Jason La Confora: Kruger looking for 9m/year...

[LukeDaniel]

With Ray retiring and McClain coming off an injury and so-so season, I would say that Ellerbe is even a bigger priority than Kruger. He and Flacco have to and will get done. Kruger will depend on what the market offers him. It's hard to see Cary coming back, I agree. Cory Gaham is a $2.4 million hit next year, the final year of his deal. Will be interesting to see if Asa Jackson can step in behind Brown on the depth chart as everyone moves up. Ideally, Gaham is in the slot, Lardarius is on one side and Smith and Brown compete for the other.

The secondary is going to be the area where we see the most change. I've heard speculation (mainly here) that Webb or Smith might be moved to safety, which is probably unlikely, but if true, would really throw our secondary for a loop even further.

Right now, we don't know much about the secondary other than:

FS:
SS: Pollard
Backup S: Omar Brown
Backup S: Christian Thompson
Backup S: Emanuel Cook

#1 CB: Webb
#2 CB: Jimmy Smith
#3 CB: Corey Graham
#4 CB: Chykie Brown
#5 CB: Asa Jackson

I think the drafting of a safety to start alongside Pollard is all but a given. That's good timing as there are probably more top 75 worthy safeties in this draft than any in the last 6-8 years. Aside from Pollard, there is nobody on the roster with really any NFL experience at the position. I don't recall Thompson playing any scrimmage snaps this year and I don't remember Cook getting more than a handful of snaps last year before his injury. Omar Brown had a sack of Eli Manning and played quite a few snaps against the Bengals. Right now, he qualifies as our 2nd most experienced NFL safety, which is a bit scarey. That's why I'm thinking that the idea of re-signing Ighedibo (or a vet-minimum comparable) or moving Webb to S might not be a terrible idea. I don't think the idea of Pollard/high-drafted rookie/ Thompson/ Cook and or Brown is a confidence-inspiring combination.

I have seen Mathieu mocked to the Ravens on a couple of draft boards, and I'd be all for that as I think he is a flat-out player, red flags and all. I think there is a considerable chance he'd be available when our supplemental 3rd round pick came up.

[LukeDaniel]

I am chomping at the bit to release my projected 53 man roster for next year, but true to previous pattern, that isn't released until after our season ends. So hopefully you'll see it in about 20 days or so.

[Boulderraven]

I noted Ihedigbo and Jones were cut. Bajema, Williams and McBean all show up as unrestricted free agent signings for the Ravens when I look them up. Can you point me to a more accurate list?

The NFL already assigned the Ravens 4 comp picks (league maximum) but rounds to be determined.

[pickles]

It looks like maybe I'm alone here, but I see Ed Reed coming back. On like a 2 year deal. If he wants to.

Reed will be back well before Kruger imo.

[LukeDaniel]

It looks like maybe I'm alone here, but I see Ed Reed coming back. On like a 2 year deal. If he wants to.

Reed will be back well before Kruger imo.

I think you will remain alone with that opinion Reed just isn't a very good player anymore. Over the last 5-6 weeks, for every good thing that Reed has done, Kruger has done 7 or 8. For 3-4 bad things that Reed has done to hurt the Ravens, Kruger has done one. Kruger is 8 years younger too. Keeping Reed before addressing Kruger is a bad football decision. It's a decision made with the heart and not the head...and the Ravens have a pretty long track record of thinking with their heads first.

[pickles]

I think you will remain alone with that opinion Reed just isn't a very good player anymore. Over the last 5-6 weeks, for every good thing that Reed has done, Kruger has done 7 or 8. For 3-4 bad things that Reed has done to hurt the Ravens, Kruger has done one. Kruger is 8 years younger too. Keeping Reed before addressing Kruger is a bad football decision. It's a decision made with the heart and not the head...and the Ravens have a pretty long track record of thinking with their heads first.

You're making the false analogy that the money and years for Reed will be the same as they are for Kruger. Obviously, that's nowhere near the case.

Reed is an every down player.

Kruger isn't.

Reed won't command a giant commitment.

Kruger will.

Reed plays a position we're very thin at.

