Ozzie Newsome - Visionary or Buffoon ? (1 Viewer)

[SSOG]

I think it boils down to his confidence in his ability to year-in, year-out draft good defensive players. All GMs have their strengths, and while some are much more limited than others, Ozzie knows defense. While he finally has decent offense, I don't think he would do the same dismantling job on the O side of the ball as it has taken him so long to get a good unit. When you look at the many versions of his defense, it has almost been plug-and-play for 15 years and he just has more confidence he can come back from that...but he wasn't going to try to reload with a QB and let Flacco walk (or even franchise and trade him).

Either way, he was forced to let people go, but I think he picked the right side of the ball to unload.

Kind of ironic for a guy that spent his football playing days on offense.

Guess he understood what it took for the other team to stop him.

Yeah, I think the casual fan thinks of different positions being a lot more distinct and separate than they really are. Josh McDaniels started out as an assistant DBs coach, iirc. Rick Dennison played TE in college, LB in the pros, broke into the coaching ranks as a special teams coach, became the offensive line coach after Alex Gibbs stepped down, and is now an offensive coordinator. Bill Belichick is heavily involved in the construction of New England's record-setting offense. I'm sure lots of other teams would have lots of other examples of people playing one position and then coaching another, or excelling on one side before switching to the other. I think some people really just understand football, and Ozzie Newsome is clearly one of those guys.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Ozzie Newsome is a great story from player to front office. I'll go with Visionary. It might take the Ravens a couple seasons to rebuild the defense and it may never be the same but you have to move forward. The AFC is vacant of talent so I think the Ravens are doing this at the right time.

What are the odds that Oak, SD, KC, TN, JAX, Buff, Mia, and the NYJets become perennial powerhouses in the next 2 years? The AFC belongs to Denver next year, NE will make a run but outside of that the rest of teams are not that scary. Pittsburgh is down, Cinci is probably the best team in that division next year.

Ozzie is great.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I definitely think he was smart to let Kruger and Ellerbe walk, they arent worth near what they got IMO. Hard to say about Reed at this point, but with his age, he will probably get more than he is worth in 2013. Im only surprised by the Pollard cut (then again, I was surprised when KC and HOU cut him as well), he has always been solid and trading Boldin away. Boldin was huge in the playoffs and his salary isnt bad. I guess their TE's are okay as their "WR2 and WR3" but they really have nothing after Smith at WR now. Jacoby is a great return man, but I wouldnt want him as my WR3 let alone a starter, as of now.

 

[ghostguy123]

Just curious. For all the people who think Ozzie made some mistakes letting guys go elsewhere.............what SHOULD he have done in your opinion?? And why?

And if he did what you say he should have done, then how do you think it would have played out next year and the following few years?

 

[Jaruta]

Ozzie Newsome is a great story from player to front office. I'll go with Visionary. It might take the Ravens a couple seasons to rebuild the defense and it may never be the same but you have to move forward. The AFC is vacant of talent so I think the Ravens are doing this at the right time. What are the odds that Oak, SD, KC, TN, JAX, Buff, Mia, and the NYJets become perennial powerhouses in the next 2 years? The AFC belongs to Denver next year, NE will make a run but outside of that the rest of teams are not that scary. Pittsburgh is down, Cinci is probably the best team in that division next year. Ozzie is great.

