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I was looking at Baltimore's roster today and I have to say, rumors of their demise are premature. They were able to sign (according to Spotrac) Dumervil, Spears, and Canty for a combined $5.2 MM 2013 cap hit. They'll probably slide Ngata back over to NT for this season, starting McPhee, Ngata, and Canty across the line with Spears and Cody rotating in. At OLB, they have Suggs and Dumervil with Upshaw rotating in. ILB they have Jameel McClain on the strong side but need a playmaker at WILB,probably from the draft. They should get Webb back at corner and have Smith and Graham. Safety is a mess, but that can be made passable in the draft.
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I think losing Boldin is the biggest deal. Unless they (finally) go back to using Rice correctly, they're offense will suffer.
Am I the only one that pronounces hyperbole "Hyper-bowl" instead of "hy-per-bo-le"?
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Legend
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I think losing Boldin is the biggest deal. Unless they (finally) go back to using Rice correctly, they're offense will suffer.
Their offense is already going to suffer IMO. Boldin was a critical piece to that puzzle. Glad it's their problem though, and not ours... lol
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2nd String
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I was looking at Baltimore's roster today and I have to say, rumors of their demise are premature. They were able to sign (according to Spotrac) Dumervil, Spears, and Canty for a combined $5.2 MM 2013 cap hit. They'll probably slide Ngata back over to NT for this season, starting McPhee, Ngata, and Canty across the line with Spears and Cody rotating in. At OLB, they have Suggs and Dumervil with Upshaw rotating in. ILB they have Jameel McClain on the strong side but need a playmaker at WILB,probably from the draft. They should get Webb back at corner and have Smith and Graham. Safety is a mess, but that can be made passable in the draft.
Meh...their proposed decline is a little overblown by some people, but I still think the Ravens have too many holes to win anymore than 7-10 games, barring any major regular season improvement from Flacco.
Suggs will likely never be the same being he's coming off of a torn achilles at 30 years-old. McClain's going to take over Ray Lewis' role, but they still have a hole at WILB with Ellerbe going to Miami. And run-stuffing, thumper inside linebackers are easier to find in the draft than guys who are good in coverage (which is typically the skillset of WILBs compared to SILBs). Webb, their best CB by far, is coming off of a torn ACL which makes him a question mark as well. And their other CB, Jimmy Smith, is really overrated. People think he's good just because he's on the Ravens defense. They have holes at both safety positions, which is a pretty big deal since filling those holes via the draft is going to require some pretty high picks (and safeties usually don't play very well in their rookie years).
On offense, they have to replace Boldin (who I think is probably one of the easier fixes here — he's being overrated due to making some iconic catches in the Playoffs). Their starting LT (and the most-important position on the offensive line), McKinnie, is a free agent. They're probably going to resign him since they're way too low to draft one of the three potential starting LTs (Joeckel, Fisher, Johnson). Even if they do resign him, McKinnie's ancient at this point in his career and will probably regress further. Matt Birk, their starting center (and the second most-important position on the offensive line), retired this offseason. They drafted a guy in the fourth round last year named Gradkowski...I would guess he's going to be the starter since the Ravens have so little cap room and also need a starting LT. Needless to say, starting such a fourth-rounder, second-year player at such an important position is not ideal. In general, I would say these two holes on the offensive line are just as big of a deal as all of the holes on defense. Regression at the left tackle and center positions can absolutely destroy an offense with a pocket passer. Any potential improvement from Flacco (and he better improve in the regular season if they're going to make the Playoffs next year), could be derailed by his offensive line struggling.
...
The Ravens just have too many question marks to be anything more than a fringe Playoff team next year. They don't have enough to high draft picks to seal all of their holes (FS, SS, WILB, maybe C, maybe LT, maybe WR) with starter-quality players, they have major contributors coming off of significant injuries, and the two most-important positions on the offensive line are question marks at this point.
Some of these question marks will likely work themselves out, but in general, there's too many variables to believe this team's more likely to make the Playoffs than many other teams.
