Bad Draft Class?

**LouisianaRaven** · 12-10-2014, 07:09 PM

Hi guys, it's been awhile. I randomly check in here but I kind of prefer Twitter for talking Ravens football. I still like this place though. Anyways, I know many Ravens fans are disappointed in Elam's play. He's been pretty bad. Many Ravens fans always bring up Cyprien and Swearinger, among other safeties. You might be surprised that they're ALL dealing with their own struggles. Vaccaro just got benched, Swearinger got benched earlier in the season, and Jags fans are debating if Cyprien is a bust or not. The best guy in the class might've been E. Reid.

Jags forum: http://jungle.jaguars.com/index.php?...yprien-a-bust/

Texans forum: http://www.texanstalk.com/forums/sho....php?p=2408995

Saints forum: http://www.tigerdroppings.com/mobile...spx?p=54259692

**Gabrosin** · 12-10-2014, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by LouisianaRaven

Hi guys, it's been awhile. I randomly check in here but I kind of prefer Twitter for talking Ravens football. I still like this place though. Anyways, I know many Ravens fans are disappointed in Elam's play. He's been pretty bad. Many Ravens fans always bring up Cyprien and Swearinger, among other safeties. You might be surprised that they're ALL dealing with their own struggles. Vaccaro just got benched, Swearinger got benched earlier in the season, and Jags fans are debating if Cyprien is a bust or not. The best guy in the class might've been E. Reid.

Jags forum: http://jungle.jaguars.com/index.php?...yprien-a-bust/

Texans forum: http://www.texanstalk.com/forums/sho....php?p=2408995

Saints forum: http://www.tigerdroppings.com/mobile...spx?p=54259692

The stunning one to me is Vaccaro. Can't believe he would be a bust in the NFL. Maybe he just looks bad in the context of the Saints defense? I don't know.

**LouisianaRaven** · 12-10-2014, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by Gabrosin

The stunning one to me is Vaccaro. Can't believe he would be a bust in the NFL. Maybe he just looks bad in the context of the Saints defense? I don't know.

Yep, that's shocking for me too.

**Raveninwoodlawn** · 12-10-2014, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by LouisianaRaven

Hi guys, it's been awhile. I randomly check in here but I kind of prefer Twitter for talking Ravens football. I still like this place though. Anyways, I know many Ravens fans are disappointed in Elam's play. He's been pretty bad. Many Ravens fans always bring up Cyprien and Swearinger, among other safeties. You might be surprised that they're ALL dealing with their own struggles. Vaccaro just got benched, Swearinger got benched earlier in the season, and Jags fans are debating if Cyprien is a bust or not. The best guy in the class might've been E. Reid.

Jags forum: http://jungle.jaguars.com/index.php?...yprien-a-bust/

Texans forum: http://www.texanstalk.com/forums/sho....php?p=2408995

Saints forum: http://www.tigerdroppings.com/mobile...spx?p=54259692

Yeah I think it's pretty clear E. Reid is the class of that group...a group that was pretty highly touted going into the draft.

**kronusthebonus** · 12-10-2014, 08:52 PM

I know hindsight is 20/20, but we would have been better off packaging our 1st and 2nd rounders for Eric Reid considering we're not getting any return on either of those picks right now from that draft.

**AirFlacco** · 12-10-2014, 09:14 PM

Maybe Oz tried to and couldn't swing a deal like this year. We don't know.

Cyprien and Elam were both projected in the first round and higher in the beginning. Thanks for posting that because I was wondering how the others were doing.

They both dropped. I posted on the other thread that Cyprien hasn't played much better than Elam and most of us wanted Cyprien. Rob Long is still dissed over drafting Elam.

Gotta give it time and Ozzie was drafting at the very bottom of the draft too but forget Elam. Look at the starters he got in their second year already.

Wagner is already considered one of the best RTs in the game. KJ was the best FB in that draft and he has greatly contributed even in blocking spring Forsett for a TD standing up by making his block. He's done it a couple of time while making catches out of the back field.,

Brandon Williams is saving the d-line right now with Ngata suspended and he's from the Elam draft always getting double teamed. Yet Sunday he pushed his blockers straight into T-Hill and still got around them which freed up Suggs for a Sack and some hits.

The Elam draft has been great with all these starters in their 2d year and the jury is still out on Elam.

**BlackBeak** · 12-10-2014, 10:02 PM

One thing fans don't generally seem to do well is expectation management. Really, if you look at the original post the more obvious conclusion is that as a rule it takes time to develop NFL safeties. Same rule applies to cornerbacks. We are too quick to label these guys busts (see Jimmy Smith). Regarding Elam, I think the org really believes in him and all the positions and packages he has been playing in are part of a purposeful developmental process. I don't know why more people don't see it -- it's very obvious -- or why so many people are so predisposed against taking the long view. I feel very confident that a little patience with Elam will have a big payoff one day. It's just how I see it. Ihedigbo stayed in the background and emerged as a decent safety. Looks like its Jeromy Miles turn. Trawick hasn't been getting much attention but slowly, steadily his reps increase. Brooks will have to spend his days in the minors too, but I can't wait for him, because he is a beast.

**Sarcasticfury** · 12-10-2014, 10:09 PM

I don't have a very high opinion of the 2013 Draft Class as a whole, so it doesn't particularly surprise me that these threads exist.

**Sarcasticfury** · 12-10-2014, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by AirFlacco

Brandon Williams is saving the d-line right now with Ngata suspended and he's from the Elam draft always getting double teamed. Yet Sunday he pushed his blockers straight into T-Hill and still got around them which freed up Suggs for a Sack and some hits.

This is very,very good for the Ravens. Not so much for Haloti.

**ursula** · 12-10-2014, 10:54 PM

Re: safeties. It feels to me that the two safety positions have been undergoing an overhaul in the past decade what with the greater emphasis on passing and teams are having a harder time finding players to fit these changing and not well defined new roles. We can all see what a good safety can mean to a defense (see Ed Reed or Troy Polomolu, etc.) but finding such players who can command the field like those guys is harder than than it seems. The fact that teams are in their nickel defense so much of the time makes the situation and position all the more confusing to evaluate.

So I think safeties have been overdrafted for the last few years. These first and second round safeties are taking relatively longer to return on their investments than other positions.

**AirFlacco** · 12-11-2014, 12:41 AM

Originally Posted by Sarcasticfury

This is very,very good for the Ravens. Not so much for Haloti.

A lot of posters were posting that Ravens should off Ngata even before this suspension.

BTW, Jernigan, this year's #2 draft pick took his spot. He's required double teams all year
while filling in and again Sunday. Brandon and Jernigans play freed up Suggs for a sack
and several QB hits. The D had 6 sacks. They put the pressure on T-Hill and he couldn't take it.

People were pissed Oz drafted all defense in first 3 rounds but throw Mosely in with a Sack on Sunday too. A ton of pressure on T-Hill from the last two drafts.

Jernigan will be great in a couple of years barring injury.

**JoeCool5** · 12-11-2014, 05:26 AM

Originally Posted by kronusthebonus

I know hindsight is 20/20, but we would have been better off packaging our 1st and 2nd rounders for Eric Reid considering we're not getting any return on either of those picks right now from that draft.

Yes, hindsight is always 20/20. Eric Reid went to LSU, a school whose players never wear the purple and black. Ozzie never would have drafted Reid.