A look at Ravens' options at wide receiver

[SpearSrai]

'what was the point of going from being a #2 to Andre Johnson to being a #2 to Q here in Baltimore.'

 

Playoff wins?

[thundercleetz]

Playoff wins?

 

Who knows? Family, familiarity with Schaub and the offense, team chemistry, the sense that the Texans are about the turn the corner, those could have all been factors as well. It is understandable that Walter wanted the opportunity to be a #1 receiver, especially on a playoff team, but once that went away I guess he put things into better perspective.

[ravensfanatic77]

Yea, besides familiarity, I dunno why anyone would choose staying with the Texas over coming to the Ravens. Sure, Andre Johnson is a more legit #1 than Q at this point, but Flacco has way more upside and accomplishment that Schaub and our offense has more weapons than Houston's! Oh well...moot point at this point.

 

Spear, I completely agree! Bryant would be a great compliment to Q. We definitely need a deep threat to stretch the field opposite Q. Q and Heap can take care of the intermediate game and over the middle plus screens with Q while Bryant can work the deep game!

 

Not sure how any one can be comfortable with our WR corps as is! Stallworth is not the solution at #2. He would be a great complimentary slot WR or 4th WR if Clayton ends up in the slot. If we don't bring back Mason (which at this point I would prefer we don't) then we definitely need to target Bryant. If we get Bryant then we don't have to address WR in the first 2 rounds of the draft! We can then focus on TE, CB, or DL.

 

Speaking of the draft! After giving up 2 early mid round picks for Boldin...does anyone else see us trading down in the 1st round or even into the early 2nd round?

[SpearSrai]

Yea, besides familiarity, I dunno why anyone would choose staying with the Texas over coming to the Ravens. Sure, Andre Johnson is a more legit #1 than Q at this point, but Flacco has way more upside and accomplishment that Schaub and our offense has more weapons than Houston's! Oh well...moot point at this point.

 

Spear, I completely agree! Bryant would be a great compliment to Q. We definitely need a deep threat to stretch the field opposite Q. Q and Heap can take care of the intermediate game and over the middle plus screens with Q while Bryant can work the deep game!

 

Not sure how any one can be comfortable with our WR corps as is! Stallworth is not the solution at #2. He would be a great complimentary slot WR or 4th WR if Clayton ends up in the slot. If we don't bring back Mason (which at this point I would prefer we don't) then we definitely need to target Bryant. If we get Bryant then we don't have to address WR in the first 2 rounds of the draft! We can then focus on TE, CB, or DL.

 

Speaking of the draft! After giving up 2 early mid round picks for Boldin...does anyone else see us trading down in the 1st round or even into the early 2nd round?

 

I still say that Schaub is a much better, more accurate passer than Flacco, but let's not stray from the main topic here. Our WR corp may be good as it is, provided we do resign Mason. But if we don't, then yes, we need to address that other spot in the draft or with another FA. There's no way our staff can be happy with Clayton or Stallworth at #2... It's just not possible! (I tell myself.)

 

As for the draft, it's certainly less likely that we'll trade up now, and we do have a history of trading down to try to get back picks, but I have a feeling that someone unexpected is going to fall to our spot, and we'll have no choice but to take him. Maybe a Gresham, Wilson, or Graham (neither are likely, but...that's the point) is sitting there.

[cravnravn]

Lets not forget fellows, we have the draft, Denario Alexander with our 3rd rd Comp pick is sounding oh so sweet, AND bargains can be found in the June 1st FA cuts...

[thundercleetz]

Lets not forget fellows, we have the draft, Denario Alexander with our 3rd rd Comp pick is sounding oh so sweet, AND bargains can be found in the June 1st FA cuts...

 

We are not getting any comp picks. We lost four free agents, we signed we free agents. The value of the contract only matters in the sense that it could get us a seventh round pick. You can thank the worthless LJ Smith for us not getting a third/fourth round compensation pick.

[yagersports]

We'd do better to sign a good pass rusher at this point if we're looking to make a major improvement to the team through a FA pickup. I'm not sure spending alot of money on another WR will really return the produciton in terms of allowing us to get more wins and get to the Super Bowl. I believe if we resign Mason that will be huge because Flacco has a major comfort level with him. We can draft a WR and let Clayton do whatever, he really should of stepped up by now, major disapointment.

 

In any case acquiring a good pass rusher will allow our defnese to be alot more dynamic. Similar to what Boldin is bringing to our offense. We shouldn't fall victim to concentrating on just our offense. We need to build a balanced team.