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I believe the Ravens have 12 picks in the upcoming draft. Don't write Ozzy off yet.... that guy can draft. Yes, the Ravens will likely take a step back, but they have a good chance to retool in the draft and come back strong next year. In the meantime, signing E-D helps them immediately. He's a better player than Kruger and they got him for considerably less. So our hope of gaining a player while hurting a foe was only half true. We gained a player, hopefully a good one. But Ozzy filled the Kruger hole very well indeed. Now he has to draft well. Not unusual for him.....
#BlackLivesMatter #StopAsianHate
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I'm not sure why you see Flacco as so overrated. He might be the biggest reason behind Flacco's new contract. He doesn't get a whole lot of separation, but he doesn't need it, and it seemed like Flacco just realized that all of a sudden in the playoffs. He'll be a huge help to a young QB trying to get comfortable in San Fran.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
#gmstrong
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2nd String
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I believe the Ravens have 12 picks in the upcoming draft. Don't write Ozzy off yet.... that guy can draft. Yes, the Ravens will likely take a step back, but they have a good chance to retool in the draft and come back strong next year. In the meantime, signing E-D helps them immediately. He's a better player than Kruger and they got him for considerably less. So our hope of gaining a player while hurting a foe was only half true. We gained a player, hopefully a good one. But Ozzy filled the Kruger hole very well indeed. Now he has to draft well. Not unusual for him.....
They have one 1st round pick, one 2nd round pick, one 3rd round pick, two 4th round picks, two 5ths, three 6ths, and two 7ths. He's going to have to draft incredibly well to plug all of these holes considering that most of his 12 picks are late-rounders. Early round picks usually don't make much of an impact in their rookie seasons, yet alone late-rounders.
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I'm not sure why you see Flacco as so overrated. He might be the biggest reason behind Flacco's new contract. He doesn't get a whole lot of separation, but he doesn't need it, and it seemed like Flacco just realized that all of a sudden in the playoffs. He'll be a huge help to a young QB trying to get comfortable in San Fran.
Boldin is Mario Manningham. He made some significant catches in the Playoffs for the eventual Super Bowl winner, which made everyone forget about his decent-at-best play during the regular season. Not to mention that his physical attributes are eroding by the year.
But I think my point is best served by mentioning that he was traded for a 6th round pick...
If he was that great, an NFL GM would have given up a hell of a lot more than a 6th rounder for him.
...
BTW: Boldin was an absolute beast during his tenure in Arizona, so I don't have some sort of irrational dislike for him. But he's really not that great anymore, and I think his trade value and body of work last year (his regular season) reflects that.
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In the meantime, signing E-D helps them immediately. He's a better player than Kruger and they got him for considerably less.
I don't think he is a better player, especially moving forward.
It kills me how almost everyone [you included] said we desperately needed a pass rusher. Well, we get the best pass rusher on the market and pay less than what he was reportedly going to get----and you still complain.
Yeah, you're objective.
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If he was that great, an NFL GM would have given up a hell of a lot more than a 6th rounder for him.
Don't you think that his age and the brother/brother relationship had something to do w/that?
All I know is this: Flacco and Baltimore will miss Boldin this year. The guy didn't have big numbers, but he was clutch. We Cleveland fans can attest to that, as we saw him up-close and personal twice a year.
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Not only can we attest to it for that reason, but we also saw how badly we needed a player like that on our own roster last year.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
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Boldin is Mario Manningham
I agree Anquan is getting older and isn't the same as years past. But, he's also a guy who just missed 1000yd season.
His main asset is that you cannot put a diminutive CB on him or he will eat them alive. We know as he had 14rec 188yds and a 2pt conversion against us last year.
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Absolutely, their OT and C spots are huge needs... I was posting from my phone and didn't want to get in to the offense. I do think you're underrating Boldin, though. He wasn't just good in the playoffs. He beat us all by himself this year. He was a huge bailout target for Flacco. People (at least, on here) were talking like the Ravens were suddenly the worst team in the division, but thanks to their fantastic deals in FA, they have a manageable amount of holes this year. Winning 10 games is still pretty darned good  . They could have a draft like this: 1: LT (Armstead/Long) 2: CB (Taylor/Banks) 3: FS (Swearinger/Thomas) 4a: C (Schwenke/Madsen) 4b: ILB (Reddick/Campbell) 5a: WR (Hamilton/Boyce/Harper/King) 5b: SS (Duke Williams/Cody Davis) and be able to just stash whatever players they want with the last 5 picks. I think they're in good shape.
