Re: CAMP NOTES August 5: Defense stepping up, WR concerns continue
Quote:
Originally Posted by
GOTA
Bisciotti was awesome! He made it pretty clear that they won't be bringing in an older veteran WR. They don't feel they need to and Joe Flacco doesn't want one. Steve said they went that route with Washington, Evans and Housh and realize that they aren't find a 50+ catch guy this time of year. He talked about finding guys like Bart Scott and Ellerbe and then mention Deonte Thompson as possibly the same type of player. They're going to go with what they have unless we see a ton more injuries
You mean...no Randy Moss..?:(
Re: CAMP NOTES August 5: Defense stepping up, WR concerns continue
We all knew the WR situation was going to be a concern.
Hopefully one of the young guys steps up. Barring that, I think Caldwell gets creative involving Rice and Juice in the passing game. I bet we see lot's of 2-back sets with Pierce and Rice.
Then Ozzie and Co. can address the position through nest year's draft which is much better (in both depth and quality) at the WR spot than this year's was.
Re: CAMP NOTES August 5: Defense stepping up, WR concerns continue
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RavensRule21215
There are formulas to balance out fair trade values. So it's unlikely that it could have been anything outside those balanced values. The Vikes got 640; the Pats got 647. That's the way it goes.
Understood. However, to trade up to #29, the Ravens would have to give up their 1st, and a 4th and 6th to give balanced value. So it would have cost them Elam, and then because they wouldn't have the picks to trade up for Arthur Brown, they may have lost him, too. Nothing works in a vacuum so we don't really know how it would have played out, and every changed pick would create a domino effect, but it's clear the impact on the defense (clearly the focus of the draft) would have been felt. Personally, I would rather be the team with a question mark at the #2 WR spot than several question marks on defense.
Re: CAMP NOTES August 5: Defense stepping up, WR concerns continue
Quote:
Originally Posted by
alien bird
Understood. However, to trade up to #29, the Ravens would have to give up their 1st, and a 4th and 6th to give balanced value. So it would have cost them Elam, and then because they wouldn't have the picks to trade up for Arthur Brown, they may have lost him, too. Nothing works in a vacuum so we don't really know how it would have played out, and every changed pick would create a domino effect, but it's clear the impact on the defense (clearly the focus of the draft) would have been felt. Personally, I would rather be the team with a question mark at the #2 WR spot than several question marks on defense.
I don't strongly disagree. In fact, I've posted elsewhere on the board that in the overall picture, I think the Ravens are stronger across the board in 2013 than in 2012. The only area I see as a weakness is at the #2 WR spot. And losing Pitta certainly didn't help, but couldn't have been known beforehand. And now with Dickson's gimpy hammy...the picture is getting a bit more serious. I just don't happen to like the group of WRs waiting in the wings, and so far the reports coming out are not glowing in that regard. But we'll see. I still think the Ravens are the team to beat in the AFC North, and I still think that Joe is the best QB in the league when it comes to dealing with mediocre WRs.
Re: CAMP NOTES August 5: Defense stepping up, WR concerns continue
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mizerooskie
We all knew the WR situation was going to be a concern.
Hopefully one of the young guys steps up. Barring that, I think Caldwell gets creative involving Rice and Juice in the passing game. I bet we see lot's of 2-back sets with Pierce and Rice.
Then Ozzie and Co. can address the position through nest year's draft which is much better (in both depth and quality) at the WR spot than this year's was.
This is exactly what I was thinking. I feel like we are going to use Rice a lot like how the Pat's used Danny Woodhead in the passing game. Look for Rice to be an option in the slot and used as a 4th receiver out wide. Juice will also be used out wide. He actually spent a significant amount of time there at Harvard. Luckily we now have an OC who tailors our offense around our players and not the other way around.
Re: CAMP NOTES August 5: Defense stepping up, WR concerns continue
There's still a lot of time before the season, I'm not yet resigned to the fact that none of these guys will contribute. Although I'm with everyone else is recognizing this as the biggest question mark coming into the season.
The running game will be important to bring the safeties into the box leaving favorable single coverage match ups. I expect a lot of Rice coming out of the backfield and 2 back sets with Pierce also.
Re: CAMP NOTES August 5: Defense stepping up, WR concerns continue
Was Devard Darling really that bad? He played pretty well in 2007, while the Ravens had a DISASTROUS quarterback situation.
Re: CAMP NOTES August 5: Defense stepping up, WR concerns continue
Quote:
Originally Posted by
PurpleApocalypse37
Was Devard Darling really that bad? He played pretty well in 2007, while the Ravens had a DISASTROUS quarterback situation.
Darling left the Ravens in the prime of his career for the Chiefs. He did nothing different there than he did here. So I'd say yes, he was that bad
Re: CAMP NOTES August 5: Defense stepping up, WR concerns continue
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Excellector
You mean...no Randy Moss..?:(
It's not what I mean. It's what Steve is saying the team is looking to do.
Re: CAMP NOTES August 5: Defense stepping up, WR concerns continue
It's a fair question was Devard Darling that bad...in his NFL career, he had the following QBs:
2004: Kyle Boller
2005: Boller/Anthony Wright
2006: Steve McNair
2007: McNair/Boller/Troy Smith
2008 (Chiefs): Tyler Thigpen/Damon Huard/Brodie Croyle
Outside of McNair in 2006 and part of 07, that's pretty crappy QB play. In comparison, on the Chiefs in 2008...Gonzalez and Bowe surpassed 1000 yards. Next highest total was 380 for Mark Bradley, then 272 for Jamaal Charles, then Darling. In 2007, Darling was actually the 3rd best WR yards wise on the team. In 2006, he did not register a single stat.
He never had great QB play when he had the opportunity to play, but was he being blocked in 2006, or just not good enough to crack the top 4 WR? Our top 3 in 2006 was Mason, Clayton, DWil. The only other WR to even register any catches or yards was Clarence Moore...2 catches for 1 yard.
Interesting stuff, but I still consider him a bad WR. If he was better, he would've beat out DWil.
Re: CAMP NOTES August 5: Defense stepping up, WR concerns continue
I may be confusing Devard with another receiver, but weren't there issues about him hearing footsteps when he ran other than fly patterns?
Re: CAMP NOTES August 5: Defense stepping up, WR concerns continue
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Beau Petard
I may be confusing Devard with another receiver, but weren't there issues about him hearing footsteps when he ran other than fly patterns?
That could be said about a good many of our failed WR projects.
Namely, I recall it with Clarence Moore. For a big ass WR, he sure didn't seem to do well across the middle of the field.