Kindle experiment is not over...

[Captain Silver]

He'll sign them for the minimum. He certainly won't pay them anything close to what they used to get. The Ravens wouldn't do that to Ray.

And at some time we have to say goodbye. Sorry, when Ray was a "Free agent" he had no qualms about entertaining offers from other teams, even went so far to talk about playing with the "Dallas Star" on his head.

At some point, it becomes a business and younger, stronger, faster will beat experienced and aged.

[Captain Silver]

That's the job of an MLB. The line is supposed to be stopping the run at the line. If that fails, the linebacker backs them up the line, hence the name. And I've seen plenty of runs this season where Ray did indeed stuff the run at the line.

His issues are in coverage, not his run stopping abilities.

His issues were also in run stopping. I saw where the 20lbs of muscle he dropped would have stopped a run much shorter. He's still better than a lot of MLB's but not at the price tag.

[OrangePurple]

Nice post, but you will be drowned out by 4 straight years of making the playoffs. No one ever sees how well the table was set for John Harbaugh. I still say Billick got a raw deal. 13-3 season then a 5-11 season and toast. All that bullshit about losing the locker room got way overblown.

You make it sound as though Billick had a great year and was then fired when the team struggled. Not true. Let's take a look at how the team performed after the 2001 Cap Purge.

2002: 7-9. Most of the "experts" had us winning four games and being in last place. At Week 16, we controlled our destiny. Win the final two games, and we would get in. Unfortunately the prevent defense and a boneheaded McAlister penalty did us in against Cleveland. Yeah, McAlister was an issue back then and Billick made no action against him. We had to rely on five teams, one of which was the lowly Cardinals, and beat Pittsburgh to get in. Neither happened.

2003: 10-6. The team won the division even in spite of going with Kyle Boller at the beginning of the season. For some strange reason, Billick played the starters in Week 17 against the Steelers despite the result of the game having no bearing on the playoffs. What followed after a tough game was a lethargic outing against the Titans, and Orlando Brown being that year's McAlister.

2004: 9-7. Remember during 2000 when Billick banned the words playoffs and Super Bowl? Something changed in 2004. In the preseason, Ray Lewis and Corey Fuller were saying this was a Super Bowl team. Deion came on and said the same thing. The team went 9-7 and blew that big lead in that infamous game against the Bengals, what to me was the most painful loss until New England in the AFC Championship. Mike Preston and Chris McAlister say the team is having major problems getting along.

2005: 6-10. Despite big free agent acquisitions of Derrick Mason and Samari Rolle, the Ravens stink up the joint. Then there is that verbal scolding Bisciotti gave Billick in the after season press conference. I felt bad for Billick.

2006: 13-3. Best single season regular season record in history. The defense was incredible. McNair managed games well and even had some early season comebacks. Unfortunately, the team did not win its first playoff game.

2007: 5-11. The fiasco against New England. The lack of discipline. The Miami loss. Ug.

Save for a great 2006, the Ravens were mostly a mediocre team. When they got into the playoffs, they shot themselves in the foot. In 2002, they shot themseleves in the foot. Looking at 2002 to 2007, it's safe to say that 2006 was an aberration. The team was never close to winning thirteen games. Adding more credence to this belief is that the two years after Billick, the team went 11-5 and 9-7. The key difference is that those teams won playoff games in those times.

[Captain Silver]

You make it sound as though Billick had a great year and was then fired when the team struggled. Not true. Let's take a look at how the team performed after the 2001 Cap Purge.

2002: 7-9. Most of the "experts" had us winning four games and being in last place. At Week 16, we controlled our destiny. Win the final two games, and we would get in. Unfortunately the prevent defense and a boneheaded McAlister penalty did us in against Cleveland. Yeah, McAlister was an issue back then and Billick made no action against him. We had to rely on five teams, one of which was the lowly Cardinals, and beat Pittsburgh to get in. Neither happened.

2003: 10-6. The team won the division even in spite of going with Kyle Boller at the beginning of the season. For some strange reason, Billick played the starters in Week 17 against the Steelers despite the result of the game having no bearing on the playoffs. What followed after a tough game was a lethargic outing against the Titans, and Orlando Brown being that year's McAlister.

