Pashos Leaving

[ExiledRaven]

Oh man....

http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=118&p=2...%2f622588.html

well, if you can read the rest of the article, it says we can't afford him either.


We definitely need to address the OT slot 1st day. If JO is gone too, then we're going to need 2 tackles that have the potential to start. (ie, 1 starting RT, and a quality backup plan)

[GreenWave52]

According to his agent Tony Pashos does not intend to return to the Ravens. This first quote is from Rotoworld:

Ravens T Tony Pashos' agent said the tackle will not remain with the Ravens next season.

"Tony definitely will no longer be a member of the Baltimore Ravens," said Rick Smith. Translation: We already have a ridiculous offer, even though that's 'tampering', and there is no chance Baltimore will match it. Pashos is an average tackle at best and his contract will be a sign of how this market looks.

And this is the agents full quote per The Sun:

"Tony definitely will no longer be a member of the Baltimore Ravens," said Rick Smith, the agent for Pashos. "He is in the same situation as Adalius Thomas. Based on the Ravens' cap situation and the expected interest in the market, they would have to restructure or cut guys. And they have a good foundation there."

Are you kidding me!?! This blows. I've sat through 10 years of atrocious RT play and the 1 year we get a guy who can pass block he flees the coup. Mark my words, Pashos will be the biggest impact defection this year unless he is adequately replaced (by who I have no idea).

Link to Rotoworld: http://www.rotoworld.com/content/pla...rt=NFL&id=2190
Link to Sun: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/f...tory?track=rss

[ExiledRaven]

A first day tackle would make sense.

There are a few options that look promising. I'm upset too, but things should work out alright.

[TL24x7]

Story is up on the home page too here: Pashos

[GreenWave52]

I hate going into the draft with an obvious need, but you are right. We are probably going to have to hope we can snag a rookie who is ready to step in and perform.

Also I hate that Tampering is overlooked. I feel like the Ravens are the only team that doesn't tamper. There might be a couple of others, but doesn't it always seem like our guys get snatched up at 12:01 am while at the same time we never sign anyone right away.

Billick even joked last year that Ma'ake must have had the sortest negotiations ever since he signed with Carolina in a minute.

It looks like playing by the rules gets you behind in the NFL. Great lesson there, kids.

[ravenmad71]

The Ravens are up against cap challenges. They have the nucleus of a good team with solid players. The way league is set up they can't pay everybody. Its Pashos time to get paid. Tenative plans seem to be you can expect to see Adam Terry at RT. He defintely needs to improve his run blocking if thats the case. You can expect to see the Ravens draft a few linemen taken in the draft. At least one on the first day.

[ExiledRaven]

Here are a few options from what I've done poking around

1) Joe Staley depending on his ability to come in and play right away
2) Justin Blalock ~ reports are he won't be able to play tackle. If that is incorrect information and he can play tackle, it's possible.
3) Arron Sears ~ can play any position on the line, seems like there are questions about him being a better guard than tackle


Those are the 1st-ish round options

Later in the day you've got people like
Ryan Harris ~ average run blocker, UCLA's DE rocked him in pass rushing
Doug Free ~ small school prospect who is a converted TE, is viewed as a finesse player
James Martin ~ typical BC lineman who doesn't have big time physical skills, but gets the job done well and is a hard worker, shifted from LG to LT his senior year

[UKRavenStockers]

Does not surprise me one bit. He was a top 3 RT this year and possibly the most sound RT at pass blocking this year once Jason Peters was shifted to LT by the Bengals. It dissapoints me because I'd love to have him back, but I don't blame him one bit for going after the money, you have a limited window for it and this is an extremely, extremely weak FA class for OTs.

For us now, well Levi Brown fell as a result of Senior Bowl and Combine so there's an outside chance he may fall to us, maybe not but we need something somewhere at RT now and this is highly disturbing. Brown would bring a bit of power blocking back to this line and could see next year's OL as:

LT - Ogden
LG - Mule (Pending recovery from injury)
C - Chester
RG - J. Brown
RT - L. Brown

This is quite the spanner in the works and I hope to god it doesn't limit our good pass blocking on the OL to just this one year, I really enjoyed having that pass blocking quality this year.

[GreenWave52]

I'm skeptical about the whole Terry as a RT thing. Aaron himself mentioned that Terry looked terrible playing over there and much more comfortable on the left side (where he has always played). It is not an easy switch to make, plus that gives us exactly ZERO back-ups to either tackle.

I hope the Ravens figure this out because it is my biggest concern going in to next season.

[BertJonesMyHero]

Total bummer. I was really starting to like that guy.
Getting attached to players in todays world is impossible.

btw- How fucked are we if JO retires?

[ExiledRaven]

I think we're not nearly as bad as people said.

Brown is one of those guys that could go top 15 or he could fall. If he fell, that would be great. He's not quite as good a pass blocker, but has a big time mean streak in going after defenders.

Even if we take someone else, and JO is gone, you still have a hopefully solid 1st day pick at RT and Terry at LT. Depth is scary though.

[Khaine]

btw- How fucked are we if JO retires?

To your question, unfortunately I have to say, "very".

This is disturbing news indeed. I liked the whole only one team got sacked less than us last year thing.

[Khaine]

Hey, I’m not a newbie!
Yay!

