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ExtremeRavens: The Sanctuary

Excellent Point by Eisenberg


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The game is won in the trenches..........

 

 

 

With both players due big paydays and Yanda, a rugged All-Pro and locker room leader, deservedly at the head of the line, that leaves Osemele in a bit of limbo. With a salary cap in place, a team can invest only so much in its guards, right?

But I’m not necessarily buying that doom-and-gloom scenario.

Who says one must go?

Yanda didn’t seem worried about striking a new deal when he was asked about it at last month’s minicamp; I’m guessing it will eventually happen. And if Osemele is as effective as the Ravens expect in 2015, retaining him could become their top priority.

Strong offensive line play was one of their cornerstones in 2014; sacks of quarterback Joe Flacco fell dramatically and the rushing game boomed. More years of such effectiveness up front could go a long way toward helping the Ravens remain consistent playoff contenders, and keeping their best guys obviously is key to that.

With that in mind, I actually can’t think of a more prudent way for the Ravens to exhaust some of their precious salary cap space. They’re always deciding whether to retain young players who warrant a “second contract,” receivers and linebackers and running backs and such, but my two cents, no positional piece is a sounder investment than a talented young blocker. Any team that wants to go far needs to be strong up front. http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Eisenberg-Who-Says-Either-Marshal-Yanda-Or-Kelechi-Osemele-Must-Go/0f4b32d3-c7e7-4f78-9e74-2662374c7ccc

rsz_kelechi-osemele-houston-texans-v-bal

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It's going to be near impossible to keep both of them. The Pats signed Logan Mankins to a 6-year, $51M contract with $20M guaranteed back in 2011 when Mankins was 29-years old. Yanda will be 31-years old next offseason. He might not get as much as Mankins, but it will be close I'd assume. KO on the other hand, with a Pro Bowl-caliber season, looks to be in line to get near Mankins-type money.

 

Comparable from the open market of guards who switched teams:

 

In 2015, Mike Iupati got five-years, $40M with $15.75M guaranteed at age 28 from the Cardinals to leave the 49ers

In 2013, Andy Levitre got six-years, $46.8M with $15M guaranteed at age 27 from the Titans to leave the Bills

 

To keep both guys we would have to give near $90M with $35M in guaranteed money to two offensive guards. I do not see us allocating that much of our CAP at the guard position.

 

There is a reason we have John Urschal, Robert Myers, and James Hurst as developmental guys.

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Ditto on the thread title. I was about to post this story under the headline that Eisenberg

used. I had no idea this was the same story.

 

Anyway, a lot of fans think Ravens can't sign both because of CAP ceiling and they don't

want to spend that much on an OG. You can always get one on the cheap in the middle

rounds, like a RB, but our last two LGs came in the higher rounds - Grubbs and KO coming

in the first and 2d rounds. Mulitalo who played effectively for many years came a litte later.

 

But as Eisenberg says, Ravens can sign both and usually keep the ones they must have

as Joe went from the most blitzed QB to the least blitzed last year and the running game

boomed up the middle between Center and KO and Center and Yanda.

 

 

This should be the thread's title, the title in the link.

 

 

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Eisenberg-Who-Says-Either-Marshal-Yanda-Or-Kelechi-Osemele-Must-Go/0f4b32d3-c7e7-4f78-9e74-2662374c7ccc

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Oh...now we have English majors critiquing thread titles! :bleh: Bunch of Eisenberg haters...

But a good point crav. Yea...I rather have the shut down corners or the play making safety.

After I read everybody's comments I thought, "OK, Get real...they won't be able to afford both, so pay attention and enjoy one great year of dominant O line play."

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