2004: 9-7. Remember during 2000 when Billick banned the words playoffs and Super Bowl? Something changed in 2004. In the preseason, Ray Lewis and Corey Fuller were saying this was a Super Bowl team. Deion came on and said the same thing. The team went 9-7 and blew that big lead in that infamous game against the Bengals, what to me was the most painful loss until New England in the AFC Championship. Mike Preston and Chris McAlister say the team is having major problems getting along.

2005: 6-10. Despite big free agent acquisitions of Derrick Mason and Samari Rolle, the Ravens stink up the joint. Then there is that verbal scolding Bisciotti gave Billick in the after season press conference. I felt bad for Billick.

2006: 13-3. Best single season regular season record in history. The defense was incredible. McNair managed games well and even had some early season comebacks. Unfortunately, the team did not win its first playoff game.

2007: 5-11. The fiasco against New England. The lack of discipline. The Miami loss. Ug.

Save for a great 2006, the Ravens were mostly a mediocre team. When they got into the playoffs, they shot themselves in the foot. In 2002, they shot themseleves in the foot. Looking at 2002 to 2007, it's safe to say that 2006 was an aberration. The team was never close to winning thirteen games. Adding more credence to this belief is that the two years after Billick, the team went 11-5 and 9-7. The key difference is that those teams won playoff games in those times.

All your writing is negated by the fact in a quarterback driven league we had one decent season out of McNair and that was the difference.

2002 Jeff Blake / Chris Redman
2003 Kyle Boller / Anthony Wright
2004 Kyle Boller
2005 Kyle Boller / Anthony Wright
2006 Steve McNair
2007 Kyle Boller /Steve McNair/ Troy Smith

Bill Belicheck would have been out of a job with that crew, least he had Drew Bledsoe before Brady, our QB's SUCKED.

[wickedsolo]

That's the job of an MLB. The line is supposed to be stopping the run at the line. If that fails, the linebacker backs them up the line, hence the name. And I've seen plenty of runs this season where Ray did indeed stuff the run at the line.

His issues are in coverage, not his run stopping abilities.

Well, his issues (age) are bleeding over into his run stopping abilities too. 3 or 4 years ago he probably wouldn't have been juked out of his shoes by Jamaal Charles, but that's just where he's at these days. He dropped weight to keep up, but the reality is that unless the run is coming straight at him or he gets a good jump (which he still can do) then he isn't able to chase down guys anymore or get to the flats before the RB can really turn up the field.

[pslholder96]

Case in point, we are going to overspend on a legendary linebacker next year who has been passed by the play of younger players. Ray should be done, if Parcells ran this team or Belicheck, he'd be done. But Steve and Ray are boys and he will get a pass and come back for a ridiculous 18th year.

Symantics,

Knoll got 11 years to fix it... that is quite a leash.

As for players, I don't have a link but you hear crap on the radio that said the players were involved too, but you can dismiss that as well.

Andy Reid has one of the best percentages too... how many trophies?

Not everyone has a legendary Linebacker like Ray Lewis so this handling has to be delicate

[Kevlar]

I honestly think they just need to cut ties with Ray. All this talk of retaining him as a coach or mentor or figurehead is just going to keep other guys from stepping up. If Ray doesn't want to hang up his cleats let him go play in Denver for a year with Manning or whoever. The defense needs to find its own identity and get out of Ray's shadow.

[OrangePurple]

All your writing is negated by the fact in a quarterback driven league we had one decent season out of McNair and that was the difference.

And your writing is negated by the fact that defense had a freakishly good year. The bigger picture is to look at the seasons after the Cap Purge. What you see is what you get. Billick had to go. Do you really think that Billick would have exceeded what Harbaugh has done here?

[Captain Silver]

Not everyone has a legendary Linebacker like Ray Lewis so this handling has to be delicate

Emmit Smith, Joe Montana, Brett Favre.... the list of legends who leave because of age is a fact. None of them finished where they started. Ray is lucky to have been in the position.

Now, this should be a business approach after the season. Take the vet minimum or walk.

[Captain Silver]

And your writing is negated by the fact that defense had a freakishly good year. The bigger picture is to look at the seasons after the Cap Purge. What you see is what you get. Billick had to go. Do you really think that Billick would have exceeded what Harbaugh has done here?

