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The 2020 Offseason Thread

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
thats why you keep mentioning Hooker. But Hooker's a true center fielder type can't use him around the LoS (unless he has drastically improved in this area since entering the nfl)
and we can't afford to use a high draft pick on someone who is injured so frequently AND we don't have the salary cap to extend him in two seasons. We need to allocate our dollars to other players. We should. bring back Carr to back up Elliott.
 

JAAM

Hall of Famer
So we get good news with Lamar and MP back but Calais is out. I hope it's a vet day for the big man
 

cdp

Ravens Ring of Honor
any news on Queen and/or Harrison? How are they doing, have they internalized our scheme? Is Clark still wearing the green dot or is Queen taking over?
 

29BmoreBird22

Staff Member
Moderator
Writer
Some more worry for me with rolling with Elliott as the de facto starter when he's played roughly 40 snaps to date.

I was reading a stat that the Ravens played Cover 1 or Cover 0 on 46% of their snaps. A lot of this had to do with how blitz happy the Ravens were, but I do think Earl's absence as a FS will be felt.
 

Simba

Staff Member
Moderator
any news on Queen and/or Harrison? How are they doing, have they internalized our scheme? Is Clark still wearing the green dot or is Queen taking over?

Clark is keeping the green dot but apparently Queen has been donning it in practice as well for his development in that area.

Sounds like Queen is doing well and is expected to be the week 1 starter. By other comments I've seen, Harrison is doing alright, but Fort should be the week 1 starter next to Queen.
 
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Simba

Staff Member
Moderator
I just can't seem to get under 54 for the roster this year...

QB (3): Jackson, Griffin, McSorley
RB (4): Ingram, Dobbins, Edwards, Hill
FB (1): Ricard
WR (6): Brown, Boykin, Snead, Duvernay, Proche, Moore
TE (3): Andrews, Boyle, Scarff
OL (9): Stanley, Bozeman, Skura, Fluker, Brown, Mekari, Phillips, Bredeson, Powers
DL (6): Campbell, Williams, Wolfe, Madubuike, Ellis, Washington
OLB (5): Judon, McPhee, Ferguson, Bowser, Ward
ILB (4): Queen, Fort, Harrison, Board
CB (5): Humphrey, Peters, Smith, Young, Averett
S (5): Clark, Elliott, Levine, Stone, Richards
ST (3): Tucker, Koch, Cox

And your just missed/could replace someone else at the back end...
QB Huntley, WR Scott, TE Wolf, OL Holden, ILB Alaka, CB Nurse

I just don't know where I'd cut from to get to 53 right now. Maybe go light at ILB?
 

rmcjacket23

Ravens Ring of Honor
My take on the ET situation:
1. Even back to the day we signed him, which I was pretty shocked we did, I never felt he was a great "fit" for our defensive scheme. I think his personality seemed to fit ("leader", liked tough, physical play, wanted to win, etc.), but he was more of the Ed Reed-school of football. Liked to play deep safety, play based on instincts and freelance, etc.
I think that would have worked about a decade ago in Baltimore, but not today. We play much more of a "split Safety" look, ask our Safeties to be more diverse (help in the run game, blitz, etc.).
I thought it was telling when I heard last year that Thomas had zero sacks for his entire tenure in Seattle.
2. When you depart Seattle by giving probably the most player-friendly coach in the league the finger, and then get booted out of Baltimore within 18 months for clashing with teammates in another locker room that is widely considered as "player friendly", it's on the player, not on the team.
This isn't Randy Moss clashing with Bill Belichick in a clash of ego's and control freaks. When a locker room of guys like Calais Campbell, Derek Wolfe, who have been around the block, are advocating for you to be gone, its time to go.
3. The salary cap situation will be interesting. There will be 2020 savings for the Ravens, as they try to eliminate his guaranteed salary for this year. Likely going to see something in the range of ~$6M in cap savings for 2020.
What 2021 will look like will be interesting. There appears to be offset language, so whatever he signs for with another team he won't be able to recoup from the Ravens in a grievance filing. In my humble opinion, my bet would be that Thomas wins the grievance and gets a payout in 2021, to be applied against that salary cap.
 

rmcjacket23

Ravens Ring of Honor
I just can't seem to get under 54 for the roster this year...

