Trade Places Anyone?
Every NFL team has weaknesses. There are no exceptions. This reality is a byproduct of the league’s lifeblood – the NFL salary cap. The winners and the losers aren’t separated by much. Maybe quarterback competencies elevate one team over another. Perhaps it’s draft day prowess. These are certainly factors. But at the end of the day, on any given Sunday, the difference between winning and losing oftentimes boils down to one team exploiting the weaknesses of an opponent more than their own deficiencies are exposed.
Today, as the clock ticks down to 4PM Eastern and the NFL’s trade deadline, GM’s across the league will look to make a deal – to shore up their rosters for the season’s second half or perhaps purge their rosters of expensive talent in exchange for draft capital that can help fortify future depth charts in a more economical way.
Whatever the motivation is, many trades will be discussed until the deadline. And for the Ravens, it’s quite possible that despite GM Eric DeCosta’s mighty ambitions, no trade gets done by 4PM.
DeCosta has great resources at his disposal. Vince Newsome, Senior Player Personnel Executive and George Kokinis, Director of Player Personnel, are excellent talent evaluators and they’ve undoubtedly turned over every stone in their collective pursuit of a player or two that might be available by trade and then added to the Ravens roster at a reasonable price.
Most observers believe the Ravens are looking to add an RB, a DB or a pass rusher in order to tighten the roster for the second half of the season. And all of those positions make sense, but it wouldn’t lie outside the realm of possibility to trade for a really good player at a position that isn’t commonly viewed as a need. One year ago, today the Ravens added Roquan Smith and at the time, an off-the-ball linebacker wasn’t exactly priority number 1. But Roquan WAS a major upgrade at the position, and he helped make the players around him better. The same could happen again.
As for running back, the most commonly mentioned names are Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs. Word is that Henry’s $6.4M of remaining salary coupled with the Titans draft capital demands make such a trade cost prohibitive while the Giants label Barkley as the franchise’s face and therefore untouchable. Jacobs on the other hand would probably love to break out of Vegas. The Raiders are a mess and that’s really an insult to all messes.
Jimmy G
Did you see last night’s MNF game featuring the Raiders and the host Detroit Lions? Anything that Josh McDaniels touches turns into a heaping pile of donkey dung. And since he’s largely responsible for Jimmy Garoppolo’s existence in Las Vegas, there has to be a cataclysmic divide in the Raiders locker room between the offense and defense; between Garoppolo and anyone on the offensive side of the ball.
Would it surprise anyone if Davante Adams skipped the flight home in order to avoid any in-flight confrontations with Jimmy G? Al Davis must be flipping in his grave like a freshly caught fish on a pier. Just blow up that pirate ship!
we could have looked back at a MNF game where Davante Adams had a 98-yard TD and a 60-yard TD
but we got this from Jimmy G instead 💀💀 pic.twitter.com/iQLBx3TVDj
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) October 31, 2023
“Guy is a fucking bitch” – Davante Adams 😮 pic.twitter.com/ma4o8H6x6O
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) October 31, 2023
Random Thoughts
The Ravens could be returning some players of their own who could help along the edge. The question is, at whose expense? Tyus Bowser is said to be returning soon (stop me if you’ve heard that before) as is Pepe Williams. I don’t think either makes a material difference in the effectiveness of Mike Macdonald’s defense right away, yet they do add depth. But there is another depth player who could add intrigue – edge defender Malik Hamm. Hamm looked terrific during training camp and during the preseason. He has some explosiveness and a decent array of pass rush moves. With fresh legs, who knows what the 23-year-old UDFA might bring?
Ronnie Stanley had a pretty bad game in Arizona. Maybe it was just one of those days but Stanley is paid to be good every game. His $23.7M cap number in 2023 suggests it. It’s something to keep an eye on. The Ravens will be dealing with a tight cap and several key veteran free agents in 2024. It’s important for Stanley to play to his level of pay. On Sunday, he played to Daniel Faalele’s level of pay.
When the Ravens tee it up on Sunday against the Seahawks it will be Odell Beckham, Jr.’s 31st birthday. Will he finally hit pay dirt as a Raven to celebrate? Seattle’s dynamic rookie CB Devon Witherspoon might have something to say about that.
Speaking of Seattle, the osprey just landed the dynamic interior defender Leonard Williams. That isn’t exactly good news for the Ravens. The last time Williams faced the Ravens as a member of the Giants, he gave then rookie center Tyler Linderbaum fits.
Mental Health
A little over three years ago, I had a young friend who took her life. No one knew that Katie was so troubled. If anything, the face she put on suggested the complete opposite. She was vibrant, funny, engaging and more interested in anything you had to say than her own contributions to a conversation. I loved that girl! But Katie never talked about the things that troubled her. She never let anyone in deep enough to understand. I wish she had. So many loved her – so many who would have bent over backwards to listen and help or at least guide her to seek professional help.
Yesterday on 105.7 The Fan, afternoon sports talker Tim Barbalace explained to his audience why he had missed 1 ½ weeks from Inside Access. Tim struggles with depression and admitted on air that thoughts of suicide were present. But Tim did something that Katie didn’t do. He sought help. You can listen at the link embedded in the Tweet below. I encourage you to share it with anyone who may be dealing with mental health issues.
Tim didn’t just open up about his issues with friends. He opened himself up to his entire audience. And in doing so, he told the world that it’s ok to admit that one is struggling because really, that’s the first step towards recovery. I applaud Tim for his courage and at the same time, I will pray that he maintains his strength and remains a beacon of light to all seeking recovery, seeking mental health. God bless you Tim Barbalace.
Kudos to @TimBarbalace for his courage, strength, transparency & willingness to remind others who travel a similar path that there is light ahead. Listen to Tim's story (Part 12), one that sounds like a bridge over troubled waters. It may ease your mind. ✌️https://t.co/AaYgn0Vf6Q
— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) October 30, 2023
One Response
Not sure the Ravens want to bring Bowser back at this point. Gotta be something more than the knee issue going on with him. Creating a spot will push someone off the roster that we may like and there is no guarantee he will not play games with this “issue” going forward. I like the way Bowser played when healthy, but this situation doesn’t feel right. I smell $$ issues at the root of this.