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*****Official Baltimore Ravens Thread***** (2 Viewers)

lsutigers said:
humpback said:
Pretty costly win- dropped them from the 3rd overall pick to 8th (right now).
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Other than a chance at Bosa, our guy (CB/safety presumably) will be there. Now if we win Week 17. . .

But like DB said, I'll take that for a sweep of Pittsburgh in a down year.
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So other than a legitimate shot at the top guy in the draft (according to some people), no biggie?

I don't get that mentality- are you really going to talk trash to Steelers fans for years to come because you swept them in a year that you won 5 or 6 games?

Forget any short-term "bragging rights" (and I use that loosely), give me the much better draft slot.

 
Trust in Ozzie, but I don't understand not being able to come to an agreement with Tucker.  Gostowski got 4.3Mil per year, with 59% of his contract guaranteed or 10.1 Mil.  Surely, his contract is in that range and they are in a great spot the next 2 or 3 years cap wise with Dumervil, Suggs and Pitta's contracts coming off.  

There's no way they can afford Osemele so he's gone even with a Flacco restructure.  I hope they know something about his recovery, because that's a huge loss.

Stanley, Bosa, Ramsey, Buckner, Spence all seem to be frequent targets mentioned and would fit needs.  

 
2016 Offseason moves:

Add/Retain:

Kamar Aiken, Morgan Cox, Albert McClellan, Justin Tucker, Chris Carter, Chase Ford, Ben Watson, Shareece Wright, Mike Wallace, Eric Weddle, Marlon Brown

Depart:

Chris Canty, Kelechi Osemele, Matt Schaub, Daryl Smith, Will Hill, Courtney Upshaw, Tray Walker (RIP young man)

Weddle and Wright are the biggest + deals.  On the flip side, don't think we lose much by not having Upshaw.  Daryl Smith looks like a huge loss in the short term, don't see anyone on the roster currently who can just step into that role (Orr? Brown?  Yikes.)  Even if he's RB4, I'm not sure a motivated (?) Trent Richardson adds anything if that happens.

Wallace deal fulfills the Torrey role, but does that mean Perriman isn't expected to be ready for 2016? Dunno.  Other than that, more of the same at WR.  

 
Just did my projections for Balt.  What a complete pile of fantasy wasteland.

From QB to RB, WR and TE, it's all a complete crapshoot.  Maybe preseason gives some hints but right now situation to avoid unless deep flyers on some doods

 
Any thoughts or insights on the Ravens from fans this year?

I think the offense will be rejuvenated right down to stuck we but everything except QB is a question mark:

- RB - Forsett/West/Allen/Dixon.

- WR - SSmith/Allen/Perriman

- TE - Watson/Williams

This should be a team to find value of you pick right.

 
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Watson is out for the year.

I think Flacco will continue to be a strong QB3 for deeper or 2 QB leagues.

I think Dixon emerges as a 3 down back, but could be late in the season.

I have no idea at WR.  Aiken appears to be the safest best but probably has the lowest ceiling.

I'm putting my money on Crockett Gilmore at TE.  I don't trust Pitta anymore and I don't trust Maxx yet.

Think the D will have a rebound year with some LB depth and better safety play.

FWIW, fairly nice overall SOS in Weeks 14-16 vs. Browns, at Dallas, vs. Bengals

 
WR Smith will get his and I see Wallace having a handful of big games, Flacco has no problem chunking it downfield even after a couple drops.

 
I had started a new thread here, but we can roll with this one if y'all want.

I posted my initial thoughts in the other thread, but here's what I think from a FF perspective (all assuming health, of course):

Flacco: something like 25/18 for 3600 yds

RB: Forsett will see the bulk of the work, at least early on, and will catch plenty of passes. I think Dixon is the future, though, and - if the Ravens fall out of the playoff hunt - will get a lot of work. West & Allen muddy the water even more. If you're starting any of these guys in all but the deepest leagues early on, you have my thoughts and prayers.

WR: As long as Smith is on the field, he'll get a million targets. If Flacco was a bigamist, he'd marry Steve Smith, as much as he locks in on him. Aiken's like Smith, though not as good. He was their most consistent player last year, but he's not a transcendent talent - if Smith gets hurt, Flacco will marry Aiken. Wallace & Perriman are complete wild cards. I expect those two will be used like Torrey Smith was - close your eyes, throw it deep, and hope for a flag. They'll split 6 or 8 TDs. One will get 3 TDs one game and ruin your season because you'll be waiting for it again.