Kruger doesn't.

Like I said, it's my opinion. But I think I'm right.

[Shas]

They are definitely getting 4 compensatory picks but the rounds have not yet been determined. Determining the amount of picks is simple: street free agents signed vs. street free agents lost, not counting players who were cut either way.

Grubbs, Johnson, Redding, Nakamura, Zbikowski, McKinney all left as street free agents. The team signed Sean Considine and Corey Graham as street free agents.

You have the definition wrong but you've ID'd the right guys who will factor into compensatory picks. A "street free agent" is a guy who was cut and is available to be signed by anyone after passing through waivers no matter what is experience in the league is (sort of like an undrafted free agent). They (ie, Jones and Ihedigbo) don't factor into compensatory picks.

You mean to be saying that the formula for the number compensatory picks given is determined by net unrestricted free agents lost (# UFA's lost minus # URF's signed). Sometimes you can have a net of zero lost and still get a pick if they decide the guys lost were more valuable than the guys signed.

I was under the impression that all the UFAs signed and lost for the Ravens would figure in the net equation, even if that player became IRd or was later cut. If that was true then by my count they signed seven UFAs and lost eight for a net of one. But it would make sense that the players who didn't stick (Blackstock, Wragge, and McBean) don't count in the net equation, and so therefore the net is four (which is the maximum).

I do realize that when comparing the VALUE of guys gained versus lost, the level of the compensatory pick they get will be affected.

[bmorecareful]

The secondary is going to be the area where we see the most change. I've heard speculation (mainly here) that Webb or Smith might be moved to safety, which is probably unlikely, but if true, would really throw our secondary for a loop even further.

Right now, we don't know much about the secondary other than:

FS:
SS: Pollard
Backup S: Omar Brown
Backup S: Christian Thompson
Backup S: Emanuel Cook

#1 CB: Webb
#2 CB: Jimmy Smith
#3 CB: Corey Graham
#4 CB: Chykie Brown
#5 CB: Asa Jackson

I think the drafting of a safety to start alongside Pollard is all but a given. That's good timing as there are probably more top 75 worthy safeties in this draft than any in the last 6-8 years. Aside from Pollard, there is nobody on the roster with really any NFL experience at the position. I don't recall Thompson playing any scrimmage snaps this year and I don't remember Cook getting more than a handful of snaps last year before his injury. Omar Brown had a sack of Eli Manning and played quite a few snaps against the Bengals. Right now, he qualifies as our 2nd most experienced NFL safety, which is a bit scarey. That's why I'm thinking that the idea of re-signing Ighedibo (or a vet-minimum comparable) or moving Webb to S might not be a terrible idea. I don't think the idea of Pollard/high-drafted rookie/ Thompson/ Cook and or Brown is a confidence-inspiring combination.

I have seen Mathieu mocked to the Ravens on a couple of draft boards, and I'd be all for that as I think he is a flat-out player, red flags and all. I think there is a considerable chance he'd be available when our supplemental 3rd round pick came up.

I agree with a lot of what you've said here. If Ihedigbo would accept a veteran minimum contract he'd be a really good 3rd safety and backup plan as the starting FS at a minimum. Omar Brown is an intriguing backup option as is Christian Thompson, but neither of them (particularly Thompson) appear ready for any kind of real-game action at all.

It seems a given that they go out and grab a FS option and possibly even a depth CB in the late rounds. The ideal scenario is to have the BPA in the 1st or 2nd be a FS option who proceeds to grab hold of the starting job straight out of camp... Matt Elam, Kenny Vaccaro, or Phillip Thomas are candidates to do that in this draft IMO.

The X-factor in all of this is Webb. Is he 100% healthy and ready for full-time snaps at the start of the season (much less by training camp)? Many people appear to think this is a given but I don't think so at all. Moving him to FS never seemed like a serious possibility in the past, but could the Ravens consider moving him to that spot, at least until he got his full confidence in the reconstructed knee back and/or another option emerged?

