Way too early draft Q: Do we trade up for Neal?

**MarBioRaven94** · 09-16-2021, 01:54 PM

Given a) our OT situation, b) our injury situation potentially leading to a top 10 pick, and c) our over-abundance of draft picks in the first 4 rounds, do we make a big move to trade up in the draft this year to get Evan Neal? He's clearly the best OT prospect in the draft, and has the versatility to play both RT and LT if Stanley ever goes down again.

**Shrubbs** · 09-16-2021, 02:13 PM

Might not have to trade up lol

**Captain Silver** · 09-16-2021, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by Shrubbs

Might not have to trade up lol

**Jfoh** · 09-16-2021, 02:49 PM

Might even get to trade back and get him with a few draft picks.

**BcRaven** · 09-16-2021, 03:04 PM

Just what we need, another poster looking into the :

My question to the OP :
Even with these extensive injuries have you already given up on the season?

My friends, I know things are looking bleak, but can't we at least wait until Thanksgiving for a thread like this? I remain cautiously optimistic. I sure hope the Ravens beat the Chiefs next week so these gloom-and-doomers hide their heads in the sand. UGH! ... Bc

**MarBioRaven94** · 09-16-2021, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by BcRaven

Just what we need, another poster looking into the :

My question to the OP :
Even with these extensive injuries have you already given up on the season?

My friends, I know things are looking bleak, but can't we at least wait until Thanksgiving for a thread like this? I remain cautiously optimistic. I sure hope the Ravens beat the Chiefs next week so these gloom-and-doomers hide their heads in the sand. UGH! ... Bc

I have not given up on the season, but finishing in the bottom half of the NFL certainly looks like a possibility. I'm being pragmatic. The parallels between this team and last year's '49ers are pretty stark. I think Lamar can get us to 7 wins, but I don't see how we finish better than 8 wins with how many injuries we have and where they are on the team. Our OL situation is flat-out bad, you can't sugarcoat that. Our CB room is now in dire straits. With a resurgent NFC east and an extra game, 7-8 wins could very well give us a top 10 draft pick.

Regardless of my feelings on the state of the season, my question is still valid. We need OL help, particularly at RT. That's a known fact. Evan Neal is the best RT prospect in the draft. Obviously that can change, but at this point that's pretty clear. If you want to frame the question as "at what point is the cost of Evan Neal in terms of draft picks prohibitive?" then by all means, frame it in that way. But I don't think it's too early to start discussing the draft and the state of the team going into the future.

**Captain Silver** · 09-16-2021, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by BcRaven

Just what we need, another poster looking into the :

My question to the OP :
Even with these extensive injuries have you already given up on the season?

My friends, I know things are looking bleak, but can't we at least wait until Thanksgiving for a thread like this? I remain cautiously optimistic. I sure hope the Ravens beat the Chiefs next week so these gloom-and-doomers hide their heads in the sand. UGH! ... Bc

Look man, there is not a chance this team wins the Super Bowl, I have serious doubts they get to .500 let alone the playoffs.

There is a most common thread to any team that has won a Super Bowl, very few injuries. This team sustained more than a few. Losing the entire backfield ended the season regardless of who they bring in.

Take away the #2 corner and in the fact the defensive coordinator was unaware of this fact the way he called the defense let alone letting the Raiders best player run free from the line of scrimmage proves he has lost it.

Furthermore the line plays like a New Orleans levee during hurricane Katrina.

Hope may spring eternal, reality is the asteroid the dinosaurs enjoyed.

**WrongBaldy** · 09-16-2021, 03:28 PM

Losing the backfield def did not end the season lol

**BcRaven** · 09-16-2021, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by MarBioRaven94

I have not given up on the season, but finishing in the bottom half of the NFL certainly looks like a possibility. I'm being pragmatic...

Originally Posted by Captain Silver

Look man, there is not a chance this team wins the Super Bowl, I have serious doubts they get to .500 let alone the playoffs...

Guys, I can see what all Ravens fans see too. I'm not wearing purple glasses. I just do not share your discouragement or pessimism in mid-September... Bc

**xiao_ke** · 09-16-2021, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by Captain Silver

Look man, there is not a chance this team wins the Super Bowl, I have serious doubts they get to .500 let alone the playoffs.

There is a most common thread to any team that has won a Super Bowl, very few injuries. This team sustained more than a few. Losing the entire backfield ended the season regardless of who they bring in.

Take away the #2 corner and in the fact the defensive coordinator was unaware of this fact the way he called the defense let alone letting the Raiders best player run free from the line of scrimmage proves he has lost it.

Furthermore the line plays like a New Orleans levee during hurricane Katrina.

Hope may spring eternal, reality is the asteroid the dinosaurs enjoyed.

I hope the Ravens are able to tread water, but realistically DeCosta or someone on his staff should be making a preliminary list of veterans that could be traded at the deadline to accumulate additional picks for the 2022 draft.

If it becomes obvious the playoffs aren't happening this year then it's time to start building for the future. I hope the Ravens fight like hell Sunday night, but it's looking like JV versus the varisty squad.

**MarBioRaven94** · 09-16-2021, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by BcRaven

Guys, I can see what all Ravens fans see too. I'm not wearing purple glasses. I just do not share your discouragement or pessimism in mid-September... Bc

Again, it's not discouragement/pessimism, it's pragmatism. Was it pessimistic to say that the Orioles were going to lose 100 games at the start of the season? Yes, football and baseball are different sports, and the Ravens and Orioles are very different teams. But you simply cannot expect this team to make the playoffs, let alone make a deep run in the playoffs, with the injuries we've sustained and how the OL has panned out. It's just not feasible. It is possible to accept this while both rooting for a win week-to-week and thinking about the future. There is middle-ground between doom-and-gloom and blind optimism.

**GirlsKickButt** · 09-16-2021, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by MarBioRaven94

Again, it's not discouragement/pessimism, it's pragmatism. Was it pessimistic to say that the Orioles were going to lose 100 games at the start of the season? Yes, football and baseball are different sports, and the Ravens and Orioles are very different teams. But you simply cannot expect this team to make the playoffs, let alone make a deep run in the playoffs, with the injuries we've sustained and how the OL has panned out. It's just not feasible. It is possible to accept this while both rooting for a win week-to-week and thinking about the future. There is middle-ground between doom-and-gloom and blind optimism.

Perfectly stated!