If Gurode isn't retained, Jamaal Jackson may be an option...

[wickedsolo]

The thread title seems to imply that Gurode is the better choice. I would prefer Jackson over Gurode.

Nothing is implied other than there is a general thought process that Gurode is the likely candidate for the Ravens plans in 2012 as the starting center.

[Ravskins]

I thought Gurode signed a two year contract which to me implies he'll be stepping in for Birk who I think is in his last year.

[wickedsolo]

I thought Gurode signed a two year contract which to me implies he'll be stepping in for Birk who I think is in his last year.

I don't believe so.

McKinnie signed a 2-year deal.

[GOTA]

I don't believe so.

McKinnie signed a 2-year deal.

That's correct. For Gurode it was a 1 year deal that could be worth double the money with incentives.

[SC_Raven_Fan]

You guys multi-task much too well. I'm focused on winning NOW, not next year! I'll deal with this after the Superbowl hangover wears off... like Feb. 10th or 11th

[Iscull]

If they use a 2nd on a center I hope it's to move around to take Brewster or Ben Jones. Or maybe one of those two guys drop.

Agreed. I would love to get Brewster in the mid-late 2nd and I think it can happen.

[bmorecareful]

Depends on what shakes out in the draft.

Center/guard is one of those positions where the value is there, but no one really wants to jump on it "too" high. Ya know? For example, both the Steelers and Dolphins used fairly high picks on the Pouncey twins and neither have really been overly impressive, although they've been solid. Then again, the Jets a few years ago used a 1st rounder on Nick Mangold and he's easily the best overall center in the NFL right now, so the value is there and he was able to step in his rookie year and play at a high level.

In the draft there are 3 guys who could make cases for being 1st/2nd round picks: Peter Konz out of Wisconsin, Mike Brewster out of Ohio State, and Ben Jones out of Georgia. There are a couple of 2nd tier guys like William Vlachos out of Alabama, Philip Blake out of Baylor, David Molk out of Michigan, and Quinton Saulsberry out of Mississippi State. A lot of folks like Vlachos, but he's 6'1" and about 290lbs. How would he deal with Casey Hampton? How would Flacco (who is 6'6" and change) deal with taking snaps from a guy who is more than 5 inches shorter than him?

Those are things to think about.

David Molk is another one who is going to have a tough time. He's 285lbs, but he's a good player. Do you take a player like that and bulk them up behind a guy like Gurode or Jackson? I don't have a good answer for that.

Frankly, I think that they should worry about re-signing Grubbs and getting better at LT because with Grubbs and Yanda at guard, they can help out the center if he's a rookie or a so-so free agent.

I am one of those people who is very high on Vlachos. He may only be 6'1 295 or thereabouts, but size is much less important at the C position than technique and intelligence. A lot of great centers in the league have been sub-300 guys, including Jeff Saturday, Olin Kreutz, etc. In fact, our own Matt Birk is listed at 6'4 309, and that is actually a lower BMI than Vlachos.

In the Ravens' system you are going to see the center try to get to the second level via combo blocks moreso than going head-up against a DT anyway. There are only a few centers in the league that really can overpower big DTs and NTs one-on-one, and Matt Birk already is not (and never was) one of them. I think Vlachos fits the scheme well, particularly if we continue to move to zone-blocking principles.

He's not my favorite center in the class, but he's a good one and he looks like an Ozzie pick. He could probably be had in the 3rd round. I dunno if you ask him to start day 1, but IMO I think the Ravens should consider giving Birk a 1-year deal (if he wants to come back) AND drafting a guy like Vlachos or Mike Brewster (Brewster is probably in the 2nd or even 3rd as well at this point after his bad year) to serve as his understudy. I don't know how cheap Birk will be, but I think he will accept a 1-year deal with a small bonus or no bonus while I think Gurode will want a multi-year deal with guarantees. I think Birk is also still playing at a very high level, higher than Gurode is capable of, and the continuity is extremely valuable from a scheme perspective.

[wickedsolo]

I am one of those people who is very high on Vlachos. He may only be 6'1 295 or thereabouts, but size is much less important at the C position than technique and intelligence. A lot of great centers in the league have been sub-300 guys, including Jeff Saturday, Olin Kreutz, etc. In fact, our own Matt Birk is listed at 6'4 309, and that is actually a lower BMI than Vlachos.

In the Ravens' system you are going to see the center try to get to the second level via combo blocks moreso than going head-up against a DT anyway. There are only a few centers in the league that really can overpower big DTs and NTs one-on-one, and Matt Birk already is not (and never was) one of them. I think Vlachos fits the scheme well, particularly if we continue to move to zone-blocking principles.

He's not my favorite center in the class, but he's a good one and he looks like an Ozzie pick. He could probably be had in the 3rd round. I dunno if you ask him to start day 1, but IMO I think the Ravens should consider giving Birk a 1-year deal (if he wants to come back) AND drafting a guy like Vlachos or Mike Brewster (Brewster is probably in the 2nd or even 3rd as well at this point after his bad year) to serve as his understudy. I don't know how cheap Birk will be, but I think he will accept a 1-year deal with a small bonus or no bonus while I think Gurode will want a multi-year deal with guarantees. I think Birk is also still playing at a very high level, higher than Gurode is capable of, and the continuity is extremely valuable from a scheme perspective.

I think Vlachos brings a lot of value as a run blocker, but again, you have to consider the fact that Flacco is 5 inches taller than him and taking a direct snap from Vlachos might impede on Flacco's ability to smoothly transition from snap and into his drop steps. It's a legitimate concern. That is one of the reasons why Birk was so desirable as a center prospect at the time. Cam likes taller centers for this very reason.

In the 4th or 5th round I think Vlachos is a steal, but in the 2nd or 3rd I think it's a major reach.

[GOTA]

You guys multi-task much too well. I'm focused on winning NOW, not next year! I'll deal with this after the Superbowl hangover wears off... like Feb. 10th or 11th

There is not that much talk about the Texans game. After 2 weeks it's been pretty much analyzed. Nothing wrong with looking at other topic. That keeps the board interesting.

[landspeed]

Why wouldnt we re-sign gurode? He's 33 years old, probably has 2 years left in him maybe more(with him sitting the bench this year). Ive been watching his scores that FilmStudy gives him and he seems to still be very good under center.

We need to fill holes elsewhere before we worry about a position that we already have a pro bowl player at.

Such as:
LB
WR
Safety
LT

[The Excellector]

Was there not a second year option on McKinnie's contract?

[bmorecareful]

Was there not a second year option on McKinnie's contract?

Yes, he is under contract for 2012 at just under 4mil, per several sources I could find. I didn't find anything that specifically described it as an option year, just a standard 2-year deal. I don't see any reason why McKinnie isn't the Ravens starting LT in 2012. Even if we do draft a guy, barring him beating McKinnie in training camp (if the position is even up for grabs), he won't see time at LT next year.

That's part of why I would have loved Barrett Jones, the dude has been a beast at LT for Alabama but he was also a quality starter at LG. He could have started at LG in 2012 and then moved to LT in 2013 like Ogden did in his first two years. Of course, that's not an option anymore.