Baltimore's Off-Season.....

[NewColtsFan]

Craziest I've ever seen from a Super Bowl Champion.

 

The champ is always a target in FA....   other teams want to steal someone from the best team....

 

But here's who Baltimore has lost....  (hope I'm not forgetting someone)

 

 

-- Three linebackers  (Lewis, Ellerbe, Kruger)

-- Two Safeties          (Reed, Pollard)

-- One Corner            (Williams)

-- One WR                 (Bolden)

 

That's a lot of talent,  especially on the defensive side,  in one off-season.

 

Note:  They also lost their center, Matt Birk,  as well,  but he retired.

 

Now,  the Ravens have been preparing for this time...

 

They drafted Upshaw to play OLB,  they drafted a CB Smith,  and another CB, a kid out of Cal Poly SLO who can play,  they drafted a C from Delaware to groom for Birk, and I think they took a safety in anticipation of Reed/Pollard.

 

But still....     that's a remarkable off-season to be going through....   suffice to say,  it'll make repeating very, very difficult.

[BrentMc11]

And here I just put 10k on the Ravens for the Super Bowl Repeat....  ....I think I might cry,,,,

 

[Jay Kirk]

And here I just put 10k on the Ravens for the Super Bowl Repeat....  ....I think I might cry,,,,

 

 

[dw49]

Craziest I've ever seen from a Super Bowl Champion.

 

The champ is always a target in FA....   other teams want to steal someone from the best team....

 

But here's who Baltimore has lost....  (hope I'm not forgetting someone)

 

 

-- Three linebackers  (Lewis, Ellerbe, Kruger)

-- Two Safeties          (Reed, Pollard)

-- One Corner            (Williams)

-- One WR                 (Bolden)

 

That's a lot of talent,  especially on the defensive side,  in one off-season.

 

Note:  They also lost their center, Matt Birk,  as well,  but he retired.

 

Now,  the Ravens have been preparing for this time...

 

They drafted Upshaw to play OLB,  they drafted a CB Smith,  and another CB, a kid out of Cal Poly SLO who can play,  they drafted a C from Delaware to groom for Birk, and I think they took a safety in anticipation of Reed/Pollard.

 

But still....     that's a remarkable off-season to be going through....   suffice to say,  it'll make repeating very, very difficult.

 

 

They also have still not resigned McKinnie , their starting LT . Word is that N.O. is competing with Balt for him.

 

They did sign Marcus Spears so a little plus for them there. Also have been in the Dumevil  talks , so probably have a little cap room to do something yet.

[bayone]

if they get doom will make for better offsesaon

[Fx Stryker]

Guess nobody wants to play with overpaid average Joe.

[Nobody]

Guess nobody wants to play with overpaid average Joe.

It seems weird to say, but it looks like a Super Bowl victory is going to destroy a team.

[Fx Stryker]

It seems weird to say, but it looks like a Super Bowl victory is going to destroy a team.

 

They should have done to Joe what they did to Trent, dump him.

[BOTT]

For the most part I think the ravens made the correct moves. I'm not sure why they traded Boldin with only one year left on his deal...surely they could have afforded his salary with Flacco's low cap hit.

[Qwiz]

So I think it's safe to say that the Ravens will be a worse team than they were in 2012...and Flacco is going to continue raising people's eyebrows with that deal he got

[21isSuperman]

So are the Ravens even going to field a defense?  This offseason hasn't been kind to them.  We definitely won't be hearing any comments about the possibility of a repeat

[Jules]

With all the doom and gloom projected for Baltimore I won't be shocked at all if they are much better then anticipated next year. I felt their D was overrated/aging fast last season anyway and the offense carried them more in the playoffs at times while guys like Ray were along for the emotional ride.

[chad72]

With all the doom and gloom projected for Baltimore I won't be shocked at all if they are much better then anticipated next year. I felt their D was overrated/aging fast last season anyway and the offense carried them more in the playoffs at times while guys like Ray were along for the emotional ride.

 

That is also the reason why they should not have gotten rid of Boldin. Flacco completed 61% of his passes to Boldin, while completing about 50% of his passes to other wideouts. Boldin was as clutch as Flacco throughout the playoffs. He will be the one sorely missed.

 

The leadership of Ed Reed in the secondary will also be missed, and the guy they brought in to replace Ray Lewis, Danelle Ellerbe going away hurt them a lot too.

 

They will still be competitive but the loss of Ed Reed, Boldin, and Ellerbe on the playing field will be felt most, more than Kruger and Cary Williams, IMO.

[The Old Crow]

I honestly love what Ozzie is doing. The D line with the additions of Canty, Spears , and Dumervil, along with a healthy Ngata and Suggs, gives the Ravens one of the better D lines in the league. You also have Art Jones, and Cody as a backup. Ladarius Webb wiill be back as top cornerback, with Jimmy Smith and Corey Graham. Courtney Upshaw's career is on the upswing, and Mcclain should be back. Ozzie will get more inside linebackers and safeties in free agency, and the draft. Boldin can be replaced using a two tight end set of Pitta and Dickson, if need be. Except for an aging McKinnie, the O-line, and the offense is pretty much intact.