Before I say anything, Ozzie might be a buffoon. That Flacco contract is probably the market top for FA in the coming years with the cap expected to grow slowly. He could be a visionary, however, because the way it is structured shifts the risk 3 years down the road, at which point if Flacco suck they can offer him a low ball extension and mitigate the per annum loss from the intial contract.. Yup, genius. It doesn't hurt that he has the leagues best number 2.Rebuild the defense? I really can't understand this reasoning. The defense is already better than it was last year. I think Chris Canty will be a beast on that line. With Jones and Cody in contract years, along with Mchpee, Ngata... Which team, exactly, has a better interior defensive line? San Fran, maybe, I love the Dorsey signing and thought that he would come to Baltimore before I saw Canty. But J.Smith is at the end of the road. What are the odds that it is Ngata's turn to explode like Atkins, Watt, Smith? They are pretty strong at linebacker too, I think. Suggs may be healthy, Upshaw will be a beast, McClellan is a solid third. There are at least 2 more potential Ellerbe's on the roster in Nigel Carr and Josh Bynes, and McClain had already beat out Ellerbe for the starting lineback spot. Twice. Plus, that secondary is vicious. Webb will be healthy. Heck that is the guy that will most likely replace Reed since a switch to safety could prolong his career. Pollards replacement is already on the roster: see Omar Brown or Christian Thompson. Heck I think Brown and Thompson would be able to do more than Reed and Pollard. The only weakness on this defence is ILB NT~DT, but they are arguably better at this time last year, than last offseason. As for the offense... at WR, but that position is overrated. Boldin was a difference maker sometimes, like the playoffs, but not always. If people are gonna bash Flacco for inconsistency, then they can't say Boldin was worth 6 million. Last time I checked, Flacco had the most touchdown passes in a postseason and Boldin's postseason wasn't even in the top 3. Pitta and Jones made just as many plays. Even That toss up in Denver, how many quarterbacks could make that throw? It's trajectory was like that of a punt, which is why Moore missed it. IMO, the Ravens can get by with what they have at wide receiver given their backfield. That is why I think that Boldin was released; it was either him or Leach. Given that Pitta has shown that he can play, Dickson was more of a blocker last year, but he showed he can catch before. These guys can help replace Boldin's production. I bet that this team leads the league in rushing this year.AFC North Division Champions.

 

[IHEARTFF]

Cory Williams gone. So that's Boldin, Lewis, Ellerbe, Kruger, Pollard, Williams, Ed Reed?

Not going to be a pretty 2013 imo.

 

[roadkill1292]

Cory Williams gone. So that's Boldin, Lewis, Ellerbe, Kruger, Pollard, Williams, Ed Reed?Not going to be a pretty 2013 imo.

Lots of draft picks and low cost free agents to go yet and Ozzie is adept at using both avenues to restock. The better half of the defense (which wasn't very good last year) will return and may already be better with the Canty signing.

 

[Ron_Mexico]

Cory Williams gone. So that's Boldin, Lewis, Ellerbe, Kruger, Pollard, Williams, Ed Reed?Not going to be a pretty 2013 imo.

Lots of draft picks and low cost free agents to go yet and Ozzie is adept at using both avenues to restock. The better half of the defense (which wasn't very good last year) will return and may already be better with the Canty signing.

Leaning "buffoon" for the way he handled the defense this off season.Dude has a proven track record, but this stuff has me scratching my head.It's going to be a patchwork defense in 2013.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Imagine Denver's Safety hadn't let Flacco throw the ball over his head, but had stayed back to knock it down, and the Broncos held on to beat the Ravens 35-28 in the divisional round of the playoffs this year. And now imagine that in the wake of that, Baltimore made every move it has made until now exactly the same.Yes, people would be screaming even more over Flacco's contract. But what if the Ravens message were: we need to get younger and faster, both offensively and defensively, to compete with the AFC's top teams and get over the hump to win a Super Bowl.To me that would seem pretty sensible. And would account for letting go of older guys (like Reed, Ray Lewis) and slower guys (Boldin, Pollard). I think they have a long-term plan in place to be competitive every year and they're not letting the fact of a Super Bowl victory get them away from it.The Ravens are the only NFL team to reach the playoffs the last 5 seasons since Harbaugh arrived in 2008. I just did a count - there are 8 guys from the 2008 roster currently on the team. That's an average turnover of 9 guys every year. So this is nothing new.How many of the 8 can you name?

