Re: New draft/FA/offseason thread
David Diehl may become available.
Re: New draft/FA/offseason thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by
leachisabeast
IDK man, I'd still rather take a more developmental player, than move up to take him. We need to get faster on D.
The key to this Super Bowl run was Joe Flacco and the line's ability to protect him. That will be the key to the team's success going forward. There are only really two starting spots up for grabs on D. FS, if Reed is not resigned, and Ray's spot. Upshaw will start opposite Suggs. You are only going to get, but so much speed from your NG, even if you get someone to replace Cody. Ellerbe is in. Jones is in.
Re: New draft/FA/offseason thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by
wickedsolo
David Diehl may become available.
back up guard, nothing more
Re: New draft/FA/offseason thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Excellector
The key to this Super Bowl run was Joe Flacco and the line's ability to protect him. That will be the key to the team's success going forward. There are only really two starting spots up for grabs on D. FS, if Reed is not resigned, and Ray's spot. Upshaw will start opposite Suggs. You are only going to get, but so much speed from your NG, even if you get someone to replace Cody. Ellerbe is in. Jones is in.
True, and like I keep saying, when Suggs comes back healthy next season (maybe a bit of an IF) and hopefully Ngata comes back healthy after surgery, our D will be top ten again, because they are both THAT good, plus Upshaw has shown he can replace Jarrett Johnson, so no loss there, we need a NT, a ILB, and possibly a FS, we will see.
Re: New draft/FA/offseason thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Excellector
The key to this Super Bowl run was Joe Flacco and the line's ability to protect him. That will be the key to the team's success going forward. There are only really two starting spots up for grabs on D. FS, if Reed is not resigned, and Ray's spot. Upshaw will start opposite Suggs. You are only going to get, but so much speed from your NG, even if you get someone to replace Cody. Ellerbe is in. Jones is in.
True, but if the Ravens don't get faster on defense, it could get ugly.
Re: New draft/FA/offseason thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by
alien bird
Well, that's the key - if the value is right. The Ravens do need to get some impact players, so trading a bunch of early round picks for one move up would probably be a mistake.
Besides, is it really true that LT is such an overwhelming need, even if McKinnie isn't resigned? Yes, the offensive line played lights out after moving McKinnie to LT, but that wasn't the only move. The much bigger move lost in all this (in my opinion) was Osemele to LG. He made just about every defensive lineman he faced his bitch. Total domination. So maybe it was the huge improvement to LG (over Jah Reid) that was the key.
Take a look at what Flacco was able to do as a result. Early in the season he never was able to step up into the pocket because the pocket was collapsing in the middle. After Osemele is moved inside, that pocket was really open to step into, and Flacco made big plays in doing so. McKinnie was able to push the edge rushers deep, but maybe another LT could do that, even if to a lesser degree. So all this talk about McKinnie being the key might just be wrong - maybe it was Osemele that made that line work.
This is a REALLY good post and if you review Filmstudy's grades of McKinnie and Oher over the last few games you'll find even more support for this theory. In the Super Bowl, McKinnie put up a C- and Oher a D, yet Osemele an A+ and Ken's analysis matches my own: that our interior OL was outstanding but our pass protection and run blocking on the edges less so.
The same was true vs. New England. Now, admittedly... McKinnie and Oher were both near-flawless vs. Denver and McKinnie was excellent vs. Indy. Those games may not have been won without good protection from the tackles. But Osemele at LG has just been so, so good that the interior is really the dominant part of the line. I've always said that you need to be strong at 3 spots in a row on the OL, and we didn't have that all year really until now. The Saints, for example, work the same way, protecting Brees well with a rock-solid interior that he can step up into.
I'm not saying LT isn't important, clearly we need to get one that can stick, but maybe our interior OL has improved to the point that Oher at LT and Reid at RT might be non-devastating options.
Re: New draft/FA/offseason thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bmorecareful
This is a REALLY good post and if you review Filmstudy's grades of McKinnie and Oher over the last few games you'll find even more support for this theory. In the Super Bowl, McKinnie put up a C- and Oher a D, yet Osemele an A+ and Ken's analysis matches my own: that our interior OL was outstanding but our pass protection and run blocking on the edges less so.
The same was true vs. New England. Now, admittedly... McKinnie and Oher were both near-flawless vs. Denver and McKinnie was excellent vs. Indy. Those games may not have been won without good protection from the tackles. But Osemele at LG has just been so, so good that the interior is really the dominant part of the line. I've always said that you need to be strong at 3 spots in a row on the OL, and we didn't have that all year really until now. The Saints, for example, work the same way, protecting Brees well with a rock-solid interior that he can step up into.
I'm not saying LT isn't important, clearly we need to get one that can stick, but maybe our interior OL has improved to the point that Oher at LT and Reid at RT might be non-devastating options.
You are so right, and I think the Oline is fine the way it is. You can't have a perfect all around Oline, so we are getting by with average to solid play at OT, but with arguably top 3 all around interior Oline. KO is going to be a beast, Yanda is Yanda, the center spot may be up in the air, but I'll say this, Birk looked the best he's ever been in a Ravens uni in this play off run. KO reminds me of Mike Iupati.
Re: New draft/FA/offseason thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bmorecareful
This is a REALLY good post and if you review Filmstudy's grades of McKinnie and Oher over the last few games you'll find even more support for this theory. In the Super Bowl, McKinnie put up a C- and Oher a D, yet Osemele an A+ and Ken's analysis matches my own: that our interior OL was outstanding but our pass protection and run blocking on the edges less so.
The same was true vs. New England. Now, admittedly... McKinnie and Oher were both near-flawless vs. Denver and McKinnie was excellent vs. Indy. Those games may not have been won without good protection from the tackles. But Osemele at LG has just been so, so good that the interior is really the dominant part of the line. I've always said that you need to be strong at 3 spots in a row on the OL, and we didn't have that all year really until now. The Saints, for example, work the same way, protecting Brees well with a rock-solid interior that he can step up into.
I'm not saying LT isn't important, clearly we need to get one that can stick, but maybe our interior OL has improved to the point that Oher at LT and Reid at RT might be non-devastating options.
While I agree in principla, that last line scares the bejeezus out f me. It's also New Orleans strategy, btu then again, Brees gets rid of the all as fast as anyone in history.
Re: New draft/FA/offseason thread
no no no no please no more Oher at LT, it cannot happen again!!!
Re: New draft/FA/offseason thread
Rolling the dice, and will be nowhere to be found when it comes up snake eyes.
Re: New draft/FA/offseason thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jonboy79
While I agree in principla, that last line scares the bejeezus out f me. It's also New Orleans strategy, btu then again, Brees gets rid of the all as fast as anyone in history.
My view as well, i think an adequate LT with the proper length for the position will be fine. So IMO you resign Mckinnie and draft a guy you can develop to play at that same level and hopefully eventually higher.
Re: New draft/FA/offseason thread
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Originally Posted by
Carey
My view as well, i think an adequate LT with the proper length for the position will be fine. So IMO you resign Mckinnie and draft a guy you can develop to play at that same level and hopefully eventually higher.
That's all I am really saying. If Ozzie sees a Joe Thomas type prospect in the first, this is the year to move up and get him. If he doesn't, but sees someone lower down who has similar potential but is less pro-ready, take him and develop him behind McKinnie.
I just don't think they can get away with one or the other. They need both.