '****'