Spoiler

FlaccoRiceYandaSuggsNgataKoch (punter)AyanbadejoJameel McClain

Spoiler

I agree for the most part, but I think it goes without saying that if the Ravens had lost to the Broncos in the divisional round, Flacco does not get the contract he did end up getting.

So instead of 6 years for 120 million, what do you think he would have gotten?? 6 years 110 million?? 105 million??Impossible to know, but probably not close to what he did get. The leverage of being a Super Bowl champion and MVP would not have been there.

 

[domvin]

Visionary

He does have Eric Decosta as a sidekick. Decosta is the GM in waiting..... But you cant label a gm who has two super bowls a buffoon. Newsome willneed to take some chances on guys in this draft. Perhaps honey badger a round early, but newsome and the ravens will be fine. May be a lean year in 13, but they will bounce back.....

 

[Boston]

Ozzie is a fantastic GM...his record speaks for itself...his team just won a title and it looks like he's taking advantage of some goodwill to move on to a new era very quickly...it's painful but a fact of life in the NFL...teams like the Ravens, Pats, Packers and Steelers remain consistently good because they don't panic about losing good players...as far as the Ravens are concerned the guy to watch now is Flacco...with all these loses he will be asked to be a legit franchise QB...he's been good but next year will really be the first year that there are zero questions that it is his team...can he carry them as they rebuild their defense or does he take a step backwards...very interested to watch this play out...

 

[Sinrman]

You won a Super Bowl. Now everyone up for a new contract wants to get paid, naturally. They only have so much $$ to throw around. Maybe one or two of the moves, or lack of moves,

might be puzzling, but overall letting some of these guys go isn't a horrible idea. For example, I like Boldin, but I'm not one who thinks he's $6+ million/year worthy though.

 

[ghostguy123]

It's simple. No matter what they do they have to lose some key players. Because of this fact, ozzie is smart enough to realize their chances of repeating are quite slim, if not nearly impossible.

So, he rightfully decided to tear it down instead of trying to muddle through half a decade or more of salary cap Hell and mediocrity, and give his team the best possible chance of winning another super bowl anytime in the near future.

But what makes m a good GM and he drafts well and makes good free agent moves, it wont take nearly as long as essentially any other team to get back to relevance.

 

[ravnzfan]

Paul Kruger - signs with CLEEd Reed - free agent, unsignedBernard Pollard - cutDannell Ellerbe - signs with MIAAnquan Boldin - traded for a 6th round pickI was stunned to see them cut Pollard who is still only 28 and playing at a high leveljust to save $500K bonus due this Saturday. His cap number was $3.25 for next season, not outrageous at all.With the departure of Ray Lewis, add on top of it, Kruger, Ellerbe, and now Pollard, all gone,I have to question the direction which Ozzie is taking this team.edit to add :In my opinion Newsome is one of the best GMs in the league, I'm not questioning this.I'm referring to THIS OFF-SEASON ONLY. I've never seen a GM dismantle a young defense who just won the Super Bowl......period. ....

