Mark my words......

**highwater** · 05-07-2007, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by RavensInBrazil

I don't really consider his first couple of years here a 'chance', he had a mediocre offensive line, terrible receivers and a dreadful offensive coordinator

Couldn't have said it better myself. When your number one WRs are guys like Travis Taylor and Kevin Johnson, you're in trouble as soon as you step on the field. In his limited playing time last year, Boller played well with an improved WR corps.

And Festivus, I usually agree with your takes on things, but LOL at the notion that we should be "mentoring someone who is younger." Did Boller just turn into an old man?

**festivus** · 05-07-2007, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by highwater

And Festivus, I usually agree with your takes on things, but LOL at the notion that we should be "mentoring someone who is younger." Did Boller just turn into an old man?

:)

No, Highwater. He's not an old man but he'll be looking (hopefully, for his sake) to cash in a little, or at least to be somewhere he might be starting in '08. He's not old in human years, but he's getting there in contract years, if you know what I mean. Someone who is 'younger' that way would come cheaper and with lower expectations.

**jonboy79** · 05-07-2007, 04:55 PM

Boller is younger then Jon Beck.

**festivus** · 05-07-2007, 05:00 PM

Yes but Mormons live longer. ;)

Beck would have been a rookie, cheap and under contract for a few more years.

**purplepoe** · 05-07-2007, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by festivus

Mostly I agree with you, PP, but on this point I take issue a little bit.

It serves the Ravens better to have a 1st or 2d year player as a backup to McNair. Boller is a terrific backup, and may one day start somewhere else, but we don't need him here when we can be mentoring someone who is (a) younger and (b) still under contract. We have a glut of young qb's. No need to re-sign the backup, (and this is key, for me) whether you like him or not.

Festivus. Im not sure if you misread my post of I worded it wrong. My point was the writing is on the wall and that in all likelihood this will be Boller's last season as a Raven.

I think having Boller here as a backup this season is a must.

I've stated my feelings on him as a starter and/or our future. But for this year and with the QB situation as it stands now, Boller is our best option as a backup to McNair. He's in the last year of his contract and is most likely gone once his contract runs out this time next year.

What is this "glut" of QBs you talk about?

Drew Olson is over in NFL and hasn't taken an NFL snap. Troy Smith was a end of the 5th round pick who has also never taken an NFL snap.

This team went 13-3 last year and has one more year left with some of the vets. The tandem of McNair/Boller gives us the best chance to win than any other tandem we can throw out there as of now.

PP

**GreenWave52** · 05-07-2007, 05:09 PM

I have sooo many problems with this thread I'm not sure where to begin. I guess I'll go with the fact that it shouldn't even be here. There is a forum that is dedicated to QB talk.

It kills me that Kyle is still such a lightening rod. He fractioned the Ravens on-line community possibly permanantly. The Boller Wars at YBR was a big reason that many of us came here. And the fact is that people get still get defensive whenever he is brought up or if someone criticizes him like for example how Dave jumped on PR/SB when he made the "fumbles and bumbles" crack.

And to be fair it is an honest criticism- Kyle does fall down and fumble more than other QBs on average. Also, where is the outrage when someone calls Orlando Brown "cyclops", Gary Baxter and now Samari Rolle "toast", Grbac "the Grbacle", TT and PJ "stonehands", or Moore a pussy. There isn't any because it is pretty much all true. The fact that none of these nicknames got banned but Dawson's Creek, Ebola, and whatever other nonesense WSO spewed out got eliminated over at YBR shows how sensitive people get when criticizing Kyle.

It is clear that Kyle has improved a little. He started stepping up into the pocket occasionally. However, the fact that that is considered a big and near groundbreaking improvement in a guys 4th year is also pretty telling.

I also get the impression that the staunchest of Boller's supporters have never really embraced McNair. You support McNair because you are good fans and want what is best for the team. But the speed at which people turned on Steve when Kyle played well this past season or at times when McNairs arm looked dead was astonishing. We want from 6-10 to 13-3 and Steve McNair is a huge part of that.

I like Kyle as a person and I do like all you guys as posters, even if you are holding on to the dream too long. Kyle held this team back when he was starting and he is incredibly shaky on the road. McNair's biggest imact on our record was playing a steady game on the road. I can't imagine how bad Kyle would be in the pressure packed playoffs. If you had to bet your life on Kyle raising his game for the playoffs, making plays and eliminating mistakes would you? Do you think he could out duel Brady in Foxborough? I wouldn't and I don't.

Ultimately, Kyle Boller is a tease. A guy with all the physical abilities in the world, but someone who it just doesn't click for, for whatever reason. Fans always get sucked in by tantalizers (Bill Simmons coined this term). Then after years and a million arguments later those supporters still don't get why he didn't put it all together. The simple, but frustrating answer is it just doesn't happen for some people. I said it in another thread, but Kyle's best chance of success is to stay here since he knows this system, but I just don't think that is going to happen for him. I think he will probably bounce around on a couple of teams like Harrington or Pat Ramsey and be out of the league before he is 30.

If god forbid McNair gets hurt and Kyle has to come in I hope he leads us all the way to a victory in AZ. I'll root for him because he is our QB. But the dream of him being our franchise guy is dead. It's best if we just let it go.

**purplepoe** · 05-07-2007, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by GreenWave52

I have sooo many problems with this thread I'm not sure where to begin. I guess I'll go with the fact that it shouldn't even be here. There is a forum that is dedicated to QB talk.