TE: a complete mess. Two months ago, I was like "WTF? How are they going to play all of these guys?". Now, I don't know if they can trot one out who is healthy. Even Pitta said he's the #1 by default. Williams is the most athletic, but he's half-banged up. Gilmore is a better blocker than a receiver. Leave this spot alone if you can.

K: Tucker's good, but overrated. He gets a ton of long tries so, if your league awards more points for distance, he's a good one to have. Just be prepared for him to miss a bunch of those.

D/ST: IF IF IF Suggs & Dumervil can stay healthy, they'll get some sacks. I think they were worst in the league last year at take-aways and I don't see that changing much - Ed Reed ain't walking through that door over there. Run D should be stout. I'm guessing they'll finish somewhere middle-of-the-pack in yds/pts. The return game hasn't been any good since Jermaine Lewis was there (except when Ed Reed would drop back, who would then try to lateral when he was getting tackled).

Bottom Line: Unless you have Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, AND Odell Beckham - I'd play Steve Smith every week he's a healthy start just from sheer volume. Flacco in a start-2 QB league (or if you waited on QB and are studded-out everywhere else). And Tucker because he'll get you both opportunity and some longer FGs. Other than that......for FF purposes, they're a mess.

 
Dennis Pitta - TE -  Ravens



NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Ravens TE Dennis Pitta (finger, questionable) will start Week 1 against the Bills.
It's not surprising that Pitta is playing, though the announcement that he'll start is a bit expected. Pitta was listed behind Crockett Gillmore and Maxx Williams on the Ravens' depth chart but appears to have leapfrogged both of them. If Pitta maintains that role, he could work his way into the TE2 discussion. With that said, Pitta has a lot to prove after missing almost two years due to various injuries.

 
 
Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter 
Sep 11 - 8:17 AM


 
SaintsInDome2006 said:
Do Ravens fans think that Dixon could come back and start fairly quickly?
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In short, no. But the Raven's backfield is an absolute crapshoot right now. I don't know if anyone knows, but here's my best guess.

I think that "starting" is very unlikely to happen anytime soon, even if by starting you just mean getting the bulk of the touches. The Ravens have tended toward using a bell cow over the years, but right now it is pretty much 50/50 with Forsett/West. With Dixon back, and a team that trusts veterans and eases young guys in, I don't see Dixon overwhelming the other two in a short period of time. I would say there is little chance that Dixon comes back and becomes "The Guy" this year.

That said, the Ravens rushing attack is in desperate need of a jolt, and I could see him getting worked in as soon as he's healthy. He's supposed to be a good fid for Trestman's offence, particularly as a receiver (which they haven't had much of so far this year, despite Trestman's reputation).  The coaching staff has also said some good things about him, indicating they want to use him when he's healthy. 

FWIW, they have only dressed two backs for each game so far this season. That could be either a good or bad thing. Buck Allen (who a few thought could be a major threat for touches before camp) won't be a threat to touches at any rate. Forsett looks like he's declining fast, but the coaching staff trusts him and will roll with him as long as they can. West has been just as good, probably better, and has been on the rise since training camp, but he hasn't completely seized his chance to separate himself.

Bottom line: Dixon should be fantasy relevant in a few weeks. Likely a flex play with RB2 upside after the bye week if he's working in (and the Ravens running game becomes more productive, which it should). Without an injury I don't see him taking the starter's share of the reps this year though. Perhaps very late this season, early next season.

If you are looking to trade for him, I might wait until after his first few games back. If they do ease him in some owners might get impatient and sell low. But, like I said, the whole Ravens offence is a crapshoot. Good luck!

 
Killtops said:
In short, no. But the Raven's backfield is an absolute crapshoot right now. I don't know if anyone knows, but here's my best guess.

I think that "starting" is very unlikely to happen anytime soon, even if by starting you just mean getting the bulk of the touches. The Ravens have tended toward using a bell cow over the years, but right now it is pretty much 50/50 with Forsett/West. With Dixon back, and a team that trusts veterans and eases young guys in, I don't see Dixon overwhelming the other two in a short period of time. I would say there is little chance that Dixon comes back and becomes "The Guy" this year.