Pollard was as much a player decision as GM--word is, Pollard went ape-sh!# after the Redskin loss in OT, verbally bashing and nearly getting physical w/JBynes in the locker room---WITH Birk, Boldin, Reed and Lewis still part of the team!!! players were tired of his BS and let their feelings be known, so he was cut despite getting his deal reworked last yr$75M for Krugger and Ellerbe??? the Ravens are the team that scouts and signs UFA's that GET $35M contracts, not GIVE---both were overpaid, I'm uber happy for them and their familes, but the club could not come close to those numbers, so they moved on---good for them!the Boldin situation stings, but the club wanted him @a reduced number ($4.3 v $6M) this yr---he refused...I understand both sides...the main thought from the club was "do we prevent ourselves from replacing Q on the roster w/a FA/rookie or keep him @$7.5M cap number?"...the Ravens didn't feel Boldin was worth a $7.5M cap number for 1 yr, they weren't going to add onto the deal (he's 33 this yr), so they got what they could for him before releasing him--a 6th from SF...my question is, why wouldn't a team drafting high than 31th offer a 6 for him??? The Vikes gave the only other offer---a 7Reed was told the same thing Ray was several years back..."go out and see what's out there, and if you would, let's talk about it before you sign anywhere else..."that's where we are right now, we'll see....I doubt he returns, but it isn't quite the slam dunk everyone makes it out to beOzzie is looking at this for '13 AND '14, as 6 players count $70.9M v cap in 2014:Yanda, Rice, Flacco, Suggs, Ngata and WebbThey are considering the moves they make this off season as they apply to '13 AND '14, as it makes no sense for example to keep Q @$7.5M for '13 only and pass on a player that they'd have for potentially 4 or 5 more yearsFlacco's deal this year actually prevented them from having to make MORE cuts, for if they franchised him even @the low number of $14.5M, they would have had to shave another $7+M off the books, releasing even more players than they didthe bottom line is Ozzie & the Ravens have scouted and drafted well over the years, and when it was time, rewarded those players w/contracts that paid them @the top of their position, top of the team, and now, top of the league.... in no particular order:JOgdenRLewisEReedTSuggsHNgataRRiceLWeebJFlaccohave been rewarded w/contracts that paid them @or near the top of their position at the time signed---we as fans would have gone nuts if they were NOT awarded those deals---if we didn't, then Krugger and Ellerbe would still be here, but I doubt we win another SB w/o those players mentioned in the list abovethe fact remains, when you own players paid @the top of their position group, others will be lost that also perform well and want to "get paid"...."life in the NFL"

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Ozzie Newsome is a great story from player to front office. I'll go with Visionary. It might take the Ravens a couple seasons to rebuild the defense and it may never be the same but you have to move forward. The AFC is vacant of talent so I think the Ravens are doing this at the right time. What are the odds that Oak, SD, KC, TN, JAX, Buff, Mia, and the NYJets become perennial powerhouses in the next 2 years? The AFC belongs to Denver next year, NE will make a run but outside of that the rest of teams are not that scary. Pittsburgh is down, Cinci is probably the best team in that division next year. Ozzie is great.

Before I say anything, Ozzie might be a buffoon. That Flacco contract is probably the market top for FA in the coming years with the cap expected to grow slowly. He could be a visionary, however, because the way it is structured shifts the risk 3 years down the road, at which point if Flacco suck they can offer him a low ball extension and mitigate the per annum loss from the intial contract.. Yup, genius. It doesn't hurt that he has the leagues best number 2.Rebuild the defense? I really can't understand this reasoning. The defense is already better than it was last year. I think Chris Canty will be a beast on that line. With Jones and Cody in contract years, along with Mchpee, Ngata... Which team, exactly, has a better interior defensive line? San Fran, maybe, I love the Dorsey signing and thought that he would come to Baltimore before I saw Canty. But J.Smith is at the end of the road. What are the odds that it is Ngata's turn to explode like Atkins, Watt, Smith? They are pretty strong at linebacker too, I think. Suggs may be healthy, Upshaw will be a beast, McClellan is a solid third. There are at least 2 more potential Ellerbe's on the roster in Nigel Carr and Josh Bynes, and McClain had already beat out Ellerbe for the starting lineback spot. Twice. Plus, that secondary is vicious. Webb will be healthy. Heck that is the guy that will most likely replace Reed since a switch to safety could prolong his career. Pollards replacement is already on the roster: see Omar Brown or Christian Thompson. Heck I think Brown and Thompson would be able to do more than Reed and Pollard. The only weakness on this defence is ILB NT~DT, but they are arguably better at this time last year, than last offseason. As for the offense... at WR, but that position is overrated. Boldin was a difference maker sometimes, like the playoffs, but not always. If people are gonna bash Flacco for inconsistency, then they can't say Boldin was worth 6 million. Last time I checked, Flacco had the most touchdown passes in a postseason and Boldin's postseason wasn't even in the top 3. Pitta and Jones made just as many plays. Even That toss up in Denver, how many quarterbacks could make that throw? It's trajectory was like that of a punt, which is why Moore missed it. IMO, the Ravens can get by with what they have at wide receiver given their backfield. That is why I think that Boldin was released; it was either him or Leach. Given that Pitta has shown that he can play, Dickson was more of a blocker last year, but he showed he can catch before. These guys can help replace Boldin's production. I bet that this team leads the league in rushing this year.AFC North Division Champions.