[ravensfanatic77]

Lets not forget fellows, we have the draft, Denario Alexander with our 3rd rd Comp pick is sounding oh so sweet, AND bargains can be found in the June 1st FA cuts...

 

Yea, no top tier comp picks for us this year! We lost way more than we gained, but we still won't get a good comp pick!

 

Not to mention, Denario Alexander is garbage! Clarence Moore all over again with this dude! STAY AWAY!!!

[colincac]

We'd do better to sign a good pass rusher at this point if we're looking to make a major improvement to the team through a FA pickup. I'm not sure spending alot of money on another WR will really return the produciton in terms of allowing us to get more wins and get to the Super Bowl. I believe if we resign Mason that will be huge because Flacco has a major comfort level with him. We can draft a WR and let Clayton do whatever, he really should of stepped up by now, major disapointment.

 

In any case acquiring a good pass rusher will allow our defnese to be alot more dynamic. Similar to what Boldin is bringing to our offense. We shouldn't fall victim to concentrating on just our offense. We need to build a balanced team.

Completely agree. I don't think we need another WR honestly. We now have Boldin who is a high-volume WR and Rice is a high-volume WR for a RB. I just don't see that many touches available. Any WR we brought in would be lucky to grab 50 balls, so why pay a lot for one? Kampman just signed with Jacksonville, I would've loved grabbing him.

[SpearSrai]

Completely agree. I don't think we need another WR honestly. We now have Boldin who is a high-volume WR and Rice is a high-volume WR for a RB. I just don't see that many touches available. Any WR we brought in would be lucky to grab 50 balls, so why pay a lot for one? Kampman just signed with Jacksonville, I would've loved grabbing him.

 

If Boldin and Fitzgerald could split touches, I don't see potential for a problem here. Reducing Rice's carries could only help his career here... we need him for the long haul.

 

As for pass rushers... we should definitely go after the recently-cut Porter. I'm sure he'd love to match up against Pitt twice a year, (and Miami once), and he would bring an additional level of intensity to our defense in divisional games. 7 sacks in his last 6.5 games last year, and only 1 year removed from a 17.5 sack season. He would fit perfectly in our scheme, and even if he's an outspoken guy, he definitely wouldn't dominate the locker room.

[ForceEight]

Porter's NEVER coming here. That's worse than Owens. For as much as the players hate Hines Ward, that's not a malicious relationship. Porter is dirty scum, and couldn't walk into the Castle without getting pulverized.

 

Besides, his whole issue in Miami is that he wants to be a starter and get starter money when he is no longer capable of it. He does not want to be a situational pass rusher.

[SpearSrai]

Porter's NEVER coming here. That's worse than Owens. For as much as the players hate Hines Ward, that's not a malicious relationship. Porter is dirty scum, and couldn't walk into the Castle without getting pulverized.

 

Besides, his whole issue in Miami is that he wants to be a starter and get starter money when he is no longer capable of it. He does not want to be a situational pass rusher.

 

That sucks for us, then, because Porter would be a huge asset for us. And who says he can't be a starter?

[ForceEight]

That sucks for us, then, because Porter would be a huge asset for us. And who says he can't be a starter?

Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano.

[SpearSrai]

Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano.

 

Exactly. We all know that Parcells can be stubborn when he decides he doesn't want a guy around. This is the same guy who traded away his best pass-rusher (Jason Taylor) only to resign him a few years later.

 

Coaches commit (or decommit) to players all the time... the Chargers gave up on Cromartie (we'll see what happens there), the Raiders gave up on Moss (who set an all-time touchdown record the next year), and we keep putting Mark Clayton on the field despite almost no production whatsoever...

 

Porter is only 32, and he's probably at least as good as Suggs at OLB.

[ForceEight]

Exactly. We all know that Parcells can be stubborn when he decides he doesn't want a guy around. This is the same guy who traded away his best pass-rusher (Jason Taylor) only to resign him a few years later.

Those examples are all well and good, except none are performance-based. They don't want him anymore because he's not the player he used to be, and he still wants to be paid like it.

[SpearSrai]

Those examples are all well and good, except none are performance-based. They don't want him anymore because he's not the player he used to be, and he still wants to be paid like it.

 

How are any of those examples not performance-based?

 

26.5 sacks in two years... over 40 tackles each year... that's only a few less tackles than he was getting in his prime at Pittsburgh. We could afford to throw a little money at this guy for a high-intensity pass-rusher, since it's probably our biggest need right now.