The CB depth chart looks a little ugly if Webb moves to FS even temporarily and Cary Williams (as expected) walks. Is Jimmy Smith going to improve and lay claim to a starting job? I feel confident in Corey Graham as a starting CB and Chykie Brown at nickel but who's the starter?

I don't agree on Mathieu in the 3rd, though. WAY too high. There's no way any team would even entertain the notion of pursuing him above the 5th and I still think it's about 50/50 if he's drafted at all.

[LukeDaniel]

You're making the false analogy that the money and years for Reed will be the same as they are for Kruger. Obviously, that's nowhere near the case.

Reed is an every down player.

Kruger isn't.

Reed won't command a giant commitment.

Kruger will.

Reed plays a position we're very thin at.

Kruger doesn't.

Like I said, it's my opinion. But I think I'm right.

Reed signing would probably take up 25-35% of the available salary cap #. Kruger would likely take up 35-45%. Who would you rather keep? If the Ravens even offered Reed a contract, it wouldn't be for more than two years, meaning even less flexibility in terms of structuring the cap allocations.

[leachisabeast]

Webb isn't moving to safety for the last time, he already said its a stupid idea and he doesn't want to do it.

And IMO Corey Graham has won the starting CB posistion opposite Webb next year, Jimmy Smith will be lucky to beat out Chykie Brown for the 3rd spot.

[LukeDaniel]

I don't agree on Mathieu in the 3rd, though. WAY too high. There's no way any team would even entertain the notion of pursuing him above the 5th and I still think it's about 50/50 if he's drafted at all.

It's hard to say what will happen with him until after the combine, but I was thinking idealistically that he would even be there by the time we picked late in the 3rd round. Almost every draft publication I've seen has him as a 2nd-4th rounder.


He would totally have to bomb the combine in a Burfict-like fashion to not be drafted. I'd give him a 99% chance of being drafted and probably a 75% chance of going in the first 110-120 picks. I'm convinced that, after what happened with Burfict last year and all the teams kicking themselves for not drafting him, quite a few will be happy to take a chance on a former Heisman finalist oozing with talent. Burfict had a season of so-so on the-field-footage to hold him back in addition to his attitude problems. His game film from his last year before the draft alarmed a lot of teams. Mathieu might not be big in size and might not have played this year, but that won't slow teams down too much. The guy is the best tackling "little guy" that I've ever seen, runs like the win, has insane quickness, and is extremely tough-nosed. He is a perfect fit to cover slot receivers in the NFL. Assuming no combine melt down, if he even reaches the mid-4th round, I'd be shocked.

[leachisabeast]

And Lol and the people still thinking Kruger isn't an every down player. Just go watch the film, he really has become an every down 3-4 OLB, he's a perfect fit for our system, just stop pretending he's Antwan Barnes, he's twice the player Barnes is. Kruger is an average run stopper, decent coverage guy, and emerging into a top tier pass rusher, he could be a huge signing for us in the future and I don't think you guys realize that. In time, I think he will become a very good runs topper just as many 3-4 OLB's coached in our system have become, we have some great defensive coaches.

[Lime in the Coconut]

To me, Kruger HAS to be a top priority after Flacco. I don't think he's quite worth 9 mil, but I'm hoping we make a tremendous effort in trying to keep him.He has been one of the best players on the team since the second half of the season. I also believe last year is when he started his upswing of good play. I knew he'd be a guy that would take some time to develop. The things that make Kruger a dire need for us to keep IMO is his size, hands when pass rushing, and quickness within his moves that he uses. Not to mention, but Kruger's feisty, he's getting better at setting the edge and dropping back too. I don't know how some of you can say Ellerbe is more important to keep. Ellerbe's another player I'd love to keep and he's played great, but if I have to pick, it's Kruger. We finally have a pass rusher opposite of Suggs, who may I add is only going to get a lot better, and is starting to become more of a full time player. Courtney Upshaw, great edge setter, but are you really going to have confidence with him as a pass rusher? I think he'll get better there, but you can't expect him to do much of anything in that department next season. I'm a big fan of Upshaw, as well as Hamilton, but you can't depend on these guys to produce. So do you go draft yet another pass rusher early in the draft? We have other needs too. Pass rushers are really hard to find, we must find a way to keep Paul in black and purple. He's an impact player.

