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Thread: Will Davis

  1. Will Davis

    First, let me start by saying that I am sorry for this young man. 2 knee injuries in 2 years is a tough row to hoe. Also, while his body of work in Baltimore was little more than one game against a washed up QB who was never known for accuracy, his tweet: "Thank you Ozzie Newsome" after the Pittsburgh game was particularly classy and heartwarming.

    So, with that as a jumping-off point, I think our defensive backfield, especially the cornerback position, deserves the same type of intense scrutiny we as fans have been giving the WR position. At present, here is where we stand:

    Smith - a year removed from a linsfranc injury and not playing near as well as he was prior to the injury; this injury has been known to be problematic throughout patients' lifetimes

    Webb - clearly on the downside of his career, and some would argue completely washed up; I won't go quite that far but I'll say he's better inside than out, and would only expect another year or so of above replacement level performance

    Arrington - while New England is known for letting their aging superstars go sooner rather than later, Arrington was never a superstar and it appears they were spot on with their timing. This year, Arrington has fluctuated between appearing as if he's forgotten how to play football and having never played the game before. It's still early, but through more than a quarter of the season, he could go down as one of Ozzie's worst free agent signings ever

    Davis - a complete unknown who will not receive the benefit of evaluation during the remainder of the season; his play in one game against the Steelers puts him in the same urban legion status occupied by Rashaan Melvin prior to the Patriots' playoff game

    Melvin - from fan favorite to inactive in the blink of an eye; does not appear to be any better than a street free agent at this point

    Walker - rookie project from a small school; based on the preseason, did not appear ready to contribute in 2015; completely unknown quantity at this level

    Charles James - hero from Hard Knocks currently on the practice squad; completely unknown quantity at this level

    Asa Jackson - hot garbage currently on the practice squad.

    So, based on the above, I suggest three things:

    1) there's no reason to trade for anyone to supplement this group this season, unless they are an improvement over Webb and more than a rental for the remainder of the years

    2) as bad as our WR Corp is, one could argue that this group is worse. Certainly, SSR has played better than Jimmy this year, if it's possible to compare two players at different positions , and the falloff from Sr to Aiken is comparable from the falloff from Jimmy to Webb, and;

    3) unless a #1 or #2 cornerback is added by trade this season (highly unlikely) or in the offseason, a non-project cornerback should be selected within one of the first three rounds in next year's' draft.

    Also, I'm not expecting miracles, and I expect the play of this group will make me want to stab my eyeballs with a shrimp fork on most weeks, but I'd rather run with James, Walker, and even Melvin, and see if there's anything to build upon, versus watching Arrington and Jackson falling down every week. Since it's going to be a long season, I think we have to make it as productive as possible, and for me, that begins and ends with player evaluation and identifying who can make us a better football team in 2016 and beyond.





  2. #2
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    Re: Will Davis

    I think it is fairly obvious by teams like Seattle, the Jets, and Arizona that having elite or even really good players in the secondary is what makes a defense roll in today's NFL.


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    Disclaimer: The content posted is of my own opinion.





  3. #3

    Re: Will Davis

    Quote Originally Posted by AmishlandRavenFan View Post
    First, let me start by saying that I am sorry for this young man. 2 knee injuries in 2 years is a tough row to hoe. Also, while his body of work in Baltimore was little more than one game against a washed up QB who was never known for accuracy, his tweet: "Thank you Ozzie Newsome" after the Pittsburgh game was particularly classy and heartwarming.

