Reading the offseason tea leaves

[Shas]

Here are my predictions for who stays or goes and how they will fill player and coaching needs. Feel free to pick apart and post your own predictions.

Coaching Staff

Caldwell will not return as OC
They will be contacting prospects now but will slow play it while Caldwell’s interviews continue
Or, Jim Hostler will also be considered for OC

Running Backs

Will look to draft a tailback with more “shake” -- perhaps a 4th or 5th round pick from a small school
Leach does not return and Juszczyk will be given a role in the offense as an H back

Wide Receivers

Jacoby Jones will not be back
Will draft Mike Evans in the first round, or will find a similar type of receiver later in the draft or a FA
Tandon Doss will sign a RFA offer sheet

Tight Ends

Dennis Pitta will be resigned to a new contract or franchised
Ed Dickson is gone
Matt Furstenberg will be given an opportunity to compete with a later round draft pick
May also look to sign a street free agent late to compete for a spot

Offensive line

Will attempt to resign Monroe
If cannot resign him, will consider Oher back at left tackle (yes, I think they might), otherwise he is gone
KO and Wagner will be given the chance to compete for the RT spot
Will draft an athletic, physical interior lineman within the first two days of the draft
Left Guard and Center position will become camp battle with the Rookie, Gradkowski, Jensen, Shipley (resigns as RFA), Reid and KO/Wagner all in the mix

Quarterback

Will look to bring in a rookie QB fifth round or later, with Taylor in the final year of his deal

Defensive Line

Ngata returns, contract unchanged
Will attempt to resign Art Jones – more of an effort than with Ellerbe and Kruger last year, because they will rate him much higher than they rated Ellerbe and Kruger -- but won’t break the bank
Terrance Cody will not return
Lewis-Moore and Williams to receive more reps on the interior
If Cody and Jones both go will draft a DL late

Linebackers

Will sign Smith to a new contract
Suggs is restructured. Or, if he refuses, they will let him go
Simon will get more reps, particularly if Suggs goes
McClain is gone and Arthur Brown steps in
Will draft a later round LB for depth and special teams

Corners

Will resign Graham
Will attempt to extend Smith
Will explore restructuring Webb

Safety

Ihedigbo does not come back, Elam becomes the starting SS
Draft a cover safety in the second or third round, or failing that, sign a veteran cover safety

Special Teams

Koch returns
Draft a late round punter or UDFA to compete in camp
Draft a late round corner or receiver to compete as a returner with Deonte Thompson and Asa Jackson

Recapping Draft Implications (my most-probable picks bolded in each round; assumes comp picks in 4, 5, 7; traded 4&5 for Monroe; traded 7 for Shipley; got 6 for Boldin)

1st WR, G/C
2nd G/C , FS
3rd FS or G/C
4th RB, WR, TE
5th RB, WR, TE, QB, LB, DL
6th WR, TE, QB, LB, DL, P
7th QB, LB, DL, P

[BigPlayReceiver]

Here are my predictions for who stays or goes and how they will fill player and coaching needs. Feel free to pick apart and post your own predictions.

Coaching Staff

Caldwell will not return as OC
Check. They would have expressed their desire to have him back if they wanted him.

They will be contacting prospects now but will slow play it while Caldwell’s interviews continue
Check

Or, Jim Hostler will also be considered for OC
Unfortunately, check. Preston floated this nugget this morning for a reason. I have no reason to believe this will be a successful move. He failed in SF and everyone from Castillo and Joe, to Harbs and Ray will be feeling some pressure in 2014. We need someone better than Hostler.

[Flacco Machado]

Coaching Staff

Caldwell will not return as OC
Check. They would have expressed their desire to have him back if they wanted him.

They will be contacting prospects now but will slow play it while Caldwell’s interviews continue
Check

Or, Jim Hostler will also be considered for OC
Unfortunately, check. Preston floated this nugget this morning for a reason. I have no reason to believe this will be a successful move. He failed in SF and everyone from Castillo and Joe, to Harbs and Ray will be feeling some pressure in 2014. We need someone better than Hostler.

Did Preston say this on the radio? I haven't seen anything in print.

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[BigPlayReceiver]

Did Preston say this on the radio? I haven't seen anything in print.

Sent from my VS870 4G using Tapatalk

He mentioned it on the radio, yes. He volunteered the information, no one asked him, "hey is Hostler in line for OC?" or anything like that.
On the heels of his revealing Sun article, I'm personally taking it as if the team is considering Hostler as the first/only in-house choice for OC...IF they go in-house at all.

[Flacco Machado]

He mentioned it on the radio, yes. He volunteered the information, no one asked him, "hey is Hostler in line for OC?" or anything like that.
On the heels of his revealing Sun article, I'm personally taking it as if the team is considering Hostler as the first/only in-house choice for OC...IF they go in-house at all.

Ok, thanks for clearing that up.

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[cjandrze]

Nice breakdown, but i thought we traded the 6th we got for boldin in the draft last year to move up.

