thundercleetz

More on Pettigrew from the Sun:

Free Agent CB Ron Bartell http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/fa?playerId=8464

Just throwing ideas out there. Here is Scouts, Inc. scouting report on Williams. Williams does have the ability to get deep with his long strides and ability to track the ball. Williams might be an average receiver now, but the potential is certainly there to breakout. He is still only 25 years-old. What other receivers are out there on the market that are not going to be expensive? Facts are that the guy has NFL experience and is a productive player. Not to mention Jacksonville is a graveyard for wide receivers. Bringing a rookie will bring an adjustment period. We need to bring in quality talent one way or another. Williams might receive a contract more than he is worth, but who doesn't? The bottom line is that we need quality talent at receiver. How about Nate Washington?

I disagree. The reason we lost to Pittsburgh is not because we didn't have a #1 receiver (sure, it would have been nice), but the fact that we only had two NFL receivers. Copper, Smith, and Figurs were not going to cut it. Taking into consideration #1 receivers do not grow on trees, we need quality depth. No rookie is going to jump in and be a #1 receiver for us. We need to get four quality receivers so we can spread the field. If we can get a top receiver, great. I just do not see the opportunity out there. As for Williams being no different, Williams presents a completely different skill set from Mason or Clayton. Williams is a big guy who can stretch the field, go up for balls, and is a redzone threat. If he can ever get his concentration under control, he could be an elite receiver.

What about Reggie Williams?

I wonder why Asomugha only took a three-year deal? Maybe he is positioning himself for another pay day. He would have gotten a lot more on the open market.

I actually know a coach down here at Tulane that coached Pittman in college. The Ravens tried to put Pittman on IR citing a hamstring injury. In other words, Pittman didn't really make the team but the Ravens wanted to retain his rights. Pittman did not want to do that however, so they reached an injury settlement in which Pittman was granted his release and is no longer a part of the team. Derrick Martin was injured during training camp and could never get healthy. Martin is still only 23 and has shown flashes of being a solid player, so he will get every opportunity to make this team and play come training camp

... or D.J. Moore. Luckily, this draft is deep at CB and WR, our two biggest needs. Lets see what happens in free agency first, however. Another tight-end I like is Jared Cook out of South Carolina. A big, fast, athletic, playmaking tight-end. He is a projected second rounder.

I am starting to think we bite the bullet as well and do what you said, draft a corner high and sign a solid free agent. $5 million is too much to gamble on Rolle's durability.

Kelvin Hayden signed to a long-term deal: five-year deal worth approximately $43 million with more than $22 million in guarantees. I am sure that this is the type of deal that Bryant McFadden will be searching for. If so, then I would say there is not much of a chance that we will go after him. With this contract, I am sure that Nnamdi Asomugha is going to be looking in the neighborhood of around $30 million plus in guarantees. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3917363

That is based off of Preston's speculation:

I still think otherwise. Brown really stepped up as a leader on that line this season, at only 25. That was his first professional season at center too. His best football is still ahead of him. To me, Brown is a must sign and is worth Hutchinson-type money, should he be offered that much by another team.

Max, you are starting to worry me about Brown. I see Brown as an emerging All-Pro. Hopefully we will pay him as such.

Ask Todd McShea. Jenkins would be a great fit for a Cover-2 team. I am not doubting his talent at all, nor am I saying I wouldn't love to have him. Just stating the questions with his game, and the possibility he could end up like Antrel Rolle. Then again, they said the same thing about Cmac and Charles Woodson coming out of college. I have a feeling Jenkins will be just fine.