That said, the Ravens rushing attack is in desperate need of a jolt, and I could see him getting worked in as soon as he's healthy. He's supposed to be a good fid for Trestman's offence, particularly as a receiver (which they haven't had much of so far this year, despite Trestman's reputation).  The coaching staff has also said some good things about him, indicating they want to use him when he's healthy. 

FWIW, they have only dressed two backs for each game so far this season. That could be either a good or bad thing. Buck Allen (who a few thought could be a major threat for touches before camp) won't be a threat to touches at any rate. Forsett looks like he's declining fast, but the coaching staff trusts him and will roll with him as long as they can. West has been just as good, probably better, and has been on the rise since training camp, but he hasn't completely seized his chance to separate himself.

Bottom line: Dixon should be fantasy relevant in a few weeks. Likely a flex play with RB2 upside after the bye week if he's working in (and the Ravens running game becomes more productive, which it should). Without an injury I don't see him taking the starter's share of the reps this year though. Perhaps very late this season, early next season.

If you are looking to trade for him, I might wait until after his first few games back. If they do ease him in some owners might get impatient and sell low. But, like I said, the whole Ravens offence is a crapshoot. Good luck!
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Thanks. This is disappointing but I can tell it's good info, I appreciate it.

 
Agree with the assessment of Dixon as flex play with RB2 upside, though I think he might end up a little better than that. He was by far the best RB in preseason, and Forsett and West have been terrible. Forsett is out of gas, and West is just a guy, at best. I think the Ravens would love it if someone came in and showed some spark - maybe he starts as a 3rd down guy and gets progressively more. As long as he shows he can keep Flacco upright in pass protection, because that's a priority at this point.

 
The_Man said:
Agree with the assessment of Dixon as flex play with RB2 upside, though I think he might end up a little better than that. He was by far the best RB in preseason, and Forsett and West have been terrible. Forsett is out of gas, and West is just a guy, at best. I think the Ravens would love it if someone came in and showed some spark - maybe he starts as a 3rd down guy and gets progressively more. As long as he shows he can keep Flacco upright in pass protection, because that's a priority at this point.
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It's hard to tell because the results have been putrid, but the blocking schemes don't look awful to me - Forsett & West have, though. There is no burst from either even when they get some room. That being said, I haven't seen a ton of commitment from the Ravens to establish any kind of running game on a consistent basis. I've seen too many 22-46/210 2/2 games from Flacco over the years to think Baltimore's offense can turn into New Orleans, just fling it all over the field, and score 40 points. If Perriman turns into Julio Jones, maybe, but he's not even 2016 Mike Wallace yet. Someone as dynamic as Dixon is supposed to be may change this and we'll be back to the late '90s Ravens. 

 
Goodbye, Trestman, you can take your time leaving because it is obvious you don't know how to run.  Harbaugh has been a great coach for the Ravens but he better be careful as he could be next on the hot seat.  

The O-line is this years boogeyman and the lack of depth and the inexperience are just killing the offensive flow right now.  Flacco is getting crushed and now he's getting gun shy and throwing the ball inaccurately even when he has a second or two to step up.  The run game looks better with West but Trestman is similar to Cam Cameron in that he runs away from the run right after halftime.

This team can improve as the season goes on as long as they get their first string o-lineman healthy and playing together.  I still have faith.

 
So this thread's activity reflects the kind of non-exciting season it's been for the Ravens. Kind of hard to believe they're 4-1 in their last 5.

I will say they're not a bad team when they can field a decent starting O Line, which has happened lately. Flacco vs. Miami last week was the closest thing I've seen to Super Bowl MVP Flacco. Threw on-time and with great accuracy. And for the first time since Kubiak left, they looked like they actually had a plan on offense. I'm loving the bunch formations and crossing routes, with rubs getting guys open to catch the ball in stride - you know, the kind of stuff that most competent NFL offenses do without thinking but are a major revelation in Baltimore. In particular, the Perriman TD was set up by a rub - the formation got him totally free and he and Flacco did the rest.

The thing that excites me most about this team is the Run D. Brandon Williams, Jernigan and Pierce are unbelievable - unfortunately, I think Williams and Jernigan are both in contract years. I would let Jernigan go and give Williams the kind of Raven For Life deal they've been able to make with all their cornerstone players in their prime (Ray, Reed, Suggs, Ngata, Yanda, etc). He's that dominant in the middle.

