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03-25-2013, 07:21 AM #37Veteran Poster
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Re: Ozzie isn't rebuilding this team, he's upgrading the defense.
You are right that it was lucky that Elvis became available. Ozzie jumped at the chance to add Elvis because he was going to need to add someone like Elvis next year when they have to cut Suggs. He probably would have added an older pass rush specialist on a 1 year deal otherwise but that is really all that the Ravens needed. They did not need a high end pass rusher.
Every year it looks like the Ravens have a hole somewhere and Ozzie plugs it. It may not always be with the people that the fans want but when the season rolls around he has the team in a position to compete.
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03-25-2013, 08:01 AM #38"The Ravens are not taking Jimmy Smith at 26!" -- Me, the day before the 2011 Draft
"On their way to the podium, the Ravens FO is going to collectively step over my dead body and select...Breshad Perriman." -- Me, the day before the 2015 Draft
Missed it by That Much: The story of 'Get Smart' and the modern day Baltimore Ravens
@BigPlayReceiver
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03-25-2013, 08:41 AM #39Veteran Poster
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Re: Ozzie isn't rebuilding this team, he's upgrading the defense.
The Boldin trade made perfect sense, it just sucked to see a recent hero for us go. But Ozzie has said numerous times, it's about what a player is going to be going forward, not necessarily what he has done for us in the past. Boldin was having more trouble getting open than ever this year, and he isn't getting younger. Joe was throwing him open, and well, shit, taking a lot of chances on some 1 on 1 matchups. You can't keep expecting Q to keep making plays like that. Those are so precise, a fraction off here or there and it's disaster. Torrey is ready to be that #1 guy, and Boldin refused to take a pay cut to stay in what likely would have been a reduced role.
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Re: Ozzie isn't rebuilding this team, he's upgrading the defense.
We don't see eye-to-eye on a lot, but you hit the nail on the head here. This is a disastrous offseason? Really? Anyone who feels that way a) rushes to judgment far too easily and b) hasn't been paying attention to past offseasons.
So far this offseason, we've lost the following players:
1) Kruger (age 27, 15.5 career sacks in 4 years)
2) Ellerbe (age 27, 14 career starts in 4 years)
3) Ray Lewis (retired, age 38)
4) Matt Birk (retired, age 37)
5) Boldin (age 33 in Oct)
6) Reed (35 in Aug)
7) Cary Williams (age 28)
8) Pollard (age 28)
We've resigned 4 solid depth guys, all of whom figure to make the 2013 squad, at very team-friendly contracts:
1) David Reed (age 26)
2) Morgan Cox (age 27)
3) Ramon Harewood (age 27)
4) Ihedigbo (age 29)
We've signed 3 free agents:
1) Dumervil (age 29, 75 career starts)
2) Canty (age 30, 95 career starts)
3) Spears (age 30, 79 career starts)
People who complain about the Raven offseason really leave me scratching my head. When you have three starters who are approaching ages 38, 37, and 35, what do you expect to happen? Do you think the team is going to reach out and sign all three to come back and start? When you have 3 guys that old, bringing them back for sizeable contracts causes far more harm and risk than good. Raven fans who were paying attention knew that all three of those guys weren't going to be members of the 2013 team. Same with Cary Williams. We knew he was a goner as well.
So, really, if you dissect the numbers of our offseason so far, we've lost three guys who we probably would have preferred to keep had the price been right (Ellerbe, Kruger, Boldin). Ellerbe and Kruger got ridiculous, cap-killing contracts with other organizations that a successful franchise like the Ravens would never have offered. Neither player had the on-field pedigree to warrant anything near that type of money, so the Ravens let them go. I can't see how you can really get upset by that. The Boldin thing was tough, but the reality is that had we kept Boldin at his $6 mill base salary for this season, we probably wouldn't have had the room for Dumervil. Even if we had found room for both, our offseason would be over right now. As it stands without Boldin, we still have room for 2-3 more incoming free agents with our $5.5-$6m in free cap space.
Pollard is a non-factor because his release really wasn't cap motivated.
The uninformed, immature fan looks at the gross numbers of the situation (8 players lost, 3 players gained) and thinks the wheels are coming off. In reality, we've had a great free agency so far. We've put together arguably the best DL/OLB group in the entire league and still have plenty of room to enhance other areas.
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Re: Ozzie isn't rebuilding this team, he's upgrading the defense.
Perfectly put. If Newsome had been a jittery, sign-someone-for-the-heck-of-it type of GM like they have in Miami, CLE, etc, we wouldn't have been able to make a play for Dumervil in the first place.
Were we lucky that a player that good became available after a lot of teams had blown their free agency wad? Certainly! Do you create a bit of that luck by not rushing to overpay people in the first 2-3 days of free agency. Absolutely!
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03-25-2013, 09:44 AM #43Legendary RSR Poster
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Re: Ozzie isn't rebuilding this team, he's upgrading the defense.
I'm sure this came up in another thread somewhere along the line, but this shows the genius of Newsome.
Paul Kruger: age 27, 15.5 career sacks, 5 years-$40.4 million with Cleveland, $8.1 2013 cap figure
Elvis Dumervil: age 29, 63.5 career sacks, 5 years-$35 million with Baltimore, $2.5 2013 cap figure
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03-25-2013, 09:51 AM #46Veteran Poster
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03-25-2013, 09:52 AM #47Legendary RSR Poster
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03-25-2013, 09:54 AM #48Hall Of Fame Poster
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