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i don't think anyone reasonable thought they were now the worst team in the division. more that they had fallen back into the pack enough that it was possible for other teams to catch them now. besides, Pitt is now the worst team in the division 
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I think that Boldin's main asset is what it has always been. He fervently and completely believes that any ball in the air is his, and he attacks it with that mindset.
He's not a young guy anymore, and his speed isn't the same as it once was, but he still managed to have 2 of his 3 best years ever as far as yards/catch in the past 2 seasons in Baltimore. (15.6 and 14.2 yards/catch) That's not bad for an "old, washed up" guy.
I am glad to see him gone from Baltimore.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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Back to Dumervil ...... I found this interesting ..... Dumervil accepted $1 million less to sign with Ravens instead of Broncos - CBSSports.com http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/jason-...tead-of-broncosThe Ravens control Elvis Dumervil's rights for five years, but his extension could end up being $17 million for three years as the contract is structured. Dumervil would have made $18 million over three years had the paperwork on his restructured deal with Denver been filed on time -- and there are varying versions of why that deal, struck with former agent Marty Magid, did not get faxed in time. In the end, Dumervil took $1 million less to go to the Ravens. However Dumervil's departure came about, the Broncos lost a key pass rusher they hoped to retain, and the Ravens got a gift in someone to offset Terrell Suggs on the opposite side of the field -- and at a relative bargain. Dumervil counts just $2.5 million against their 2013 cap, huge for the cap-strapped champions (it also saved them enough space to add safety Michael Huff on Wednesday). Dumervil makes $8.5 million in 2013 between a signing bonus and base salary, and has $11 million fully guaranteed in the deal. He has a $3.5 million option bonus due in 2014 and would make $4.5 million in all in 2014. He would make $4 million per year in 2015 and 2016 (counting $6.4 million against the cap each of those years) and he would make $5 million in 2017, the final year of the deal (counting $7.4 million against the cap). Dumervil, 29, did his new deal with agents Tom Condon and Ben Dogra. It remains to be seen how his health and production hold up, and how deep into this contract he plays, but the Ravens certainly didn't have to break the bank to get the former Pro Bowler. At roughly $5 million per year, that's a far cry from the $8 million per year less-accomplished former Raven Paul Kruger got from Cleveland in free agency, with Dumervil's arrival offsetting Kruger's departure.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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I believe the Ravens have 12 picks in the upcoming draft. Don't write Ozzy off yet.... that guy can draft. Yes, the Ravens will likely take a step back, but they have a good chance to retool in the draft and come back strong next year. In the meantime, signing E-D helps them immediately. He's a better player than Kruger and they got him for considerably less. So our hope of gaining a player while hurting a foe was only half true. We gained a player, hopefully a good one. But Ozzy filled the Kruger hole very well indeed. Now he has to draft well. Not unusual for him.....
They have one 1st round pick, one 2nd round pick, one 3rd round pick, two 4th round picks, two 5ths, three 6ths, and two 7ths. He's going to have to draft incredibly well to plug all of these holes considering that most of his 12 picks are late-rounders. Early round picks usually don't make much of an impact in their rookie seasons, yet alone late-rounders.
That's why I believe this year they will take a step back, though not as far as some believe, and the following season they could be tough again. If anyone can retool on the fly, Ozzy has proven HE can.... The holes he needs to fill are fewer than ours....
#BlackLivesMatter #StopAsianHate
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i don't think anyone reasonable thought they were now the worst team in the division. more that they had fallen back into the pack enough that it was possible for other teams to catch them now.
besides, Pitt is now the worst team in the division
Last time I looked the Squealers had a QB. I HATE tiny ben as I hate all sexual predators, but he is a franchise QB. The Nati and Balt. have theirs set as well....We are still looking for one. Until we find our guy the Browns reside at the bottom of the AFCN.
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I wonder if he checked Maryland's "Flacco" tax law.
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the little devil guy at the end is an indication of some humor/sarcasm in the statement
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DawgTalkers.net
Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Elvis Dumervil Released Due To
Paperwork Mess-Up
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