Help Wanted

[vmax]

There's a sign outside the Castle: Help Wanted for Offensive Line.

Even Steve Bichiotti is using his billion dollar talent seach company to solve this riddle.

It's that desperate.

 

Joe Plantania has some sobering thoughts on the situation and who's out there...

 

First let's get the facts out..

 

...given the offensive line's spotty performance last year -- allowing Joe Flacco to get sacked a career-high 40 times and averaging the fifth-fewest yards per carry in the league -- and its uneven showing in Thursday night's 13-6 preseason-opening loss at Philadelphia, is it time to look outside the organization for offensive line help?

...

[Thursday night]... The Ravens allowed six sacks, converted just three of 12 third-down plays and possessed the ball for only 24 minutes.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/08/14/11/Where-will-Ravens-O-line-help-come-from/landing.html?blockID=548774&feedID=6703

 

Here's some suggestions from Joe...

 

With the first wave of free agency having ended, each of the three principal positions along the line has few viable candidates left, but there are some:

 

• At center, the name Casey Rabach has not gotten far from anyone's lips. Having failed a Ravens' physical (shoulder) earlier during training camp, the conventional wisdom is that once he properly heals, the former Washington Redskin can take another exam and sign a free-agent contract to return to the Ravens for the first time in six years.

 

Rabach becomes a particularly valuable commodity when one considers the fact that every viable free-agent option at the position with six or more years of service time in the league has already been signed.

 

At tackle, Oakland’s Langston Walker is a nine-year man who has played 15 or more games four times during his last five seasons between the Raiders and Buffalo Bills. He helped pace a Raiders’ offense that was ranked 10th in the league,” Plantania wrote.

 

“Seattle’s Chester Pitts (nine years) and San Francisco’s Barry Sims (12) have been durable veterans, but they are free agents for a reason: their teams ranked in the bottom third offensively.”

 

It's the 'Curse of Kip Vickers'!!!

[oldno82]

After picking up Lee Evans do we have any cap money left to sign anybody for anything? What ever happened with Ngata's new contract and the cap space that would free up?

[vmax]

After picking up Lee Evans do we have any cap money left to sign anybody for anything? What ever happened with Ngata's new contract and the cap space that would free up?

 

 

I doubt if there is any CAP money left.

 

They still have to sign Raubach IMO...no money for that probably.

 

All this means is Ngata has to get signed or the 2011 roster will come out of the 90 players they have on hand now.

[vmax]

I listened to Cams full presser today and Walker has a short update on the O line from Cam...

 

"He's in the mix, whether he wants to be or not -- period," Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said of Reid. "In my mind he's either going to be playing or one or two plays from playing. So my mind is anything but he's playing until he's inactive. We're trying to get that point across to a lot of these guys. There is no four-year scholarships [for rookies]."

Starting offensive tackles Oniel Cousins and Michael Oher both had down moments against Philadelphia. Cousins particularly struggled and is now getting a look at right guard. Starting guard Marshal Yanda, who missed practice Monday with a back injury, also is a possibility at right tackle. But taking Yanda from guard would weaken that spot.

 

"We're going to try to work out the best five in some combination," Cameron said. "It may not be ideal, but it's probably our best alternative."

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/43447/cameron-rookie-ot-reid-in-the-mix

[cravnravn]

Wheres Mike Flynn when ya need him?

[varaven45]

Ozzie might want to pursue this guy released from the Saints:

 

www.espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/4495/jonathan-stinchcomb

[colincac]

GET THE NGATA DEAL DONE. We do that and we'll have enough cap to sign McKinnie and Rabach. Do that and our offensive line depth goes from awful to superb.