Who Are These Guys?

[oldno82]

Somebody fill me in on Ryan Grant and John Brown...

 

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Reports-Ravens-Signing-Wide-Receiver-Ryan-Grant-to-4-Year-Deal/4e5c2b1a-2cac-4ea1-9976-71974b89e899

 

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Reports-Ravens-to-Sign-Wide-Receiver-John-Brown/a81c8693-46db-4d60-8ae6-5113771b074a

 

 

[tsylvester]

Brown is a tiny speedy receiver who had a break out year 3 years ago, then injuries and bad qb play brought him back to earth. Who knows what he will be like here.

 

Grant is a posession receiver, most catches last year were 45....

 

 

From their website, over paid for both.

 

It's a bigger deal than they reportedly struck with John Brown hours earlier, as Rapoport says it's for $29 million with $14.5 million guaranteed and a $10 million signing bonus.

 

Grant, 27, has posted 84 career receptions for 985 yards and six touchdowns in his first four years.

[papasmurfbell]

Brown will be hurt and used poorly.

[oldno82]

The Ravens ‘big planning meeting’ in Florida looks laughable now as well as Bisciotti’s state of the Ravens presser.

 

I can’t even tell who’s running this mess. Is it the owner, GM, GM in waiting, or the coach?

 

WTF happened to this organization?

[papasmurfbell]

It has regressed. Steve is turning them into a Snyder like team.

[papasmurfbell]

https://russellstreetreport.com/2018/03/13/lombardis-way/ravens-2018-season/

 

 

It’s Time for a Long-Term Outlook

Expectations can be dangerous. Set them too high and disappointment will follow shortly thereafter.

Enter Steve Bisciotti and the Baltimore Ravens.

“We’ll do what we have to do to fill our roster through the draft and through free agency. We’ve got some money, and we can create some more, so I’m not too worried about that right now. I think that what we figured out between what we have and what we can get, I think that we can make a splash and help us on the way to getting our offense clicking better.” ~ Steve Bisciotti

A splash – in this case a positive step forward for a boring offense that comparatively speaking, makes an afternoon of watching paint dry seem like riveting action.

Bisciotti set the expectation level and so far, the Ravens have re-signed the oft-injured Brent Urban, the oft-maligned James Hurst, and they’ve parted ways with Lardarius Webb, Austin Howard and Danny Woodhead.

Not even a ripple.

Granted, there’s a long time to go before the Ravens open the 2018 season and many things could fall into place – even that splash. But the Ravens play to a fan base that is sick of boring, particularly on the heels of the Ray Lewis era that regularly delivered excitement. They are tired of complacency, excuse me, continuity.

Things have to change.

Now the Ravens are well aware of the fan discontent. But being aware of it doesn’t mean that they understand the depths of the despair. Making it worse, is the promise of a splash and then never delivering.

The Ravens are finding that it isn’t easy to make that splash in the current market – one flush with cap space and teams needing to use it in order to remain in cap compliance as it relates to the spending floor. The result is overspending – teams paying for talent that is unlikely to play to the level of the contracts being doled out.

Another unique dynamic of the market, is a heavy emphasis on 3-year deals set to run concurrently with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. That’s a shorter amount of time to amortized guaranteed money and that works against the Ravens who have a fraction of the salary cap capital available to teams like the Browns, 49ers, Vikings and Rams who have all been quite busy. The Ravens are handcuffed by the fifth worst cap position in the NFL.

And despite Bisciotti’s resistance to the notion, the Ravens are absolutely at a crossroad.

“What is a crossroad? I do not even know what you mean by a crossroad. I either keep John [Harbaugh] or I fire John. I promote Eric [DeCosta] to GM, and Joe [Flacco] has a shelf life at 33 years old. I don’t even know what you mean by that, and that is what you guys [the media] talk about. I don’t know what you mean by that. Crossroad to what?” ~ Steve Bisciotti

John Harbaugh is clearly on the hot seat. Ozzie Newsome is handing the reins of the front office over to Eric DeCosta in 2019. Joe Flacco can be jettisoned in 2019 if he fails in 2018. Add it up and it puts pressure on the team to win NOW!

But to fix the Ravens, opting for perceived quick fixes in free agency that the Ravens can’t afford is NOT the way to go. They shouldn’t overspend. They shouldn’t restructure current deals to find cap space to sign free agents that may or may not work (See: Jeremy Maclin, Danny Woodhead and Tony Jefferson).

What they need to do is nail the 2018 NFL Draft.

What they need to do is stop restructuring contracts.

What they need to do is purge the roster of underachievers.

These are all things that the Ravens brass would admit needs to be done, if they’re being honest. IF they had a long-term focus.

But they don’t!

Their focus is short-term to help preserve Harbaugh’s job; to give Flacco the weapons that he should have been given years ago; and to help Ozzie go out in a blaze of glory.

Add it all up and you know where that leaves the Ravens?

AT. A. CROSSROAD.

The Ravens think they have to address fan discontent – and they do. But placing Band-Aids on a flawed roster isn’t the way.

