Tight End Options Going Forward

[HoustonRaven]

I expect they'll trade a draft pick to nab somebody.

I wouldn't expect that at all.

[HoustonRaven]

Kevin Boss is someone I would look at. He had a really good year with the Giants and then went to Oakland And KC, which was a black hole of QB nothingness.

Boss isn't great, but he is a good blocker and a much better receiver than Bajema.

Good call on Boss.

[alien bird]

I wonder if the Seahawks would give up Zach Miller.

I highly doubt it.
#1 - he's also injured and currently on their PUP list;
#2 - they have less behind him than the Ravens currently have on the roster.

[Jsmoove]

Disagree about Shancoe and Clark. They had decent numbers their final full seasons and both are in their early 30's. Heap is done for sure.

If you bring in a WR (who at this point?), you almost have bring in Leach if you ever want to be able to run. Do we have the cap space for a decent WR and Leach?

Clark and Schancoe are done they are both 34 slow and broken I am not saying make a move right now let camp play out as see what these youngsters can do, but at the same time find a good wideout who can contribute in the slot or resign leach not both.

[alien bird]

I expect they'll trade a draft pick to nab somebody.

I wouldn't expect that at all.

I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility. The Ravens have stockpiled compensatory picks for 2014 with the way the free agent market went, so they have the flexibility to trade one of their standard draft picks if they think it's necessary. There is precedence for them making such a move, as in 2010 when they traded a draft pick to Seattle for Josh WIlson, due to an injury to Domonique Foxworth.

[JohnBKistler]

I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility. The Ravens have stockpiled compensatory picks for 2014 with the way the free agent market went, so they have the flexibility to trade one of their standard draft picks if they think it's necessary. There is precedence for them making such a move, as in 2010 when they traded a draft pick to Seattle for Josh WIlson, due to an injury to Domonique Foxworth.

And that is very analogous...starter goes down early in camp...Newsome waits to see what his own back-ups can do...and who may get cut from another team...then makes a deal towards the end of camp if he feels its needed. I would be very surprised if they made any sort of move in the next few weeks.

[HoustonRaven]

Clark and Schancoe are done they are both 34 slow and broken I am not saying make a move right now let camp play out as see what these youngsters can do, but at the same time find a good wideout who can contribute in the slot or resign leach not both.

Clark's stats last season were not bad so I can't see how you can say he's "slow and broken".

It's about which scheme will triumph at this point. We were moving to a two TE set. So it will come down to do they want to keep going down the two TE road OR sign Leach for a year and find a WR on the cheap.

Ex may get his wish if its the later.

[Jsmoove]

Clark's stats last season were not bad so I can't see how you can say he's "slow and broken".

It's about which scheme will triumph at this point. We were moving to a two TE set. So it will come down to do they want to keep going down the two TE road OR sign Leach for a year and find a WR on the cheap.

Ex may get his wish if its the later.

I see what you saying but lets see what the youngins have to offer first before they go looking at vets that have little to nothing left in the tank. Don't give Ex no fuel he is winging and praying for Moss for bout 2seasons now lol

[lobachevsky]

I am all for giving the Doss' the Thompson's the Furstenburg's, the Bajema's the Streeter's a chance. And we have the preseason to see if anyone will step up. By all reports no one is.

Really? Camp's just a few days old, but by every report I've seen, the young guns are making the tough catches. Which is kinda what people usually mean by "stepping up."

We can later bring in a Daniel Lloyd or similar vet, a vet who doesn't need all of training camp to fit in.

Who's Daniel Lloyd? Do you mean Brandon Lloyd?

FTR, it's not a question of "needing all of training camp to fit in"--it's a question of building a rapport between him & Flacco. You don't just sign a vet WR on Monday & start him the following Sunday & expect him to contribute--not even as a decoy.

We also have these two running backs. Rice and Pearce. Both highly rated and one who got big money not two years ago. Jim Caldwell's offenses with Indy were all about a heavy dose of the running game and shots downfield. And that was using a QB, who like Flacco this year, had a state of the art huge contract with the team built around him.

Peyton Manning, game manager? Riiiight. Do you have any stats to back this up? I'm sure I'm not the only one here who considers it preposterous on its face.

Anyone who things that given this situation that Ray Rice won't be the Ravens leading receiver this year is seriously nuts.

Anyone who thinks at this point in the season that they know who the Ravens' leading receiver will be is seriously full of themselves.

(Want to make a friendly wager? Loser donates to the charity of the winner's choice? You get R2 & name the criterion--targets, recepts, yards, with or without playoff games, mir ist's egal--I get "anyone but"? PM me.)

Up in New England they are talking about using the running game because they have talent there now. And that was before Hernandez. And that is with a franchise QB. They know that like the Ravens their receiving corps is depleted. They know that they can't just plug in a rookie or scrap heap vet. Expensive QB or no, they have to use the available talent and like the Ravens that means their running backs.

Who's they? The morans they have for a fanbase? The mediots (who probably make Mikey Bag-O'-Donuts look like a Pulitzer Prize winner)? Darth Hoodie, who (as certain US Presidents have been unjustly accused of doing) never tells the truth to the rest of the world when a lie will do?

To sum up, I pretty much disagree completely with you. But that's OK. Let's see where things are at season's end.

[alien bird]

And that is very analogous...starter goes down early in camp...Newsome waits to see what his own back-ups can do...and who may get cut from another team...then makes a deal towards the end of camp if he feels its needed. I would be very surprised if they made any sort of move in the next few weeks.

I think that might be the Ravens' course of action. Biscotti has consistently said that they need to find out what the younger players can do before their contracts are up. This is akin to that, in the sense that there is no hurry to find a replacement by August 1st. Don't panic, let it play out a little, and make a move when needed. That's how the Ravens approach free agency; I think that's how they will approach this. If they decide to kick the tires on a veteran early, it will be most likely be with little commitment.

[Lee Van Cleef]

I mentioned Kevin Boss in the other thread, but I just read this (poorly written) thing and it has me wondering if that's the reason he's still out there:

http://www.bigblueview.com/2013/2/21...fl-free-agency

[houstonravensfan]

I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility. The Ravens have stockpiled compensatory picks for 2014 with the way the free agent market went, so they have the flexibility to trade one of their standard draft picks if they think it's necessary. There is precedence for them making such a move, as in 2010 when they traded a draft pick to Seattle for Josh WIlson, due to an injury to Domonique Foxworth.

So, do the 49ers really NEED Boldin? Only half joking. Trading a mid-level pick for a WR or TE who can actually contribute sounds like the best course to me.