So you agree or even more so it would seem.

 

[Jaruta]

Ozzie Newsome is a great story from player to front office. I'll go with Visionary. It might take the Ravens a couple seasons to rebuild the defense and it may never be the same but you have to move forward. The AFC is vacant of talent so I think the Ravens are doing this at the right time. What are the odds that Oak, SD, KC, TN, JAX, Buff, Mia, and the NYJets become perennial powerhouses in the next 2 years? The AFC belongs to Denver next year, NE will make a run but outside of that the rest of teams are not that scary. Pittsburgh is down, Cinci is probably the best team in that division next year. Ozzie is great.So you agree or even more so it would seem.

To the extent that I think the front office is great. Ozzie is not alone. He has Eric Decosta and Moriarty, along with owner that is committed to winning. Great organization top to bottom. I disagree because this team is not rebuilding. They can compete with Denver, NE, Houston for the one seed. They are probably looking at 10-6 - 13-3 next year, barring injuries. The thing is that they are lucky. Your right, Pittsburgh sucks. Cincy is good, but not tough as nails. They cant run the ball and have no premier difference makers in the secondary. Outside of Burfict, their linebackers stink. I would not be surprised if Cleveland finishes ahead of both Cincy and Pittsburgh. Actually, I'll go one further and say that BLT and CLE will probably finish 1-2 in the division and both will probably make the playoffs.

 

[cstu]

Cory Williams gone. So that's Boldin, Lewis, Ellerbe, Kruger, Pollard, Williams, Ed Reed?

Not going to be a pretty 2013 imo.

Reed will probably end up back with the Ravens. 2014 might be a down year for the defense but Ozzie is the master of finding gems in the draft. He also picked up Chris Canty very cheap and he can play DE and back up Ngata at DT.

My take on their losses:

- Boldin is not as big of a loss as people think. The Ravens have some guys who can take up the slack and it's a deep draft at WR.

- Ramon Harewood had the starting job last year but lost it during the season to Bobbie Williams. If he can stay healthy then I don't think they will have a major dropoff at guard.

- Birk is a loss at center but they've been developing Gino Gradkowski to take his place.

- Pollard wasn't good in coverage and seemed to be a distraction in the locker room. They'll look to find his replacement in the draft.

- Ray Lewis' leadership will be tougher to replace than his on-field play.

- Ellerbe and Kruger are good LB's but Ozzie is very good at replacing LB's when they leave.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Here's the thing:

You can't take snapshots and say "He's this or is that forever". Believe it or not, people change - they learn as they go. Ozzie has, IMHO, grown immensely as a GM even over the last few years. He learns from his mistakes. And when I say "Ozzie", I'm not just talking about the man himself but DeCosta and the rest too. But it still starts with Newsome (the man).

Who was the last guy from outside of their roster the Ravens overpaid for? Elvis Grbac? That was 2001.

I'm too stupid to understand how the Ravens' "value chart" (or draft chart, for that matter) works, but it does. Who have the Ravens let go that did better after they left? Holmes, but the Ravens won a SB with Jamal Lewis as a rookie.

True, the Kindle/Cody draft looks like a bust but these are the kind of selections the Ravens hit on all the time. Nobody knew Kindle was gonna fall down the stairs.

In any event, it looks like Ozzie is taking a different approach this post-SB year. He's being proactive instead of trying to patch things up for another run.

 

[cstu]

Cory Williams gone. So that's Boldin, Lewis, Ellerbe, Kruger, Pollard, Williams, Ed Reed?

