Signings, Cuts, Trades

[rossihunter2]

Ayo, I didn’t know Mekhi Becton was a free agent. He never stayed healthy after that dominant rookie year huh?

Reunite him with Lamar. Maybe Lamar can give him a total gym to shed some pounds

i know floyd manyweather said he's got all the talent in the world but even he admitted that it was all about whether becton would want to be

sounds like a guy who doesnt necessarily have the mental makeup or habits to take that step back to where he was as a rookie

would be a crazy talented guy to have as a reclamation project but also just as easily could be out of the league next year by the sounds of it

also pretty sure he and lamar never played together

 

[QtR Nevermore]

I don't think they have to take an OT in the first round at all.
If you're aiming on getting a RT for 2024, that's a day 2 or day 3 pick all day long. We've got plenty of quality RTs in the 3rd rounds or later historically, and teams can easily get that.

If you're taking an OT in the first round, you're probably hoping they'll develop into your future LT. But that's not an immediate "need" at this point.

I'd love that to be true but I see a couple of problems with that plan.

1. RT and LT salaries are becoming more equal. Other teams are willing to pick RTs pretty high. So it doesn't matter so much whether the Ravens still think there's a massive difference in value between the positions. The rest of the NFL largely doesn't, so they're less likely to let good RT prospects fall to us.

2. The general standard of drafting in the NFL has been steadily rising. We're not drafting historically, when 50% of the GMs were actual idiots. You'll need a lot of luck to find an Orlando Brown or Ricky Wagner these days. EDC has had to use late round picks on fliers from time to time because the Ravens board has already been picked clean.

 

[rossihunter2]

Faalele played well enough when he filled in that I think he's definitely the new starting RT for us. Also, we can slide Mekari inside to Guard leaving only one spot to fill on the line opposed to three.

dont think the ravens like mekari at G outside of in-game relief/cover
they clearly prefer him at OT and ideally as the swing tackle

 

[JO_75]

Seeing some of these contract details for guys who signed elsewhere. I see some of them basically took on 1 year deals with the other years being not guaranteed. Like damn... we couldn't offer Queen similar money than Pittsburgh?

 

[rossihunter2]

I'd love that to be true but I see a couple of problems with that plan.

1. RT and LT salaries are becoming more equal. Other teams are willing to pick RTs pretty high. So it doesn't matter so much whether the Ravens still think there's a massive difference in value between the positions. The rest of the NFL largely doesn't, so they're less likely to let good RT prospects fall to us.

2. The general standard of drafting in the NFL has been steadily rising. We're not drafting historically, when 50% of the GMs were actual idiots. You'll need a lot of luck to find an Orlando Brown or Ricky Wagner these days. EDC has had to use late round picks on fliers from time to time because the Ravens board has already been picked clean.

there's always guys with talent that fall
just got to get lucky on those guys the later you get into the class

still definitely more likely to find a RT later than a LT

 

[Grim]

there's always guys with talent that fall
just got to get lucky on those guys the later you get into the class

still definitely more likely to find a RT later than a LT

We got Orlando Brown Jr. I think we will do fine. We’ve had our misses but I do really like this OL class as a whole and I think we will end up taking two easily.

 

[rossihunter2]

We got Orlando Brown Jr. I think we will do fine. We’ve had our misses but I do really like this OL class as a whole and I think we will end up taking two easily.

orlando brown only fell because of a historically bad combine
his tape said he should have been taken higher

 

[QtR Nevermore]

there's always guys with talent that fall
just got to get lucky on those guys the later you get into the class

still definitely more likely to find a RT later than a LT

Of course, but being the team that finds the late gems is very strongly luck-based these days. Planning to be lucky enough to hit on someone at a particular position would be madness.

 

[Deebo813]

it's a wild OT class
insane number of OL with massive grades this year

Gotcha!! So who you recommend us not take?

 

[Deebo813]

orlando brown only fell because of a historically bad combine
his tape said he should have been taken higher

Yea i remember that and i was actually taking up for him too lol. Dam that was a long time ago wtf

 

[allblackraven]

Gotcha!! So who you recommend us not take?

Keon Coleman!

 

[Grim]

orlando brown only fell because of a historically bad combine
his tape said he should have been taken higher

Yeah no doubt. Just saying we do a good job at identifying those characteristics sometimes. I’ll be cautiously optimistic about our chances at replacing Moses.

I think if anything I’m more worried about Edge & CB

 

[rmcjacket23]

I'd love that to be true but I see a couple of problems with that plan.

1. RT and LT salaries are becoming more equal. Other teams are willing to pick RTs pretty high. So it doesn't matter so much whether the Ravens still think there's a massive difference in value between the positions. The rest of the NFL largely doesn't, so they're less likely to let good RT prospects fall to us.

2. The general standard of drafting in the NFL has been steadily rising. We're not drafting historically, when 50% of the GMs were actual idiots. You'll need a lot of luck to find an Orlando Brown or Ricky Wagner these days. EDC has had to use late round picks on fliers from time to time because the Ravens board has already been picked clean.