    So, with that as a jumping-off point, I think our defensive backfield, especially the cornerback position, deserves the same type of intense scrutiny we as fans have been giving the WR position. At present, here is where we stand:

    Smith - a year removed from a linsfranc injury and not playing near as well as he was prior to the injury; this injury has been known to be problematic throughout patients' lifetimes

    Webb - clearly on the downside of his career, and some would argue completely washed up; I won't go quite that far but I'll say he's better inside than out, and would only expect another year or so of above replacement level performance

    Arrington - while New England is known for letting their aging superstars go sooner rather than later, Arrington was never a superstar and it appears they were spot on with their timing. This year, Arrington has fluctuated between appearing as if he's forgotten how to play football and having never played the game before. It's still early, but through more than a quarter of the season, he could go down as one of Ozzie's worst free agent signings ever

    Davis - a complete unknown who will not receive the benefit of evaluation during the remainder of the season; his play in one game against the Steelers puts him in the same urban legion status occupied by Rashaan Melvin prior to the Patriots' playoff game

    Melvin - from fan favorite to inactive in the blink of an eye; does not appear to be any better than a street free agent at this point

    Walker - rookie project from a small school; based on the preseason, did not appear ready to contribute in 2015; completely unknown quantity at this level

    Charles James - hero from Hard Knocks currently on the practice squad; completely unknown quantity at this level

    Asa Jackson - hot garbage currently on the practice squad.

    So, based on the above, I suggest three things:

    1) there's no reason to trade for anyone to supplement this group this season, unless they are an improvement over Webb and more than a rental for the remainder of the years

    2) as bad as our WR Corp is, one could argue that this group is worse. Certainly, SSR has played better than Jimmy this year, if it's possible to compare two players at different positions , and the falloff from Sr to Aiken is comparable from the falloff from Jimmy to Webb, and;

    3) unless a #1 or #2 cornerback is added by trade this season (highly unlikely) or in the offseason, a non-project cornerback should be selected within one of the first three rounds in next year's' draft.

    Also, I'm not expecting miracles, and I expect the play of this group will make me want to stab my eyeballs with a shrimp fork on most weeks, but I'd rather run with James, Walker, and even Melvin, and see if there's anything to build upon, versus watching Arrington and Jackson falling down every week. Since it's going to be a long season, I think we have to make it as productive as possible, and for me, that begins and ends with player evaluation and identifying who can make us a better football team in 2016 and beyond.
    Good post. Overall, I agree. Key point is that the team has multiple catastrophic positions -- beyond WR and DB. OLB is hardly a strength; the O line has fallen from the heights (see FilmStudy reviews from last season) to the depths this year; our vaunted D line depth is not too convincing (anyone else think Urban might be the D's version of Campy?) We need a lot of changes -- more than one draft and one offseason can supply.





  4. #4

    Re: Will Davis

    Quote Originally Posted by wickedsolo View Post
    I think it is fairly obvious by teams like Seattle, the Jets, and Arizona that having elite or even really good players in the secondary is what makes a defense roll in today's NFL.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Nope you need guys in the trenches like Terrence Cody. /end sarcasm





  5. #5

    Re: Will Davis

    Quote Originally Posted by wickedsolo View Post
    I think it is fairly obvious by teams like Seattle, the Jets, and Arizona that having elite or even really good players in the secondary is what makes a defense roll in today's NFL.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Just like WR, ideally, I'd keep Hill and Jimmy and clean house with the rest of the secondary. It's just not a good group.
    Although Walsh's system of offense can compensate for lack of talent; however, defense is a different story. According to Walsh, talent on defense was essential and could not be compensated for. What did Walsh do in 1981? He acquired physical and talented players on defense.





  6. #6
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    Re: Will Davis

    Quote Originally Posted by Raveninwoodlawn View Post
    Just like WR, ideally, I'd keep Hill and Jimmy and clean house with the rest of the secondary. It's just not a good group.
    I'd try to keep Davis as well. He showed some nice flashes before getting hurt. He'll cost nothing as well.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Disclaimer: The content posted is of my own opinion.





  7. #7

    Re: Will Davis

    Ravens plan has been to be competitive every year, but this season could really put that philosophy to the test - we may be looking at a 2 - 3 year rebuild with major issues at Dback, LB & WR





  8. #8

    Re: Will Davis

    The Ravens could have the best corners in the NFL - the stars - the premier atheletes - the best corners and safetys in the business - and the Ravens would still play them 10 to 15 yards down field. If the boat is sinking because there are too many holes in it and the guys can't bail fast enough to keep it afloat YOUR NEED A NEW PEES (BOAT)





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