Not going to be a pretty 2013 imo.

Reed will probably end up back with the Ravens. 2014 might be a down year for the defense but Ozzie is the master of finding gems in the draft. He also picked up Chris Canty very cheap and he can play DE and back up Ngata at DT.

My take on their losses:

- Boldin is not as big of a loss as people think. The Ravens have some guys who can take up the slack and it's a deep draft at WR.

- Ramon Harewood had the starting job last year but lost it during the season to Bobbie Williams. If he can stay healthy then I don't think they will have a major dropoff at guard.

- Birk is a loss at center but they've been developing Gino Gradkowski to take his place.

- Pollard wasn't good in coverage and seemed to be a distraction in the locker room. They'll look to find his replacement in the draft.

- Ray Lewis' leadership will be tougher to replace than his on-field play.

- Ellerbe and Kruger are good LB's but Ozzie is very good at replacing LB's when they leave.

Just got Kruger's replacement in Dumervil.

 

[The_Man]

A Super Bowl winning defense? Technically you’re right, but the defense is not why the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Look at some rankings:

22 by Football Outsiders in total defense

12 in points allowed

17 in yards allowed

16 in sacks

19 in INTs

31 in forced fumbles

Why would you overpay to keep this unit together? Part of what makes Baltimore’s front office is its self-scouting and the collaboration between the coaches and the player personnel department. The Ravens know who can play and who can’t. Look at the litany of defensive guys who have left and think about whether Baltimore should have overpaid to keep any of them:

Jarrett Johnson, Kelly Gregg, Adalius Thomas, Bart Scott, Dawan Landry, Ed Hartwell, Jim Leonhard, etc., etc.

They are keeping their three mainstays who are in their 20s, none of whom contributed much this year: Suggs (ok, he's actually 30), Ngata and Lardarius Webb. They have sunk a ton of money into those guys and now need them to step up and earn it.

Finally, the Ravens are in a great position to draft a Safety or ILB. Talented guys at those positions always fall in the draft because they aren’t considered “impact positions.” For example, the Ravens got Ray at #26 and Reed at #24. This team will look a lot different in a couple of months after the draft, and additional free agency moves.

The Ravens front office has been together for 16 years. The coaching staff has been there for 5 years. They have a plan and it’s impossible to comment on its execution until we see what it is.

I'm shocked, shocked to learn that the Ravens had a plan to field a better defense than the mediocre unit they had last year. ESPN reported that Dumervil's getting five-year deal worth up to $35 million, including $8.5 million in the first year. In other words, they got him for the same money Ellerbe is getting in Miami, and less than the 5 years/$40 million Kruger is getting from Cleveland.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess the Ravens will continue to make moves to improve their team!

 

[roadkill1292]

Schefter said that Dumervil's first year cap hit is $2.5 million.

In an otherwise simplistic and pretty stupid post, Bracie Smathers said earlier in this thread that visionary vs buffoon was a pair of ridiculous choices and he's right about that. The NFL is mostly about being incrementally better than most other teams and fielding a competitive team that has a chance is about all you can ask out of an organization. That Ozzie is doing it consistently in a quarterback-driven league with a middle of the pack quarterback is pretty amazing in its own way. All teams make mistakes on personnel but he's pretty good at what he does.

 

[The_Man]

You could say that the Ravens traded Kruger for Dumervil, a 4th round pick (compensatory in next year's draft for losing Kruger) and $5M - the difference in the deals the two players signed.

Kruger has 15 1/2 sacks in his four-year career. Dumervil has 63 1/2 in seven years, including one he missed entirely.

Note: Broncos won't get comp pick for Dumervil, and Ravens won't lose one for signing him because the Broncos cut him - he wasn't a UFA until then.

