papasmurfbell Posted March 19, 2015 Posted March 19, 2015 http://russellstreetreport.com/2015/03/19/lombardis-way/urschel-leave-ravens-high-dry/ Advice that I’ve shared with my kids, probably more than they want to hear, focuses on education.“Get your education because it gives you options but when you finish with your education, do something you love so much that you’d do it for free.”Yesterday, an article was forwarded to me (ironically by my son), brilliantly written by Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel. I encourage everyone to read it. [Link]In the article Urschel lauds recently retired San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland for having the courage to retire on his own terms. Urschel also shares that his mother has encouraged him to quit the game of football for each of his past 10 football seasons beginning in high school. She annually reminds the former Nittany Lion that he has a bright future away from the game.In part Urschel knows that she’s right. After all he has a Masters in Math, he has been a 4.0 student throughout college and grad school plus he’s had numerous published papers in major mathematical journals.It’s not about the NFL money either. Urschel has little need for material things and even drives a used Nissan Versa. He budgets his life on spending $25,000 annually.Yet he still doesn’t cave in to the maternal pressures.Why?Because he loves the game of football.“I play because I love the game. I love hitting people. There’s a rush you get when you go out on the field, lay everything on the line and physically dominate the player across from you. This is a feeling I’m (for lack of a better word) addicted to, and I’m hard-pressed to find anywhere else. My teammates, friends and family can attest to this: When I go too long without physical contact I’m not a pleasant person to be around.”The physicality of football and his desire to compete drive Urschel – for now.“Simply put, right now, not playing football isn’t an option for me. And for that reason, I truly envy Chris Borland.”That last part should be concerning to the Ravens.Urschel envies Chris Borland.What if one day he wakes up and doesn’t love the game anymore and puts that massive brain of his to use for corporate America before it is somehow altered by the violence of the NFL. This, coupled with Urschel’s relatively low standard of living would allow him to easily walk.The Ravens think highly of Urschel and envision him as a replacement for Marshal Yanda. Taking this a step further, let’s assume that the expectations for Urschel influence the Ravens’ front office to let Yanda walk and not pay him the big dollars he will likely command when his contract expires following the 2015 season. Such a move would certainly meet the criteria of the team’s 80/20 guideline – 80% of the production for 20% of the price.So Yanda hits the market, a place where the Ravens rarely compete, and he’s gone…signs with Cleveland, for example. And then one season later Urschel listens to his Mom and becomes an analyst on Wall Street.What then?Urschel is a nice player but he’s not Yanda. And he might never be. He might wake up one day and not want to be Yanda.It’s certainly something the Ravens ivory tower needs to be mindful of.Ozzie Newsome needs to do all that he can to extend both Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele right now while having the luxury of Urschel as a quality, inexpensive backup. The recently created cap space would be better used to retain those players and keep the developing offensive line in tact, than reaching for the scrap heap of wide receivers and cornerbacks that currently litter the market.We’ll never know when John Urschel falls out of love with football.Money won’t keep him around.His education gives him options – options that should scare the hell out of the Ravens.I think the Ravens can survive without him. The OL is the deepest it has been since I can remember. Quote
oldno82 Posted March 19, 2015 Posted March 19, 2015 Good article. The Ravens have had problems lately trying to extend players before they have 1 year left. Quote
papasmurfbell Posted March 23, 2015 Author Posted March 23, 2015 Joe Rogan retweetedVox @voxdotcom 3h3 hours ago NFL player John Urschel just published a paper in the Journal of Computational Mathematics http://vox.com/e/8041062?utm_campaign=vox&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter … Quote
papasmurfbell Posted March 28, 2015 Author Posted March 28, 2015 Conan O'Brien @ConanOBrien 21m21 minutes agoA Baltimore Raven published a complex study in a math journal. The NFL suspended him for unsportsmanlike conduct.OK thats just funny. Quote
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