One interesting tidbit from Football Outsiders, their DVOA model judges the Ravens' 2016 opponents' rushing games to be stronger than what the 2000 team faced, and thus, their run defense efficiency rating is actually better this season (-39.7 percent) than in 2000 (-36.9 percent). In fact, the 2016 Ravens have the best run defense DVOA in Football Outsiders' 27-year dataset. It's also worth noting that the Ravens allowed an 85-yard rushing touchdown to Crowell in Week 2. On their other 259 attempts, Ravens opponents are averaging 3.09 yards. And they've faced McCoy, Zeke Elliott, LeVeon Bell and some other good RBs.

Tonight will show us what this team is really made of. I won't be at all surprised if Brady completely abandons the run and throws 60 times, mostly to whomever Jimmy Smith is not covering. I have a feeling Ravens nickel CB and Safeties can be exposed down the seams. And I totally respect the Patriots' game-planning brilliance - rather than try to run and fail, or throw at Baltimore's best CB, they'll just find the Ravens' weakness and exploit it brutally.

I think Flacco's going to have to go score-for-score with Brady and the Pats eventually pull away, 30-23. Kind of like the Dallas game - the Ravens are an above-average team, but a notch below the NFL's really good teams.

 
The_Man said:
I think Flacco's going to have to go score-for-score with Brady and the Pats eventually pull away, 30-23. Kind of like the Dallas game - the Ravens are an above-average team, but a notch below the NFL's really good teams.
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Just saying

FWIW, I like the Ravens big at home vs. Philly

 
Welp, I'm thinking the Ravens take a Christmas whooping in Pittsburgh. This is not the same team without Jimmy Smith. Still, I was astonished to see them get run on like the Eagles did yesterday.

How can Flacco look so good vs. Miami and play so poorly since? Both those turnovers yesterday were rookie stuff - not 9-year, Super Bowl MVP stuff. He just seems brain dead most of the time. That's good in pressure situations because he's too oblivious to feel it, but not good the rest of the time. I look back at that last Super Bowl and am amazed at what Kubiak was able to achieve. I miss that guy.

Been 5-2 since the Bye, with the only losses at Dallas and at New England. So they've played entertaining football. But they are just not very good.

 
Hey Raven homers, what the heck is going with the oline? The Ravens have seen a serious drain of talent over the past two years. Osemele, Wagner, Zuttah. What is your take? Do you think they have the players to replace that lost talent on their current roster?

 
Ravens fans

What is going on with NT Brandon Williams? I know he missed the game against Jacksonville. Is he expected back this week against the Steelers?

 
Yenrub said:
Ravens fans

What is going on with NT Brandon Williams? I know he missed the game against Jacksonville. Is he expected back this week against the Steelers?
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As a local, the last thing I saw was optimistic, but it was local news so dunno how accurate that is. Not much info on Roto, or ESPN.

This fan hopes he doesn't play...

 
SaintsInDome2006 said:
Anybody in Baltimore figure out what happened?
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They had 0 clue how to prepare for a game in London, and as such were unprepared for the game. Should be better this week, but coming back from London and playing with no Bye might be tough on them. Also, their offense has stunk all 3 weeks but their D covered up for that. They lost their starting NT prior to the game and backup NT during the game. It's going to be harder for them to stop the run. Not sure why they got torched by Bortles other than they were groggy/slow.

 
So moving on to 2018.  Bottom 5 in cap space.  TOUGH schedule (8 games vs. 2017 playoff field; 5 on road)

Possible Salary Cap cuts:

Albert McClellan
Danny Woodhead (retired/released)
Brandon Carr
Ladarius Webb
Jeremy Maclin (released)

ADDS
Michael Crabtree
John Brown
DeVier Posey
RGIII

WR
TE
ILB
G
ROT
EDGE
 

 
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Updated with some moves.  Ravens salary cap situation (cut Woodhead and Maclin and Webb, renegotiated Urban and Hurst) is improved as they are up to 18th in available funds.

Like the moves at WR.  Was afraid they would reach for a WR in the 1st but that seems less likely now.

 
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Boy, oh boy...injuries and Bye Week 9 are killing me...after going 30 snaps, 3 targets 2/29/1 last week @ Panthers, is this the week that Hurst spreads those wings in a juicy pass game home matchup vs the Steelers?