1st and foremost it makes a huge difference to a defense to have a great year when you have a QB like McNair who wasn't a turnover machine. When the offense that year was NUMBER 1 in time of possession (32:48), that ALSO helps a defense to have a "freakishly" good year.

Looking at what happend after the cap purge means nothing without a QB. Take away Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers from any of their teams and all their coaches are going to get shitcanned by their losses.

My opinion has little to do with here and now. The team better start making changes or you are going to see 5-11 years again.

[Carey]

Kindle has the physical ability no question, the FO probably see enough in him that they say why not keep working with him in practice, offseason programs, etc. and if he hasnt improved by then he wont make the 53 man roster next season.

We were talking about this when he got cut, he wasnt really a pass rusher in college, he was a blitzer with athleticism and sideline to sideline upside. I think if he can continue to learn the nuances of pass rushing, get counter moves, etc. and become competent as a ST player best case he could be a sub package rusher. Are the odds extremely against him, sure, but the Ravens obviously see something in practice that make them want to continue to work with him. Also i think if he didnt want to work there is no way he'd be on the practice squad, they would have just cut ties.

[OrangePurple]

1st and foremost it makes a huge difference to a defense to have a great year when you have a QB like McNair who wasn't a turnover machine. When the offense that year was NUMBER 1 in time of possession (32:48), that ALSO helps a defense to have a "freakishly" good year.

Looking at what happend after the cap purge means nothing without a QB. Take away Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers from any of their teams and all their coaches are going to get shitcanned by their losses.

My opinion has little to do with here and now. The team better start making changes or you are going to see 5-11 years again.

Yes, Billick did not have a decent QB during most of his tenure, and he is part of the reason. Why would any QB want to come to this team? How come the team could not develop the QB? You have to look at Brian and Oz.

And if Billick got such a raw deal, how come no team has hired him. Bisciotti stopped paying him a couple of years ago. He's free to go with any team without them having to match that $5 million a year.

[Captain Silver]

Yes, Billick did not have a decent QB during most of his tenure, and he is part of the reason. Why would any QB want to come to this team? How come the team could not develop the QB? You have to look at Brian and Oz.

And if Billick got such a raw deal, how come no team has hired him. Bisciotti stopped paying him a couple of years ago. He's free to go with any team without them having to match that $5 million a year.

Oh yeah, Billick wasn't a victim in the QB situation, but the one time we had legit play, we did awesome.

Can't say why Billick hasn't gotten a job. He's an arrogant S.O.B. no doubt and I am sure that plays into a lot of owners decisions not to hire him. But regardless, he is the only Super Bowl winning coach the Baltimore Raven's have ever had so show some respect. Winning percentage is nice, go look to Andy Reid and the Eagles, but ask the fans and they wouldn't mind a Super Bowl trophy.

Say Billick does coach again, does that somehow validate my point? No, but as accomplishment goes, he is in rare company, period.

BY THE WAY, when your points are shot down or other factors are pointed out like 2006's offense, please acknowledge their validity rather than ignoring my points and just digging up more trash to muddy a discussion....

[Kevlar]

And if Billick got such a raw deal, how come no team has hired him. Bisciotti stopped paying him a couple of years ago. He's free to go with any team without them having to match that $5 million a year.

He's been too busy with that lucrative deal he got with WNST.

[Captain Silver]

He's been too busy with that lucrative deal he got with WNST.

Didn't he invest in WNST? But I am sure that NFLNetwork pays well.

[moose10101]

Bill Belicheck would have been out of a job with that crew, least he had Drew Bledsoe before Brady, our QB's SUCKED.

Bill Belichick won 11 games with Matt Cassel as his QB.

[Captain Silver]

Bill Belichick won 11 games with Matt Cassel as his QB.

Video cameras!

[Kevlar]

Bill Belichick won 11 games with Matt Cassel as his QB.

Belicheck had a better audio visual department too.

[GOTA]

Didn't he invest in WNST? But I am sure that NFLNetwork pays well.

I love it when Billick does games. He's turning into the best analyst on TV. He's so good at it I'm not sure he'd even want to coach again.

[Captain Silver]

I love it when Billick does games. He's turning into the best analyst on TV. He's so good at it I'm not sure he'd even want to coach again.

I thought the same, haven't had insight like that since Madden. As ex-coaches go in the booth, he rules. Jon Gruden is nauseatingly in love with everyone...