Why is everyone up in arms about rebuilding the defense?

[riprulz8]

And how many starters have we lost in those 3 days? Some people are acting like the draft is going to save us. The odds of immediately getting the kind of production out of drsaft picks as we had out of the starters we lost are very remote. I can see losing Kruger, Ellerbe, Williams, and Reed. Losing Boldin and Pollard means rebuilding time.

You're also not taking into consideration that Ozzie has a great history of picking up value during training camp cuts. I'm going to go ahead and give the best in the game the benefit of the doubt and see what our lineup looks like at the beginning of the season.

[ballhawk]

We are going to ride our franchise QB this season and go as far as he takes us. I still think Oz will bring in a couple more weapons for Joe too. Defense will be young but their will be surprises here and there. even if we don't make the playoffs we are setting up for the next five years. Its gotta be done. We have QB though. We good.

[AirFlacco]

The more i think about it, the more i am sure the whole Pollard move was about him being a player rep (look at Foxworth our old player rep). It wouldn't shock me that the next player rep would get the kick too. Kind of a curse to be the player rep for the ravens.

I'm not sure if that was sarcasm, but if it isn't, thank you. I got my ass kicked for posting that last night after the radio jocks who have contacts with the team mentioned it. I'll go by them and you instead of the ass kickers any day.

[Iscull]

And how many starters have we lost in those 3 days? Some people are acting like the draft is going to save us. The odds of immediately getting the kind of production out of drsaft picks as we had out of the starters we lost are very remote. I can see losing Kruger, Ellerbe, Williams, and Reed. Losing Boldin and Pollard means rebuilding time.

How are we in re-build mode when on offense, we have a franchise QB, RB, WR, TE, and offensive line (Minus LT). And on defense have a franchise DE, OLB, and CB. Am I somehow missing how much our talent level dropped off?

1. Kruger can be replaced with a rookie or late FA pass rusher. Upshaw and Suggs will take most of the snaps.
2. Ellerbe had a pretty damn good season last year, but that was it. Who knows if he can repeat how he played (Ironically in his contract year). He can be replaced by a vet FA and early draft pick.
3. Williams is replaced my Lardarius Webb. In my mind, that is an upgrade. In addition, Smith will continue to progress and the team now knows that Graham is a playmaker.
4. Reed's ball-hawking ability will never be replaced; however, his tackeling ability will.
5. The Boldin trade is a tough one to swallow, but it will better the Ravens in the future by starting someone younger. Keep in mind that besides the playoffs, he didn't have a whole lot of production.

[inexplicable]

I'm definitely on board with rebuilding the defense - how many times did guys on this board tear their hair out during the season? Do you remember when the eventual 4-12 Eagles marched down the field for the winning score? When we let Kirk Cousins march down the field for a win? When Jamaal Charles had 100 yards in one half? When between them the Texans and Broncos dropped 77 points on us?

In the Super Bowl run, the defense played much better. But there were 2 important factors behind that improvement that aren't accounted for by saying "the veterans stepped up": impact plays from guys who have been under the radar (Graham, McPhee) and guys who were certain to be leaving (Kruger, Williams), plus the Ray Lewis Effect (TM). Even in the Super Bowl, a fast offense was able to score 23 points on us in the second half and made our defense look incredibly slow.

The defense needs to be improved and Ozzie has decided that this offseason is the time to do it. Whilst I would definitely question cutting Bernard Pollard to save $1 million and I think the idea that we'll replace 5/6 defensive starters purely through FA and the draft is overly optimistic, I don't doubt that Ozzie knows what he's doing. Ngata, Suggs, Webb and Upshaw is a solid nucleus to build around.



One caveat: whilst its true that many offense are becoming predicated on speed and that the NFL is now a passing league etc, one of the reasons we reached the Super Bowl is that the Broncos and Patriots were physically outmatched - we were stronger and we hit harder. I wouldn't be so quick to declare that being a physical, hard-nosed team has lost its worth in 2013.

[wickedsolo]

I'm not sure if that was sarcasm, but if it isn't, thank you. I got my ass kicked for posting that last night after the radio jocks who have contacts with the team mentioned it. I'll go by them and you instead of the ass kickers any day.

You never answered my question.

If Joe were to become the new player rep...would the Ravens inexplicably cut him too?

[bmoreravengirl]

You're also not taking into consideration that Ozzie has a great history of picking up value during training camp cuts. I'm going to go ahead and give the best in the game the benefit of the doubt and see what our lineup looks like at the beginning of the season.