[ForceEight]

How are any of those examples not performance-based?

 

26.5 sacks in two years... over 40 tackles each year... that's only a few less tackles than he was getting in his prime at Pittsburgh. We could afford to throw a little money at this guy for a high-intensity pass-rusher, since it's probably our biggest need right now.

1. The Ravens would NEVER sign him. It would be like the Colts signing Tom Brady (except Brady's good).

 

2. He's falling off. There's a reason he's not being signed back. He is not worth starter's money, according to a team with a pretty decent defense.

 

3. How do you know what we "could afford"? If we can't afford to keep our own D-linemen, how can we afford an aging situational pass rusher who wants more than he's worth?

[geo]

Exactly. We all know that Parcells can be stubborn when he decides he doesn't want a guy around. This is the same guy who traded away his best pass-rusher (Jason Taylor) only to resign him a few years later.

 

Coaches commit (or decommit) to players all the time... the Chargers gave up on Cromartie (we'll see what happens there), the Raiders gave up on Moss (who set an all-time touchdown record the next year), and we keep putting Mark Clayton on the field despite almost no production whatsoever...

 

Porter is only 32, and he's probably at least as good as Suggs at OLB.

What, is this all about sacks and passrush? Are you telling me Suggs is declining when he hopefully have his best years in front of him. And btw Suggs is better all around, and for sure in the next five years.

[SpearSrai]

What, is this all about sacks and passrush? Are you telling me Suggs is declining when he hopefully have his best years in front of him. And btw Suggs is better all around, and for sure in the next five years.

 

Yes, yes it is. A team that can rush the passer will win most games.

[geo]

Yes, yes it is. A team that can rush the passer will win most games.

 

We have proved something else with our D the last two seasons.

[SpearSrai]

We have proved something else with our D the last two seasons.

 

what have we proved? I'm not sure which way you're going with this... The Steelers and the Colts, two strong pass rushing teams, went to the Super bowl.

[yagersports]

I'm with Spear on this one........we absolutely need to rush the QB better. That will imporve our secondary tremendously, more so than adding an above average CB.

[geo]

what have we proved? I'm not sure which way you're going with this... The Steelers and the Colts, two strong pass rushing teams, went to the Super bowl.

Are you now telling me those lousy defenses had better Ds than Jets, Bungles and us (all 32-34 sacks). Steelers oh yeah nice to have a passrush, still they are over the hill (five DLer over 30) and their passing D... worse than ours! Kind of a miracle but true.

 

Ravens.. The only team in this league who has been a top 3 in score and yards in 2008 and 2009. I take that fact over a top ten D in sacks.

 

Our defense was improving after the bye, not sure if they were better than the Jets after the bye, close though, oh did I mention the Jets had 32 sacks just like us.

 

Our D did the job, despite we never upgrade our D with firstrounders and no really major key FA signings. Still a top 3 D, Despite we lost our DC, Bart Scott, most of our secondary just like in 2007 and 2008, despite the fact that our key players Ngata, Suggs, JJ and Reed struggled all season with injuries and that Gregg and Landry was struggling to get back to form... And another undrafted rookie just replaced a vet like Scott, that our CBs (since C-mac-days) have no clue how to tackle. In that regard I think our D made another miracle last year.

 

Do I want to add a passrusher yes. If I could have a top five CB I take him any day over a top five passrusher.. The fact is I have faith in our OLBs.. they are just looking back more than forward (see CBs.), oh did I not see last season Ngata run 30 yards back to finish a tackle (little nice foxy). Still hoping for Kruger and Barnes, we simply need to find out about Kruger this year.

 

As for CBs not so much hope, sure Webb is talented.. doubt he is the answer more like another Fox, Fabian and Carr, all of them fast but not very physical, none of them true first CBs but 2-3-4-5 CBs, great to have.

 

Needs:

1. Give me the CB!

2. TE Fa or draft

3. WR FA and draft.

4. ILB.

5. Kicker

6. FB

 

 

As for being top five D in sacks, I prefere to be top five against the rush and in turnovers.

[yagersports]

Another thing to condiser geo is that we absolutely fell off the second half of the year in the pass rush dept. Pryce had a bunch of sacks this year, but I think they were all before week 6 or 7. After that he had 1 maybe 2. Our pass rush declined dramatically and we need to improve that. We rush the passer better and we'll have corners that can cover better.

[cravnravn]

Torry Holt is still out there, last season he made 3.8 mil. Think we can dangle a 2 million dollar carrot in front of him?? he had 51 receptions for 722 yards last year.