Should the Ravens consider a cap purge

[Bhcforlife]

I don't think they should even consider a "real" purge, not with a great QB in his prime on the roster. Doing such would be wasting a year, maybe two of what should be his best years. That makes no sense to me. Plus, I don't see any reason the team can't compete next year with some very realistic tweaks.

Of course they'll likely get rid of dead weight like Arrington and Lewis but that's not purging, as others have said, that's just business as usual.

[BigPlayReceiver]

If I'm DeCosta and internally it's known that I'm taking the reigns very soon (i.e., 2016 or 2017) then I'm demanding something of a purge or I'm doing it myself.

I'd part ways with everyone from Brian's "possible" list except for SSR and JF.
For SSR, it's good business and the team is going to need all of the fire that it can get with the resultant influx of rookies.
I'm ambivalent on JF, but since Tali is completely unreliable, I do need someone reliable to pair with Buck.

The only UFA's I'd work to keep are KO, Cox and Tucker.

If I can't work out a deal for KO, and if I don't like how the OT column on my Draft board looks then I'd hold my nose and keep Monroe onboard for another year. Also, if I'm "committed" to taking Ramsey, VH3 or Alexander in the 1st round then Shareece Wright could be solid depth IF he wants that role, and IF he wants that role for pennies on the dollar.


TL,DR: Let's take our medicine now and get well for 2017 on through Joe's retirement year.

[Yogidriver]

Better to release a player one year early, than one year late. There isn't a player on that list that is anywhere near their prime. I'm fine with a purge if they decide to go that way.

[GOTA]

If I'm DeCosta and internally it's known that I'm taking the reigns very soon (i.e., 2016 or 2017) then I'm demanding something of a purge or I'm doing it myself.

I'd part ways with everyone from Brian's "possible" list except for SSR and JF.
For SSR, it's good business and the team is going to need all of the fire that it can get with the resultant influx of rookies.
I'm ambivalent on JF, but since Tali is completely unreliable, I do need someone reliable to pair with Buck.

The only UFA's I'd work to keep are KO, Cox and Tucker.

If I can't work out a deal for KO, and if I don't like how the OT column on my Draft board looks then I'd hold my nose and keep Monroe onboard for another year. Also, if I'm "committed" to taking Ramsey, VH3 or Alexander in the 1st round then Shareece Wright could be solid depth IF he wants that role, and IF he wants that role for pennies on the dollar.


TL,DR: Let's take our medicine now and get well for 2017 on through Joe's retirement year.

DeCosta always comes across to me as someone with the same mindset as Ozzie. We won't know for sure until he takes over but I really don't see him demanding anything. In fact I bet he's the first guy that Ozzie talks to in trying to figure this all out.

[ERey]

How would the Ravens do a cap purge without incurring a ton a dead money? The problem this year was paying players that never took the field. If you cut to many players in 2016 then you have the same issue and the team sucks even more.

[B-more Ravor]

How would the Ravens do a cap purge without incurring a ton a dead money? The problem this year was paying players that never took the field. If you cut to many players in 2016 then you have the same issue and the team sucks even more.

The difference this year would be that even though they are taking on a ton of dead money, they are also creating a lot of Cap space for 2016 by doing so. It also means that in 2017, you don't have these difficult contracts (Suggs, Monroe, Webb) still hanging around your neck.

Not saying it is going to happen, but they'd emerge in 2017 with (1) Flacco signed to a more Cap-friendly structure, (2) a cleared up Cap (with no real dead money - or more importantly, no real chance for any sizeable dead money) and (3) ideally 2 solid drafts (this year's being with high picks) to build on.

Will they go all the way with it, I doubt it - it'll likely be somewhere in between - but it does have some merit and it would allow them to finally get their Cap in good shape for the future.

[Yogidriver]

How would the Ravens do a cap purge without incurring a ton a dead money? The problem this year was paying players that never took the field. If you cut to many players in 2016 then you have the same issue and the team sucks even more.

Make no mistake, a purge is all about potentially being much better 2017-19 and beyond. They'd be real young in 2016.

[srobert96]

The difference this year would be that even though they are taking on a ton of dead money, they are also creating a lot of Cap space for 2016 by doing so. It also means that in 2017, you don't have these difficult contracts (Suggs, Monroe, Webb) still hanging around your neck.

Not saying it is going to happen, but they'd emerge in 2017 with (1) Flacco signed to a more Cap-friendly structure, (2) a cleared up Cap (with no real dead money - or more importantly, no real chance for any sizeable dead money) and (3) ideally 2 solid drafts (this year's being with high picks) to build on.

Will they go all the way with it, I doubt it - it'll likely be somewhere in between - but it does have some merit and it would allow them to finally get their Cap in good shape for the future.

For the reasons you mention above I am all for a purge. I don't want to have to kick the can down the road on Flacco's contract because we have a bunch of bad contracts on the books. The guys on the list are way past their prime. NFL is a young man's game. The results may be even better in 2016 just by getting younger.

[saintmatthew]

There will be no cap purge; it will be business as usual. Which is correct - this team in better, more normal health with 2-4 new quality additions from the draft will be stronger than the team which closed out the 2014 campaign so well.

I expect Canty, D Smith, K Lewis, M Brown, Hurst, maybe Elam in preseason, to be cut. This is normal stuff. The biggest departure I expect is Monroe - perhaps traded in the draft sessions. Paired with that thought is either the extension of KO, or the drafting of R Stanley (not what I prefer) in round 6.

Tucker will easily stay; Webb still has value, will stay, too.

Free Agency happens before the draft, so they'll need to figure their KO/Monroe plan before the draft.

[wickedsolo]

A "purge" in the truest since of the word regarding the NFL would mean the Ravens cut all - or most - of their major contracts thereby eating a shit ton of dead money next year in the hopes of landing a few gems and competing again in 2017 with a ton of cap space.

So, that would mean cutting guys like Doom, Suggs, Webb, Will Hill, Jimmy Smith, Daryl Smith, Kendrick Lewis, Arrington, Monroe, Yanda, Zuttah, Senior, Flacco, Forsett, and Koch.

While that isn't necessarily outside of the realm of possibilities, I doubt they'd be willing to eat that much dead money and basically tell the fan base that 2016 is going to be a lot more (or worse) of 2015.

That said, I do think that pretty much everyone I listed outside of Hill, Suggs, Flacco, Yanda, Senior, and Koch are safe.

[NOLARavenFAN]

Free Agency happens before the draft, so they'll need to figure their KO/Monroe plan before the draft.

What value does Webb have?

[wickedsolo]

What value does Webb have?

I think he has value as a solid depth corner/safety.

You can never have enough cornerbacks. The problem - as I see it - is that he is making starting corner money. He's just not at that level anymore.

If I were Ozzie, I'd try to get him to take a major paycut and convert some money to bonuses, etc. If he wouldn't budge on that, then I'd cut him and let him test the market in the hopes that if he gets an offer somewhere, he'll come back with it and give the Ravens the chance to match it or best it.