Ravens Sign FB Lorenzo Neal

[RavenScallywag]

Yes, the Redskins gave up at least one pretty high draft pick to grab an older Pro Bowl DE. So you're saying we should start shopping some picks for next year to get a T from another team? Wouldn't it make more sense to just piecemeal together an OL and use that draft pick to TAKE a T prospect?

Starter worthy OTs are a good commodity in this league, that's why you don't see them being shopped very often. One name that was brought up about a possible trade is Khalif Barnes....not exactly stellar, he'd just be a serviceable stop gap starter. The reason we haven't made the move is that Slaughter appears to be putting it all together to provide us those services.

Even if he wasn't, ok I'll take the hit...I don't want to be like the Redskins and just start throwing our draft picks and the like around to put in a piece we need for 1, maybe 2 years. If we're making a trade, I want a guy who will be in place for at least 3 years. And let's face it, any LT who could be a decent starter for the next 3 years is well liked by their current team and probably would command a pick not worth their value.

As for your Chris Henry comment...."Here's your sign..." (Any Bill Engvall fans out there?). Henry would be a nightmare off the field and would totally negate his worth on the field. How long do you think he'll stay out of trouble here before the NFL imposes a year long suspension? Especially when he's going from Cincinatti to Baltimore, which I would venture to take a wild stab, probably has much more crime, thus more likely for him to get into some stuff he shouldn't be doing. Plus, have you seen how our WRs have played in camp/preseason? Ok, they're not totally on point yet, but Smith and Harper are starting to show some flashes. Figurs even had some good looks at WR. Clayton seems to be going nowhere, but Mason looks to be dependable this year as our possesion WR. We just need one of our other WRs to step up to be a stretch the field type WR. If Figurs refines his WR skills more, he could be that guy. I reference the Boller pass to Figurs where he was one on one with the DB, but slowed down at the end of his route and got no separation. He gets separation, see you later, 6 points.

[Mike B]

He is OLD... But I guess he can step in right away.

I'll consider it a pretty nice pickup.


Tony and 24x7 called this a day or 2 ago

Forget old. He is tough. We need tough. He may help toughen up the offense.

[ravenjoe]

Since we're tapping into the active adult community for fullbacks, anyone know if Sam Gash is available?!?!!?

[awalt]

Well that's a little harsh. First, multiple injuries at a position decimate any team. Show me any team that has two quality backup tackles that could start if the starters go down. There are none. Look especially at our competitors in the AFC North, they are way thinner than us on the OL for backups.

The reason is you can't have deep depth everywhere - you pick your positions based on where the injuries are. This is because there is a thing called the salary cap which prohibits the Ravens from trading for a quality OT which may cause them to cut TWO quality players, one to pay for the cap space for the OT and one to pay for the accelerated bonus that gets charged when the qst player is cut. Salary cap woes can get nasty.

The Ravens stocked up at LB, where we went into the season with a history of injury (3 of our LBs were on IR last year), plus older LBs (Lewis), plus players we would have to sign to lucrative long term contracts by next year so we can't keep them all (Lewis, Scott, Suggs).

The Ravens stocked up at TE, where injuries decimated us last year, and the best two guys were coming of long-term injuries (Heap and Wilcox), plus we lost another TE in mini camps (Sypniewski).

The OL was stocked with young guys with potential. This was a move made to solidify the line for a long time, given the young age of the players. Terry has been serviceable as a LT, a little rougher as RT in the past. The rest of the guys are all young with very good potential, including Gaither - Grubbs, Brown, Yanda, Chester, Cousins, Krause, Kracilik. Not all will make it as quality starters, but that is NINE guys. The Ravens have kept 8 or 9 on their roster every year since 2001, how many guys do you want them to bring in, noting you won't be able to bring in other guys (camp limit of 80 plus cap issues), plus the fact you will have to cut some quality OL guys if you brought in 10 or 12? That's not feasible.

The team also brought in a lot of guys at RB, WR, CB, and DL looking for quality depth. YOu gotta cut them due to camp roster size limits if you bring in more OL.

So it's easy to look back and say Oz is a dummy, but the Ravens have had a plan and it got killed by two key injuries at OT, the same position. Slaughter actually looks like a very nice pickup given the time constraints, so I give Oz credit there. He is serviceable, not a star, but none exist at this point. But if we lost both CBs, both starting WRs, both DEs, or Lewis and Suggs, it would be the same issue or worse. That's the nature of today's NFL, and it's unreasonable to blame Ozzie for that problem.

IMHO, having harder camps and practices will get these guys in better shape down the road. The last 3 years we have had 12, 9, and 14 guys on IR by the end of the year! Of course they are going to get hurt in games if they aren't in good enough shape to last 2 weeks in training camp. None of these injuries are the serious type, they smack of "out of shape". So it's rough now, but down the road this team will be a little tougher and more durable than it used to be.

[awalt]

Forget old. He is tough. We need tough. He may help toughen up the offense.

And he looked pretty darn good in San Diego last year before he got hurt. Better IMHO than any blocking back we had. This is not a guy that has been sitting on the pine or out of football for a couple of years.

[UKRavenStockers]

Since we're tapping into the active adult community for fullbacks, anyone know if Sam Gash is available?!?!!?

He's the running backs coach in Detroit these days I do believe where our former O-line coach Jim Colletto is the new offensive co-ordinator.

[Rochardrik]

The Redskins managed to find themselves a pro bowl DE when theirs went down...why can't Ozzie find a serviceable tackle? He hasn't been able to find a right tackle for the last decade..always seems to be right player wrong price with Ozzie. The Welborne fiasco sums it up perfectly. Yeah they signed Searcy and that didn't work out, does that mean you never sign a good right tackle again?

Tired of the excuses with Ozzie. There are always two or three positions completely ignored which could easily be that can be filled with cheap veterans. Just like he did with Neal at the least important position on the field, FB.

Like the Neal signing, would have loved Chris Henry, Welborne, or one of the 5 million backup TE's and rb's that are better than what they have.

Ravens say McClain is out of shape, very overweight doesn't work hard and they are going to move him to running back?

one of the best in the biz just happened to be on Parcels bad side.... Are there any top notch tackles on Bill's payroll on his bad side? Grasping at straws on this one!!!

[Dade]

I like this pick up. Neal may be old but he's still one of the best at what he does. This is what the AP had to say about his first performance.

Feeling right at home in Cam Cameron's offense, the Pro Bowl fullback bulled up the middle to open holes for an assortment of running backs. After being cut by the San Diego Chargers in February, the 37-year-old Neal was virtually ignored despite making it clear he had no desire to retire. The 5-foot-11, 255-pounder stayed in excellent shape, and finally began preparing his return to the NFL after taking a call from Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome about a week and a half ago.

His acclimation with the Ravens' offense was made easier by his relationship with Cameron. Neal was San Diego's starting fullback when Cameron was the team's offensive coordinator from 2003-06, and both are delighted to be together again in Baltimore.

In 15 seasons with New Orleans, the New York Jets, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Cincinnati and San Diego, Neal has 214 carries for 782 yards. But running with the ball is not really his job; his task is to unselfishly plow a path for his backfield mate.

"I know my job. I don't need to run the ball," he said. "I'm just here to hit guys, be the battering ram that I can be."

[RavinDonnie]

one of the best in the biz just happened to be on Parcels bad side.... Are there any top notch tackles on Bill's payroll on his bad side? Grasping at straws on this one!!!

Ozzie has had over a decade to find a RT and a real #1 receiver

Grasping at straws? Sounds like you are grasping at Ozzie's zipper.

Enjoy another year of bottom feeding offense, I know I won't.