Combine Press Conference

[oldno82]

EDC and Minter will each have a presser tomorrow. DeCosta's at 10:15am and Minter's at Noon.

From what I've read, expect the GM to address the status of Lamar's extension progress, or lack thereof, and what if anything is expected in regards to Linderbaum.

Of course, I very much doubt that anything earth shattering will be announced, but we might pick up a few bread crumbs with regard to where the franchise is headed.

I don't know if the Ravens' website will live stream these. Maybe they'll be on the NFL channel too.  

 

 

[tsylvester]

They will be on the you tube shortly after I'm sure. I'll keep am eye out, thanks for the heads up

[oldno82]

I’m taking my wife to physical therapy around those times so I’ll check out YouTube when we get back. Thanks for letting me know.

[tsylvester]

Eric's

Eric DeCosta's 2026 NFL Scouting Combine Press Conference | Ravens Press Conference https://share.google/5BzWzhfZesnMbmUEZ

[tsylvester]

"That salary disparity would also be in play for the franchise tag, but DeCosta said on Tuesday that the Ravens are willing to make Linderbaum the highest-paid center in the league. He told reporters that the team has offered Linderbaum a “market-setting” deal as they try to hold onto the three-time Pro Bowler."

[tsylvester]

Minter

https://www.youtube.com/live/qqO1Sdgpny0?si=RlZcIbMlV2usPMBV

[papasmurfbell]

Let him walk.

[tsylvester]

I'm sure the Chargers, Bozeman retired, will make him a higher offer.

Bullock did pretty well both at guard and center, so...

[oldno82]

Hey Tsyl, thanks for the postings. 

I didn't expect much from DeCosta and didn't really get much from him other than there will continue to be a reluctance from the front office to even saying they'd prefer Lamar to be at OTA's. Of course, they are voluntary so maybe he didn't want to put it out in public that it would at least be 'helpful' for the team to have him present as much as possible. I dunno. On the other hand DeCosta did indicate they'd made Linderbaum a really big offer. Will it be enough? Only time will tell.

As for Minter, didn't learn much as I expected EXCEPT he seems to have a real desire to have very effective offensive and defensive line play in the trenches. He also still impresses me as a no-nonsense, intelligent guy. 

We should know by March 11 or so what the deal with Lamar is and whether or not we've kept our Center. I do agree with you that Bullock did play well last year and he may be a solution if Linderbaum moves on. 

Hard to believe but March 11 is only 15 days away...then and thereafter we'll begin to get a real idea of if they've resolved some of the big issues on the team.

[tsylvester]

Some player coverage at the combine

Banks didn't need to finish the on-field workouts to rank as one of Thursday's winners. The 6-foot-6, 327-pound defensive tackle wowed with a 32-inch vertical jump and a 5.05-second 40. Banks missed most of last season because of a foot injury, but his upside is through the roof. He could have moved into the first round with his times Thursday. -- Miller

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2026/story/_/id/47978529/2026-nfl-combine-top-draft-prospects-workouts-risers-40-every-position

[oldno82]

I'd still want my medical staff to go over him with a fine tooth comb before I drafted him...I'm just really tired of us taking guys from college who were great until they got injured and then they never live up to what they accomplished before. As just one of many examples, I think of Ojabo.

 

[oldno82]

By the way, the salary cap is up again: 

 

By Darnell Mayberry

Feb. 27, 2026Updated 1:51 pm EST

 

 

For the first time in NFL history, the salary cap will exceed $300 million, the league announced Friday.

NFL clubs were informed that the cap will jump to $301.2 million per team, a $22 million increase from 2025. The 2026 salary cap will be nearly double the figure from 10 years ago and $118.7 million more than just five years ago.

[tsylvester]

1 hour ago, oldno82 said:

I'd still want my medical staff to go over him with a fine tooth comb before I drafted him...I'm just really tired of us taking guys from college who were great until they got injured and then they never live up to what they accomplished before. As just one of many examples, I think of Ojabo.

 

He has had a full year to heal and get stronger. Given his performance at the combine, I would say his foot is fully healed. Now, a lot depends on how it feel the day after doing the work out, but he would be my first choice at 14

[oldno82]

Did he play at all after the injury in college? I know he comes highly regarded. I'm just a bit wary after us being burned so many times.

I watched his results again at the combine....I will say he sure looks healthy.

[papasmurfbell]

Get those docs to look at him.  I love guys like him.

[tsylvester]

On 2/27/2026 at 4:58 PM, oldno82 said:

By the way, the salary cap is up again: 

 

By Darnell Mayberry

Feb. 27, 2026Updated 1:51 pm EST

 

 

For the first time in NFL history, the salary cap will exceed $300 million, the league announced Friday.

NFL clubs were informed that the cap will jump to $301.2 million per team, a $22 million increase from 2025. The 2026 salary cap will be nearly double the figure from 10 years ago and $118.7 million more than just five years ago.

That will come in handy. Here is a blurb from ESPN in the current Lamar contract; interesting

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48045815/2026-nfl-combine-latest-buzz-news-rumors-free-agency-draft-qbs-trades-offseason

 

Quote

 The Ravens have automatic conversion rights in the contract, meaning they can add more void years, convert salary to signing bonuses and knock down this year's cap number by as much as $38 million -- and they don't need Jackson's permission to do it. Jackson's contract already has void years for 2028 and 2029, though, and Baltimore would prefer to do an extension and avoid dumping more cap charges into future years for which he's not yet signed. Jackson still doesn't use an agent, and that has led to some complications in these kinds of talks between him and the team in the past, so it's hard to handicap the Ravens' chances of getting it done.

[oldno82]

OK, if 2028 and 2029 are already void years how much does 'dumping more cap charges into future years' add to out-year cap costs? By future years do they mean 2028 and 2029 or do they mean years beyond that?

[tsylvester]

They mean years past that. They don't want to do that because he would no longer be under contract after the 28 season, so all of that money pushed into those years would become dead cap money.

By the 27, 28 season, even under this current deal, he is still under contract until then, so conceivably, they can use those years and just restructure/sign a new deal before the end of the 28 season and absorb those cap hits into the new deal

[oldno82]

OK...got it. Thanks! Interesting that they don't need Jackson's approval to do any of that. I wonder if that is standard NFL contract language or if someone on our team had the presence of mind to add it to the contract.

I am very wary about Lamar's working something out with the team after what went down last go-round. I'm just not sure he wants to be here. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

[tsylvester]

I would suspect, though do know for certain that it is standard language; teams like to keep as much control over a contract/player as they can away with.

I don't know why he would not want to be here, 2, almost 3 maps, playoffs almost every year he has been here. The year before last the only thing to stop them from going to the Super Bowl was themselves with turnovers.

[oldno82]

Yes he should be happy here but I think the near misses of going to the playoffs and then missing out on the SB may have taken a toll on him. He's from south Florida and may just want to be closer to his roots. Just a feeling. We'll know more by the middle of this month when we see if he's proactive about an extension. 

 

[papasmurfbell]

98 rock was talking about his contract situation.  Scott was surprised that testers were not happy with the Lamar contract situation.  Ppl were mad that he has so much cap space but when it matters does not produce.

[oldno82]

There is some truth to that but it's not always been his fault...Andrews not making a crucial catch, etc. The team goes into a funk in the playoffs which I really can't explain except to point to coaching problems. Maybe those will be resolved now that Minter is HC. We shall see.