Ozzie isn't rebuilding this team, he's upgrading the defense.

[srobert96]

That's a bit unfair to continue to put down those upset with Ozzie this offseason when you think about the fact that Dumerville being released really was a stroke of dumb luck. Otherwise we're sitting with a big hole in pass rush which Ozzie might have had to fill with the same type of aging end-of-his-career player that everyone says some of the guys we let go were (minus Kruger and Ellerbe who were young but not going to get what they got elsewhere).

Let's not pretend Ozzie was making all this cap room on the chance that Dumerville was going to get cut. And at the cap friendliness of this deal tells me we could have not cut anyone and still signed him, so that's not it either.

We are still very unknown at safety and ILB, and LT for that matter. So before we continue to mock those that have issue with Ozzie over the players that are gone, try to see their side of it. Our defense is still far from set, though the line now is.

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.

[BigPlayReceiver]

Fact is Canty, Spears, and Dumervil holds better value than keeping Boldin.

Dig it. Not planned but the FO was ready for the opportunity.

[JohnBKistler]

Love it ... and stealing it!

Already did!!! (although I think the word "f*cking" should be interjected in their somewhere...maybe multiple places...)

[alienrace]

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.

[LukeDaniel]

I get a genuine laugh when people sum up the team at the start of free agency or before the draft. The word "disastrous" is especially amusing.

Now throw in Ozzie bashing on top of it and I can really get a giggle going.

Yes, it was luck. But the proof is in his methods. Because he runs a smart cap, we were in the position to pounce on such a lucky opportunity. THAT is what sets Ozzie apart. THAT is why he deserves praise.

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.

[LukeDaniel]

Ozzie wasn't lucky, he was opportunistic.

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!

[HoustonRaven]

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.

Totally agreed with you up to here.

I don't think those fans are uninformed and certainly not immature. They simply are a tad more emotional in their analysis than others.

[LukeDaniel]

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

[LukeDaniel]

Totally agreed with you up to here.

I don't think those fans are uninformed and certainly not immature. They simply are a tad more emotional in their analysis than others.

Eh, politically correct answer

Wouldn't you think the ability to not rush to judgment and to not let emotions overwhelm logic were functions of maturity though? (devil's advocate)

[JohnBKistler]

Eh, politically correct answer

Wouldn't you think the ability to not rush to judgment and to not let emotions overwhelm logic were functions of maturity though? (devil's advocate)

Danny Snyder, in other words.

Great post (#41) LukeDaniel, by the way...

[HoustonRaven]

Eh, politically correct answer

Wouldn't you think the ability to not rush to judgment and to not let emotions overwhelm logic were functions of maturity though? (devil's advocate)

Nope.

Passionate.

[pslholder96]

Attachment 1594

LOL. Love it...