Yeah so I'm not buying really any of this:
1. There's a pretty sizeable pay-gap, today, between LT and RTs. A top 10 LT will cost you $20M/year in AAV on average.. A top 10 RT will cost you $15M/year in AAV on average. Both the top and the middle of the "second contract starter" market is about $5M apart across the board, and that doesn't appear to be rising at all.
If you want a starting-caliber LT on a second contracts, it's $15M/year as a floor. There's 13 guys who have that right now.
If you want a starting-caliber RT on a second contract, they can be had for $10-11M/year or even less. Jermaine Eluemunor just got a deal from the Giants @ $7M/year, and he's the 10th highest paid RT in football today. Just barely ahead of Morgan Moses.

2. I think GMs have literally never been dumber. I think they're getting traded like candy annually, and I think the ability of GMs to diagnose and identify talent in the draft has gotten exponentially worse through the years.
Even in a perceived great Oline class, I'm not concerned. Oline play league-wide is down, which means the challenges we face are the same as everyone else's. KC paid heaps of $ for Oline protection at Tackle, and they were dreadful still. Same problem for Cincinnati.

As I've said many times before, having stud "starters" on the Oline doesn't matter much. These guys get hurt all the time. Your depth is just as important as your starters, because they'll play as much as the starters. Can put four completely average Tackles on this roster, and we'll be just fine.
Plus I already know I have somebody who can play RT on the roster, because he's shown it many times.

 

[rossihunter2]

Of course, but being the team that finds the late gems is very strongly luck-based these days. Planning to be lucky enough to hit on someone at a particular position would be madness.

of course
but the ravens arent in that position

 

[Grim]

Yeah so I'm not buying really any of this:
1. There's a pretty sizeable pay-gap, today, between LT and RTs. A top 10 LT will cost you $20M/year in AAV on average.. A top 10 RT will cost you $15M/year in AAV on average. Both the top and the middle of the "second contract starter" market is about $5M apart across the board, and that doesn't appear to be rising at all.
If you want a starting-caliber LT on a second contracts, it's $15M/year as a floor. There's 13 guys who have that right now.
If you want a starting-caliber RT on a second contract, they can be had for $10-11M/year or even less. Jermaine Eluemunor just got a deal from the Giants @ $7M/year, and he's the 10th highest paid RT in football today. Just barely ahead of Morgan Moses.

2. I think GMs have literally never been dumber. I think they're getting traded like candy annually, and I think the ability of GMs to diagnose and identify talent in the draft has gotten exponentially worse through the years.
Even in a perceived great Oline class, I'm not concerned. Oline play league-wide is down, which means the challenges we face are the same as everyone else's. KC paid heaps of $ for Oline protection at Tackle, and they were dreadful still. Same problem for Cincinnati.

As I've said many times before, having stud "starters" on the Oline doesn't matter much. These guys get hurt all the time. Your depth is just as important as your starters, because they'll play as much as the starters. Can put four completely average Tackles on this roster, and we'll be just fine.
Plus I already know I have somebody who can play RT on the roster, because he's shown it many times.

There’s probably a pay gap between Blindside Tackle and not but I think the gap is less than it used to be right? IIRC years ago it would be more than 25% more but my memory could be off

 

[rossihunter2]

Gotcha!! So who you recommend us not take?

it's hard to know who's going to be available

tyler guyton's probably the guy who's most highly rated who i'm not a big fan of - but mocks suggest he's going to be gone long before we pick anyway

jordan morgan keeps getting mocked to us late 1st but im not a big fan of him in the 1st round

if any of the top 7 OL made it to us they'd be a no-brainer
Alt, Fashanu, Mims, Fautanu, Latham, Fuaga and Jackson Powers-Johnson (IOL)
most pundits will have a top 8 with Guyton...

if those 7-8 guys are gone when we pick, ill likely have someone higher on my board at another position as BPA

but there are some other guys after that will also have high grades that we could look at, depends how the ravens grade them specifically fit-wise - Suamataia, Paul and Morgan seem to be the consensus next 3 OTs but I also like Blake Fisher in that group too
- Barton and Frazier at IOL are highly graded too (Barton would be a OT conversion who might have some tackle ability also although projects best inside)

but for me it's likely that outside of my top 7 (consensus top 8), we'd be looking at someone else at another position or trying to trade out of the 30th pick

 

[QtR Nevermore]

Yeah no doubt. Just saying we do a good job at identifying those characteristics sometimes. I’ll be cautiously optimistic about our chances at replacing Moses.

I think if anything I’m more worried about Edge & CB

We've been nothing special at drafting O line since Orlando (except for Linderbaum in the first).

Powers broke out in Year 4. Tyre Phillips and Ben Bredeson are mediocre on the Giants. Cleveland and Faalele may yet break out. Sala hasn't seen the field yet.

Not great. Not terrible. But nothing to suggest we're going to find starters where the rest of the NFL can't.

 

[rossihunter2]

Keon Coleman!

definitely dont want him at OT lol
but dont want him at WR either haha

 

[rmcjacket23]

There’s probably a pay gap between Blindside Tackle and not but I think the gap is less than it used to be right? IIRC years ago it would be more than 25% more but my memory could be off

Depends on how far back you want to look. What's the timeframe we're trying to look back at? 5, 10 years ago?

 

[Grim]

Depends on how far back you want to look. What's the timeframe we're trying to look back at? 5, 10 years ago?

I’d say 10 years is a good spot.