Ravens Sign Ricky Williams

[colincac]

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/blog/2011/08/ravens_to_sign_ricky_williams.html

 

Backup RB situation solved. Good power back who average 4.2 yards a carry last year and his deal MAXES out at $4 Million over 2 years. So he's coming in cheaper than McGahee went to Denver. Big fan of this signing. Ricky is older but he took a couple years off and has been in a time-share so he doesn't have much wear on his body. In fact, read an article where he blasted Sparano and even said he 'didn't have to use an advil' last season. So he's fresh.

[cravnravn]

Ravens sign Ricky Williams...

 

OK Oz, Im starting to doubt you now..Ar you freekin insane, 4 million!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited August 8, 2011 by cravnravn

[yagersports]

Beat me to it! Great signing I think. This guy can still run short yardage and he can spell Ray if we needed him to. He can't catch very well, but he does run the screen well. He's had 4 yd a carry averages. I like this. Has Williams ever had a fb like leach to run behind????

[bmw800]

Ravens sign Ricky Williams...

 

OK Oz, Im starting to doubt you now..Ar you freekin insane, 4 million!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Crav, the $4 million number includes all of the incentives. The base salary is $2.5 million over 2 years, or $1.25 million a year. Considering the veteran minimum is $910,000, he's really not making much over the min unless he puts some numbers up to make him worth it.

[yagersports]

Crav, the $4 million number includes all of the incentives. The base salary is $2.5 million over 2 years, or $1.25 million a year. Considering the veteran minimum is $910,000, he's really not making much over the min unless he puts some numbers up to make him worth it.

 

And he's our backup with a 4+ ypg average since forever. This is a solid acquisition for back up RB.

[cravnravn]

Yeah, sorry bout that, now Im hearing theres a lot of incentives he needs to hit before he gets the 4 mil..

[colincac]

Great value signing. Every NFL player smokes pot, I'm really tired of hearing that shit.

[oldno82]

Well, this is nice but was it really a priority at this point? What kind of O-line do we have for pass protection? We need a Center and a backup QB. Can our TEs and RTs pass block?

 

I'm not panicking YET, there's still 4 weeks before we play the Steelers but as of right now, are we a better team than last year's?

[varaven45]

Ricky Williams ? Ozzie, you gotta be kidding me ? Are we going to be start playing the Doobie Brothers during pre-game now ?

 

Whatever, these recent moves can't possibly give anyone a good feeling thus far :

 

RB: Lose Mc Gahee ; pick up 34 yr old Ricky "Doobie Bros." Williams - Downgrade

TE: Lose Heap; replace with Dickson/Pitta and pickup Buffalo castoff Stupar - Another downgrade that leves us all in a STUPOR !

WR: Lose Mason, replace with 2 , possibly 3 whiffs - Floyd, Mason and Cotchery - Another downgrade

 

All these moves appear ill advised, at best, and signal some form of desperation by the FO who screwed up the Ngata deal but, had they done, we might have made some real upgrades rather than downgrades at key positions.

 

Dont like any of these and it will show up on the field.

[colincac]

Anyone who has watched any tape of Williams and McGahee or compared the two's stats, OR looked at how much cheaper than McGahee Willliams came, cannot POSSIBLY consider it a bad move. I expect too much from this fan base apparently.

 

Yes we downgraded at TE but are saving big dollars doing so, and used that upgrading FB, which will make up for the blocking loss.

 

WR looks worse right now but we will definitely sign another veteran WR before the season starts.

[varaven45]

Anyone who has watched any tape of Williams and McGahee or compared the two's stats, OR looked at how much cheaper than McGahee Willliams came, cannot POSSIBLY consider it a bad move. I expect too much from this fan base apparently.

 

Yes we downgraded at TE but are saving big dollars doing so, and used that upgrading FB, which will make up for the blocking loss.

 

WR looks worse right now but we will definitely sign another veteran WR before the season starts.

