2018 Ravens Season Reflections, Observations, Hopes and Predictions

Now that the dust has settled and we have seen, almost in one game alone, the best and worst of Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, what are your thoughts on the season, observations on the organization and predictions for the future or hopes for the direction of the team.

Here are a few of my own:
Marty Mornhinweg is terrible at in-game adjustments. Week to week he can be somewhat effective, but within the flow of a game, he has no vision or imagination to see what is happening.

Our O-line is burnt to a crisp. We need some fresh, top tier talent to go along with, what I think are, strong young tackles. Guards and center are the priority this off season.

Our defense is amazing. I really like Martindale's approach and the talent we have is outstanding. Brent Urban has really started to blossom and I only mention it because he generally does not get any pub.

I see Weddle and Jefferson gone this off season. I like the young guys we have started to develop and we have a few candidates to take over for them. They may not be superstars yet, but I think they can develop there.

I was at the stadium and was hearing the chants for Flacco. I was not calling for him to come in, god knows he would have been a statue back there and I think would have gotten creamed. That was simply my commentary on that, but I think we have barely scratched the surface of Jackson's talent. I think he can become a very solid passer to go along with the scrambling ability.

I am excited for our future. Often, the switch from one QB to another is long, drawn out and messy and , right or wrong, Harbaugh spared us that long messy transition and pulled the band aid off quickly. I do appreciate that.

I think Flacco will be traded to another team and will be their starter next season. I can see someone trading for him and reworking his existing contract.

I thought the season was relatively successful and turned out completely different than I expected. If we would have been told ahead of time that we would have a QB switch to a rookie and completely rework our playbook and hand the season over, I would have predicted us finishing with 6 out of the last 7 as losses and no remote hope of sniffing the playoffs. The way the season concluded was pretty satisfying overall. The playoff game was doo-doo but the second half of the season was actually pretty good in my eyes.

What thoughts do you all have for the future to come?

 

2019 Ravens Free Agents

— WR John Brown ---- Wouldn't mind seeing him resigned for a 2yr- 8 mil or so.
— LB C.J. Mosley ----- He is going to command top dollar, in the 50-70 mil range at the very least, do the Ravens give him that? No.
— QB Robert Griffin III ----- Re-signed for sure as Lamar's primary backup next year
— TE Maxx Williams ----- Likely gone with the 2 young TE's already supplanted him
— DE Brent Urban ----- Would love to see him stick around but he will probably get a nice pay-day somewhere
— RB Ty Montgomery ----- Probably gone, but would love to have him back as the third down and returner guy.
— LB Za’Darius Smith ----- Another that will probably get a nice pay-day somewhere
— RB Javorius Allen ---- Gone
— CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste ----- cheap and probably will re-sign
— RB Alex Collins ----- Gone
— LB Patrick Onwuasor ---- He will be cheaper than C.J. and so I figure the Ravens will give him a 3-4 yr deal
— TE Nick Boyle ----- Gone
— OL Matt Skura ---- DEFINITE GONE
— G Jermaine Eluemunor ---- DEFINITE GONE
— DT Michael Pierce ---- Love this guy, need to re-sign
— WR Quincy Adeboyejo ---- Gone
— RB De’Lance Turner ----- Gone
— RB Gus Edwards ---- Definite re-sign and likely starting RB in 2019.


Other notables -

Terrell Suggs ----- He will be allowed to test the market, possible re-sign
Marshall Yanda ---- Very possible salary cap casualty
Eric Weddle ---- Salary cap casualty (possible restructure though)
Jimmy Smith - Salary cap casualty (very possible cut and re-sign or restructure)
Tony Jefferson ---- Salary cap casualty


If the coaching staff doesn't start doing a better job of adjusting in -game, this team will continue to struggle in games. Marty did an admirable job in building a make-shift offense for a still learning Lamar Jackson, but that play-off game exposed the staff's problem in not being able to adjust to what their opponent was doing to them. That needs to be addressed and corrected.

 

First, Tony Jefferson is pretty much guaranteed to be back. I don't know if the team takes the $9.3M dead cap hit just to save $3.3M. Jefferson is a horrible deep safety but if you can put him in the box he does well. They need to cut Weddle ($1.7M deap cap vs $7.5M savings) and find a true free safety, whether that's Deshon Elliott or someone else. I'd also keep Eluemunor. Yeah I know everyone hated his play in 2017, but he was actually pretty good this year when coming in for injured players. I'd keep him as a backup or let him challenge for the LG spot.