:word Couldn't agree more.

[Section 502 Raven]

The problem with that is that the draft is a crap-shoot. Nobody knowsw how good someone is going to be for, most likely, a few years. Hey, Ozzie could draft the next Terrell Suggs or Haloti Ngata or he could draft the next Terrence Cody or Jimmy Smith.

3 words -

Osemele
Upshaw
Pierce

[Real Fan Dan]

Look, I have kept mum on most of the sky is falling business around here but I am going to break it down.

I will miss Q and any and all of the Ravens who either move on to greener pa$ture$ or are cut by the team. I forgot whom it was that stated the new plan of how the team will build around a franchise QB like New England does, but they were right.

I would like to add to that notion. It has been argued here on another thread that Harrison would be a bad pick up because he is a dirty player. Fair enough. But that type of play, the hitting and trying to dislodge the ball with a "BIG HIT" is going to be going away. Just like the rules have changed from 12 years ago from the Ravens record setting defense, it will evolve in the next 12.

The NFL is fast becoming the arena league. It is all going to become about passing and stopping the pass. WR and DB's are going to be interchangeable pawns with speed. You'll get the occasional anomaly at tight end, but on the whole, there ill be no more "big hits" it is going to become about sure tackling and ripping the ball away from the ball carrier. Hence, players like Pollard are going the way of the dinosaur. Even Ray Lewis is going to be remembered as people think of Butkus and what he got away with decades ago.

The offensive and defensive lines are going to become premium places of cost and action after QB's. This will be one of the last places the game really changes and it will evolve in the way of illegal chop blocks from the o-line and less leeway for defensive line players on hitting the quarterback as is already ever present.

Five yards beyond the line of scrimmage, it is going to turn into almost flag football. Even running back has been devalued over the years. The ability to catch is almost as important as it is to run - Ray Rice/Reggie Bush. This again like the tight end still has a places for players like AP. But overall, this is the progression of the game.

It is my belief, that based upon the evolution of the game, suggestions of the competition committee, the problem with concussions and safty as well as Roger Goodell's comments about making the game safer draw me to this conclusion: Ozzie Newsome thinks along these lines and is building a team to reflect the evolution of the game.

Think outside the box my friends.

All valid points. Good job Cap'n. Request permission to come aboard the Recreation Thought Process Bandwagon! ;) I have a couple more out-of-the-box ideas for consideration:

I would like to add that since the game is becoming so much safer then I think it only fair that the players all take a 5-10% pay cut across the board. They no longer need to be compensated (quite as much anyway) for the problems the big hits and cuncussions used to cause later in life. Also, since we are being forced to watch a one sided game lacking the drama of big defensive plays, then our ticket prices should be reduced just as our entertainment value has been reduced.

That may help Oz recreate the team too. ;)

[Captain Silver]

The problem with that is that the draft is a crap-shoot. Nobody knowsw how good someone is going to be for, most likely, a few years. Hey, Ozzie could draft the next Terrell Suggs or Haloti Ngata or he could draft the next Terrence Cody or Jimmy Smith.

Better step off Jimmy Smith, he's a baller and saved us the Super Bowl. No way you can fucking compare him to Mount Fatass Worthless Cody.

[leachisabeast]

Better step off Jimmy Smith, he's a baller and saved us the Super Bowl. No way you can fucking compare him to Mount Fatass Worthless Cody.

steelerhater is one of the biggest pessimists on this board, I never see him posting here after a win (even the SB) but he pops up when shits going down like this week.

[Captain Silver]

All valid points. Good job Cap'n. Request permission to come aboard the Recreation Thought Process Bandwagon! ;) I have a couple more out-of-the-box ideas for consideration:

I would like to add that since the game is becoming so much safer then I think it only fair that the players all take a 5-10% pay cut across the board. They no longer need to be compensated (quite as much anyway) for the problems the big hits and cuncussions used to cause later in life. Also, since we are being forced to watch a one sided game lacking the drama of big defensive plays, then our ticket prices should be reduced just as our entertainment value has been reduced.

That may help Oz recreate the team too. ;)

Oh I firmly agree, I was thinking about this on my way into work. Players talk out of both sides of their mouths. It's a game, it's a business. Then they complain about hits, fines then when they retire after making more money and all of us would ever see in our lifetime, they complain about what the game did to them, their bodies.