6 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

If by the Draft, the following has happened:

The Ravens have lost or cut:
Kruger
Williams
Birk
Leach
Ayanbadejo
B. Williams

The Ravens have retained:
Ellerbe
Reed
McKinnie

How would you generally feel about the where the team is?

O-Line: McKinne, Osemele, Gradkowski, Yanda, Oher
QB: Flacco
RB: Rice, Pierce
FB:
WR: Boldin, Smith, Jones, Doss, Streeter, Williams
TE: Pitta, Dickson
D-Line: Jones, McPhee, Tyson, Ngata, Kemoeatu, Cody, Hall
LB: Upshaw, McClain, Ellerbe, Suggs, McClellan, Bynes
Secondary: Webb, Graham, Smith, Brown, Jackson, Pollard, Reed, Considine, Brown, Thompson

I'd be pretty happy overall. I'd expect the Ravens to get another veteran interior lineman, hopefully someone that could play Center if Gradkowski was not ready.

If you can't hold onto Leach, that would be a loss. I'd like to think you could find another lead blocker, but with the FB dying in college, might be difficult.

Adding talent to either the D-Line, or at MLB would still be my priority going into the Draft.

[MattCLund]

Losing Leach would be a bummer. But his position is dying out in the NFL in terms of a true bull-dozing FB like himself.

For the money he'd be expected to get, it's not really worth the money. The Ravens could use two Tight Ends sets more, or have Rice and Pierce in the backfield at the same time, maybe H-back sets.

I'd be relatively fine with that team as it's constructed, I still want to see the Ravens attack the D-line in the draft. Same thing at MLB.

I just want to see some young, athletic talent come in and find their places on the team.

Webb comes back healthy, that's a big key too.

[Mike B]

As you mentioned Vonta would be a huge loss. He is another guy who was born to be a Raven. Tough as hell. However, if they are our only losses I would feel good. I have set myself that Kruger is gone. Keeping Ellerbe and Boldin is key to me. I hope that in regards to Joe's contract, silence is golden and the Ravens and Joe are closing in. Getting a deal with Joe and not having to use the tag are a key to this entire off season. Getting Joe done and being able to keep Q and McKinnie(at a reasonable amount) would insure that our offense is a good one.
In regards to Leach, I think if he leaves, the Ravens would play Pitta more as an HBack. Caldwell used Dallas Clark in that role a lot in his time with the Irsays.

[Mackus]

Leach is definitely getting cut. Just can't justify a cap hit of over $4M for a fullback given the Raven's cap situation and the way the offense appears to be evolving. I could possibly see them renegotiating with him, but my guess is he's cut and finds work elsewhere that is still going to be using a more traditional fullback. We'll find one on the scrap heap or pick up a late round or undrafted rookie for that position. I don't think they'll cut Ayanbadejo. They'd only save about $800k against the cap by doing that, and I think they prefer what he provides on special teams and some depth as a backup LB to replacing him with a rookie and saving at most $400k (cap savings minus minimum salary of replacement).

I definitely think that Ellerbe, renegotiating with Boldin, and McKinnie should be priorities. I'd like Reed back, though the dollars he may get could push him out of the range of what I'd like him back for.

If they do all that, they should have enough cap room to add one or two low-priced veterans (think Corey Graham or Bryant McKinnie signings in recent years) and sign all their draft picks.

[SportsGuy]

I really like Leach but if you lose him, so what?

He is on the field for less than 40% of the snaps and its not like we have had some top level running game since he has been here.

We were in 10th in NFL in 2011 and 11th this past season.

In the 2 years prior, we were 14th and 5th.

Ray Rice has had a higher YPC the 2 years with him vs the year right before...but his best year in YPC was in 2009, when Leach wasn't here.

I would think the Ravens will try to keep Leach but at a much lower number. I am not sure they neccassarily restructure him as much as just cut him and look to sign him to a revised 2-3 year deal...Only so many teams can use him anyway.

Besides, Caldwell may not want him back. They didn't use a fullback in Indy.

I think NE, who has a lot of cap space, will offer Reed more money than we can...Indy may do the same.

I hope they go after McKinnie but Im not convinced they will....It sounds like Clady will be franchised and KC wants Albert back.

So, that leaves McKinnie and Jake Long unless you want to spend on a RT and move Oher back to LT, which I think is a poor idea.

The one thing I will say about McKinnie is that guys like Reed and Ray helped to motivate him...with them not here, where does that motivation come from?

[Mackus]

I would think the Ravens will try to keep Leach but at a much lower number. I am not sure they neccassarily restructure him as much as just cut him and look to sign him to a revised 2-3 year deal...Only so many teams can use him anyway.

They'd restructure over cutting him and resigning him. If they cut him, they have to absorb $1.33M in dead money, even if they later resign him. If they restructure, they just pay whatever the salary and cap hit from the new deal is.

I think it's overwhelmingly likely that he's simply just cut and not brought back.

[SportsGuy]

They'd restructure over cutting him and resigning him. If they cut him, they have to absorb $1.33M in dead money, even if they later resign him. If they restructure, they just pay whatever the salary and cap hit from the new deal is.

I think it's overwhelmingly likely that he's simply just cut and not brought back.

But that 1.3M in dead money right now could still be better than restructuring because of the long term implications of whatever a restructured deal would look like.

But if that deal would still be cheap, then sure, they wouldn't cut him and re-sign him.

I agree its unlikely he is gone...As i said, I think Caldwell would prefer one back sets.