 

[humpback]

A Super Bowl winning defense? Technically you’re right, but the defense is not why the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Look at some rankings:

22 by Football Outsiders in total defense

12 in points allowed

17 in yards allowed

16 in sacks

19 in INTs

31 in forced fumbles

Why would you overpay to keep this unit together? Part of what makes Baltimore’s front office is its self-scouting and the collaboration between the coaches and the player personnel department. The Ravens know who can play and who can’t. Look at the litany of defensive guys who have left and think about whether Baltimore should have overpaid to keep any of them:

Jarrett Johnson, Kelly Gregg, Adalius Thomas, Bart Scott, Dawan Landry, Ed Hartwell, Jim Leonhard, etc., etc.

They are keeping their three mainstays who are in their 20s, none of whom contributed much this year: Suggs (ok, he's actually 30), Ngata and Lardarius Webb. They have sunk a ton of money into those guys and now need them to step up and earn it.

Finally, the Ravens are in a great position to draft a Safety or ILB. Talented guys at those positions always fall in the draft because they aren’t considered “impact positions.” For example, the Ravens got Ray at #26 and Reed at #24. This team will look a lot different in a couple of months after the draft, and additional free agency moves.

The Ravens front office has been together for 16 years. The coaching staff has been there for 5 years. They have a plan and it’s impossible to comment on its execution until we see what it is.

I'm shocked, shocked to learn that the Ravens had a plan to field a better defense than the mediocre unit they had last year. ESPN reported that Dumervil's getting five-year deal worth up to $35 million, including $8.5 million in the first year. In other words, they got him for the same money Ellerbe is getting in Miami, and less than the 5 years/$40 million Kruger is getting from Cleveland.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess the Ravens will continue to make moves to improve their team!

Do you think the plan included sabotaging a fax machine?

 

[cstu]

Do you think the plan included sabotaging a fax machine?

FaxGate

 

[Jaruta]

You could say that the Ravens traded Kruger for Dumervil, a 4th round pick (compensatory in next year's draft for losing Kruger) and $5M - the difference in the deals the two players signed.Kruger has 15 1/2 sacks in his four-year career. Dumervil has 63 1/2 in seven years, including one he missed entirely.Note: Broncos won't get comp pick for Dumervil, and Ravens won't lose one for signing him because the Broncos cut him - he wasn't a UFA until then.

Wicked observation. So, really, they're paying even less than the stated value of the contract. Guys, #### inside linebacker and safety. This team needs to invest in the 120 millions dollar man: Joe Cool. This defense will be disgusting. Chris Canty is a typical Ravens signing; just like Redding, Pryce, Mccrary... Dumervil with Suggs, Upshaw, and McClellan on the edge... This defense is disgusting. It doesn't hurt they have four potential starters at cornerback.What do the Ravens' fans out there think is the best way to improve the offense? Good Joe Flacco has shown that he can be the best quarterback in the league with two stellar playoff runs, how does this team make the offense capable of winning when Flacco Flaccoes? They certainly have enough draft picks to try and trade up for one of the Tackles if he falls.

 

[cstu]

Now they've signed Michael Huff to replace Reed for $2M a year.

 

[cstu]

So this leaves the Ravens with a SS and two ILB's to replace in the draft.

 

[Koya]

How could ANY Super Bowl winning GM be called a "buffoon" before a game is even played the next season? Yeesh.

 

[cstu]

So this leaves the Ravens with a SS and two ILB's to replace in the draft.

They got their safety in the 1st (Matt Elam) and an ILB in the 2nd (Arthur Brown). They might still need another LB but I think it's safe to say they've reloaded.

 

[The_Man]

The Ravens are going to take the field in Week 1 starting only 3 guys on defense who started in the Super Bowl - Ngata, Suggs, and Upshaw.

Jimmy Smith will move in at CB for Carey Williams who left in FA.

Lardarius Webb will return from injury at the other CB slot, moving Corey Graham to the nickel CB spot.

Michael Huff (age 30) for Ed Reed (34) at Free Safety.

Matt Elam (21) for Bernard Pollard (28) at Strong Safety.

Arthur Brown (22) at ILB for Ray Lewis (37).

