If Gaither showed up to practice...

**Shas** · 08-17-2011, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by Teavo

Maybe Shas is right and we should try Yanda at LT.

For the record, that wasn't me who said it. (Maybe someone hacked my Twitter).

I'm willing to give Oher another year to settle in and see what happens at left tackle.

Here's my bet: Oher stays at left tackle, Yanda at right guard, and they sign a veteran to play right tackle. (if Cousins fails to show much at right guard they may cut him and sign a second veteran to play behind Yanda -- and perhaps start the season at center).

I think Ozzie is just waiting another couple weeks for roster cut downs and he'll pounce on a veteran or two.

**Shas** · 08-17-2011, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by B-more Ravor

There's a reason he got a 1-year, $685K deal instead of the multi-million dollar deal you expected him to get..

I saw the deal was only $685K. And to think we valued him as a second round pick.

I thought the veteran minimum was now $910K. Doesn't he qualify for the veteran min.?

**B-more Ravor** · 08-17-2011, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by Shas

I saw the deal was only $685K. And to think we valued him as a second round pick.

I thought the veteran minimum was now $910K. Doesn't he qualify for the veteran min.?

The minimum is based on service time:

Years Minimum
0 375K
1 450K
2 525K
3 600K
4-6 685K
7-9 810K
10+ 910K

**trailhiker85** · 08-17-2011, 03:02 PM

Thanks, Ravor! I hadn't known the vet minimum scale.

**The Excellector** · 08-17-2011, 03:03 PM

Well, now we know why Hue Jackson's crew did not bring him in for keeps.

**BcRaven** · 08-17-2011, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by Shas

I saw the deal was only $685K. And to think we valued him as a second round pick.

I thought the veteran minimum was now $910K. Doesn't he qualify for the veteran min.?

You are correct. The other $225K was to be paid out in cheese burgers and fries (to get him up to playing weight), plus massages for his bad back... Bc

**purplepoe** · 08-17-2011, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by Shas

For the record, that wasn't me who said it. (Maybe someone hacked my Twitter).

I'm willing to give Oher another year to settle in and see what happens at left tackle.

Here's my bet: Oher stays at left tackle, Yanda at right guard, and they sign a veteran to play right tackle. (if Cousins fails to show much at right guard they may cut him and sign a second veteran to play behind Yanda -- and perhaps start the season at center).

I think Ozzie is just waiting another couple weeks for roster cut downs and he'll pounce on a veteran or two.

Good bet.

PP

**The Excellector** · 08-17-2011, 03:33 PM

Oher did not play terribly last year. If my memory has not betrayed me, the Ravens did not give up any sacks against the Steelers in the first game last season. Oher later began dealing with a knee issue. It was only his first year at LT. Gaither's first year at LT was not spectacular either. The Ravens went to max protection several times that year, against the tougher defenses they faced.

Oher's early success at RT is working against him. Now, people are skeptical as to whether or not he can improve at LT. I believe he can and will.

**BcRaven** · 08-17-2011, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by The Eternal Ring

Oher's early success at RT is working against him. Now, people are skeptical as to whether or not he can improve at LT. I believe he can and will.

Ex, IMO moving a player from his dominant position (Oher = RT, Yanda = RG) to another to cover a deficiency does downgrade the OLine as a whole. Oher's early success works FOR him if he continues to play @ RT. It's not his fault that Gaither has his "problems", and he had to move over to cover LT. Same as Yanda had to move to his right to cover RT, when Oher was transferred. Personally, I do not believe that Oher can be the Pro Bowl player he could be @ RT. IMO the Ravens need a sufficient LT to make this OLine it's strongest... Bc

**sandiegosean** · 08-17-2011, 05:52 PM

I love that we have a thread about a former player, that is five pages long. He got a one year, min vet deal because of his injury, not rumors from bad past behavior. If the rumors were true, the first guy going after him, wouldn't be his former Ravens coach, who knows him. He let him go, because of the injury, nothing else. He even said he would like to revisit it, once the injury was healed. You guys think what you want though.

**Ravenous1** · 08-17-2011, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by TL24x7

...and he looked like this, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

Oh Noooooooooooooooooo

Gaither ate Terrance Cody

Fava beans anyone?

**sandiegosean** · 08-17-2011, 06:33 PM

It's the same guy, different angle. If he was fat, it would show in his face...he looks the same as always.

**sandiegosean** · 08-17-2011, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by Raven Nurse

Actually, I took this pic last year when he came in looking like a TE. He apparently had lost all of that weight w/o permission

He lost the weight because of the back injury. You're right, the Ravens didn't give him permission to get hurt.

**RavensQB** · 08-17-2011, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by sandiegosean

He lost the weight because of the back injury. You're right, the Ravens didn't give him permission to get hurt.

HUH???

Ok when did said back injury happen? And when did said weight loss happen?

HINT.... The loss was first.

**sandiegosean** · 08-17-2011, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by RavensQB

HUH???

Ok when did said back injury happen? And when did said weight loss happen?

HINT.... The loss was first.

He hurt his back in the Patriots game...you know the one where he left on a stretcher. Back injuries are very tricky, to those who have them. More amazing was how quickly he came back from that devestaing collision, to help his teammates to the playoffs. Kinda like the year before, when he played with one arm.

**Maelstrom** · 08-17-2011, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by sandiegosean

You guys think what you want though.

I'm gonna go back there, Sean, even though I know you are passionate in your defense of Gaither. The dude lost all that weight first and then hurt his back. I am still convinced Rosenhaus had a master plan to coerce the Ravens into playing Gaither at LT, and that plan "backfired" figuratively, literally and physically. I used to question whether or not his back was actually injured, but I believe now that it truly was - and I also believe his unsupervised weight loss contributed to the injury.

Looking at his Chiefs TC pic, though, I gotta say, that tummy blubber does not look that pronounced to me.

**Maelstrom** · 08-17-2011, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by sandiegosean

He hurt his back in the Patriots game...you know the one where he left on a stretcher. Back injuries are very tricky, to those who have them.

Ravens starting LT Jared Gaither was carted off with a neck injury that appeared very serious at the time, and ended up keeping him out several weeks. Do I have the wrong game?

While a neck injury could be related to a back injury, his back injury was reported to be a muscle tear, I thought. So not likely related to his injury in this game. Is it not thought to have been a muscle tear anymore?

**The Excellector** · 08-17-2011, 10:08 PM

Maybe if the man kept himself in shape, he wouldn't get hurt so freaking much. Did anyone ever think about that Sean?

**sandiegosean** · 08-17-2011, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by Maelstrom

Ravens starting LT Jared Gaither was carted off with a neck injury that appeared very serious at the time, and ended up keeping him out several weeks. Do I have the wrong game?

While a neck injury could be related to a back injury, his back injury was reported to be a muscle tear, I thought. So not likely related to his injury in the playoff game. Is it not thought to have been a a muscle tear anymore?

Hey mael,what's up? Haven't seen you in a while. According to Jared, it's the same play that he injured his back on. They were most concerned about the neck at the time. That stuff is so connected, that over-compensating one injury, makes another worse. I don't get where the rumor came from, that he thought it was smart to lose 40lbs in a walk year?...makes no sense.

**The Excellector** · 08-17-2011, 10:20 PM

So, Jared claims that he injured the back during the Patriots game, early during the 2009 season, but no issues were found with the back until after training camp of 2010, when it was deemed a thoradic disc injury?