QB (3): Jackson, Griffin, McSorley
RB (4): Ingram, Dobbins, Edwards, Hill
FB (1): Ricard
WR (6): Brown, Boykin, Snead, Duvernay, Proche, Moore
TE (3): Andrews, Boyle, Scarff
OL (9): Stanley, Bozeman, Skura, Fluker, Brown, Mekari, Phillips, Bredeson, Powers
DL (6): Campbell, Williams, Wolfe, Madubuike, Ellis, Washington
OLB (5): Judon, McPhee, Ferguson, Bowser, Ward
ILB (4): Queen, Fort, Harrison, Board
CB (5): Humphrey, Peters, Smith, Young, Averett
S (5): Clark, Elliott, Levine, Stone, Richards
ST (3): Tucker, Koch, Cox

And your just missed/could replace someone else at the back end...
QB Huntley, WR Scott, TE Wolf, OL Holden, ILB Alaka, CB Nurse

I just don't know where I'd cut from to get to 53 right now. Maybe go light at ILB?
Couple things here:
1. There will be injuries. I would almost guarantee 1-2 guys on this list will get sent to IR before the season starts. Happens every year. Probably a little less common this year with no preseason play, but there's always going to be a fringe roster guy, like maybe an Olineman or somebody like Richards (I don't think we carry 5 Safeties anyway) that will get even a mild injury and will get sent to IR, so we can keep him under team control and he'll still get paid and can rest/rehab.
2. If item 1 doesn't happen, there will be tough cuts. Again, I don't see us carrying five Safeties, even with ET gone. Six DLineman seems like a stretch to me also (especially when Ricard can technically play there), especially when our base only plays 3 and we also play a lot more Nickel/Dime than in the Pees era, so we have many packages where there's only two Dlineman on the field.
I also said previously that if the Ravens are actually serious about carrying 4 RBs and a FB, I think carrying 3 QBs becomes even more problematic than it was last year. Wouldn't shock me at all, especially with new PS rules/protections, if somebody like McSorley doesn't end up on the final 53. Same can be said for one of the final Olineman to make the the roster.
 

Simba

Staff Member
Moderator
Couple things here:
1. There will be injuries. I would almost guarantee 1-2 guys on this list will get sent to IR before the season starts. Happens every year. Probably a little less common this year with no preseason play, but there's always going to be a fringe roster guy, like maybe an Olineman or somebody like Richards (I don't think we carry 5 Safeties anyway) that will get even a mild injury and will get sent to IR, so we can keep him under team control and he'll still get paid and can rest/rehab.
2. If item 1 doesn't happen, there will be tough cuts. Again, I don't see us carrying five Safeties, even with ET gone. Six DLineman seems like a stretch to me also (especially when Ricard can technically play there), especially when our base only plays 3 and we also play a lot more Nickel/Dime than in the Pees era, so we have many packages where there's only two Dlineman on the field.
I also said previously that if the Ravens are actually serious about carrying 4 RBs and a FB, I think carrying 3 QBs becomes even more problematic than it was last year. Wouldn't shock me at all, especially with new PS rules/protections, if somebody like McSorley doesn't end up on the final 53. Same can be said for one of the final Olineman to make the the roster.

1. Yeah it happens but I can't make that determination now. If an injury happens an injury happens but as it currently stands, it's a tough cut.

2. We're definitely carrying at least 10 DBs. Whatever split that is between CB and S is one thing but we never go light there and I wouldn't be shocked if it's more. 6 DL is a lot and I won't count it out that a guy like Washington might not make it with Ellis being the only true NT backup.

Harbaugh has already basically said we'll have 3 QBs again and if there's any year to do it, this is the year. If covid tests hit, you're going to want that 3rd QB and you aren't going to want to risk them to waivers.

9 OL is almost a certainty as well with the new 8 active requirement.
 

rmcjacket23

Ravens Ring of Honor
1. Yeah it happens but I can't make that determination now. If an injury happens an injury happens but as it currently stands, it's a tough cut.

2. We're definitely carrying at least 10 DBs. Whatever split that is between CB and S is one thing but we never go light there and I wouldn't be shocked if it's more. 6 DL is a lot and I won't count it out that a guy like Washington might not make it with Ellis being the only true NT backup.

Harbaugh has already basically said we'll have 3 QBs again and if there's any year to do it, this is the year. If covid tests hit, you're going to want that 3rd QB and you aren't going to want to risk them to waivers.

9 OL is almost a certainty as well with the new 8 active requirement.
1. Keep in mind that, for 2020, you have 4 PS players that are "protected" on a weekly basis from waivers, i.e. they can't be poached. Its effective a 57 man roster instead of a 53 man roster. While they'd be subject to waivers upon initially getting cut in camp, they're not subject every week (at least the four you protect). Moreover, keep in mind that poaching teams have to sign to their active roster, not just the full roster with PS squad.
2. As I've said before in the case of McSorley, I think we (Ravens fans) dramatically overvalue him. I think if he were go land on waivers, he would go unclaimed. I don't think there will be a long line of teams clamoring for him, especially when he's comparable to like half the QBs coming out of college in the late or undrafted rounds these days.
As it were, as a pure passer, he's not even as good as Huntley at this point, so I wouldn't be losing any sleep whatsoever if McSorley was gone and Huntley was on the PS.
We spent all last offseason talking about how McSorley was going to get "special packages" and all of this stuff, and ultimately, he suited up only for a meaningless week 17 game, where he only took one snap.

