Baltimore Ravens Discussion

[BmoreBlackByrdz]

wow, Yanda, Pollard, Ellerbe, Dickson AND McClain are all out. I'm really not looking forward to today.

[coordinator0]

McClain wouldn't be such a big deal if the alternatives weren't Ayanbadejo and Bynes. :(

[America]

So Joe...about that contract.

[coordinator0]

It'll just be cheaper. They're keeping him no matter what lol.

[DavelinaJolie]

I really don't see what Terrance Cody offers this team. Sorry, but I still think they need a much better NT.

[DavelinaJolie]

LOL. That play from Pitta was hilarious.

[coordinator0]

Originally Posted by DavelinaJolie

I really don't see what Terrance Cody offers this team. Sorry, but I still think they need a much better NT.

What exactly are you expecting out of the NT position? From what I've seen neither Cody or Kemoeatu have been much of a problem recently (not that I want them to keep Kemoeatu).

[SeanTaylorRIP]

Cody needs to put weight back on and just focus on being a stout 2 down lineman who rotates in instead of thinking he can be more.

[coordinator0]

Is that his decision or the staff's though? Those kinds of things are hard to criticize a guy for unless it's purely the player's decision (Rice bulking up comes to mind, he needs to get his explosiveness back). Especially for a guy like Cody who still needed to get in better shape regardless of the type of player he or the staff wanted him to be. I think he does need to put some weight back on but it has to be functional muscle and not just adding back the fat he lost. I'm still maintaining that the scheme they're running has more to do with the supposed regression from Cody than anything else.

[DavelinaJolie]

Originally Posted by coordinator0

What exactly are you expecting out of the NT position? From what I've seen neither Cody or Kemoeatu have been much of a problem recently (not that I want them to keep Kemoeatu).

To be able to at least deal with a one-on-one block. Cody gets pushed around by a single blocker.

[coordinator0]

The same goes for anybody on the DL every now and then.

[America]

It's true though that Cody has been uncharacteristically easy to move around this year. Or maybe it's just easy to notice because the rest of the line is playing poorly too and it used to not matter if he got blown back.

http://happygilmore.lockerdome.com/media/103673249

[BmoreBlackByrdz]

well, thanks to Pittsburgh, at least we've secured a playoff birth. :/

[TACKLE]

Originally Posted by SeanTaylorRIP

Cody needs to put weight back on and just focus on being a stout 2 down lineman who rotates in instead of thinking he can be more.

This. Being big and eating space is pretty much the extent of what he offers. Now that he's not overwhelmingly large, I'm not really sure what he's bringing to the table.

[TACKLE]

Well that was fun. I'm now actually optimistic about our chances in the playoffs!

I really hope it works out that we play Indy instead of Cincy. I just don't like the idea of playing a team back to back and the Bungles are probably a stronger team right now. I think we'd be able to control the trenches vs. Indy too. My only real concern vs. them would be Luck's clutchness.

[G Mobile]

Yeah I really didn't see that coming. 0 sacks given up today. Joe came to play today and rocked it. That skid sucked but this is what we are capable of on a good day.

[DavelinaJolie]

Woo. What a win. The OL finally showed up!

[BmoreBlackByrdz]

Is there any chance Harbaugh rests the starters next week? Division's locked up and given the amount of injuries and banged up players we have, god knows they could use a week off.

1 thing to consider is that the Patriots play after us @ 4oclock and if they lose, and we win (putting both of us at 11-5) we would jump them for the 3rd seed, but then again, how likely are they to lose to the Dolphins?

[coordinator0]

Is anybody really that worried about the game this weekend? I hate to sound overconfident but with Baltimore at home I think they are going to win this one fairly easily. A lot depends on what offense shows up though. I'm expecting the defense to do well but if they continually put in bad situations because the offense can't do anything then it's going to be a long day.

[A Perfect Score]

Originally Posted by coordinator0

Is anybody really that worried about the game this weekend? I hate to sound overconfident but with Baltimore at home I think they are going to win this one fairly easily. A lot depends on what offense shows up though. I'm expecting the defense to do well but if they continually put in bad situations because the offense can't do anything then it's going to be a long day.

The Colts are a scrappy, opportunistic team riding a really big wave. I don't think there will be anything easy about our victory this weekend, but I expect us to grind one out and try and play our type of game.

[TACKLE]

I feel pretty much the same way coordinator though I don't quite trust this team as much as I have in years past. Still, home playoff game with Ray likely coming back, no reason this team should come out flat.

[BmoreBlackByrdz]

how likely will Paul Kruger and Cary Williams be back with the Ravens next year?

[coordinator0]

I don't think either will be back.

http://russellstreetreport.com/raven...gency-preview/

PROJECTED SALARY CAP COMMITMENT:

At this point, it’s a little too early to project – especially without knowing what the 2013 league-wide Salary Cap is going to be – but, assuming the projections of a minimal increase in the Cap are correct, the Ravens will be very tight against the Cap heading into the 2013 offseason. Recent estimates of have pegged the league-wide Cap somewhere in the $122M range and, with only 37 players under contract for 2013, most of the team’s present Cap space will be eaten up by the contract tenders for the team’s RFAs and ERFAs.

The team will probably see some players retire and will need to release some others in order to create necessary Cap space, but, make no mistake, the Ravens – short of a possible long term deal for QB Joe Flacco – will not be big offseason spenders.

Here's a little chart showing who the most likely cuts are and how much they can save by cutting those players:



They're going to be close to the cap by just tendering their RFAs and EFAs. Lewis retiring helps but not I think the cap room released from that will just be funneled into giving Ellerbe a new deal. The most important thing here is that this is all before Flacco gets the franchise tag or a new deal. They're probably going to have to do some cap management for whatever ends up happening with him.

Losing Kruger will hurt. A lot. That leaves the team with Suggs as the only pass-rusher you can have any confidence in. That's why I've been pretty gung-ho in the mock draft forum about the Ravens getting a pass-rusher early. I'm not worried about losing Williams at all. Somebody is going to overpay a lot for his oft-toasted ass and I really hope it's not Baltimore.

[TACKLE]

As a Ravens fan, I am pleased with the outcome of that game.

[BmoreBlackByrdz]

Wow, lost my voice from last night. It was one of the greatest games I've ever watched.


I know some were bashing Caldwell for the game he called saying it was too "predictable" going run run pass, run run pass, but in my honest opinion he called a GREAT game. Denver was doing an excellent job stopping our run game but he stuck with it. Cameron would have NEVER done that. Props to Joe, really stepped it up and the un-sung hero was the o-line.

Also, anyone have any update on Pierce? The knee was bothering him all week but he played early in the game but I saw him run off with a slight hop. Hope he's okay.