Money

Do what? The Steelers were horrendous and an embarrassment to the league for their first 40+ years. Don't hold it against the Ravens that they decided to skip that part and simply start winning a few years into their existence.

Timing is a big issue here OS. We are talking about one player (McClain) who saw his destructive path and took a year off of football to get his life straight. From all accounts, he is in a much better place now and ready to resume his career. We shall see. I'm certainly not betting on him, but I'm hopeful. Richie is fresh off of all the ugliness that went down. From everything he has said, I don't even think he understands he did something wrong. Maybe if he sits out a year and gets some help, people would feel differently when he came back.

I miss the Steelers being relevant. Those were the good ole days. It was simply more fun back then.

Saw this on another board: 2015 Free Agent WRs: Brandon Marshall Roddy White Wes Welker Reggie Wayne Jeremy Maclin Michael Crabtree AJ Green Nate Washington Jordy Nelson Hakeem Nicks Eddie Royal Demaryius Thomas Dez Bryant There will be some crazy shit going on with the WR market next year.

1 3rd 2 4ths 1 5th http://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/03-24-14-compensatory-picks.pdf Very nice to get the 3rd rounder!

I have to believe Kubiak would have input in this decision. He must see value in Dickson.

Very funny article: http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2014/3/15/5512800/steelers-lose-another-key-piece-in-free-agency Love this part: However, news broke Friday night that essentially hammered the final nail in the Steelers 2014 coffin, and all but ended their hopes of winning the AFC North Division. The Steelers front office, for reasons surely only they know, have allowed tackle Michael Oher to leave the Baltimore Ravens for the Tennesse Titans. Yes the unsung hero, who is so unsung most Pittsburgh fans boo his name, is being allowed to leave the AFC North. This should be a time of great mourning for true Steelers fans around the world.

Brown and who???

DWI and possession of a controlled substance: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24488636/colts-owner-jim-irsay-arrested-charged-with-owi What a Dbag...

Comparing Oher to a POS like Gaither is over the top.

The only one that played a full season was D Smith and I hardly think he was the reason for them going 8-8. I also consider Pitta an addition this year over last. Same to a lesser degree with Monroe. Coming to new team and scheme in the middle of the year and immediately starting at LT is a tough transition to say the least. He now is a part of the team from the start.

This was a very good day!

Per Shefter - 3 year deal

Ozzie wouldn't let him leave without a deal

They are switching to more of a power/man blocking scheme. He isn't a good fit with that. They also save a little against the cap and have a younger guy they want to move to center (Lichtensteiger) who fits the new scheme better. Montgomery would be a perfect example of "right player/right price" here.

Here's a writeup on him from last year: Pass Block40/50You have to like Will Montgomery’s (6'3", 304 pounds, six seasons) agility off the ball in the run game (No. 63 in the photo above). He excels at coming clean and getting into space. While he can struggle to hit on blocks at that level, the agility is impressive. When standing in as an anchor, Montgomery can get walked back, but he does a good job dipping his shoulders and digging in his heels to limit the push. Run Block43/50Montgomery has an ideal makeup for the zone-blocking scheme, as he shows the quickness to move laterally off the ball. His vision off the ball stands out, and he does a good job picking players to block while on the move. Montgomery can get to the second level off the ball, but in man situations, he’ll struggle if a defender shoots his gap early in the play. Overall83/100A top-level zone-blocking center, Montgomery’s agility and quickness are tailored for what the Redskins do up front. While he might not be as effective in other schemes, he’s playing at a Pro Bowl level in Washington. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1444314-br-nfl-1000-2013-top-35-centers/page/29 Almost seems to good to be true.

I get frustrated with Oher, but I'll never pile on him. He has always been dependable and has always done what the team asked of him. Due to the assclowns we've had at LT (Gaither and McKinnie), Oher was continually asked to switch back and forth from LT to RT. He did so and never complained. I still, do this day, think he would be an excellent LG for us.

Ravens have first dibs if this is correct: Retweeted by Yahoo Sports Eric Edholm ‏@Eric_Edholm 12m Teams reaching out on WR Steve Smith: Ravens, Patriots, Chargers, Redskins, Seahawks. Smith expected to talk to Ravens' Gary Kubiak tonight.

I am too. I haven't completely given up on Gino, but he absolutely cannot come back as our starter this year. There are a number of veteran centers available (and most of them would be a significant upgrade) so I'm sure they will be bringing in someone legitimate.

Only players with less than 4 years experience are waived. Smith was released. He can sign with whoever he wants to sign with.

Well PFF graded the Ravens as the 5th worst OL. Shipley and Gino were easily the biggest culprits. 28. Baltimore Ravens (17th) PB: 20th, RB: 28th, PEN: 27th Stud: They found exactly what they were looking for with the in season trade for Eugene Monroe (+24.0). A genuinely top-tier tackle, he came in and protected the blindside of Joe Flacco and added some push to the run game. Tying him down must be the team’s No. 1 offseason priority. Dud: The team went with Gino Gradkowski (-18.1) at center over A.Q. Shipley (-18.1) and it did not go well. Shipley had the misfortune of switching to a guard spot he rarely looked comfortable at, but for Gradkowski he may have blown his audition to be the long-term starter. Analysis: When you have a back that needs space to operate, it really shows up when you don’t give it to him. The Ravens got better as the year went on, but they simply didn’t deliver as you’d expect Super Bowl champs to. It didn’t help that Marshal Yanda had, by his high standards, a down year or that Kelechi Osemele played hurt before going down, but it just wasn’t good enough. On the bright side they have too much talent to finish this low next year. Way too much. https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2014/01/13/2013-offensive-line-rankings/

Both Shipley and Gino graded out as two of the worst OL'men in the entire league last year.

So...sounds like you are predicting no better than 8-8 for them this year?

3/13: "Baltimore has emerged as the favorite to land former Panthers WR Steve Smith, per sources." - Adam Schefter

TJ Ward is a great player, but he wasn't big money. All these guys were great fits and filled big needs. Talib's character is obviously a question mark. Anyone else find it comical that Talib now gets unleashed in Colorado? Success is never a sure thing, but I'm not going to write off Denver because they brought in "too many" great players. As far as D. Smith goes...as I wrote before, I'm sure Denver is looking very attractive to him right now. I'm worried.