The Ravens' Long-Term Core--Your Opinion

**Rxdoxx** · 10-23-2014, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by lobachevsky

IMO you have to keep the jury out on a draft class until the end of its sophomore season, when you expect the guys drafted as part of the 4-year continual replenishment cycle to be starting or in the position rotation. By then you should be know whether any of those picks have elevated their game to be candidates for the long-term core. It looks promising for Mosley, & there may be upside for BWilliams and Juice & most all of the 2014 draftees. The 2012 class should be producing right now (and mostly is: Upshaw, KO, Pierce, Asa, Tyson, & even Gino is of use on ST--the only busts were Christian Thompson & Streeter), & it's fiche or cut byte time for the 2011 class (Jimmy stays; Torrey & McPhee they try to resign; Jah, Chykie & Tyrod probably walk to make room for the 2015 class).

Yep,

Suprisingly we are ignoring Arthur Brown. Probably because none of us knows if it is doghouse or another issue.

In the back of my mind is the old 49ers mantra of 'it is better to get rid of a player a year early then a year late'
I have seen the occasional age purge from the Ravens (Heap, Mason, Gregg, Willis ... if memory serves me correctly Boldin was the oldest on the team before we brought Vonta back .... AFAIK we had one player on roster in the 30's at one point)
This concerns me about Ngata but I can see him here but there is a not too distant future where his quickness will age (something we regualarly see with RBs, only a lot sooner - so I don't think any RB should be long term... the exceptions are really HOF rare Emmitt, Riggins, Faulk)
Upshaw will probably command JJohnson money so I can't guess what we will decide

**alienstar** · 10-23-2014, 11:11 AM

Over the years teams like Colts, Pats, Saints, have to me shown a single core guy.
A franchise HOF tube QB. The guys I am talking about did not start getting into the HOF discussion until after their six year or so. From a stats perspective those guys didn't start going off the charts until around that time. I think we are seeing Joe getting into that mode. His game, his accuracy, his durability, and that wicked Arm
are what will keep Ravens competing for years to come. Luck may become the games next Brady/Manning/Brees .. Joe won't be far behind. So for me it's

Flacco, everything else is secondary. I do like seeing the break downs of this from posters. Cool thread. Thanks. Anyway, I guess that's why those I mentioned get that humongous percentage of a teams cap.

**bensmotorcyclehelmt** · 10-23-2014, 11:32 AM

KO is a risky move given his injuries of late. I like him when he's healthy, but I'm really starting to hope these recent injuries don't plague him moving forward.

I still believe Monroe was a questionable signing for a serviceable (not great) LT. It was the perfect storm for him, really. But it seems Monroe made out given the market conditions, his draft pedigree (drafted high by a poor GM and franchise), the trade compensation paid, the Raven's needs at OL, AND their desire NOT to get into a bidding war and dip into the free agent market. THe excuse after a half season of mediocre football was that the rest of the OL was the problem, no Monroe. I guess... But I'm still waiting for him to be fully healthy and blow my socks off. We shall see.

**BigPlayReceiver** · 10-23-2014, 11:45 AM

I'm pretty much with Big Fish and Corey.

Core going fwd...guys that I think will be here for at least one more contract.

Joe, KO, Wagner, CJ, BWill, Jimmy and Tucker.

**JustaslowZ06** · 10-23-2014, 03:46 PM

leachisabeast. I don't see Kubes going anywhere. I really don't. Like in the "one and done" thread. He didn't do much as a HC. Some guys are just destined to be "coordinators". Like Rex Ryan I think Kubes is one of those guys. Pay him enough, which Stevie B certainly has, and I think he'll be happy staying OC

**JAB1985** · 10-24-2014, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by JustaslowZ06

leachisabeast. I don't see Kubes going anywhere. I really don't. Like in the "one and done" thread. He didn't do much as a HC. Some guys are just destined to be "coordinators". Like Rex Ryan I think Kubes is one of those guys. Pay him enough, which Stevie B certainly has, and I think he'll be happy staying OC

Gresham and Pettigrew are beast TEs
Kubiak had no success as a HC
Rex Ryan (HC of the NYJ) is destined to only be a coordinator

...

So, What are you drinking these days?

**Ngata Da Vida** · 10-24-2014, 09:42 AM

I think Rick Wagner will be an interesting one. If he continues to improve, I could see him taking Yanda's place in the core, given their respective ages and financial demands.

**BigPlayReceiver** · 10-24-2014, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by JAB1985

Gresham and Pettigrew are beast TEs
Kubiak had no success as a HC
Rex Ryan (HC of the NYJ) is destined to only be a coordinator

...

So, What are you drinking these days?

That's an auto-correct from "bust", right?

**BigPlayReceiver** · 10-24-2014, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by Ngata Da Vida

I think Rick Wagner will be an interesting one. If he continues to improve, I could see him taking Yanda's place in the core, given their respective ages and financial demands.

Wagner is killing it.
I'd have a jersey already, but since I clearly jinx-fuqd Pitta this summer, I'm not gonna do it.

**bmorecareful** · 10-24-2014, 10:25 AM

How things can change in a year's time...

At this point last year (or thereabouts) I think I started a thread questioning the lack of a "young core" on the Ravens. But things have really changed now. I still think we're light at the offensive skill positions, but there is a plenty of room for optimism right now.

The best part is that the Ravens are strongest exactly where a team ought to be: at QB and on the offensive and defensive lines. Basically the entire OL is the most crucial part of the "young core" right now. Everybody on the OL is playing well and they're all under team control for at least two more years. Moreover, they have what appears to be quality depth with Hurst and Urschel showing themselves to be solid young players. The 2000s Patriots (and the Cowboys this year) showed that a good QB and elite OL can carry you a very long way, even making up for deficiencies elsewhere.

On the DL, I truly believe the key guys are Brandon Williams and Pernell McPhee. Williams looks like a 10-year guy at NT. McPhee brings interior pass rush that we haven't had since Trevor Pryce. In my opinion, right now, I think going into 2015 you cut Ngata and pay McPhee. Take the 8.5m you save from Ngata and help use it to give McPhee 5 years/30m or something along those lines. Then your young core at DL is Williams, McPhee, Jernigan, Tyson, Urban, maybe KLM if he can come back from his Achilles. That's a solid group.

Everything else can really fall into place, but with the OL and DL this team is going to field long-term things look very promising.

**Tucker: M&T Sec 527** · 10-25-2014, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by londonraven

+ kubiak

If we win with his offense, it's going to be tough to keep Kubes as an OC in the face of inevitable HC opportunities/offers.

**Tucker: M&T Sec 527** · 10-25-2014, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by JAB1985

Kubiak had no success as a HC

...

So, What are you drinking these days?

Kubes took an expansion team to the post season for the 1st time in its history, using a QB merry-go-round of "never was" (Schaub) and "raw rookie" (TJ what was-his-name). That could spell success in a lotta places (NYJ, Buffalo, Detroit, Jax, Oakland to name a few)