NFL offseason thread

I'm of the opinion that Ellerbe and Williams are replacement level players. Kruger finally became a player after years of nothing but will be overpaid by someone. He's not worth what he'll command on the open market. Reed needs to decide what he wants, as much as he can get or to finish his career with an organization that will put up with his eccentricies.

I honestly think you could walk away from all four and be fine. They've always been good at drafting defenders.

The priority should be:

1. Sign Boldin to a 1-year extension that allows you to lower his cap number next year.

2. Draft a left tackle. If you don't think there is anyone at 32 who can start for you at that spot, draft a middle linebacker.

3. See if there are any veteran defensive players out there looking to chase a ring at a low price.

You signed Flacco to this deal presuming you'll get the player you saw in the playoffs going forward. Obviously you won't get him all the time, but you hope he can make up for a few growing pains in your defense.

I think they'll be fine. 10-6 or 11-5 should be realistic. You had to overpay your QB. Don't overpay anyone else.

 

Ellerbe is being talked up a lot lately, as a player who can defend the pass and run. You disagree?

I do agree that Kruger will be overpaid. But defensive ends who only can rush the passer are almost the norm these days. Maybe he's better in a 3-4?

 

Ellerbe is fine. Nothing special. Very average in a lot of ways. They seriously will not lose much if they go with Josh Bynes or Albert McCllelan. Both played a lot of time last year with Lewis out and did fine.

 

In doing some research on free agency, I am stunned that Wallace is being touted as the top prize this year.

Of course, I think free agency has become all about good teams getting rid of players that aren't worth it and bad teams wasting money on them. So it will not surprise me to see him cash in. But I've come down to earth on Wallace in the past year. He can't catch or go over the middle, and wherever he goes, he won't have a QB running around for 10 seconds so he can get open.

Same goes for Jennings, a guy who has been good but never special with the best QB in the game throwing to him. Good luck in Miami or Cleveland.

 

Interesting. I heard for the first time yesterday talk of the Bears looking at him. They need to replace Urlacher soon, but as bad as the Bears can be in organizational matters, their cheapness keeps them from making too many mistakes in free agency.

 

I'm a Bears fan, as you recall. I think spending even a moderrate amount of money on Ellerbe would be a mistake. He's better than Jameel McClain, but could easily flame out somewhere else.

When you assess what Baltimore will look like next year, you also have to take into account they won the SB without their best corner (Webb), with McClain (missed the whole playoffs), with Suggs playing at 60 percent, with Ngata at 60 percent, Pernell McPhee playing with a torn groin muscle much of the year, and with a total coverage liability at MLB (Ray-Ray).

If Jimmy Smith isn't a bust, and Webb, Suggs and Ngata can be a little healthier this coming season, and Courtney Upshaw develops a little, they will be ok.

The weirdest thing about the 2012 Ravens is they were definitely not as good as the 2011 team, and maybe the 2010 team. Flacco just played lights out for a month.

 

I don't think any Raven fan ever counted on bringing Kruger back, whether they got Flacco signed long-term or not.

Waiting to hear what the cap hit is like but in Year 1 at least it seems like it may give them some room to breathe. Getting Reed and Ellerbe back is still very much in play.

It's a hell of a lot of money, but that's the price of doing business in the NFL with these quarterbacks. With Cam gone and this firmly Joe's team now, I'm optimistic about what lies ahead for him.

The cap will likely go up at a more dramatic rate when the new TV deal (worth 64% more than the existing contract) kicks in in 2014, so hopefully that will make the money more workable as well.

 

Agreed. They will lose some good pieces on defense, but they are getting some back as well. One reason for the mid-season struggles was the adjustment to the loss of Webb.

 

I don't think Reed is much of a priority. The Ravens are one of those good teams I alluded to earlier. Their hand was forced with Flacco, but they won't waste money on an aging, eclectic safety, no matter how much the fans might want them to.

 

Wallace regressed this season. His speed is impressive, but it is his only real asset. Some team is going to make a very expensive mistake if they give him a big contract.

That said, I'm not sure Roethlisberger's scrambling helped him. That's one reason Wallace's numbers went down. He was never great at fighting to get open when things broke down. That's one area where they really missed Ward this past season.

 

I don't think it will be that extreme, but I don't think the Ravens are going to be back in the Super Bowl anytime soon either.

It's so typical with NFL agents, one day we're reading about how he's the highest-paid player in the league with six years, $120 million, and then after people stop paying attention, you find out it's actually seven years, $127 million which does not make him the highest-paid anything and actually averages the $18 million million that is the going rate for a QB like Flacco. He gets most of it up front, but most quarterbacks do...

 

The Ravens are one of the best run franchises in the NFL. But signing Flacco to this deal is going to hurt them. I think too much will be made of Lewis retiring and Reed likely walking, but the bigger key will be, as DD pointed out, can they keep Boldin and a couple other key players and maybe they can add a veteran or two at a discount because they want a shot at a ring.

I could see them maybe having another shot at it next season, but I tend to doubt it. With Harbaugh and Newsome, I don't see the Ravens ever becoming a 6-10 team, but I don't think they're going to be running through confetti again with the salary cap restrictions that they now have...

That's the case with a lot of teams. It's one thing when a player making that kind of money is a Rodgers or a Manning or a Brady or a Brees, but unless Flacco can carry a team like those guys can, then it will be a long time before they win another one.

It will likely be the same thing for the Packers when they have to lock up Rodgers and Matthews.