Yeah, a TD or two instead of FGs is probably good idea against the Pats. Brady with the ball in his hands and a chance to win is not a scene I wish to contemplate. Hell, he'd have won that game last week but for some divine intervention.
Read Flacco was wearing a brace at practice yesterday. Precaution, the Ravens sandbagging, or is it more serious than they've let on?
So, while we're waiting for Sunday who do you guys think doesn't come back next season?
Lots of Unrestricted Free Agents next year. It's going to be tough. Here's how I break them down:
Ravens won't be able to keep
Art Jones - Playing so well, and just getting better every game. Will hurt to lose him, way more than Kruger (LOL) or Ellerbe, but he's going to get paid by somebody way more than the Ravens can afford.
Ravens will try to keep but might lose
Eugene Monroe - has done a great job, but will be tough to fit under the cap. They need to do whatever it takes, because otherwise they have no returning Tackles (see Oher below).
Dennis Pitta - he's due to get some money, but maybe his hip injury will be enough of a blessing to keep the price down. Hopefully his relationship with Flacco will help, too. But if one team significantly overpays, there's no way Baltimore matches, and he's gone.
Daryl Smith - really wishing they had given him more than one year, coming out of obscurity in Jax and off an injury. He is playing way better than Ray played in the last 2 or 3 years. Especially if the Ravens go deep in the playoffs, he might be overpaid by someone and it will be up to McClain and Arthur Brown to really step up.
Jacoby Jones - He's been great, but is another guy who might end up overpaid. They have so many young WRs (Marlon Brown, Deonte Thompson, Aaron Mellette), I think they try to use them to do what Jacoby does and they have to let him go.
James Ihedigbo - Case of right player, right price. He's performed well, and they would like to keep him. But if someone wants to give him too much money, Ozzie will find someone comparable to plug in, just like when they got Jim Leonhard to replace Landry, just like they got Pollard to replace Leonhard, just like they got Ihedigbo to replace Pollard. One thing this team knows how to evaluate is a Safety.
Corey Graham - Guy has done a nice job, but came here on the cheap as a Special Teams guy before showing he could play at CB. So now someone else will pay him like a CB, and be disappointed that he turns out to not be that great.
My guess is they lose the last 4 guys in this group, but keep Monroe and Pitta.
Buh-Bye
Michael Oher
Ed Dickson
Terrence Cody
Tandon Doss