Outside of those points, I'd focus heavily on Lamar's passing mechanics this offseason. Get him to the point where he always has the proper throwing base and also work on his throws to the left side outside the hash marks. That's where he truly suffered, especially on the run.

I'd get a guard and tackle. Yanda is getting up there, but him taking a step back in 2019 would be him around the level of an above average guard.

I'd do everything in my power to find a play making WR. I'd keep Snead, and maybe Crabtree, but I'd likely like Brown walk unless he was willing to take a cap friendly deal. He seemed to enjoy his full time here, according to recent statements, but I'd rather play Jordan Lasley to alligator arm a few passes and run deep before I pay top dollar for Brown.

And I'm going to be in the minority on this, but I keep Jimmy Smith, even if it's at his current cap hit. Regardless of whether anybody feels Jimmy is the #1 CB or Marlon is, it really doesn't matter in Baltimore. Both are starters. Baltimore hasn't had CBs shadow WRs since Chris McAlister in 2006, and even then I only remember it being on Moss in the Oakland game. Whether Rolle, Webb, Smith, Humphrey, Carr, etc our CBs play one side. Offenses move their WR everywhere, so you need top end talent on both sides to cover. Say what you want about Jimmy but it's been years (2015 to be specific) since he was abused the way Mayfield abused Humphrey in week 17. Baltimore has enough cap space to not need to worry about his contract ($31M as of now and will get $10M for cutting Flacco and another $7.5M for cutting Weddle). Even if they re-sign Mosley, his cap hit will only take Flacco's money this year at most

And for the love of all things holy, find a dominant pass rusher or try to develop the ones we keep on the bench/inactive. We have nobody beating one on one matchups anymore. I love Suggs but I think he has around 1.5 sacks the last 7 weeks. I'd love to keep him but will understand if they don't.

My offseason priorities are in this order

#1 - QB mechanics, throws, and fumbling issue
#2 - improve the o-line
#3 - EDGE rusher
#4 - Playmaking WR
#5 - Get a true free safety

 

I agree on Jefferson but i just dont think weddle leaves, as i dont think he is that bad at all and i really think he holds a strong position in that locker-room so i see us keeping him.

That throw is the hardest throw to make for all right handed qb's so i dont know how reasonable it is to just work on it, its a throw he doesn't really want to make if im thinking of what you are describing, i think his passing mechanics are not too bad mostly because his style necessitates unorthodox release. his actual feet are pretty good, which is not a surprise, he needs to continue to work on the mental side, timing, anticipation, i suppose touch. but the mechanics are there, and they allow him to keep the defenders on their toes.

I am all in on lineman through the damn off season at this point lol.

By play making WR i presume you mean a true number one...that unicorn for the ravens. I also just dont think we need it, not in the offense we are building. We could do with younger talent but what we need are mismatches and sure hands much more than speed or agile guys, mostly because the space will always be there given the focus that jackson demands, plus you cant be great everywhere. We have a very high skill cap guy at QB who serves a dual purpose on every down and it comes at a cost. The most important thing for his success is easily O line, with a good line, he will always have a shot to extend

I would keep smith too, he isnt bad, he had a bad couple games, he was used in the slot for reasons i can not fathom, high tier CB play is rare and is getting harder. I think they are a great tandem tbh. Marlon did get roasted against the browns but people really didnt give credit to the WR, one play in particular where Marlon did almost everything right but he got boxed out because the WR actually made a great adjustment and he still got his hands up in the area he needed to. CJ mosely is a top 5 lineback on the inside, he is great against the run and can cover to an above average degree- its important to have such guys, we should resign and we can.

Other than O line this is the most important position. We have lacked a true elite pass rush for years, in fact i dont think people have been truly scared of our pass rush since the days of that god tier 06 defense. obligatory- fuck manning and the colts D.

#1 - improve the o-line
#2 - EDGE rusher
#3 - Adapt a playbook that takes advantage of Jackson
#4 - Depth at WR
#5 - Depth in the secondary with a slight nod to looking at mobile safeties or guy that can play inside the numbers.

I left out your number one because mostly, that is just experience, fumbling, and mechanics will be down to who the QB coach is and how much he works on it, so its kind of just a given that he and others need to continue to improve and furthermore, i think his mechanics are fine ( not elite) and he needs to work on reading the game better.