 

Watched em both for about ten years - starting with Willis at the U, Ricky at Texas. Even with Willis' reconstructed knee but 29 yr old body, I would kept him over the 34 yr old Williams. They could have restructured Willis, just like should have redone Heap and Mase if they had just done Ngata before the lockout.

 

None of us knows how these will pan out. For the moment, as a fan, I dont feel good about em and where we are headed.

[OutsideRzAcE]

How many games is he out if he gets busted for pot?

[colincac]

McGahee went to Denver for a bigger role and more money. Why would he have 'restructured' here for less money and less carries? 10 years ago doesn't matter with the damage done on Willis' body. Ricky is older but has less wear and tear as he was out of the NFL for 3 seasons. He also had better statistics last year and looks (I know this is subjective) better to me on video than Willis did, he has much more burst, again, that is opinion, but the stats are fairly obvious in Ricky's favor.

[yagersports]

Williams is flat out a better rusher than McGahee, and Williams can at least catch a five yd hitch! McGahee has the worst hands of any RB in the NFL.

 

As far as WR, I doubt we will see Mason produce much this year. I feel That Boldin getting the ball more and using the young pups is gonna work just fine. WR is the least of most teams worries. They're not what propeks a team to a Super Bowl. Good QB play and tough Defense gets you there.

 

Offensive line.....can't argue much there, but Ozzie has discounted the center position his entire career as a GM. However, the good teams get guys to step up. So, next man up. It's gotta happen in a couple positions.

[vmax]

Terry Allen was good in his day...but that day was long gone when the Ravens got him.

 

Anyway...if building a better team is having a 'curiosity' on the field, then Ozzie's building.

 

OK...ok...this might work...everytime Rickie scores a TD let's chant "OM!!!!!!!!"

 

What do you think Walker?

 

•Overall, the Ravens got better at running back in free agency. Baltimore started with Rice, McGahee and fullback Le'Ron McClain and finished with Rice, Williams and Pro Bowl fullback Vonta Leach. The Ravens want to run the ball more consistently this season. They should be able to accomplish that with this trio.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/30375/thoughts-on-ravens-rb-ricky-williams

Edited August 8, 2011 by vmax

[Guest BallTMore]

How many games is he out if he gets busted for pot?

 

 

We probably don't have to worry. He's in Baltimore now. There is no pot here.

 

 

 

Decent signing. He should be a fine backup and change-of-pace guy

[yagersports]

When we got Terry allen, he was out of football for what 1 or 2 years, and several years from his ladt 1000 yard season. Williams is one year removed from 1000 yds and even though williams is 34, he didn't play for 3 years. That makes a difference, see Marcus Allen.

[cravnravn]

Ricky Williams ? Ozzie, you gotta be kidding me ? Are we going to be start playing the Doobie Brothers during pre-game now ?

 

 

And whats wrong with that??? Better than the cRAP shit they play.

[papasmurfbell]

Looks like a very solid signing.

[vmax]

I'm warming up to it.

Afterall...Ricky is "out there" like me....got to respect that...

 

Speaking of his clean-shaven look, he said, "It’s just a mirror of my maturity. I think we all go through phases. I think at my heart I’m a rebel, and I think I’ve found more productive and mature ways to express my rebellion."

 

Williams said he guessed he would get between eight and 12 carries a game playing behind Ray Rice, and admitted that the hardest he has ever been hit was by Ray Lewis on a two-point conversion play in a 2002 game.

 

"I didn't know where I was for 30 seconds," he said.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/blog/2011/08/ricky_williams_still_a_rebel_at_heart.html

Edited August 9, 2011 by vmax

[83eh01]

I like it. I think he can still produce well.

 

Outside of not re-signing McGahee, who else was there that would be better than Ricky?

[oldno82]

After thinking about this, if Ricky still has enough gas in the tank, this could be a solid pickup. Its just that I wouldn't have spent our short cap money on a RB.