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  1. #1
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    VONTA LEACH: Is he a MUST KEEP?

    My latest article about Vonta Leach. What do YOU THINK? Comment on the article or on the thread with opinions

    http://russellstreetreport.com/kidz-...-cap-casualty/





  2. #2
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    Re: VONTA LEACH: Is he a MUST KEEP?

    Sadly, no, I don't think he's a must keep. He's one of my favourite Ravens, but, like Jim Leonhard (who was one of my favourites in 2008), he's not essential to the continued success of the team.

    Ray Rice works well out of single back sets. So does Bernard Pierce. Leach is productive when he's in there, but he's not out there often enough to hold onto if the cap makes keeping him difficult.

    If this were the 2008 offense with the Three Headed Monster, I don't think you could let him go. But Flacco doesn't need a Three Headed Monster anymore. Boldin is a more important piece of this offense than Leach.





  3. #3
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    Re: VONTA LEACH: Is he a MUST KEEP?

    thanks for reading!





  4. #4
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    Re: VONTA LEACH: Is he a MUST KEEP?

    It was a very well-written article.





  5. Re: VONTA LEACH: Is he a MUST KEEP?

    Must-keep. I still think even in a pass oriented league, most of the time things start with the running game being successful. It's no coincidence that when we started running the ball more under Caldwell, teams started biting on the play action and simply believing running plays were possible, and opened things up for Flacco to succeed when he passed. Leach makes the running game much better and is a big part of what Rice and Pierce do. I don't care if the FB position is considered obsolete- I don't think it is, not in any offense I'd run, anyway. ;) Plus, Leach has shown he's multi-dimensional and can actually make some catches, and even be split out wide here and there, in different formations. He's not a pure block-only full back as we thought he was- he has some versatility that's surprising for a man who can level people the way he can- and can adjust and find ways to stay relevant even when we aren't running a straight power-I with him as the lead blocker all the time.





  6. #6
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    Re: VONTA LEACH: Is he a MUST KEEP?

    If Leach was cheaper, I would agree. His attitude and his punishing ability as a blocker makes him one of my favorite Ravens.

    But, Leach only played in 43% of the offensive snaps last year. AND, he seemed to be used less and less in Caldwell's scheme. Carrying him is like having a HD TV in my bedroom. Would I like the luxury every now and again, SURE. But is it worth plopping down a good chunk of change when I really watch TV in the living room mostly? Not really.

    That kind of thinking can also be applied to Jacoby Jones sadly. He was a HUGE storyline from our SB run. But we can find good returners in the draft or on our own team even. And he's the 2nd most expensive receiver, next to Boldin. With Torrey Smith approaching his contract year, you know you're going to be giving him a contract that will likely get close to Boldin's anyway, so it might make more sense to cut Jacoby and start getting your younger WRs to step up now.
    .
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    “When I think of a Baltimore Raven - we go in there, we take your lunch box, we take your sandwich, we take your juice box, we take your applesauce, and we take your spork and we break it. And we leave you with an empty lunch. That’s the Baltimore Raven way.” - Steve Smith Sr.


    Call me a Special Teams coach again. I dare you! I double dare you, MFer!





  7. #7
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    Re: VONTA LEACH: Is he a MUST KEEP?

    Let him go and grab someone else. It'll be a loss, but I'd rather cut him and have more money to put towards a LT. OL > FB
    "Cause if you ain’t pissed off for greatness, that just means you’re okay with being mediocre, and ain’t no man in here okay with just basic.”
    - Ray Lewis

    https://www.baltimoreravens.com/author/cole-jackson

    Twitter: @ColeJacksonFB





  8. #8
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    Re: VONTA LEACH: Is he a MUST KEEP?

    The only "must-keep" players on the team are Flacco, Rice, Boldin, Torrey, Ngata, Suggs. I would place Leach in the next tier: he would be great to maintain on the roster, if he fits under the cap. Otherwise, draft a college FB in late rounds.
    In a 2003 BBC poll that asked Brits to name the "Greatest American Ever", Mr. T came in fourth, behind ML King (3rd), Abe Lincoln (2nd) and Homer Simpson (1st).





  9. #9
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    Re: VONTA LEACH: Is he a MUST KEEP?

    Well written and I enjoyed it.

    As for Leach it would be great if we could keep him, but unfortunately the $4.3 mil cap hit will be too much. For me taking care of the LT position has to be the #1 priority on offense. The other question mark for me is the center position. Is Grad gonna be able to fill Birks shoes over a 16 + game season? There's just too many other priorities for the FO. But who knows, maybe Oz finds a way to keep him.
    "I don't know a man on this Earth who can outwork me". Ray Lewis





  10. #10
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    Re: VONTA LEACH: Is he a MUST KEEP?

    "Must" keep? No.

    Ask him to take less money? Heck yes.

    Find a way to make it work with his current salary? Yes.





  11. #11
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    I think in Cam's offense...he was a must have.

    In Caldwell's scheme ...not sure, but judging from what we saw in the playoffs and what we saw when he was in Indy...I dont see Leach being a necessary component moving forward. Love the guy, but he is expensive and played in less than half of the offensive snaps last year.

    Sent from my DROID X2 using Forum Runner
    Disclaimer: The content posted is of my own opinion.





  12. #12

    Re: VONTA LEACH: Is he a MUST KEEP?

    In some ways he is a must go. The sooner the Ravens come to grips with the fact that they are no longer a power running team and that the offense flows through the QB the better. Harbaugh is conservative by nature and having Leach on the roster may entice him to have a more conservative offensive approach. If you have the best fullback in the league it does not make sense to have him on the bench. But it does when you are paying a QB 120m. The offense is far too easy to defend when Leach is in the game. He would be great to have at the end of games when the team is trying to run clock but that is not a role for a pro-bowl fullback. Need to be able to run out of single back sets and get an extra TE or receiver on the field. A cheap Hback would be the way to go. Someone who is a threat in the passing game.





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