2k

 

As far as the personnel, here are the IR/practice squad guys and there are a few that I am excited about:

1. DeShon Elliott- I am very excited about this kid. He seemed to have an uncanny knack for the ball and I think he takes the Free spot and Jefferson becomes the in the box guy if he is kept. Based on RR's cap numbers, it looks like he is going to be around for 1 more year.
2. Wille Henry- I love him. He is a beast.
3. Jaleel Scott- he can drop the same passes that we are paying Crabtree to drop.
4. Bam Bradley- still have hopes for him. I like his play style
5. Jaylen Hill- I would love to see him develop into a player

I agree with this whole sentiment. I think you cannot have enough quality corners and if we get a true free safety who can actually cover, I think we are a pass rusher away from being dominant again next year.

I would really love to see huge strides from Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser. These are the kids that need to blossom in order to justify the drafting of them and where they fell. If they develop and we team them with Judon, I would really like to see us draft another guy in the wings to develop. I like Judon but he is one of those players that allows his emotions to get away from him and he can cost us as many games as he helps win with a key sack or stop. He is a little too volatile at the moment. I would like to see him control his emotions a bit more.

I also agree we need a serious overhaul in the middle of the O Line. We need a quality starter and depth at guard and center.

 

My issue with the safeties is that they are both the same player. Both are better in the box safeties that are liabilities in the passing game. Weddle is better in the passing game than Jefferson, but that's not saying much. But there are multiple reasons I'd keep Tony over Eric. 1, getting rid of Jefferson costs more than keeping him while the team saves $7.5M on Weddle. 2, Jefferson is younger. 3, whoever is kept needs to be a box safety (something like Dawan Landry used to be for us) and I think Jefferson is better in that regard.

I'll agree that's the hardest throw for right handed QBs, but I honestly don't remember him making one all season. I might be off on that. I disagree about his feet being good though. He still throws a lot from a narrow base.

Agreed. I'd love to have either the Steelers or Browns o-line.

When I say playmaking WR, I mean a guy who's simply going to make the tough catches. I love Chris Moore, but that INT hit his outstretched hands (and he did jump for it also). I just want a guy you can be confident is going to going to catch it. If WR isn't a huge factor, play Jaleel Scott and Jordan Lasley and spend the cap dollars elsewhere but keep Snead. I actually liked Lasely's preseason connection with Jackson.

The 06 defense is on I still argue was the best of that decade. Read into it how you want. They got pressure from damn near everyone in the front seven. But then I think almost everyone in the starting secondary had at least 3 INTs also. That was a seriously good playmaking defense.

[/QUOTE]
I just realized I put them in the same order at 4 and 5 also, but I think I'd put free safety above WR right now. In hindsight, that was a true weakness all season

 

I wanted to try tackling the player by player moves I expect to happen, but I'm breaking down the UFA/RFA/ERFA because I think that designation means a lot to what the team does.

UFA:

Terrell Suggs: If Suggs wants to play, the Ravens will attempt to resign him. He may want too much money like Reed, but Suggs is a benchmark player for the team, and the Ravens will try to do right by him.

John Brown: If Flacco were QB, I'd keep Brown in a heartbeat as he was the best receiver the Ravens had. With Jackson though, they simply have no connection and don't play to each other's strengths. Get the comp pick sadly.

CJ Mosley: I don't like the idea of doling out another huge contract on the defense, and originally I was open to letting him walk, but I think the team keeps him. You can't lose both Mosley and Weddle on the defense. Someone has to captain it.

Brent Urban: He should be offered another modest contract. Injuries are a concern, but he's a solid player.

RG3: Unless there is a call around the league for him to start, he should resume a backup role here, though he's going to be a more expensive backup option. I'm personally not as high on him as a player as others, but the team will need some form of capable backup.

Maxx Williams: His market is going to be small, but I think the Ravens should try to retain him.

Ty Montgomery: I wouldn't mind keeping him, but I think the Ravens can get what they need out of a draft pick.

Za'Darius Smith: He's going to want to get paid and will be another one that we simply don't match the offer. The young guys better be ready to produce behind him.

Buck Allen: He's gone.

Nick Boyle: With all the talk about how there are never blocking TEs in the draft, I can see him having a small market. I'd keep Williams over him.

RFA:

Peanut: 2nd round tender

Stanley Jean-Baptise: Original round or right of first refusal. No one will touch him at original round, but it is probably too much money for his value.