Rolando McClain (23) or Jameel McClain returning from injury at ILB for Ellerbe (27).

Elvis Dumervil (29) at OLB for Paul Kruger (27).

Brandon Williams (24) at Nose Tackle for Maake Kemoeatu (34) - which means Ngata can be the 3-technique End in the 3-4 instead of the Nose Tackle.

Plus they picked up Canty and Spears to add depth on the D Line.

Still need a LT and they're just simply not going to replace Boldin with anyone nearly as good, but the defense is younger, faster, and significantly better than it was last year.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

The Ravens are going to take the field in Week 1 starting only 3 guys on defense who started in the Super Bowl - Ngata, Suggs, and Upshaw.

Jimmy Smith will move in at CB for Carey Williams who left in FA.

Lardarius Webb will return from injury at the other CB slot, moving Corey Graham to the nickel CB spot.

Michael Huff (age 30) for Ed Reed (34) at Free Safety.

Matt Elam (21) for Bernard Pollard (28) at Strong Safety.

Arthur Brown (22) at ILB for Ray Lewis (37).

Rolando McClain (23) or Jameel McClain returning from injury at ILB for Ellerbe (27).

Elvis Dumervil (29) at OLB for Paul Kruger (27).

Brandon Williams (24) at Nose Tackle for Maake Kemoeatu (34) - which means Ngata can be the 3-technique End in the 3-4 instead of the Nose Tackle.

Plus they picked up Canty and Spears to add depth on the D Line.

Still need a LT and they're just simply not going to replace Boldin with anyone nearly as good, but the defense is younger, faster, and significantly better than it was last year.

All in less than 3 months. I'll admit I got a little panicky those first 3 or 4 days of FA, but I usually have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about anyway (see: my gameday score predictions for some hard evidence).

I'm no longer worried about the D and, outside of LT, not fretting the offense all that much either. Caldwell showed me enough after Cam's firing that I'm confident he can be reasonably creative (as opposed to Cam's creative insanity). Pass catchers Smith, Jones, Rice, Pitta, & Dickson are fine if one of the youngsters at WR can give them just a little. Hell, they can split Rice out as a receiver and put Pierce in the backfield.

 

[Riversco]

This whole "let's tear down a super bowl champion to avoid salary cap hell and stay competitive in the future" thing. How often does this actually work? Are there examples of Super Bowl champions blowing up their roster and staying competitive in the future for it?

 

[roadkill1292]

This whole "let's tear down a super bowl champion to avoid salary cap hell and stay competitive in the future" thing. How often does this actually work? Are there examples of Super Bowl champions blowing up their roster and staying competitive in the future for it?

I don't know if anything was actually "torn down." They had two major retirements and a crapload of free agents who left for bigger paychecks. And then Ozzie went out and signed a bunch of quality veteran free agents and had a great draft (picking last!). Even with two glaring question marks on the offensive line and being a little shorthanded in the receiving corps, this team is guaranteed to be competitive for the next three years.

 

[Mohawk]

Ozzie is one of the best at what he does. His team consistently wins and makes the playoffs. What more do you want?

Visionary? Come on man!! this is freaking football! The overused "genius" or "visionary" thing is absurd By definition visionaries come along rarely. Last person even close to a visionary in pro football was Bill Walsh.

I would take Ozzie over any current GM and I am glad we have him here in Bmore. Anyone calling him out does NOT understand football!

 

[TheFly06]

Ozzie is brilliant. I KNOW they traded up to steal Arthur Brown from the Texans!! Baltimore will always be in the playoff mix as long as he remains the GM. I'm jealous...

 

[Wise Old Owl]

This whole "let's tear down a super bowl champion to avoid salary cap hell and stay competitive in the future" thing. How often does this actually work? Are there examples of Super Bowl champions blowing up their roster and staying competitive in the future for it?

The core of this defense is still there, Suggs Ngata and Webb have been the real contributors over the past few years