Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

[leachisabeast]

I know there was one posted a while back, but it's a little dated, so I thought we could start a new one in light of today. I don't expect anything out of this team now, won't be surprised if we lose out the injuries we have.

The first big point is Joe Flacco.

Do we resign, let go, or franchise tag. That's the big question. To me the most likely scenario is tag him for the year, and bring in a new OC to see what he can do in a legit offense. That will be 14 million in salary cap... gone. That means quite a few players are going to have to be asked to walk.

Jameel McClain hasn't backed that contract up, I think he'll be cut.
Matt Birk should just retire
Bobbie Williams will retire or get cut
Ray Lewis is up in the air, I'd personally like him to return for one more year
AnQuan Boldin could be a cap casualty, I would hate for it to happen, but it's possible if Ozzie really wants to rebuild the D.

Some others could be gone too.

My next point is Ed Reed, what do we do with him if he decides not to retire. Do we resign him? The franchise tag will not be a luxury we can use if Flacco gets tagged. I will shed a tear or two if he departs from Bmore, I really wanted to see him win a ring with us, after all he's done for us, such a sad thing.

Paul Kruger has potential, it all depends on how much he demands. IMO, we sign him to a fairly cheap deal, if he wants more, let him go because he hasn't proven him self to bean every down player.

There are other guys like Arthur Jones, Dennis Pitta, and Terrence Cody who we'll probably have to use a tender on. Shouldn't be a big deal.

Then we come onto the more favorable discussion on who we sign in FA and who we draft...

It's a defensive deep draft, not much in the way of offensive skilled positions. The FA market isn't very deep this year, but there are some players we could potentially have a shot at.

Frankly I don't want another year like this for a while, we are 9-4, but it reminds me a lot of 2007, very depressing. Thank god the rugby team I play for, are doing well this year, as well as England rugby doing well beating the All blacks the other week, or I'd be a manic depressant right now .

Discuss.

[GOTA]

The cap situation is horrible. They better hit on the draft because they won't be able to bring much money in.

[ravenray]

this front office has been getting free pass for all the busts they've drafted. JO and Ray was in 1995, they need to stop padding themselves on the back.

[leachisabeast]

this front office has been getting free pass for all the busts they've drafted. JO and Ray was in 1995, they need to stop padding themselves on the back.

Stupid post sorry.

We have drafted the second most all pros (second to the Pats) through he last decade. Do some research before blindly contributing to this thread.

[leachisabeast]

The cap situation is horrible. They better hit on the draft because they won't be able to bring much money in.

The cap isn't terrible at all, it's just going to be bad if we use 14 million to tag Flacco.

Frankly, is he worth that much?

[ravensnhokies]

Honestly, let Reed walk at this point....

And I'm a huge Reed fan

[GOTA]

The cap isn't terrible at all, it's just going to be bad if we use 14 million to tag Flacco.

Frankly, is he worth that much?

Go read Ravor's latest. 37 players under contract. $14 million under the cap. They need to sign draft picks, RFAs, ERFAs and Flacco. Do the math. Even if Flacco doesn't get franchised they are going to have to be creative just to fill the roster. There won't be any name free agents this year without significant cuts of big money. Boldin will be on that list but some other surprises will have to be there too, Leach is the most obvious luxury they really can't afford.

[JustaslowZ06]

You just gotta hope Flacco's agents see the light and get him to sign the deal they offered him. I mean really sure a team might pay him elite money like he want's but they're going to be horrible. Is a extra mill or 2 a year really worth it?

Also hoping Reed takes a cap friendly deal, but honestly could see him wanting to go play for the Pats or Texans, or hell even the Colts with Luck who all will prob get to a SB before us. He wants a ring and I'm guessing Ray is done after this year.

Boldin looks to be another restructure or be a cap casulty.

Next up the first 2 rounds of the draft had better be to get a 3-4 DE and a MLB. PERIOD.

[leachisabeast]

Go read Ravor's latest. 37 players under contract. $14 million under the cap. They need to sign draft picks, RFAs, ERFAs and Flacco. Do the math. Even if Flacco doesn't get franchised they are going to have to be creative just to fill the roster. There won't be any name free agents this year without significant cuts of big money. Boldin will be on that list but some other surprises will have to be there too, Leach is the most obvious luxury they really can't afford.

Ravor has stated that he estimates us to be at around 7.5 million under the cap, that is not terrible shape IMO. Yes it will mean saying good bye to some good players, maybe Boldin, but it really depends on Flacco tbh.

[Lime in the Coconut]

It's not worth gutting the rest of the team IMO. We HAVE to rebuild this defense first and foremost, that is who we are. It'd be nice if we had some space to work with in FA and yes, we HAVE to land some defensive picks.

[Bhcforlife]

Stupid post sorry.

We have drafted the second most all pros (second to the Pats) through he last decade. Do some research before blindly contributing to this thread.

I disagree with this, a decade is a long time, what have they done in the past few drafts? They hit on Webb, what else?

They've done next to nothing in the draft as far as bringing in legitimate studs since the 2008 draft of Flacco and Rice, IMO. Pitta, Smith, those guys are nice players, but not sure they'll ever end up being more than that. Jury is still out on some, of course. But I can certainly see the argument that the FO hasn't been as good at bringing in quality contributors through the draft in recent years as they were in the past.