That is not the comparison I made. You said we were fortunate that none of key guys got injured. So were the Steelers fortunate as well? If Reed goes down, we are in a hole. But if Polamalu goes down, same with the Steelers. This is something you could say about any team any year. It's football. You realize we had the #2 passing defense in the league last year, right? In 2006 we were #6. Ozzie knows what he is doing. It is quite the fashion to bash Frank Walker. Walker was not bad. Is he a starter? No. But he is solid depth. As for finding another Cmac, you realize Cmac was a borderline Hall of Fame talent, right? You just don't "find" a Cmac. You get one by losing 10 games or dishing out a $25 million + signing bonus. Like I said, there is plenty of talent out there in the draft and free agency, Ozzie will get able bodies. We will be no worse off than last year. Especially with Suggs coming back to rush the passer and McClain/Barnes progressing as well. It is not an unrealistic example. We were the #4 rushing offense with just the guys I mentioned. The offensive line is getting better, and Rice and McClain will as well. We are fine at runningback. Like I said, finding interior 3-4 linemen who can rush the passer are like finding shutdown corners or #1 receivers, they do not grow on trees. Our pass rush, like many 3-4 teams, is based upon our pressure schemes. Sometimes they are effective, other times they are not. Last year Rex did a great job of mixing them up, but often times he would get caught in holding patterns where the offense knew what was coming. Especially in the Steelers game where Ben was going on a hard count. We need to have checkout options from the blitz. It goes beyond just a healthy D-Will. I've already explained it. Another year in Cam's system, a progressing offensive line, a progressing pair of runningbacks, and a year of experience for Flacco. This alone will progress the offense. Add in hopefully some new targets at wide receiver. You bet Ozzie is going to be looking hard at WR. You say our running game is bad and the Steelers are fine? You have to be kidding me. The Steelers have no idea what they have in Mendenhall. Wee Willie Parker is injury-prone, and the Steelers offensive line is a mess and could lose three starters. Pittsburgh had the 23rd rushing attack in the league. And we are the ones not well off at runningback... As for aging: Aaron Smith will be 33, Casey Hampton 32, James Farrior 34, Deshea Townsend 34. Like us, the Steelers have young stars (Polamalu, Woodley, Timmons, and Harrison, who will be 31), and they have their aging guys. Oh yeah, they probably will lose Bryant McFadden to free agency. For teams like us, it is the system that makes the defense. Yes, it will be a question mark now that Rex is gone, but the system is about drafting players who fit what you want to do. No one does it better on defense than us and the Steelers. This year was a testament to that as we had multiple backups fill in and play well. Next man up is the philosophy! What makes the Steelers contenders year-in and year-out is big #7 at QB. Same with the Colts and Manning, Chargers and Rivers, Eagles and McNabb, Pats and Brady, etc. When you have a franchise QB, you compete. If Joe can play like he did in the second half of the season, I have no doubt we will be back in the playoffs.

I have not seen Jenkins too much, so I just go by what the professionals say. Here is Todd McShay's two cents: Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwin have echoed the same thoughts. Jenkins could very well turn into another Charles Woodson where he is able to use his size and athleticism to make up for his lack of fluidity, or he could be another Antrel Rolle.

Fortunate with injuries? Yanda, Gregg, Edwards, Landry, and D-Will (do not underestimate that, we really could have used him in the playoffs) all out for the season. Gaither, Mason, Heap, Terry, Reed, and McGahee all banged up the whole season. Sure, some of our big guys on defense stayed healthy, but you could play the "fortunate" game with any team in the league. Is Pittsburgh "fortunate" to win the Super Bowl because Harrison or Polamalu did not get injured? That argument does not make any sense. Things are hardly unraveling. We know have something we have never had before, consistency at QB. Teams that have a legitimate franchise quarterback play consistent football season in and season out. I expect us to move into the league of the Colts, Pats, Steelers, Eagles, and Chargers. Yes, secondary is a huge hole. But where is the trust in Ozzie? Ozzie and co. realize secondary is a number one need, he will address it. There are plenty of options out there. We are fine at runningback. Ray Rice is legit, and paired with McClain and McGahee, we will be more than fine. McKinney, Bannan, Edwards, and Douglas aren't good enough? Douglas, Bannan, and McKinney did everything you could ask from them. You realize how hard it is to find interior 3-4 linemen with the ability to stop the run and rush the passer? There are not many of those in this league. Stop the run is the first priority, and we have guys that can do that. The offense not improving? Are you sick? A full offseason with Flacco working with Cam alone will improve the offense. You're telling me that young guys like Gaither, Grubbs, Chester, McClain, Rice, Clayton, and most importantly Flacco are simply not going to improve? We are fine at right tackle, Terry and Anderson played fine the whole season. Get Flacco a healthy D-Will, another offseason to work with Clayton and Mason, and a new receiver through the draft, and we will be fine. There are questions with every team this time of year (look at the Steelers offensive line, and all the starters they are projected to lose). If we can re-sign Brown, Ray, and Suggs, I believe this is the best shape the Ravens have been in for a long time. Mattison is certainly a question mark at DC, and the secondary is a question. But Ozzie will address the holes on this team, just have faith.

I like it. Roberts is worth a lot more to us than he is to any other team. I am glad to get this distraction out of the way. Hopefully we can turn this thing around.

Preston claims that Rolle may be next: Not only will we have a secondary that cannot tackle, we will not have much of a secondary at all. Ozzie sure has his work cut out for him this offseason. Luckily, there is good talent available in the draft and in free agency at corner.

That is the risk that Suggs runs. Sign the tender now and get your money guaranteed, or wait and risk getting injured working out on your own.

It is not the straight-line speed people are worried about with Jenkins, he is described as being very stiff in the hips.

That is only if he doesn't sign the tender, which is because he technically is not part of the team. If you sign it though, you get the money automatically I believe. That is why Matt Castle signed his tender right away.

Bly looked horrible for the Broncos. I like Leigh Bodden a lot. As for WR, how about Nate Washington? He is certainly a deep threat.

Are you sure? I thought if a player signs the tender, he gets the money regardless of what happens in camp.

Yes, but as soon as he signs the tender he is guaranteed that $10.2 million check the first week of the season no matter what. Of course, unless he works out an extension!