Ravens plan on meeting with Elvis Dumervil next week

[esmd]

I agree, I think we're going to remain a hybrid defense, but the fact that we've not gone out to get a true NT, says to me that we're going to play in more of a 4-3 next season. Believe it or not, in 2011, we played more snaps out of a 4-3 base defense than 3-4, and we had Jarrett Johnson playing 4-3 OLB, so maybe Upshaw could play in that role.


Dumerville-Canty (3 techinique)-Ngata (Nose shade)-Suggs

Upshaw (Sam) Te'o/Minter/Brown/Greene/Ogletree (Mike) McClain/Bynes (Will)

That would be a pretty good front 7. With a lot of depth behind that too.

Moving to a 4-3 would create more holes than it would solve. Right now we're set on the DL with a rotation of Canty, Jones, McPhee, and Spears on the ends, with Ngata starting at nose backed up by Cody and Tyson. That's a good lineup if Ngata is moved to NT as I expect.

At OLB we're set with Suggs and Upshaw, McClellan is the top backup, and only need to add depth. ILB is the only really big question market in the front 7, but I expect them to add to that spot with a draft pick and maybe a FA, and they'll pick 2 starters out of McClain, Bynes, Carr, and whoever we add. Might not be pretty but there are plenty of fast LBs to add speed in this draft.

If we move to a 4-3 who are the LBs? Suggs and Upshaw are your ends in that set, so you're picking 3 starting LBs out of our current crop of ILBs, and all of them are a bad fit for the 4-3. No thanks... we'll keep running 4 man fronts in the nickel but our base D should be 3-4 unless there are major personnel changes at this point.

No, Upshaw would be at one OLB spot, as LiB posted. I'm predicating this off a possible Dumervil signing. If they get him, the 4-3 makes sense, IMO. McClain, Bynes, and McClellan battle it out with two rookie MLB's for the MLB and one OLB spot.

We'll have to see, and they of course might not get Dumervil. But if they do, I think a 4-3 makes the most sense.

[Lee Van Cleef]

Probably just putting those rumours out there to make Harrison and his agent think.

[HoustonRaven]

Denver can't re-sign him. That's precisely why he's on the market.

Man, that's a huge win for Ozzie if he pulls this off.

[ursula]

Cutting Suggs next year would cause a $4.6M dead money hit. Regardless of signing Dumervil this year, next year will see a bunch of tough salary decisions. A good handful of the vest will get cut or not re-signed. Of course to sign Dumervil this year there might be some cuts very soon.

[HoustonRaven]

Suggs will restructure.

Especially if it means playing with Dumerville.

[iggyman555]

why is leach still on the team??????????

[Ravenswintitle]

I'm just a little (a lot) suspicious of these leaks. We sign players that most never knew we were talking to. Time will tell...

[ursula]

Denver can't re-sign him. That's precisely why he's on the market.

Man, that's a huge win for Ozzie if he pulls this off.

And a huge loss for the Horse Face GM in Denver if Ozzie does pull it off.

[iggyman555]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/r...,2767028.story

[Ravenswintitle]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/r...,2767028.story

per a source. they don't even have a name? I'm just saying this type of stuff is floated around a lot and there may or may not be anything to it

[Haloti92]

Of course we could fit Dumervil in this year, it is next year where we would be in the most trouble. We also could fit in almost anyone if we are willing to push cap hits to the future, but apparently we are not trying to win in 2013 at the expense of the future.

I see an extremely miniscule chance we sign him. And if meeting with him cost us anything at all, I doubt we would even be meeting with him.

[ursula]

The funny thing about this is...Dumervil is not good against the run. I would imagine Ozzie knows that.