I've long been a proponent of NFL teams only carrying 2 active QBs (with a 3rd on the PS if necessary), because injuries at the position are just far less frequent than others, there's such a finite # of active roster spots open, and the pool of veteran, backup-level QBs that are free agents is so large that teams can literally pick from the mid-season anyway. And that, of course, is ignoring the fact that if Lamar missed significant time, we're screwed no matter who the QB is.

3. Unless I missed something in reading the updated 2020 rules, the 8 Olineman "requirement" isn't a requirement. It simply says that if a team opts to carry at least 8 Olineman on the active roster, they'll be able to carry 48 players on gameday, as opposed to 47. A team doesn't have to carry 8, they just only get 47 players then.
 

Simba

Staff Member
Moderator
1. Keep in mind that, for 2020, you have 4 PS players that are "protected" on a weekly basis from waivers, i.e. they can't be poached. Its effective a 57 man roster instead of a 53 man roster. While they'd be subject to waivers upon initially getting cut in camp, they're not subject every week (at least the four you protect). Moreover, keep in mind that poaching teams have to sign to their active roster, not just the full roster with PS squad.
2. As I've said before in the case of McSorley, I think we (Ravens fans) dramatically overvalue him. I think if he were go land on waivers, he would go unclaimed. I don't think there will be a long line of teams clamoring for him, especially when he's comparable to like half the QBs coming out of college in the late or undrafted rounds these days.
As it were, as a pure passer, he's not even as good as Huntley at this point, so I wouldn't be losing any sleep whatsoever if McSorley was gone and Huntley was on the PS.
We spent all last offseason talking about how McSorley was going to get "special packages" and all of this stuff, and ultimately, he suited up only for a meaningless week 17 game, where he only took one snap.

I've long been a proponent of NFL teams only carrying 2 active QBs (with a 3rd on the PS if necessary), because injuries at the position are just far less frequent than others, there's such a finite # of active roster spots open, and the pool of veteran, backup-level QBs that are free agents is so large that teams can literally pick from the mid-season anyway. And that, of course, is ignoring the fact that if Lamar missed significant time, we're screwed no matter who the QB is.

3. Unless I missed something in reading the updated 2020 rules, the 8 Olineman "requirement" isn't a requirement. It simply says that if a team opts to carry at least 8 Olineman on the active roster, they'll be able to carry 48 players on gameday, as opposed to 47. A team doesn't have to carry 8, they just only get 47 players then.

1. It's not that cut and dry. You can protect 4 each week but that starts on Tuesday. If you want a guy, you can attempt to poach him on a Monday and a team has no recourse but to put him on the 53 at that point if they want to hang onto him.

2. Josh Woodrum was claimed on waivers at a point. I'd like to think McSorley will pass through waivers unclaimed and I think that's the much more likely option. But is this the year you want to risk that? In any other year, sure. In covid times, looking for a QB isn't something I'd want to take on right now. And again, Harbaugh has already said we'll be carrying 3 QBs again, so take your pick on who that is between McSorley and Huntley, but I'd be shocked if there weren't 3.

3. While that's accurate, I'd find it hard to believe that a team isn't going to take an opportunity to have an extra player active. It's basically a free spot on an active roster. And it's not like we have an obvious cut candidate there anyways. Sure, you could look at a guy like Powers as a potential cut but know he's likely to be claimed with the garbage that teams are trotting out there in the last couple of years. Keeping 9 is going to be realistic for a lot of teams because most of what is on a PS is not NFL quality.
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Just was thinking, I've been seeing people post that the whole ET situation is why we shouldn't sign AB, which is true.