 

Lets really look at the Raven's losses:

 

Ray Lewis; Great career, couldn't cover the pass anymore. ( Retired)

Matt Birk: Great Center, but time to go after 15 years. ( Retired )

Paul Kruger: Had one good half season out of four. Not worth 40 million

Darnell Ellerbe: Good linebacker, but Dolphins overpaid at 35 million. Will be another Ed hartwell, Jamie Sharper, or Bart Scott.

Corey Williams: Led the team in yards per catch by an opponent. Eagles paid too much at 17 million.

Ed Reed. Great career, but can't tackle anymore because of sore shoulder. Skills and body are eroding after 11 seasons.

Bernard Pollard: Great hitter and competitor, not the best in pass coverage.

Anquan Boldin: Great possession receiver, but too costly at his age for 6 million.

 

Basically, Ozzie did not follow the model of the 2001 Ravens, or the Steelers and Giants after Super Bowl wins. Instead of focusing entirely on repeating, he is setting the team up for being playoff contenders long term. The thinking is if you can get in the playoffs, you can get hot, and win it all. His other philosophy is right player, right price. The 2.5 million cap hit from Dumervil is a great example of this.

[GoPats]

With all the doom and gloom projected for Baltimore I won't be shocked at all if they are much better then anticipated next year. I felt their D was overrated/aging fast last season anyway and the offense carried them more in the playoffs at times while guys like Ray were along for the emotional ride.

 

Personally I think they've improved on defense. Obviously no disrespect to some of the guys who have moved on, but what I like about that organization is they run the show with a no-nonsense plan, and they stick to it. Sometimes teams handle their business with too much emotion involved, and that usually doesn't end well. The Ravens, like the Patriots, would rather say goodbye to a guy a year or two early instead of a year too late. You can rebuild from the first scenario; it's the second scenario that mires teams in prolonged mediocrity.

[chad72]

I honestly love what Ozzie is doing. The D line with the additions of Canty, Spears , and Dumervil, along with a healthy Ngata and Suggs, gives the Ravens one of the better D lines in the league. You also have Art Jones, and Cody as a backup. Ladarius Webb wiill be back as top cornerback, with Jimmy Smith and Corey Graham. Courtney Upshaw's career is on the upswing, and Mcclain should be back. Ozzie will get more inside linebackers and safeties in free agency, and the draft. Boldin can be replaced using a two tight end set of Pitta and Dickson, if need be. Except for an aging McKinnie, the O-line, and the offense is pretty much intact.

 

Lets really look at the Raven's losses:

 

Ray Lewis; Great career, couldn't cover the pass anymore. ( Retired)

Matt Birk: Great Center, but time to go after 15 years. ( Retired )

Paul Kruger: Had one good half season out of four. Not worth 40 million

Darnell Ellerbe: Good linebacker, but Dolphins overpaid at 35 million. Will be another Ed hartwell, Jamie Sharper, or Bart Scott.

Corey Williams: Led the team in yards per catch by an opponent. Eagles paid too much at 17 million.

Ed Reed. Great career, but can't tackle anymore because of sore shoulder. Skills and body are eroding after 11 seasons.

Bernard Pollard: Great hitter and competitor, not the best in pass coverage.

Anquan Boldin: Great possession receiver, but too costly at his age for 6 million.

 

Basically, Ozzie did not follow the model of the 2001 Ravens, or the Steelers and Giants after Super Bowl wins. Instead of focusing entirely on repeating, he is setting the team up for being playoff contenders long term. The thinking is if you can get in the playoffs, you can get hot, and win it all. His other philosophy is right player, right price. The 2.5 million cap hit from Dumervil is a great example of this.

 

Every great GM lets go of players they feel can be replaced, Ozzie is a great GM, no doubt about that.

 

However, you do sound like the Pats fans who are dismissive of what Wes Welker has done, like the Bronco fan dismissive of Dumervil all of a sudden because he is no longer a part of the Broncos, trying to diminish the ex-Ravens' contributions and capabilities.

 

All I have to say "whatever helps a team's fans sleep well at night regarding a player they let go, let 'em have it".

 

For once, it would be nice to hear "yes, that person is going to be missed for certain key things they did but such is life in free agency". It is almost like a constant state of denial amongst fans. The justification is clearly in the action to let them go, with the idea of replacing them. Of course, I expect Ozzie to replace them, eventually.

 

Nothing more to add.

[The Old Crow]

I understand what you're saying, and I'm not minimizing the losses, but giving you an idea why the Ravens are going in that direction.We will miss the guys we let go, and they will always be Champions in Baltimore, and were key elements to the Super Bowl win. I think the justification comes from two Championship teams I saw in the past, who tried to keep all their old Champions. One was the 1970 Baltimore Colts. It was a different era, but they kept too many of the old guys around after Super Bowl 5. They got to the AFC Championship game in 1971, but imploded by 1972, because the team got too old. After the Ravens won Super Bowl 35, in 2001 they resigned almost everyone, and got bounced in the divisional round of the playoffs. By 2002, they had a mass exodus that dwarfed the current one this year, because of the cap, and they were too old. I know those guys meant alot to the Ravens, but that window closed, and you have to look out for the long term. That is what it is all about.