It kills me that Kyle is still such a lightening rod. He fractioned the Ravens on-line community possibly permanantly. The Boller Wars at YBR was a big reason that many of us came here. And the fact is that people get still get defensive whenever he is brought up or if someone criticizes him like for example how Dave jumped on PR/SB when he made the "fumbles and bumbles" crack.

And to be fair it is an honest criticism- Kyle does fall down and fumble more than other QBs on average. Also, where is the outrage when someone calls Orlando Brown "cyclops", Gary Baxter and now Samari Rolle "toast", Grbac "the Grbacle", TT and PJ "stonehands", or Moore a pussy. There isn't any because it is pretty much all true. The fact that none of these nicknames got banned but Dawson's Creek, Ebola, and whatever other nonesense WSO spewed out got eliminated over at YBR shows how sensitive people get when criticizing Kyle.

It is clear that Kyle has improved a little. He started stepping up into the pocket occasionally. However, the fact that that is considered a big and near groundbreaking improvement in a guys 4th year is also pretty telling.

I also get the impression that the staunchest of Boller's supporters have never really embraced McNair. You support McNair because you are good fans and want what is best for the team. But the speed at which people turned on Steve when Kyle played well this past season or at times when McNairs arm looked dead was astonishing. We want from 6-10 to 13-3 and Steve McNair is a huge part of that.

I like Kyle as a person and I do like all you guys as posters, even if you are holding on to the dream too long. Kyle held this team back when he was starting and he is incredibly shaky on the road. McNair's biggest imact on our record was playing a steady game on the road. I can't imagine how bad Kyle would be in the pressure packed playoffs. If you had to bet your life on Kyle raising his game for the playoffs, making plays and eliminating mistakes would you? Do you think he could out duel Brady in Foxborough? I wouldn't and I don't.

Ultimately, Kyle Boller is a tease. A guy with all the physical abilities in the world, but someone who it just doesn't click for, for whatever reason. Fans always get sucked in by tantalizers (Bill Simmons coined this term). Then after years and a million arguments later those supporters still don't get why he didn't put it all together. The simple, but frustrating answer is it just doesn't happen for some people. I said it in another thread, but Kyle's best chance of success is to stay here since he knows this system, but I just don't think that is going to happen for him. I think he will probably bounce around on a couple of teams like Harrington or Pat Ramsey and be out of the league before he is 30.

If god forbid McNair gets hurt and Kyle has to come in I hope he leads us all the way to a victory in AZ. I'll root for him because he is our QB. But the dream of him being our franchise guy is dead. It's best if we just let it go.

Green, the above words are a thing of beauty.

And it's the offseason, so a thread like this probably will stay here because the board traffic is pretty slow these days.

PP

**highwater** · 05-07-2007, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by GreenWave52

It kills me that Kyle is still such a lightening rod. He fractioned the Ravens on-line community possibly permanantly.

GreenWave52, I usually find myself in agreement with you (didn't I just say this about festivus?), but I don't think Boller "fractioned the Ravens on-line community," I think we did that to ourselves. This topic has been beaten to death so I won't repeat the details and theories, but for whatever reason, there are Ravens fans who either like Boller (or are willing to at least give him a chance) and fans who detest him. So yes, you can accurately call him a lightening rod, but is his fault or ours? I don't mean you or me specifically, but the whole on-line Ravens fans groups.

I agree that this will likely be Boller's last season as a Raven, but I think it's too bad, because he really seemed to be improving. Check the numbers.

I also get the impression that the staunchest of Boller's supporters have never really embraced McNair.

This is a myth, IMHO -- I like Boller but was thrilled when we landed McNair. This is not an either/or sitiuation. There's no law against liking and supporting both of your QBs.

**festivus** · 05-07-2007, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by purplepoe

Festivus. Im not sure if you misread my post of I worded it wrong.

A chain of misunderstandings, perhaps?

All I was saying is, we don't have to agree Boller is a bust as a pro quarterback to agree this is his last year as a Raven. Doesn't make sense for him to stay, doesn't make sense for us to extend him when we have McNair around for a couple more years.
That's all. Like I said, we basically agree.:toast:

**purplepoe** · 05-07-2007, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by festivus

A chain of misunderstandings, perhaps?

All I was saying is, we don't have to agree Boller is a bust as a pro quarterback to agree this is his last year as a Raven. Doesn't make sense for him to stay, doesn't make sense for us to extend him when we have McNair around for a couple more years.
That's all. Like I said, we basically agree.:toast:

Ahh, I gotcha.

PP

**crazyraven** · 05-07-2007, 09:02 PM

I don't think Boller "fractioned the Ravens on-line community," I think we did that to ourselves. This topic has been beaten to death so I won't repeat the details and theories, but for whatever reason, there are Ravens fans who either like Boller (or are willing to at least give him a chance) and fans who detest him.

No Boller did divide this community. This site alone is proof of that. I have many enemies on this board and other for the mere fact that I call as I see it with Boller. HW Look no further than our online relationship. I don't know you from adam but because of these Boller wars we have never had a decent rapport with one another. EVER! And thats mainly because you dont except my views about boller--regardless if they are right or not.

Anyway PP was right when he said Green last post was "a thing of beauty". Good job GW.

**Mikerobe** · 05-07-2007, 10:05 PM

Boller was thrown to the wolves,but still has a lot of upside. McNair has proved he can't win when it counts most, and has no more upside. Smith will not be the answer, at least if we don't want a repeat of what Kyle was subjected to. So where are we? I'd say back to square one.