Fix the draft. Fix the cap. The rest will fall into place.

It’s a plan that fans can get behind. They did in 2002 and they’ll do it again.

What they can’t get behind is false expectations.

And while it’s still early, so far, that’s exactly what they’re getting.

 

This is a great article. So freakin spot on.

[tsylvester]

Funny, I wrote that article a few years ago,Crossroads, back before I stopped. Just change the names, the play is the same... Just look over every message board and you will see the same thing....

[papasmurfbell]

[oldno82]

A really good article. The Ravens' brass will read it and then proceed to continue on their current destructive path.

[vmax]

 

Ryan Grant (we'll give you a minute to look up who he is) getting a staggering $29 million from the Ravens despite no evidence either is a top-flight talent.

 

I only want to see somebody who can catch the damn ball.

Start there.

 

They have a ton of speed guys on the roster. None of them can catch.

[vmax]

 

Grade: C. This one was a head-scratcher. The Ravens gave a four-year, $29 million contract ($14.5 million guaranteed) to the 10th-best wide receiver in ESPN's free-agent rankings. Grant has a career average of 11.7 yards per catch and has never had more than 85 yards receiving in a game...

What it means: Baltimore got its possession slot receiver after failing to get Jarvis Landry in a trade. He's actually the No. 1 receiver by default, if Baltimore cuts Jeremy Maclin as expected. In comparison, Grant would've been the No. 4 receiver in Washington. According to ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim, Grant is an excellent route runner and hard worker who is capable of making the tough catches. There are plenty of qualities to like with Grant. He just lacks the proven production for a marquee role in a passing attack.

What's the risk: The Ravens are investing a lot in a wide receiver who has had just one decent season. Baltimore is banking on Grant playing more like last season (45 receptions for 573 yards and four touchdowns) than his other three years in the league (combined 39 catches for 412 yards and two touchdowns). This is a landmark deal for Baltimore. Grant's average of $7.25 million per season is believed to be the second-biggest contract the Ravens have ever given a wide receiver (Anquan Boldin received $8.3 average per year in 2010)...http://www.espn.com/blog/baltimore-ravens/post/_/id/43688/baltimore-ravens-2018-free-agency-james-hurst-re-ups-for-4-years

 

They Ravens are stacked with players who can't get out of the traing room.

So they add one more...

 

 

 

What it means: The Ravens get a wide receiver who has deep speed and a willingness to go over the middle. Brown can be a productive receiver -- he produced 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 2015 -- if he can stay healthy. But that's a major question mark. Brown does bring explosiveness. His career average is 14.5 yards per catch. Still, Brown is just a piece in the passing game, not a solution. Baltimore would be taking a step back if the Ravens are banking on Brown to replace Mike Wallace, who is a free agent.

What's the risk: Brown could become Jeremy Maclin 2.0 with the inability to stay healthy. Brown's statistics declined in 2016 and 2017 because of head, quadriceps, back and toe injuries. He managed 60 catches for 816 yards and five touchdowns the past two seasons combined. Brown has also been diagnosed with sickle-cell trait, which he said slows his healing and recovery process. So there are long-term injury concerns.

Edited March 15, 2018 by vmax

[tsylvester]

Nelson to be a Raider according to Shefty.. Expect Crabtree to be released..

[oldno82]

Well considering the overall mess they've made of things, I list this as a positive step---maybe.

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bs-sp-ravens-crabtree-0317-story.html

[tsylvester]

Yeah, he is a better option than Grant, but how much does he have left in the tank & how badly did they screw up their reputation over the Grant mess?

[vmax]

Crabtree is a great addition.

Remember, none of our receivers could get open, catch the ball and score touchdowns. There is no legit #3 receiver on this team. Crabtree is a #1.5. Huge upgrade.

[papasmurfbell]

At his age and Joe's reluctance to throw the ball I just don't think Crabtree will be effective.

[tsylvester]

Joe threw well to Boldin, similar receivers.

 

Max, he is not a #1, more like a 2.5, same for the often injured new wide out... This team will still not have a true #1, but get a good tight end like Gesicki, and who knows..

[tsylvester]

Oh the deal is worth

The #Ravens and WR Michael Crabtree reached a 3-year deal worth $21M, source said. He gets $15M over 2 years and it could be up to $20M. $11M guaranteed.

[papasmurfbell]

Joe threw well to Boldin, similar receivers.

 

Max, he is not a #1, more like a 2.5, same for the often injured new wide out... This team will still not have a true #1, but get a good tight end like Gesicki, and who knows..

Joe has spectacularly regressed. Also I think Crabtree is more like Rice in style. Q muscled DBs. That is not crabtrees game.

 

 

 

Oh the deal is worth

To high. But at least he isn't always injured like so many Ozzie signings recently.

[oldno82]

Joe will still be able to get the ball to him...he's not that washed up yet.

 

But they still need to draft a replacement for him because he should go in a year or two when the dead money comes down.

[papasmurfbell]

But he loves the 3 yd dump off. That is his go to throw.