[GoPats]

Thought it was time to bump this thread.

 

The Dumervil signing was a good one. But they also just picked up Michael Huff, which is an under-the-radar move that I think will end up being huge for them. Huff is a talented and versatile guy who has been wasting away in Oakland since his rookie year. I think when we look back at the offseason, Huff will be a key signing.

[smittywerb]

Ravens have 12 picks, they are most likely going to trade up from that 32 spot.  Ravens are going to have to have (lol) a home run draft.  If not, those holes will exposed.

[Qwiz]

Ravens have 12 picks, they are most likely going to trade up from that 32 spot.  Ravens are going to have to have (lol) a home run draft.  If not, those holes will exposed.

Who is worth trading up for? There are plenties of safeties if they want to go that route and a good one should fall to them at 32, and a lot of LBs as well. Heck, if Chicago doesn't jump on him, they might have a chance at Te'o.

[Dustin]

Who is worth trading up for? There are plenties of safeties if they want to go that route and a good one should fall to them at 32, and a lot of LBs as well. Heck, if Chicago doesn't jump on him, they might have a chance at Te'o.

They won't take Te'o. Arthur Brown is the only guy I could see them trading up for honestly, but he could drop to them at 32 if he makes it past Minnesota.

[Qwiz]

They won't take Te'o. Arthur Brown is the only guy I could see them trading up for honestly, but he could drop to them at 32 if he makes it past Minnesota.

Yeah I agree, and I do expect him to make it past Minnesota. I think they'll be thinking receiver when they pick.

[smittywerb]

So in other words, chances are they have a home run draft?

I'm sorry, if they manage to be successful again and have a top 10 defense again then Ozzie deserves goty

[GoPats]

Ravens have 12 picks, they are most likely going to trade up from that 32 spot.  Ravens are going to have to have (lol) a home run draft.  If not, those holes will exposed.

 

I don't know... don't underestimate the strengths of a good system and strong coaching. Lots of people predicted the demise of the Patriots when names like Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law, and Willie McGinest walked out the door. The Ravens have, IMO, quietly done a nice job this offseason of replacing some parts and retooling their roster. With the draft still out there, plus some capable free agents who are getting cheaper by the week, I wouldn't sleep on Baltimore.

[smittywerb]

I don't know... don't underestimate the strengths of a good system and strong coaching. Lots of people predicted the demise of the Patriots when names like Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law, and Willie McGinest walked out the door. The Ravens have, IMO, quietly done a nice job this offseason of replacing some parts and retooling their roster. With the draft still out there, plus some capable free agents who are getting cheaper by the week, I wouldn't sleep on Baltimore.

 

 

I have to agree.  I've read and some people have told me that safties and LB's in this draft are gonna drop.  Ravens are going to be able to grab some good players even at the 32 spot.

[Tony Sullivan]

I hope the Ravens draft picks work out for them after their superbowl like ours did for us!

Anthony Gonzalez and Tony Ugoh have been anchors for our team... kept us stuck for years ;)

[NewColtsFan]

Ravens have 12 picks, they are most likely going to trade up from that 32 spot.  Ravens are going to have to have (lol) a home run draft.  If not, those holes will exposed.

 

The Ravens have already filled some of those holes with the last 3 previous drafts....

 

Year in and year out, the Ravens are one of the best teams in the draft.   Newsome is a tremendous judge of talent.   If they indeed have 12 picks as you say,  then they're in great shape.    The strength of this draft is defense.    They should do just fine...

[smittywerb]

The Ravens have already filled some of those holes with the last 3 previous drafts....

 

Year in and year out, the Ravens are one of the best teams in the draft.   Newsome is a tremendous judge of talent.   If they indeed have 12 picks as you say,  then they're in great shape.    The strength of this draft is defense.    They should do just fine...

 

Welllll, drafting from that 32 spot is kinda hard.  But from what I've been reading, it could be done this draft.

[chad72]

I hope the Ravens draft picks work out for them after their superbowl like ours did for us!

Anthony Gonzalez and Tony Ugoh have been anchors for our team... kept us stuck for years ;)

 

Well, Ozzie doesn't have a son taking over the reins and making draft day decisions, so the Ravens should be in better shape after their SB than the Colts were with the NaPolians.

[BrentMc11]

Well, Ozzie doesn't have a son taking over the reins and making draft day decisions, so the Ravens should be in better shape after their SB than the Colts were with the NaPolians.

But do the Newsomes have the infamous brushed brown Polian suit that was a mainstay at 56th street for years...and never was washed..  .. between visits to the NaPolian Rehab Center fr 'liars and rats?'(Also known as the media   )???????

[throwing BBZ]

Move up to draft Arthur Brown.