"It's the Baltimore Ravens' world, and we're all just living in it."

[RavenScallywag]

I try not to be biased, but the more I think about it, the Steelers are in for a rough run. Big Ben is an old 31 (like Haloti, he's oft injured and slowed down, feels like he's been in the league a year or two longer than he really has). Their RBs are totally bottomed out. Their WRs are gutted. Their OL is still a bit of a wreck. Their DL is pretty good, their LBs are getting older, their S backfield is on the wrong side of 30 (Troy will be 32 in a few days, Ryan Clark will be 34 in October), their CBs...Ike Taylor is good but he's about to turn 32, Cortez Allen might be pretty good and young, but who's behind that? William Gay.

That team is in need of a rebuild, and the only decisions they took head on this offseason were releasing Harrison and Colon. Everyone else continued to get restructured. Say what you will about what happened to us this offseason...we dealt with our issues upfront and quickly and even then, we managed to keep our talent level up with other moves.

It's the Bengals and the Ravens for the near future.

[alienrace]

I've always liked Schien. Funny his voice does not match his looks...

[Captain Offense]

I've never found him to be anything other than objective.

I think that rubs some fans the wrong way.

Sorry. I know objective. He was not in the playoffs. Or maybe it was that he was too loud about his opinion, but he did not seem to have the same venom for other teams. Maybe a Super Bowl win when you are so over-the-top can humble you.

[JAB1985]

I've never found him to be anything other than objective.

I think that rubs some fans the wrong way.

I feel like hes always praised our FO really and IIRC he actually picked us to win the SB the two previous years, which maybe left him a little peeved at the outcomes. I never got the "Schein hates us" talk. when we have a bad game or perplexing move (boldin trade), hes offered doubts and criticisms but thats about it.

[Real Fan Dan]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...he-right-moves

Pretty good piece by Adam Schein.

Reading that article brought a little sunshine into the room Golden. Thanks for posting that.

You know i gotta say, that because of the information available as well as viewpoints expressed on this board ;), I didn't fall in with the sky-is-falling-crowd when the Ravens started their admittedly pretty shocking offseason moves. I have long braced myself for the real possibility of a losing stretch affter Ray Lewis retired, simply because the man made players play above their abilities and it is easy to take something like that for granted. But now, it looks like we have a good chance for a winning season with a typical Oz & Company draft. Even if next year is a disappointment (we really did just lose one of the greatest on field leaders of all time folks as well as some other pretty good talent), it is apparent that a solid foundation is being laid for the future.

Good article by Mr. Schein about the winning culture of the Baltimore Ravens. It confirms what many of us have known along. I feel much better.

Now, about the part where he describes how barren the Steelers are and how unproven the Bengals are and implies that the AFC North might be a cakewalk this year - Well, i'll just be content to walk around with an ass full of smoke for the rest of the day lol.

[HKusp]

Great article and my favorite line.



Reed and Lewis are legends of the game, but Suggs and Ngata have been better recently not all time.

Just saw this too, I like how Brian Billick didn't get all anti-Ravens like Trent Dilfer after the split.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-networ...ens-better-now

It's hard to be bitter when the Ravens still paid you $20 million more dollars. Dilfer, on the the hand, felt like he had accomplished something and wanted a chance to show that he actually was a starting calibre QB in the NFL on a Superbowl contending/ defending team, like his draft status would project. He wasn't and getting rid of him was the right move. I was/am a big Billick fan and letting go of him was the right move too, and I think even he knows it.

Who in their right mind takes much of anything Charlie Casserly says as having had weight to it what-so-ever? That toupee he wears is ridiculous for starters. Let it go Charlie, you aren't fooling anyone bro. And his big claim to fame in the NFL is never having said "no" to Dan Snyder, big effing deal...

That being said, I agree with every thing Schein says in that article that Goldenelite posted except the part about replacing Boldins production being hard. He averaged 65 catches and 4.3 touch downs a season while here. That won't be that hard to replace even if its the combination of 2 players. His down field blocking was his best attribute for us and THAT may be hard to replace I think, but we shall see.

[Jeremiah W]

Good article. It seems pretty rare for a national guy to look at what the Ravens do with some perspective and actuall respect for the FO. I was sort of offended at the notion or implication a lot of nation guys had about the early fa moves as if Oz was clueless or he was losing free agency.

Now the steelers are not dead until I see the body though. They missed the playoffs last year but had a very high rated O and D. The injury to Ben set them back or who knows. I am pretty confident the Ravens will have the best roster in the division, but after that I think it will be very competitive. The Browns almost have to be more competitve. They have talent and may have over payed to get Kruger, but I think he is only getting better. I think the afc N will be very competitive with no team running away or falling way behind.

[Dade]

Very good article. Refreshing to read a mist all the Ravens are rebuilding crap.

[2gigch1]

I miss having Adam Schein on the Blitz on Sirius XM. I know he moved on to having his own all-sports show on XM but I could care less about all the other sports.

One of the things I liked about Adam on radio was he wasn't afraid to stake a position, defend it, or admit when he was wrong. The first two are pretty normal, the third is refreshing.

I do think he tends to play the safe bet, but in this case I think he thinks that the Ravens track record, coupled with the experience that winning teams that don't adapt tend to lose, proves that the safe bet this year is the Ravens.

Which is how I feel too.

[goldenelite28]

I miss having Adam Schein on the Blitz on Sirius XM. I know he moved on to having his own all-sports show on XM but I could care less about all the other sports.

One of the things I liked about Adam on radio was he wasn't afraid to stake a position, defend it, or admit when he was wrong. The first two are pretty normal, the third is refreshing.

I do think he tends to play the safe bet, but in this case I think he thinks that the Ravens track record, coupled with the experience that winning teams that don't adapt tend to lose, proves that the safe bet this year is the Ravens.

Which is how I feel too.

By the end of the playoffs he was making fun of himself a lot for picking against the Ravens every round.

[Tucker: M&T Sec 527]

Getting me pumped up for September. Great piece. I agree with all his comments except re Boldin.

I know HE said it, WE didn't - but don't need no stinking headlines of that nature.

Am curious about what you mean by "disagreeing" w/ him on Boldin.

Reed's leadership will be missed, but as a player that must be replaced from 2012, I will also most miss Boldin. Caldwell was using him correctly on routes that relied less on separation than on positioning, strength, and toughness. I don't see that type of overpowering possession receiver back on the roster yet. So , yeah, minus the alarmist language, I pretty much agree that Boldin is a net loss and/or the vet we moved on from who will be most missed, at least initiallty.

[HKusp]

T has gone on record many times as being absolutely against the Ravens trading Boldin. He feels it was a big mistake. I think (and I could be mischaracterizing) he thinks that Ravens will miss Boldin a bunch this upcoming season.