Ok… back to work…

[UKRavenStockers]

Total bummer. I was really starting to like that guy.
Getting attached to players in todays world is impossible.

btw- How fucked are we if JO retires?

To previous posts, Terry at RT ain't gonna happen, never played it in college, doesn't have the skill set, ain't gonna play there. If he was, he already would have as he's more talented than Pashos.

To Bert, if JO retires, yes we take a step down at LT (Terry I still think will be perfectly capable at LT if Ogden does retire which is why I'm not s**ting bricks over JO retiring) but it doesn't put us in any worse a spot at RT because it doesn't have a bearing on it. RT immediately becomes a need position and one that so far as I can see (unless Levi falls, very possible as his footwork has been shown up in workouts) may only be able to be filled with a stop gap solution by way of a cheap FA because I really don't see a great deal of immediate impact at OT in this year's draft once you get past Joe Thomas.

[Gabrosin]

No chance of Levi Brown making it to us unless he gets himself injured or arrested before the draft, so you can forget that possibility. I'm not a big fan of trying to throw in a rookie at RT anyway. If we can't bring back Pashos, and we don't have the money to sign anyone competent to replace him (there isn't anyone anyway), then Terry will have to suck it up and do his best. I don't want to see Mulitalo back out there... that was a travesty.

We will take a tackle at some point during the draft, maybe even first day, but I don't think we'll be looking at one as a starting option. Looking over this year's prospects, I'm beginning to hope we can come away with a wide receiver, as there's a good chance that a good one (Ginn, Bowe, Meacham, or Rice) will still be available when we pick. Unless Marshawn Lynch continues to slide, none of the options at RB are appealing. A good WR with size and speed will make a great complement for Clayton as Mason's career begins to wind down. Since we have Demetrius Williams, I won't be terribly unhappy if we don't come away with a WR in the first, but I don't think we should take a lesser player at another position based strictly on need.

As for Pashos, good luck on your next team.

[LBoogy]

FUCK.

This is exactly what I didn't want to happen. Our young, promising RT is gone on an already depleting O-line.

We need to draft two O-lineman on the first day IMO. I know we won't, but I think we need to.

We need a RG and a RT. Vincent sucks and Terry can't play RT to save his life, not to mention if Ogden retires, we'll need Terry to play LT.

Blalock has to be our guy. If Staley lasts until the 2nd, I think we should grab him there. It's time to get this damn O-line situation settled. I'm tired of waiting around. It's been too long.

Take a RB in the 3rd, get a DE/OLB in the 4th, grab a CB, QB, and resign JJ and Ovie.

Either that, or sign a RT in free agency.

[Sephy]

I didn't mind losing AD, but this is a huge blow. Needs to be fixed, and like now.

[bassgtrst]

Look at Kemo last year, look at Weaver that year, look at Baxter the year before, look at Hartwell that same year.

Those guys were replaced by Ngata, Pryce, Rolle, and AD.

We find amazing replacements when our guys get signed away. One of our replacements is going to cash in big this offseason.

We'll be fine.

[ExiledRaven]

re: other posts

1. Pashos is the best tackle in free agency along with tubby Leonard Davis of the Cardinals. I'm not joking. That's a big reason we won't be able to pay him.

2. I don't think we're that screwed. This draft is very deep in terms of solid guard prospects, in fact, into the second day there should be "ready to start" quality guards around.

As to blalock, according to reports at the Senior bowl it doesn't look like he can swing being a professional tackle. Maybe something has changed, but that's the outlook I got when I checked things out. UK is probably best suited to giving an opinion on that, I am going on second hand stories here since I am without the NFL network. (boo me and boo that).

Guard depth on the team is also better than we think. You've got rimpf who was supposed to be in the running for a slot when he was injured. Brown will start, chester at center, JO/Terry at LT. Then you have Flynn, Mulitalo, Vincent, and Rimpf that can play guard and are competing for the second guard slot. Flynn can play guard and center so you've got a backup plan there.

So when you look at the whole picture, sure, it's not pretty, especially with no JO, but it's not desperate. One ready to start RT and we're out of the woods.

[UKRavenStockers]

Pashos will garner more attention than Davis because he can actually pass block and play tackle, Davis can't play tackle very well and damned sure can't pass pro.

Guards there do seem to be a few in this draft who are 'ready to start' but at tackle as I mentioned it looks pretty thin. Joe Thomas is a no-brainer prospect (not saying he's a no brainer to succeed, but as a prospect he's a no-brainer) and then Levi Brown may be ready to start at RT but I don't see LT in him with his speed (or lack there of) and his footwork (or lack there of). That to me is why he could well fall, you don't take RTs in the top 15, you take guys who can play LT and I don't think Brown can in the pros and I think that could see him fall.

Then after those guys you've got guys like Staley, Tony Ugoh of Arkansas etc. who are projects with the upside to play LT but not the ability to step right in and play IMO. There's lots of tweeners but to me the only guy who's really stepped up and said "yes I can step outside in a pinch" is Sears of Tennessee. Blalock proved at Senior Bowl practices that he pretty much can't step outside.

This is why I'm wary for RT this year and sort of looking for a stop gap solution for this year rather than looking for a guy for the long term that just isn't there this year.