vmax

I'm just trying to make sense of this. It pisses me off to lose Boldin, Ellerbe, Reed and Pollard. But is there a method to this seemingly aparent madness? Look at the cap purge in 2002. Only 4 starters on D came back. Lewis, McCrary, Boulware and McAlister. In 2003 they were back to being the #3 defense in the NFL. Ozzie made all the moves through that. He knows these waters. He's doing it again.

No...RB and LT are the next important positions. Without an excellent QB you can't win a Super Bowl....so locking up Joe is a no brainer. The offense needs a LT and possesion/'move the chains' receiver. That's all. On defense they have Suggs, Ngata, Canty, Jones, McPhee (who can rush as well as Kruger). Upshaw kept getting better. Webster and Smith at the corner and Smith impressed me against the Pats and 49'ers...he made the final winning plays. The LB's are all average Joes.....they need some linebackers. Currently at safety they have Brown, Ihedibo, Considine and Thompson....Oz will get safety help. CB depth is Graham, Thompson, Jackson and Brown...Oz will make this pool deeper and better too. They have two great kickers and one returner in Jones. Special Teams will remain good and solid. We are talking about the worst Ravens defense that we have see since 1998. There is a ton of room for improvement and it must turnover to get better.

I'm starting to see the plan. The Ravens just finished a great 5 year run. They want to do this for the next 5 years....so...the plan is: Cut now, what will soon be dead wood tomorrow. Don't tie up roster spots and cap with players who won't be making a big impact over the next 5 years. Use those spots to develop players....now. The players who are ageing, slowing down, commanding cap and have a lot of NFL miles on them have to go. Ray, Birk, Reed, Pollard, Boldin, McKinnie, Bobbie Williams. Offer them what they are worth going forward. If's that's below what other teams will over pay for....oh well. There's a future at stake. Do not over pay average Joes: Kruger, Ellerbe and Cary Williams. Lock up your franchise QB. Done. Ozzie still has a great core of players left to build a younger, faster and better team around this year. This year.

I know how everybodys feeling. It feels like I went to work yesterday morning, came home and half the teams gone. So I go to work today, come home and there goes the other half. Here's who's next to go: Anybody who is old, losing speed or has a lot of mileage on them.

Pollard can't cover. He can knock players out...get personal fouls. I don't have all the facts on the cap savings. This might not be a move caused by the cap. It might be a move to get better safety coverage and speed back there.

You know....that's a thought. There's nothing better than a psyco linebacker. Maybe Pees can show him photos of players that he needs to wrap his arms around and tell him "That's your girlfriend! Go get her!"

Sure! If you can put up with this...

Pat Moriarty: "Ozzie! The pizza delivery man is here." Newsome: "Let him in." Bill Parise: "Here's your pizzas." Newsome:" Thanks. Pay the man Pat." Bill Parise: "Actually I'm James Harrison's agent and if you'd just give me 2 minutes of your time...." Newsome: "Sorry but you've given me a good idea. You and James would make a great pizza delivery tandem. Show the man out Pat."

He's a good fit for this defense....

He's a DT. $8 mil over 3 years. Cheap!

He's like 6'7"...350? The middle just got tighter.

Look at him. LOOK! You don't think he saw all this coming? The whole Front Office knew they were going to lose these guys and probably Ed Reed too. And they planned on it. Ozzie has a plan. Like always. He has players targeted and will pounce at the right moment while chanting, eyes rolled heavenward, "Right Player. Right Price". Only we won't know the right guy when we see him. Like Jacoby Jones and Graham. And UFA's like Ellerbe. But Ozzie will. And his coaches will know how to develop them, use them and plug them in. This can be said because this is what he does year in and year out. 5 straight trips to the playoffs with wins and a Super Bowl....with big roster turnovers. Coaches too. Nobodys done that the last 5 years. OH....as usual, we'll be waiting awhile to see who he gets. It's going to be alright. I swear. And fun too.

Right Player Right Price Right Player Right Price Right Player Right Price Right Player Right Price Right Player Right Price Right Player Right Price

We're down to Josh Bynes. Ellerbe was a beast but it took him years to get to this level too. Now that he has the money will he produce? He doesn't have Ray cracking the whip and telling him where to go.

He had one good season and needed Suggs to come back to get that. It basicly took 4 years of development to get that one good season. He played great last year....made a much needed impact... but you don't pay that kind of money for 1 year out of 5.

We might as well go to sleep tonight. The Ravens never make deals early in free agency. Maybe....Elerbe and Reed in the next 24-48 hours. Reed could be 10 days. I hear the Browns want Ellerbe too.

He's small and can't stay healthy. He's not a redzone/TD threat. His price is high and if they sign him, then they will be stuck with him for at least 3 years.

Boooooooooooo!!!!!

It's a sad choice. It's like a young man committing suicide.

Here's another view on the trade... All I can say to this is that when the ball was thrown his way...old, slow, seperation or not....50 guys hanging on him...he was the best playmaker at the spot to come down with the ball.

The Ravens can't replace his toughness, his attitude and his agressiveness. He was an offensive leader. This is a big void to fill. It has impacted and shocked his team mates. They are feeling the loss in a big way right now. They have to get over this blow and figure out how they can step up and fill this void. The offense as a whole will have to get it's confidence and swagger back with new leaders. They have them in Joe, Rice, Pierce, Yanda, Leach (if he remains), Osemele, Pita and Smith. Jacoby Jones has that swagger too but as a receiver I don't see him filling up much of that void.

The sobering truth... It's all about the future and the cap.

Brace yourself....he might be gone too. Somebody will over pay for him.