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Thread: Savage on scouting and drafting
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05-15-2018, 07:54 AM #73
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05-15-2018, 08:56 AM #74Legendary RSR Poster
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05-15-2018, 10:29 AM #75
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05-15-2018, 10:35 AM #76
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05-16-2018, 08:43 AM #77Legendary RSR Poster
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Re: Savage on scouting and drafting
These are very excellent points. There does seem to be conflict within the Ravens War Room. They drafted to compete now, they drafted for the future, and they skipped over some high profile defensive talent. It's worth noting that the previous draft the Ravens drafted towards the defense (Marlon Humphrey, Tyus Bowser, Chris Wormley, Tim Williams, Chuck Clark). The only offensive players drafted in 2017 were Nico Siragusa and Jermaine Eluemunor (both OL). This tells me there's more of a simplistic long-term plan in place as well (one-year offensive, the next year defense). The Ravens drafted 8 offensive players in 2018 to 4 defensive players in this same draft.
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05-16-2018, 11:18 PM #79Legendary RSR Poster
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Re: Savage on scouting and drafting
I don't see it as quite so complex and contradictory.
I think you're correct that they've re-evaluated the relative value of offensive versus defensive players in favor of the former. In my original post in this thread Phil Savage's points underscore the increasingly clear reality that it is pretty hard to win with a dominent defense and ball control offense. At least win over a sustained period of time.
The front office has always stacked their board with team needs in mind and they've always valued extra picks especially in drafts where there is a lot of mid-round value. The only thing I see in the 2018 draft that's different is a re-evaluation of the relative value of offensive players. A player like James who in the past may indeed have been rated in their top ten was rated as merely the 16th-best and relatively the same as a handful of offensive players still on the board at 16. They valued the close-behind-James offensive players plus extra picks more than the premium James represented.
So there is your main shift in philosophy.
If building a more modern offense can lead to more wins, it may also lead to a more exciting product on the field. I have little doubt this is in the forefront of Steve Bisciotti's mind--along with escalators, big video boards and lower concession prices--and that wish was communicated in their Jupiter meeting. That also leads to putting more value on offensive talent as they stack their board. It also explains the Lamar Jackson pick. I don't see it as a change in power, but a hedge against Flacco's trajectory and a collective recognition they need to focus on more offensive talent.
Signing veteran receivers and passing highly drafted rookie receivers is a Ravens tradition, notwithstanding the few bad picks in Perriman, Taylor and Clayton. DeCosta recently referenced an admiration for how the Steelers do business, and the thing that stands out to me most about them, and New England for that matter (other than avoiding knee-jerk firings), is finding receivers that fit their system in rounds 3-6.
You implied that Harbaugh's power has been usurped because they drafted question-mark players in Zeus Jr in the third and Lasley in the fifth--or those picks may have been made against his wishes, thus creating conflict. I don't really see it that way.
Brown isn't Laremy Tunsil by a long shot, and was first round talent available in the third round. Smart pick. Lasley's issues are overblown. The issue with him is mostly a hot head who has trouble keeping his emotions in check. Sounds to me like Steve Smith, who Harbaugh heavily recruited to Baltimore. Harbs grew up with an immature hot-head brother...I don't see Lasley as a foriegn object in John's world, and you can't go wrong taking a flyer on him in the fifth.
Hurst being older is a non issue for me. Don't know why anyone on the staff would oppose the pick based on him being the same age as Pitta when he was drafted.
In short, I don't see where there is any conflict, only an evlolution of thinking over the relative value of offensive players, which was the point of the thread.
Although I'll grant you the point of the thread was also that Bisciotti wanted fewer opinions in the mix when evaluating players in the first couple rounds.
What I think I observed on draft day was Ozzie and Eric having more freedom to be nimble in how they manoevered around the board in the first two days of the draft, without being dragged down by coaches voices in their ears. I see it as a return to their old way of doing things when Billick was around, albeit with more value put on offensive players.
I see the 2018 draft room has having less conflict than past drafts, not more.
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