 
Just putting this here so I can quote it when the Ravens beat the Steelers today and the post-game analysts focus on how the Steelers beat themselves and give us zero credit for the win.

 
jtp1982 said:
Just putting this here so I can quote it when the Ravens beat the Steelers today and the post-game analysts focus on how the Steelers beat themselves and give us zero credit for the win.
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"Us"?  Is that you, Flacco? Shouldn't you be warming up?

 
Ya bad day to be a Ravens fan.  It’s over for Harbaugh, you can’t let the team get worse as the season progresses.

Congrats Steelers.

 
jtp1982 said:
Ya bad day to be a Ravens fan.  It’s over for Harbaugh, you can’t let the team get worse as the season progresses.

Congrats Steelers.
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I didn't realize how bad Flacco has become.  He's not quite Eli level bad but he's bad.  I feel like he almost always steps up big against the Steelers.  If he doesn't have that going for him, he's truly done.  It's crazy how much things have changed (for both of these 2 teams) since the first matchup where the Ravens absolutely destroyed the Steelers.  The Steelers defense (while still not great) has been playing respectably since that Ravens matchup.  The Ravens defense on the other hand was pretty much torched today (which is a rare occurrence when Ben plays in Baltimore).  With all that said, the Ravens seem to always be in the playoff hunt so I think they'll be ok.

 
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fred_1_15301 said:
I didn't realize how bad Flacco has become.  He's not quite Eli level bad but he's bad.  I feel like he almost steps up big against the Steelers.  If he doesn't have that going for him, he's truly done.  It's crazy how much things have changed (for both of these 2 teams) since the first matchup where the Ravens absolutely destroyed the Steelers.  With all that said, the Ravens seem to always be in the playoff hunt so I think they'll be ok.
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Flacco’s always had a little of that Andy Dalton thing where he can suck really bad out of nowhere for a game then be fine.

Between a new GM and the fact that Harbaugh’s not gonna last unless things change fast (unlikely) Ravens are gonna be doing some rebuilding this offseason.  I don’t think Flacco’s the main problem, but I’d be fine if he’s not on the roster next year too.

He won us a Super Bowl though and he’s a good guy so I have nothing but respect for him.

 
Did the Ravens just fall in love with having a few new WRs that they decided to change their identity from a running team to a passing one?

It baffles me that they've virtually abandoned the run so much this year.

 
jtp1982 said:
Between a new GM and the fact that Harbaugh’s not gonna last unless things change fast (unlikely) Ravens are gonna be doing some rebuilding this offseason.
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Curious on what you guys think of Harbaugh leaving after this season.  Is it more because there'll be a new GM who wants to hire his own coach - or is he just not cutting it?  I always thought he was a good coach who was limited by some of the players the GM brought in.  What do you guys think?

 
How does Baltimore show up this week on both sides of the ball?

Defensively I would think there is pride and little fire burning their bruised egos.

QB - who knows? Alex Collins a play.

Tucker game?

 
The Baltimore defense was killing it and then starting CD Marlon Humphrey went down. That's also when their current 1-4 streak started. He's been back in the last game or two, but was rotating in and out. I think he's key to the defense - he can shut down the opposing team's top WR, which frees up the rest fo the D to blitz, and let the Safeties (neither of whom can cover much) help the LBs (none of whom can cover at all) much more. If he's healthy, it's a different D.

Flacco being out is probably a good thing for Baltimore this week. Marvin Lewis owns him. Makes him sustain long drives by completing lots of short passes into tight zone defense windows. Joe can't do that. I think either RG3 or Lamar gives the Ravens a burst and a different look on offense.

Wouldn't expect much from Alex Collins tho. Bengals will be loading the box and the Ravens run game is terrible. The reason they run so rarely and do all kinds of goofy stuff like give Lamar the ball on the ground is because they simply can't line up, drive block and open holes for their RB. Lord knows, Harbaugh likes balance and loves to run - but the Ravens just can't do it.

I'll predict Ravens win, something crazy like 20-19 or 23-22.

 
I'm surprised to see fantasy rankings with Ravens def rated top this week.  Cinnci is always in their heads for some reason and plays them 110%.  Maybe the bye will help, but I wouldn't put my money on it.

 
My guess is RG3 and Jackson both get a shot unless the QB that starts gets us up quick with solid play

Harbaugh is obviously enjoying the national attention Jackson’s potential start has brought but he needs to win this game to have a shot at being employed in Baltimore week 1 of next season and that’s going to be his priority 

 
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