Ravens signing Donte Stallworth

[trailhiker85]

I think he will have his best effort and focus, not having much extra money and no ability to drive or get drunk,

I guess in the world of the NFL, $900k isn't considered to allow a guy "much extra money". But if a guy has character/alcohol issues, the amount of his salary won't alter his behavior. $900k is more than I've made in my lifetime, but if I so chose I could afford to get drunk and drive on a weekly basis.

Assuming Stallworth is physically healthy, it all comes down to how much he wants to be successful for the Ravens. We won't know for a while, of course, but as many others are saying: it's a low-risk, high-reward move for the club.

[ExiledRaven]

1) Low risk high reward. 900k isn't anything to complain about.
2) Charges and holier than tho character analysis aside, it's very clear Donte has learned from his experience.
3) His numbers are comparable to Clayton - not sure if that's good or bad.
4) He's not even close to the same type of WR as Clayton and Mason. Stallworth gets downfield in a hurry. In short, he's exactly what the Ravens are looking for opposite Mason/Clayton in the passing game - a player that gets downfield and opens up the 5-15 yard routes.

I really don't see any downside here outside having to deal with more heckling from Steelers fans. Not that it bothers me that much.

[StingerNLG]

I don't yet know if I like this signing. I'll be ok if this isn't the "top guy" we were looking for.

Putting aside anything else, he's been out of the league for an entire year. We don't know what shape he'll be in at camp, and what he currently is going to produce for us on the field.

If we're still looking at that true #1 receiver, and Stallworth's going to complement that guy, then I'm fine.

[trailhiker85]

In short, he's exactly what the Ravens are looking for opposite Mason/Clayton in the passing game - a player that gets downfield and opens up the 5-15 yard routes.

If you're saying that Stallworth is the answer to our No. 1 WR need, I disagree. I see this as a cost effective move that could pay dividends and give us quality WR depth, but by no means do I consider him "THE ANSWER". He'll have something to prove come training camp. Can he do so and help us? Sure. Can we count on it, especially given his year off? Let's not celebrate just yet. We need at least one more quality WR acquisition, either through draft, trade, or FA.

[HoustonRaven]

For you folks who use twitter, his name is @D_Stallworth18

[Mista T]

If you're saying that Stallworth is the answer to our No. 1 WR need, I disagree. I see this as a cost effective move that could pay dividends and give us quality WR depth, but by no means do I consider him "THE ANSWER".

No offense, but those of you hoping for "the answer" are smoking dope. The Ravens came to Baltimore with a quality duo of WRs: Alexander and Jackson. Since then -- going on 15 seasons -- how many WRs have been acquired since the Ravens arrived who could be called "the Answer"? Exactly zero.

Justin Armour
Patrick Johnson
Q
Frank Sanders
Clarence Moore
Devard Darling
etc.
etc.
etc.

[RavensDomination]

I don't yet know if I like this signing. I'll be ok if this isn't the "top guy" we were looking for.

Putting aside anything else, he's been out of the league for an entire year. We don't know what shape he'll be in at camp

Peter King said he was in great shape and ran in the 4.3's...I doubt the Ravens would have picked him up if there were concerns about what kind of shape he is in.

[RavensDomination]

No offense, but those of you hoping for "the answer" are smoking dope. The Ravens came to Baltimore with a quality duo of WRs: Alexander and Jackson. Since then -- going on 15 seasons -- how many WRs have been acquired since the Ravens arrived who could be called "the Answer"? Exactly zero.

Justin Armour
Patrick Johnson
Q
Frank Sanders
Clarence Moore
Devard Darling
etc.
etc.
etc.

Derrick Mason has been a great free agent pick up, one of Ozzie's best. Look at his production since he has been here. If McNair didn't shit the bed against the Colts in the playoffs we are probably talking about another Lombardi with Mason as our #1 WR.

[StingerNLG]

Peter King said he was in great shape and ran in the 4.3's...I doubt the Ravens would have picked him up if there were concerns about what kind of shape he is in.

That's not the same as football shape. He's been out of the game for an entire year.

[RavensDomination]

That's not the same as football shape. He's been out of the game for an entire year.

Fair enough, but keep in mind it's February. He has plenty of time to work on condition over the next several months at OTA's and training camp.

[Ravenswarrior19]

Concerning the shape that Stallworth is in, here's a little something from Peter King.

Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me

The Baltimore Ravens have a soft real-and-fake grass mix at their training facility in Owings Mills, Md., called SportGrass. No player likes to be timed on SportGrass, preferring the faster track of a tartan track or artificial turf. But the Ravens have used the surface to time players for the 40-yard dash for several years, and it usually results in a time about two-tenths of a second slower than the time a player would run on a track or pure artificial turf.

When 29-year-old Donte' Stallworth worked out for the team early last week, he stepped foot on the SportGrass and ran a 4.40-second 40. It's the fastest time recorded on the turf by the club.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...vations/2.html

By all accounts, the Ravens were blown away by Stallworth's workout. That's why we worked out a contract instantly rather than allowing him to continue his workout tour.