Alex Collins: This is a real tough one. If the Ravens believe in him, a 2nd round tender will be used. Otherwise I think it's original round, and he MAY get snagged if a team is desperate for RB. Huge one shot wonder potential here.

Michael Pierce: 2nd round tender.

ERFA:

Matt Skura, Jermaine Eluemunor, Quincy Adeboyejo, Steven Moore, Gus Edwards, De'Lance Turner: All these guys will be kept.

Salary Casualties:

Flacco: The pre-June numbers aren't as bad as I thought. Yes we will lose 16M, but we will gain 10 in space. RG3 will eat some of that 10, but you're still saving some money at the QB position. Next year the benefit will be much more pronounced. Pre-June numbers are what makes sense to look at when dealing with a trade scenario. No team is going to wait to June for their starting QB.

Jimmy Smith: I'd keep him and not think twice about it. Far too long have we dealt with shaky CB play as a result of having to go deep on the bench or into grocery baggers.

Tony Jefferson: I'm not a fan of his at all. Whether it's his game or usage, it doesn't much matter as he's a huge liability against the pass. That said, his contract doesn't make sense to cut.

Marshal Yanda: Please. Yanda's on the team unless he retires which I doubt.

Michael Crabtree: My biggest disappointment of the season. Still, what receiver will you get for 4.6M with his same pedigree? I think he stays and hopefully gets his act together.

Eric Weddle: Like I said, you can't cut Weddle and Mosley. I think that Mosley being younger makes you go his direction and 7.5M is a lot of space. They very well may keep him or try to extend him.

No one else really jumps out as having more money available when cut vs dead money aside from Carr and Snead, and I think you keep them both. Honestly, I see more restructures that I do actual cuts from this group.

 

I know I'll be at odds with the majority here, but I hope the team doesn't go G/C with the first pick of the draft.

Don't get me wrong, I 100% agree and believe that those positions are huge holes and possibly the top hole on the team. I just strongly believe that linemen (more specifically interior linemen) can be found past the first round and be equally amazing. Looking at our team, I think it's not a stretch to say that both of our best linemen came in the 3rd round of the draft.

IMHO, with the 1st round, you need to hit on an impact player with rare abilities. So based on what we need, I'll be rooting for a pass rusher, WR, or a safety in the first round. I'd say a "special" RB talent, but I can't see that dropping down to 22 now. Maybe a few years ago this would happen, but the RB position is picking up some steam again.

 

I dont entirely agree but i do want to address one key part here.

The notion that great lineman can be unearthed later in the draft is true but the thing with first rounders is that interior lineman are very easy relatively speaking to project to the NFL. It was why Nelson went so highly even though he was a guard last year, and is now an absolutely stud ( like i said in a much earlier thread, anointing people to be future HOF players is not a good idea before they even play a down in the NFL, but that kid is the best ive seen in over a decade, if healthy he will be a perennial all pro). There are 2-3 guards in the top 50 alone this year that look very good, the two i like the most are lindstrom and Cody ford. I would love either.

Which pass rusher would even be there at 24? Kid out of clemson goes inside 20. I dont see a top tier WR talent that screams amazing or seems safe at that range either ( i dont want another clayton) and No safety i can think of projects to that area of the draft .. i mean abram is solid but he seems more like an SS who can cover rather than a ball hawk that we kind of need.

I am a big fan of taking interior lineman, i think they are the safest pick in the draft inside 50 picks for the most part given relative projections because you can so easily figure out if they can play at the next level as the game doesnt change ANYWHERE near as much for guards as it does for practically every other position. A small asterix on C as they may need to be good at making calls on the line and that varies

2k

 

I agree and perhaps if there are a few there to choose from when we are getting close, perhaps we can drop back and get a few picks as we punted our second rounder to Philly for Jackson. I would like to have a few more upper round picks if possible. I think we are the best in the league at unearthing top DL talent late in the draft so I would say concentrate on the OL and offensive talent near the top, LB and DB depth in the middle and then DL and such at the end of the draft.

 

2k, it's too early for me to predict or hope for any specific player in the draft yet. For as much as scouts and GMs scoff at the combine and say the tape matters the most, their opinions on players sure drastically shift after the event and all the rumors that float around after. Around this time last year for instance, I'm sure no one thought Calvin Ridley would have fallen all the way into the 20s and been surpassed as the #1 receiver selected in the draft by a guy who at best was a day 2 thought.