But in the other hand, we now know that Harbs, the players and FO aren't messing around with toxic behavior and it's basically a one strike policy here. So that would be re fleshing to know if we take risks signing risky players like AB moving forward.

you're right that there's extra latitude with the great locker room culture that exists here already but you also dont want to keep testing it in that way - as we saw last year momentum is so important from game to game and winning begets more winning and it's the same with the players - we've got one of the best defences in the league because while we have great players we also have players that when put together become better than the sum of their parts

there's no point risking that with toxic behaviour

you dont want to become the cowboys or anything like that with taking risks because it only takes one to blow up in your face to ruin the whole thing and earl thomas could so easily have been that here - antonio brown is an even bigger risk
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator


that's good news regarding the grievance - you've got to think that them making that for them to make the claim they feel like they've got a pretty good claim because its so rare for this sort of dispute over guarantees to happen without clear language where it would automatically happen i.e. the language in his contract that says the guarantees are voided if he gets suspended for e.g. PEDs

either way the fact that they've fined him a lot in the recent weeks (and throughout last year) is pretty telling with regards to his commitment and probably why it all boiled over for chuck in that moment
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Some more worry for me with rolling with Elliott as the de facto starter when he's played roughly 40 snaps to date.

I was reading a stat that the Ravens played Cover 1 or Cover 0 on 46% of their snaps. A lot of this had to do with how blitz happy the Ravens were, but I do think Earl's absence as a FS will be felt.

obviously that's a worry but we really dont use a strict FS in the same way that earl's historically been used - not in this scheme

and id be interested to find out how often that cover 1 safety was brandon carr last year with how much we rolled ET down to the LoS vs his time in seattle

the worry for elliott for me is not the skill or the vision or the smarts - it's purely just the snaps and i think we may see some growing pains early as the workload gets bigger but i think he has the skillset from what ive seen and the thing that's been surprising based off his college film is the range he's shown in the NFL - since he's been here he's shown off really surprising athleticism given he only ran a 4.58 at the 40
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Clark is keeping the green dot but apparently Queen has been donning it in practice as well for his development in that area.

Sounds like Queen is doing well and is expected to be the week 1 starter. By other comments I've seen, Harrison is doing alright, but Fort should be the week 1 starter next to Queen.

sort of as expected - the important thing with queen wearing it in practice is how important communication is generally in this defence so him having to disseminate information to every defender and make those calls is good for his development as he'll still have to do all that sort of stuff even when he hasnt got the green dot because of that communication-oriented stuff - and you know how much the DBs are making calls and pointing things out literally until the moment the ball is snapped (and sometimes even afterwards)
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
I just can't seem to get under 54 for the roster this year...

QB (3): Jackson, Griffin, McSorley
RB (4): Ingram, Dobbins, Edwards, Hill
FB (1): Ricard
WR (6): Brown, Boykin, Snead, Duvernay, Proche, Moore
TE (3): Andrews, Boyle, Scarff
OL (9): Stanley, Bozeman, Skura, Fluker, Brown, Mekari, Phillips, Bredeson, Powers
DL (6): Campbell, Williams, Wolfe, Madubuike, Ellis, Washington
OLB (5): Judon, McPhee, Ferguson, Bowser, Ward
ILB (4): Queen, Fort, Harrison, Board
CB (5): Humphrey, Peters, Smith, Young, Averett
S (5): Clark, Elliott, Levine, Stone, Richards
ST (3): Tucker, Koch, Cox

And your just missed/could replace someone else at the back end...
QB Huntley, WR Scott, TE Wolf, OL Holden, ILB Alaka, CB Nurse

I just don't know where I'd cut from to get to 53 right now. Maybe go light at ILB?

only difference ive got right now is that ive got ellis missing out but i dont really believe that he will miss out
i had us at 3 ILB for a while but that just seems unrealistic
and i kind of expect us to find another DB to add to the roster to get us up to 11 DBs too

it's tricky - the last 2/3 cuts are potentially going to be really surprising
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
1. There will be injuries. I would almost guarantee 1-2 guys on this list will get sent to IR before the season starts. Happens every year. Probably a little less common this year with no preseason play, but there's always going to be a fringe roster guy, like maybe an Olineman or somebody like Richards (I don't think we carry 5 Safeties anyway) that will get even a mild injury and will get sent to IR, so we can keep him under team control and he'll still get paid and can rest/rehab.

idk about that we had 5 safeties on the roster for most of last year and we're probably gonna be 1 fewer than previous years at corner with 5 too - normally we'd be looking at 11 or 12 DBs and if we go fewer than 5 safeties we're looking at fewer than 10 DBs on the roster which would be against the ravens's MO

the other thing with regards to injuries etc. is we've had some long-term things with imam marshall etc. already and obviously earl thomas being cut too - antoine wesley out for the year too and both the UDFA TEs have had injuries (one out for the year and waived, the other sidelined after a big collision) so its not like this hasnt already happened and freak accidents do happen but with the lack of tackling type collisions its really unlikely anyone gets rolled up on so it would have to be a non-contact type deal to lose someone for the year
 
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