Put The Leather Helmets Away: Offseason Guide

[QtR Nevermore]

I agree with most of your post sflegend.

I just think the notion that the Ravens can't draft WRs so they shouldn't even try is silly. Every draft pick is its own thing and they're all gambles.

You could just as easily say the Ravens can't draft pass rushers if you look at Ferguson, Correa, Tim Williams and Bowser (who produced at the end of his rookie contract but you could probably say Hollywood is already a more successful 25 pick than Bowser was at 47.) Or D Line with Wormley, Mack, Kaufusi etc.

I think we just notice WR misses because the team always so badly needs one to succeed.

Getting top free agent WRs to come here to run block could be difficult. If we want good ones we might have to draft them

[sflegend89]

I agree with most of your post sflegend.

I just think the notion that the Ravens can't draft WRs so they shouldn't even try is silly. Every draft pick is its own thing and they're all gambles.

You could just as easily say the Ravens can't draft pass rushers if you look at Ferguson, Correa, Tim Williams and Bowser (who produced at the end of his rookie contract but you could probably say Hollywood is already a more successful 25 pick than Bowser was at 47.) Or D Line with Wormley, Mack, Kaufusi etc.

I think we just notice WR misses because the team always so badly needs one to succeed.

Getting top free agent WRs to come here to run block could be difficult. If we want good ones we might have to draft them

Allen Robinson has already liked tweets about coming to the Ravens and playing with Lamar, doesn't seem like an issue at all if they pay market value.

You don't want them to come here and just run block, that's why we need the WR talent to switch from a one-dimensional power run scheme to a balanced scheme like Stefanski's Browns, LaFleur's Packers, or Arthur Smith's Titans. No team is winning a Super Bowl in the modern NFL just running the ball and playing defense, we really have to put that one to bed.

The top 3 passing offenses in the NFL this year are in the Conference Championship games, top 3 rushing teams all eliminated, that's a jarring stat

[The Excellector]

The message this offseason is simple, put the leather helmets away, give Navy their offense back, step into the modern NFL. We're wasting Lamar's rookie contract, wearing Lamar down physically, and wasting a SB window by playing offense like this. I personally would like to see Lamar have a long successful career here, not be gimmicked into the ground


After 3 postseasons of the running game meeting an untimely demise at the hands of a well schemed/disciplined defense that turned the lights out on a 1-dimensional offense, it's time for a change. The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over but expecting different results. The Ravens will never win a Super Bowl by spending/drafting big on defense and relying solely on a power running game infused with Lamar magic, put that one to bed.

The passing game needs a total overhaul, from scheme, to personnel. A new OC is probably the right move.... but Roman is staying so I won't even go down that road. The goal is to achieve balance, along the lines of what Stefanski has done in Cleveland. An offense that can both punish you on the ground but also air the ball out. Where downfield passing feels natural and not like a last resort.






1. Get a WR1:

Get a veteran player that is unanimously considered a top 25 NFL WR. An elite talent that Lamar can count on the way Josh Allen can rely on Diggs or Baker can rely on Landry. Scour the FA market and the trade market. Pay the money or trade the draft capital. Pound the fucking pavement until you come back with a player. This is non-negotiable.

Notables FA/Trade: Allen Robinson (My pick), Kenny Golladay, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, Adam Thielen

Draft: This objective cannot be met in the draft barring a massive trade up, not worth it



2. Acquire A Snead Upgrade:

Let Snead walk in FA. We need extra juice in his role. Decent player but an upgrade is in order if we're going to do this right. This can either come via the FA market or early in the draft. Must be able to play in the slot.

Notable FA: Rashard Higgins (my pick), Marvin Jones, Keelan Cole

Draft: This objective can alternatively be met in the draft with a late 1st or 2nd round selection but I'm not a huge fan of our WR scouting, best to just avoid this if possible



3. Receiving TE

The Ravens need a Hayden Hurst replacement, Lamar loves his TE's. Nick Boyle will be coming back off a major knee injury and the Ravens can certainly use a 3rd TE as both an insurance policy & a quality passing down option. I would lean more towards the Draft here... but I will include some FA's if we were to go that route.

Notable FA: Gerald Everrett, Trey Burton

Draft: This objective is preferably met in the draft with a round 4 or 5 selection (my pick)



4. Re-Enforce iOL

A great passing game begins with a good OL, go ask Baker Mayfield who looked like a different player behind their revamped OL. Ravens bookend Tackles are an elite pair, the iOL however is weak and needs an upgrade, being able to simply snap the ball would be a start

Notable FA: Corey Linsley, Alex Mack, Joe Looney

Draft: This objective can be met with a late 1st or 2nd round selection (my pick)



5. Stop Putting Eggs In The Breakout Season Basket

This is a lesson the Ravens haven't learned going back to 2013 when they traded Boldin in the hopes of Tandon Doss & Deonte Thompson becoming big time players. Ravens did it yet again in 2020 by relying on a Boykin breakout season. Don't do it in 2021 by counting on a Duvernay breakout season. If your young players make leaps that is just gravy on top, but when you put all your eggs in that basket you set yourself up for failure.