I'd argue that your reasoning for hitting on a guard early in the draft as a can't miss pick due to ease of projection to the NFL game strengthens my point. You need a strong guy with a little bit of movement depending on how you use the guard, so if you know the criteria for success, then it should be even easier to hit a later pick at the position. Again, this is just a personal philosophy that I have for the draft. We need to upgrade our LG and C big time this year. Who knows, maybe that happens pre-draft.

 

This is a great point. Perhaps we get a nice center in the same manner we got Matt Birk. That would be amazing if we could get a guy like that to anchor our line.

 

The media is stupid, hype is real. My advice has always been, trust what you see prior to the circus coming in to town, they will over hype and reach and people will slide but good players are good players over the course of the year or their tenure at the college level- so if anything, i would look now and see where people are landing as it is a far more accurate predictor of their relative talent.

I get your point but it shouldn't strengthen your argument at all because what my point really means is that a guy graded at a 4th rounder is generally a 4th round talent with a high degree of probability, sure you get your yanda's from time to time but for the most part you are picking a possible starter and/or depth at those rounds and that is usually what you get. But when you pick high at that interior lineman position you are definitely picking a starter but more likely a guy that goes inside the top 15 picks at guard ( or there abouts) is pretty much a shoe in for pro bowl consideration or that level of play inside a couple years. It is so low risk to me. So why take the risk on skill positions when they translate so poorly at times, versus taking something you know you need and is easy to predict?


2k

 

so some of this is going to be actually translated into reality based on Eric DeCosta's risk profile. If he is more risk averse, he will go with a sure fire pick (guard, tackle d-line or the like that are a bit easier to project) and if he is risk inclined then it will likely be the WR, RB variety.

I can see merits in both methods and it will somewhat be dictated by what the makeup of the team is at the time of the draft.

 

BUt that's that thing though that i dont get. Risk averse or risk vs reward is utterly asinine to me. The O line, the trenches, have time and time again been the difference between winning and losing, it literally affects everything on the field and yet because it is not sexy we attribute so much more credit or stock in skill positions; almost entirely because their product is quantifiable whereas there really is not readily available easy to digest quantifiable product for O lineman. You usually have to wait to here how x has not given up any pressure. In a game of inches, seconds can equate to infinity.

O lineman can make a poopy qb look half way decent with time, time is everything here and always has been, its why lamar jackson is so good, because that moment of hesitation in the defenders mind is all he, or most, need to live them in the dust.

There is no nelson in this draft but those guys i listed are legit, and would be plug and play and forget for years. I am going to go back and watch more as im not sure who i would prefer.

2k

 

I totally agree and I am a huge fan of building from the lines back. Build the trenches first, own the line of scrimmage and that is a winning formula to me. I do not disagree that the O and D line play is the key to a dominant team. I think most people look at the skill players and because there are so few of them (or perceived so few of them) that they assume those will be the higher picks because, 1, they touch the ball, and 2, the perceived scarcity drives up the price.

I m not a draft guru in the least, but I would rather take the sure thing, if it were me picking, than go with flash and potential. In my mock draft last season as the Ravens rep, I think I took McGlinchey as our first round pick. I am a fan of control. Control the LOS and the run game (on both sides of the ball) and you will be a force in every game.

 

Every year picks boggle the mind for me. American football just is not that complicated, its always going to be held back by the inherent inability to allow for the complexity that its rules allow for because of the pieces that are availble. without looking right this moment, there are usually only about 10 guys i would even draft in the first round, all told, i would have something like the following- 10 in the 1st, 5-10 2nd and 3rd, then around 20 guys that i REALLY just want in the remainder of the draft and those picks generally tend to be pretty solid.

I just dont see a WR that blows me away right at around where we will pick and plus there is a lot of risk. I rather take a top tier player with a low bust chance and then go and get the WR in FA. We just dont draft wr's well, we are not PIT, we should just be who we are and draft what works for us with our insight in mind and go from there

2k

 

Greg Roman promoted to OC

 

I don't know anything about him aside from his running game contributions.

Any thoughts on his qualifications?

 

Apparently Marty is being offered another position on the staff, but similar to how I said the Browns were not going to keep Williams if they hired Kitchens as their HC, I'm not sure really how or where Marty goes with the organization. That's the more curious part of all of it to me.