I could be wrong, but for some reason that sticks out.

[Shas]

Nice breakdown, but i thought we traded the 6th we got for boldin in the draft last year to move up.

I could be wrong, but for some reason that sticks out.

That was the 2013 sixth rounder they got for Boldin, which, you're right, I think it was sent to Seattle to move up and grab Arthur Brown. But I thought I read there was also a 2014 sixth round pick they are getting from SF based on Boldin's playing time this past year. Maybe that's not true.

[Cj34]

That was the 2013 sixth rounder they got for Boldin, which, you're right, I think it was sent to Seattle to move up and grab Arthur Brown. But I thought I read there was also a 2014 sixth round pick they are getting from SF based on Boldin's playing time this past year. Maybe that's not true.

That part is correct. The 6th for Boldin was one of the picks we traded to Seattle to move up for Brown. Seattle in turn traded the pick to Detroit to get Jesse Williams, the DT from Alabama.

We do have our own 6th round pick this year, however, at pick #177.

[Shas]

We do have our own 6th round pick this year, however, at pick #177.

Right. I had them with two sixth rounders, with the second from SF, which is why I bolded DL, and LB. But perhaps the SF pick doesn't exist.

The comp picks are also not in stone. They did lose out on getting a pick for Ed Reed because Houston cut him. But they still should get three by my estimation, to replace the three they lost in trades for Monroe and Shipley.

[Stealthbirds80]

Coaching Staff

Caldwell will not return as OC
They will be contacting prospects now but will slow play it while Caldwell’s interviews continue
Or, Jim Hostler will also be considered for OC

Agreed, but I think the pressure is on so we may pull from the outside considering their are so many accomplished coordinators available.

Running Backs

Will look to draft a tailback with more “shake” -- perhaps a 4th or 5th round pick from a small school
Leach does not return and Juszczyk will be given a role in the offense as an H back

Agreed not much more to say here

Wide Receivers

Jacoby Jones will not be back
Will draft Mike Evans in the first round, or will find a similar type of receiver later in the draft or a FA
Tandon Doss will sign a RFA offer sheet

I don't know about Mike Evans because we may have a better route running version of him in Marlon. We'll see. Tandon should get another chance due to punt and kick return ability

Tight Ends

Dennis Pitta will be resigned to a new contract or franchised
Ed Dickson is gone
Matt Furstenberg will be given an opportunity to compete with a later round draft pick
May also look to sign a street free agent late to compete for a spot

If a pick isn't made in the 1st rd then yes to this.

Offensive line

Will attempt to resign Monroe
If cannot resign him, will consider Oher back at left tackle (yes, I think they might), otherwise he is gone
KO and Wagner will be given the chance to compete for the RT spot
Will draft an athletic, physical interior lineman within the first two days of the draft
Left Guard and Center position will become camp battle with the Rookie, Gradkowski, Jensen, Shipley (resigns as RFA), Reid and KO/Wagner all in the mix

I know that this was eluded to the State of the Ravens, but I can't see Oher back. Maybe Im just fighting this hard lol. He was such a drive killer and constantly doing it.

Quarterback

Will look to bring in a rookie QB fifth round or later, with Taylor in the final year of his deal

Yup

Defensive Line

Ngata returns, contract unchanged
Will attempt to resign Art Jones – more of an effort than with Ellerbe and Kruger last year, because they will rate him much higher than they rated Ellerbe and Kruger -- but won’t break the bank
Terrance Cody will not return
Lewis-Moore and Williams to receive more reps on the interior
If Cody and Jones both go will draft a DL late

I think Lewis-Moore maybe the reason they wouldn't break the bank for Art. Nice pick and stash pick by the Ravens.

Linebackers

Will sign Smith to a new contract
Suggs is restructured. Or, if he refuses, they will let him go
Simon will get more reps, particularly if Suggs goes
McClain is gone and Arthur Brown steps in
Will draft a later round LB for depth and special teams

You think Adrian Hamilton will be in the mix for pass rushing ability?

Corners

Will resign Graham
Will attempt to extend Smith
Will explore restructuring Webb

Are the Ravens going to go back on their word on not restructuring contracts?

Safety

Ihedigbo does not come back, Elam becomes the starting SS
Draft a cover safety in the second or third round, or failing that, sign a veteran cover safety

Special Teams

Koch returns
Draft a late round punter or UDFA to compete in camp
Draft a late round corner or receiver to compete as a returner with Deonte Thompson and Asa Jackson

The disappearance of Deonte was baffling to me. He was talked up so much, got hurt and then nothing.

[Florida Art]

Sensible post - well thought out.

[Bhcforlife]

I put the chances at slightly above 0% that this franchise (or most others, for that matter) gives any consideration at all to Oher being a LT. Not after his piss-poor play there in the past and the emphasis they have seemed to be placing on getting better along the line. If they can't retain Monroe, they won't be re-signing Oher to take over there.

They also said during the SotR that they would not be restructuring contracts, in regard to Webb.