So, Eric Winston..

**Tucker: M&T Sec 527** · 05-11-2014, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by runrayrun27

Let's not forget KO can play RT...maybe they bring in a vet OG (probably be cheaper)

I'm interested in Winston but wouldnt be shocked if what I said were to happen too (SOMEONE CALL BOBBIE WILLIAMS!)

That's what I'm seeing in the tea leaves, especially after the drafting of Urschel. The top shelf plug & play OTs were gone by #17. We did our BPA long range replacement strategy until a value interior OL guy was there in Round 5. I don't know which (LG or RT) would be tougher on KO's recovering back, but bringing in an FA or rookie between Monroe & Zuttah and shifting KO to RT seems to be the direction it's headed right now. Urschel faced good competition @ PSU and sounds like he is bright enough and athletic enough to succeed in ZBS. I don't know Winston's experience w/ ZBS - he's always looked kinda like the big teddy bear sort. He'd eat up more cap room than an FA or rookie RG. I think there will be serviceable OTs available for less than Winston up through August if KO stays at LG and Wagner/Reid don't impress at RT. Wouldn't say no to Winston if the FO can swing it w/ the cap. If it's not KO, then I don't think we have our RT on the roster yet.

**alien bird** · 05-11-2014, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by The Fanatic

Wants 3-4 Million Per Year

That PFT report is 13 months old . . .

**PerpetuallyBored74** · 05-11-2014, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by NC Raven

Bobbie Williams stunk but Gurode was played out of position. He had been to 5 straight pro bowls as a center when he signed here; signing him was a stroke of massive good fortune, even if he might have been off his peak. Problem was we needed help more at guard that year, and he pitched in. He wasn't great at it, but he didn't bitch about having to do it, either, despite his relatively high status at the time. Never heard a word or an excuse. He was all right by me.

I know, but Gurode's last year in the league was with us in 2011. So, essentially when we got him he was already just about done. And that's my point: we need to stop relying on guys who are running on fumes if not on empty for "quality" depth. When a guy has aged to where he is well below replacement level, even as a backup, that's not quality. And how are you going to develop young players if you keep relying on veteran retreads constantly?

I have no complaints about Gurode's effort or how he carried himself--he was nothing but class, a consummate professional. Same with Bobbie Williams.
But they were both clearly done, or just about. And I'm concerned, after 2 years of declining play, that Winston is too.

**just checked and Gurode resurfaced last year with Oakland, even played in a few games after several of their guys got hurt.

**Ravens Fan** · 05-11-2014, 12:27 PM

If were going to spend on a right tackle I think we can do better than Eric Winston. Lets wait and see who gets cut

**PerpetuallyBored74** · 05-11-2014, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by Tucker: M&T Sec 527

That's what I'm seeing in the tea leaves, especially after the drafting of Urschel. The top shelf plug & play OTs were gone by #17. We did our BPA long range replacement strategy until a value interior OL guy was there in Round 5. I don't know which (LG or RT) would be tougher on KO's recovering back, but bringing in an FA or rookie between Monroe & Zuttah and shifting KO to RT seems to be the direction it's headed right now. Urschel faced good competition @ PSU and sounds like he is bright enough and athletic enough to succeed in ZBS. I don't know Winston's experience w/ ZBS - he's always looked kinda like the big teddy bear sort. He'd eat up more cap room than an FA or rookie RG. I think there will be serviceable OTs available for less than Winston up through August if KO stays at LG and Wagner/Reid don't impress at RT. Wouldn't say no to Winston if the FO can swing it w/ the cap. If it's not KO, then I don't think we have our RT on the roster yet.

He played for Texas until 2011 under Kubiak in his ZBS.
That's one of the main reason's everyone keeps linking Winston to the Ravens.

**alien bird** · 05-11-2014, 12:39 PM

I don't know what the Ravens will do, but Ozzie made it clear in the post-draft presser that they were not done building this team.

**Ravenswintitle** · 05-11-2014, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

Winston had a rather poor year in AZ and he wasn't that great in KC either.

I'm not sure how much better he would be than Wagner or KO.

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Glad someone said it. And he's on the wrong side of 30, I don't expect him to be in the mix but they may let him compete and see how it shakes out. Personally I doubt it

**Tucker: M&T Sec 527** · 05-11-2014, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by PerpetuallyBored74

He played for Texas until 2011 under Kubiak in his ZBS.
That's one of the main reason's everyone keeps linking Winston to the Ravens.

Thanks for the head's up. Kubes as a lobbyist seems to be an FA's short path to the roster.

**PerpetuallyBored74** · 05-11-2014, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Tucker: M&T Sec 527

Thanks for the head's up. Kubes as a lobbyist seems to be an FA's short path to the roster.

Houston Texans = Ravens West

**ursula** · 05-11-2014, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by alien bird

I don't know what the Ravens will do, but Ozzie made it clear in the post-draft presser that they were not done building this team.

One thing I think we know about Ozzie & Co. in regards to the OL is that they are comfortable waiting through the preseason and bringing in last minute veteran help if needed. We've seen it time and again. Basically they want competence along the OL but are not looking for real dominance at all five positions: they are not interested in sinking that much money into the OL.

So this year will be like most years. The team will see what they have with their young guys through OTAs and into the early preseason and if there's still a real hole then they will scramble and pick up one or more aging cast-offs from another team. Most seasons this works well enough. Last year was a particular disaster that the vets didn't help. There have been other years where this approach didn't work like whenever Cousins had to step in to play. Other seasons the OL is a work in progress through most of the regular season like in 2012 where we tried out several players and moved them around till things finally clicked.

But the big takeaway here is that the team is comfortable with this level of quality along the OL and this type of flux among it's starters. That's different than other position groups and more risky. But they just don't want to put too much $$$ in the OL.

**ursula** · 05-11-2014, 01:40 PM

Just to take what I wrote above a bit further, while the team does put some $$ and high draft picks into the OL, it was always really doubtful that they would have drafted Martin in round 1 even tough the OL last year was so bad. To take it further while so many of us and draft pundits thought the OL was a big place of need, the team clearly doesn't agree. That's not to say that the team thinks they have a great OL but they are satisfied with re-signing Monroe, signing Zuttah, seeing of KO can come back from back surgery, and seeing if one of their youngsters (Wagner or Jensen mainly but also possibly Mims) has developed enough to tie down RT adequately.

Definitely that's NOT how many other teams would approach the draft with that OL performance from last year. But clearly for Ozzie & Co. given that the OL and the defensive front seven were both weak last year, with the OL being weaker, they feel more of an urgency to address the defensive front seven than the OL. That's our favorite team's MO. That's priority #1. Getting the defense back to being a top 10 or preferably top 5 defense is a huge concern, the main concern.

**Raveninwoodlawn** · 05-11-2014, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by PerpetuallyBored74

I know, but Gurode's last year in the league was with us in 2011. So, essentially when we got him he was already just about done. And that's my point: we need to stop relying on guys who are running on fumes if not on empty for "quality" depth. When a guy has aged to where he is well below replacement level, even as a backup, that's not quality. And how are you going to develop young players if you keep relying on veteran retreads constantly?

I have no complaints about Gurode's effort or how he carried himself--he was nothing but class, a consummate professional. Same with Bobbie Williams.
But they were both clearly done, or just about. And I'm concerned, after 2 years of declining play, that Winston is too.

**just checked and Gurode resurfaced last year with Oakland, even played in a few games after several of their guys got hurt.

Gurode was absolutely done.

The out of position stuff is a pretty lame excuse IMHO. A good center should at least be a competent guard. He was AQ Shipley awful.

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