[Iscull]

For next season:

1. Review coaching staff. Fire Cam. Look at possible replacement for Moeller.
For OC: Promote Caldwell or bring in Turner.

2. Bring back Flacco.

3. Cut/Let Walk/Retire:
McClain
Birk
Williams
McKinnie
Ayanbedejo
Kruger
Williams
Kemoeatu
McBean
Considine

4. Tender:
Pitta
Dickson
Cox
Art Jones

5. Resign:
Flacco
Reed
Ellerbe

[leachisabeast]

I disagree with this, a decade is a long time, what have they done in the past few drafts? They hit on Webb, what else?

They've done next to nothing in the draft as far as bringing in legitimate studs since the 2008 draft of Flacco and Rice, IMO. Pitta, Smith, those guys are nice players, but not sure they'll ever end up being more than that. Jury is still out on some, of course. But I can certainly see the argument that the FO hasn't been as good at bringing in quality contributors through the draft in recent years as they were in the past.

Duh... look where we've been picking, we've been trading down into the second round half the time, what do you expect?

[Bhcforlife]

Duh... look where we've been picking, we've been trading down into the second round half the time, what do you expect?

The fact that they are picking later in the round is really your primary argument here? Ray Lewis was the 26th pick in the draft. Reed was the 24th. Rice was a 2nd round pick. Webb a 3rd rounder. Yanda a 3rd rounder. Could go on and on. Where they pick is irrelevant, they still have a job to bring in quality players, and what do I expect? I expect the GM and FO of this team to do their jobs and bring in those quality players, like they had done for so many years prior.

Nobody is forcing Ozzie to trade down, either.

[Boulderraven]

Start with the coaches before figuring out who to keep, draft and sign.

[wickedsolo]

I think that they are undoubtedly going to have to cut folks that they probably don't want to cut.

I love what Jacoby brings as a return specialist, but short of a few catches here and there he hasn't dont much of anything offensively. Could Asa Jackson not do the same thing returning kicks/punts? That's $4 mill right there that doesn't need to be spent.

Regarding Boldin - I can almost guarantee that he'll either take a pay cut, or have his deal restructured. There is no way they can pay him $7.5 mill next year.

Pitta and Dickson will be RFA's, but they'll be cheap.

Defensively, the only guys they will really need to figure out is Kruger and Ellerbe. McClain can walk because he doesn't provide much of anything as an ILB. Frankly, I thought Bynes did a better job.

And as much as I'd hate to say it, I don't think it would be wise to resign Ed Reed. They have to get younger and faster on D.

[BigPlayReceiver]

Lots of $$$ out there and some of it is being wasted IMO.

McClain is due $3M in 2013 and $3.2M in 2014. (Awful value. Need to get from under this)

Birk is due $2.75M in 2013. (Sub-par value)
Oher is due $3M in 2013. (Sub par value)
Suggs is due $6.4M in 2013 and $7.8M in 2014. (Restructure)
Boldin is due $6M in 2013 and 2014. (Sub-par value but...New OC + Franchise tag "experiment" = dumb to cut loose a mostly reliable WR)
Jones is due $4M in 2013. (Ask again later...I'm having a hard time justifying $10M between Jones and Boldin)
Bobbie Willilams is due $1.2M in 2013. (Cut)
Ayanbadejo: $940K in 2013. (Cut)
Leach: $3M in 2013. (The new OC may completely devalue the FB position)

Re-sign priority:
Ellerbe

Otherwise:
Ed Reed: I love him, but I would not re-sign.
Cary Williams: Gone.
Ray is due $5.4M in 2013. I would like to see him retire.

[wickedsolo]

As for the draft, they definitely need to address a lot of the draft to the defensive side of the ball, but IMO they REALLY need to pick up some offensive linemen.

What I would like to see, even though it would be extremely costly, is the Ravens trade up for either Luke Joeckel or Manti T'eo.

They don't have the money to bring in big time free agents, so like GOTA said, they REALLY need to make sure their draft picks are going to be able to impact early on. T'eo is arguably the best linebacker to come out since Patrick Willis. Like I said, both guys are likely top 10 picks, so a move up to that area would be like the Falcons moving up to take Julio Jones, but they don't look so dumb for doing that now, do they? They swapped first rounders, gave up a 2nd, 4th, and the next year's 1st.

Joeckel solidifies the LT position for the next 6 years.

T'eo solidifies the middle of the D for the next 6 years.

They get an impact player immediately and can work their cap around to keep Kruger, Flacco, and Ellerbe.

[The Excellector]

They need to build the team around Joe Flacco and take any extra money available to sign Ryan Clady.

[wickedsolo]

They need to build the team around Joe Flacco and take any extra money available to sign Ryan Clady.

They're not going to have that extra money.

Flacco isn't going to be cheap to resign and they HAVE to resign him. If they don't, they're setting the franchise back 5 years easily.

I would LOVE to see them trade up for T'eo or Joeckel. So, let's say they do and they give up a 1st, 2nd, and 4th (this year)...so they'd have a 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th. This also isn't including comp picks, which they'll probably get at least one or two...maybe a 4th for Grubbs.

3rd round: Cassius Marsh, DT, UCLA.
5th round: Phillip Thomas, FS, Fresno State.
6th round: Chad Bumphis, WR, Mississippi State.
7th round: Joe Vellano, DE, Maryland.