As for Ellerbe, I'd love to keep him, but his health has to be a concern IMHO. He hasn't seemed to put together too many healthy seasons since he was a rookie. If we can find a way to keep he and Kruger it'd be awesome. If we can't though, like I said, I'm picking Kruger. We will be drafting an ILB early either way IMO.

[LukeDaniel]

And Lol and the people still thinking Kruger isn't an every down player. Just go watch the film, he really has become an every down 3-4 OLB, he's a perfect fit for our system, just stop pretending he's Antwan Barnes, he's twice the player Barnes is. Kruger is an average run stopper, decent coverage guy, and emerging into a top tier pass rusher, he could be a huge signing for us in the future and I don't think you guys realize that. In time, I think he will become a very good runs topper just as many 3-4 OLB's coached in our system have become, we have some great defensive coaches.

Kruger played well in run defense on Saturday too. He is an every down player in my estimation.

[Boulderraven]

You dont let pass rushers go, they are hard to find and develop. He is in his prime. I expect they try to keep him. He is an everydown play without a doubt. He is probably our best player in the front 7 right now.

[Ravenous1]

The whole Kruger thing is pretty simple. If they get Joe inked to a long term deal IMO then Kruger becomes then next priority. Ozzie and company will have financial parameters that they will be willing to go to and I expect that they will stick relatively close to that. Unfortunately there will be team who have much more cap room than the Ravens and if they happen to want Kruger he is gone...period the end. The Ravens can only go so far, they cannot put themselves in cap hell simply to retain Paul Kruger.

Smart NFL franchises that are successful year in and year out like the Ravens, Pats, etc do not overspend on players that it is not essential to overspend on. Obviously a position like QB or a talent like Suggs, Ngata etc is going to cost a premium. However as nice as Kruger is turning out I would argue he is not anywhere near that level of talent at this point on a consistent basis.

[arnie_uk]

And Lol and the people still thinking Kruger isn't an every down player. Just go watch the film, he really has become an every down 3-4 OLB, he's a perfect fit for our system, just stop pretending he's Antwan Barnes, he's twice the player Barnes is. Kruger is an average run stopper, decent coverage guy, and emerging into a top tier pass rusher, he could be a huge signing for us in the future and I don't think you guys realize that. In time, I think he will become a very good runs topper just as many 3-4 OLB's coached in our system have become, we have some great defensive coaches.

He sure as hell wasn't an very down player until Suggs came back

[bmoreraventerp]

You dont let pass rushers go, they are hard to find and develop. He is in his prime. I expect they try to keep him. He is an everydown play without a doubt. He is probably our best player in the front 7 right now.

I trust Ozzie and Harbaugh will try to keep Kruger. He may price himself out of the team's price range due to the salary cap situation, but if they put a competitive offer on table then you know they think highly of him and believe he is legit and will continue to be a force. The team has a history of trying to keep guys they feel strongly about.

Kruger and a strong pass rush can help the situation at secondary next season, particularly at the beginning of next season where Webb may not be fully recovered yet and a new FS may still be inexperienced.

[B-more Ravor]

The NFL already assigned the Ravens 4 comp picks (league maximum) but rounds to be determined.

No, they haven't been awarded yet. That won't happen until early April.

[B-more Ravor]

I was under the impression that all the UFAs signed and lost for the Ravens would figure in the net equation, even if that player became IRd or was later cut. If that was true then by my count they signed seven UFAs and lost eight for a net of one. But it would make sense that the players who didn't stick (Blackstock, Wragge, and McBean) don't count in the net equation, and so therefore the net is four (which is the maximum).

Actually, McBean was also a "street" FA because he was released by Denver.

Otherwise, you are correct that the players later released by the Ravens wouldn't "qualify" for Comp picks, but there is one more distinction at play. A FA signed after June 1, even a UFA, doesn't count toward the Comp pick calculations, unless his prior team offered him a June 1 qualifying tender - which really never happens). So, that would also remove guys like Blackstock, Bajema and Wragge from consideration.