6. Stop Dumpster Diving At WR

This is another lesson that is long overdue. Maclin, Crabtree, Roberts, Dez. Enough. You get what you pay for as the saying goes. Do not make another pathetic attempt at addressing the position with aging or unimpressive "bargain" players. Same goes with drafting, you clearly aren't good at it in the mid rounds. Stop attempting to fill holes that way.

When you got to dumpster diving for WRs, I read this in Vegeta’s voice for some reason.

[The Excellector]

If the Ravens had managed to land Diggs from the Vikings we would not be having this discussion this week.

If that happened, not only would we be in the Conference Championship, as you implied, but Jackson’s outside throws would look much better. He would finally have a guy along the boundary he would know would be open, be open where he’s supposed to be open (Boykin getting open by running the wrong route), and catch the ball. He would be able to throw with confidence and anticipation, because he could actually trust Diggs.

[The Excellector]

The passing 'scheme' in G Ro's Offense is pedestrian compared to the running scheme. I don't thing G Ro is scheming for the passing game to succeed.

It seems like he’s just scheming for the passing game to open up the running game. That’s all. Not for the passing game to even come close to equally the effectiveness of the running game.

[The Excellector]

I agree with most of your post sflegend.

I just think the notion that the Ravens can't draft WRs so they shouldn't even try is silly. Every draft pick is its own thing and they're all gambles.

You could just as easily say the Ravens can't draft pass rushers if you look at Ferguson, Correa, Tim Williams and Bowser (who produced at the end of his rookie contract but you could probably say Hollywood is already a more successful 25 pick than Bowser was at 47.) Or D Line with Wormley, Mack, Kaufusi etc.

I think we just notice WR misses because the team always so badly needs one to succeed.

Getting top free agent WRs to come here to run block could be difficult. If we want good ones we might have to draft them

I think the Ravens can improve at drafting WRs if they change what they look for in a WR. What they look for are guys who can simply keep a defense honest and open things up for the run, or guys who can block, or stereotypical height/weight/speed guys in the later rounds.

They don’t target the same traits other successful passing offenses do.

[sflegend89]

I think the Ravens can improve at drafting WRs if they change what they look for in a WR. What they look for are guys who can simply keep a defense honest and open things up for the run, or guys who can block, or stereotypical height/weight/speed guys in the later rounds.

They don’t target the same traits other successful passing offenses do.

Many Ravens draft "experts" (People that simply watched college game film available online) scouted the late round WR's better than the Ravens scouts actually did. Many of us were high on guys like Gabriel Davis, DPJ, Tyler Johnson who were all available late.... we opted for Bredeson, Washington, & Proche

FFS... somebody explain to me how you take Washington over DPJ and then land on James Proche as your 2nd WR pick. Because DPJ didn't interview well? Because Jim Harbaugh said he was a big meanie jerkoff at Michigan? The guy is 6'2 and has a 45 inch vertical with 10 inch mitts, talk about overthinking a late round pick.

That late in the draft you need to just draft for upside when dealing with a position of need, what is so hard about understanding that. Take the most talented guy and deal with the baggage later. Proche is a guy that doesn't have NFL talent at WR, just such a waste of a pick. They had DPJ who was once a 2nd round draft stock and passed in the freaking 5th round.

The one time they took a talented WR with baggage late it was Darren Waller, hmm maybe you were onto something guys

[QtR Nevermore]

Many Ravens draft "experts" (People that simply watched college game film available online) scouted the late round WR's better than the Ravens scouts actually did. Many of us were high on guys like Gabriel Davis, DPJ, Tyler Johnson who were all available late.... we opted for Bredeson, Washington, & Proche

FFS... somebody explain to me how you take Washington over DPJ and then land on James Proche as your 2nd WR pick. Because DPJ didn't interview well? Because Jim Harbaugh said he was a big meanie jerkoff at Michigan? The guy is 6'2 and has a 45 inch vertical with 10 inch mitts, talk about overthinking a late round pick.

The DPJ and Tyler Johnson misses drove me crazy too. (I missed Gabriel Davis.)

I think overthinking is right. The Raven are chasing the drafting edge they used to have over most of the league. That's leading them to look for obscure factors they hope other teams aren't considering but I think focusing on those has meant they've taken their eye off the obvious.

In a time when player film and draft media is everywhere, when multiple sites scout every player and an army of amateur scouts chip in, it's not going to be possible for the Ravens to outclass most of the league when it comes to drafting. DeCosta himself has said it seems like every team has the same board these days. The Ravens need to stop trying to be galaxy brained drafters and just accept it.

The pre-draft consensus is more accurate than it's ever been (maybe more accurate than the NFL as a whole which let those WRs, Metcalf, Orlando and many others slip too far). If the Ravens had just made chalk picks we'd have AJ Brown or DK Metcalf to go with 2 of those WRs and maybe we'd be going to KC this week.