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The Random Thought Thread

On the bright side. Getting rid of Yanda, Jimmy, Weddle, Joe(the ones I would expect to be gone) would clear up $34 million in cap. June 1st cutting Brandon Williams gets us to $43 million cleared. Add that to the estimated $35 million (per Spotrac) we are supposed to have anyways and that's close to $70 million in cap without releasing Bwill(which we should btw) and closer to $80 million in cap. The point is, a rebuild isn't going to last long since Joe and Jimmy are likely going to command some semblance of trade value and Joe could get us a 3rd rounder.

John Brown is a guy we are going to resign. In fact, the WR corps has two pieces(Brown and Snead) I think Lamar will benefit from having early on.

I think we are bluffing with CJ. We resign him, or at the least franchise him.

Top FA target is probably Haha Clinton-Dix or Lamarcus Joyner. Or Landon Collins. Or Tyranne Matheiu(it's a good market for safeties. This was clearly planned). I could also see us pursuing David Irving and converting the defense into a 4-3.

$70 million is enough to supplement the defensive problems on the team.

I'd focus FA on the defense. The WR, RB, and Oline market sucks outside of top names. Defensively is a different story. You find Weddle's replacement in FA, and bolster the defensive line.

Draft I'd focus on getting an edge rusher and rebuilding the entirety of the interior of the offensive line. C and RG in particular. I do think Bozeman is a future starter, but if we commit to Hurst and/or Lewis and/or Skura starting in any capacity, we are fucked. Getting a RB is a must too.


Not all problems are going to be solved in a year but I refuse to believe that with all that potential cap room that we are going to sit on our hands and do nothing. Weddle will probably be upgraded. We will probably add another piece on the defensive line. And I think we should focus more on offense than anything in the draft
 
Today's qna with Zrebiec was interesting.
Here are some of his answers:
- Ravens wanted to move up to draft Fournette
- He thinks they will fire Harbaugh and move on, regardless if we make the playoffs or not
- Weddle is likely gone, Mosley and surprisingly Yanda are also likely to be gone

that doesnt really pass the smell test
unless he has info that yanda is retiring that seems wrong

and the fournette thing sounds wrong too - we heard about who our targets were in that draft and i cant see ozzie or eric liking the analytics on drafting up to the 4th spot in the draft (up 12 spots) for a 2-dimensional running back - didnt we find out that our trade up target was haason reddick or am i misremembering?

id be sincerely surprised if a decision on CJ or Harbs has even been remotely decided in any sort of likelihood at this point given that they probably havent even spoken to CJ or his agent about the contract since the offseason and Harbs has been given space to work without ultimatums so why would that change in private now?

im not saying these things dont happen but it seems weird for them to be known or likely things at this point...
 
that doesnt really pass the smell test
unless he has info that yanda is retiring that seems wrong

and the fournette thing sounds wrong too - we heard about who our targets were in that draft and i cant see ozzie or eric liking the analytics on drafting up to the 4th spot in the draft (up 12 spots) for a 2-dimensional running back - didnt we find out that our trade up target was haason reddick or am i misremembering?

id be sincerely surprised if a decision on CJ or Harbs has even been remotely decided in any sort of likelihood at this point given that they probably havent even spoken to CJ or his agent about the contract since the offseason and Harbs has been given space to work without ultimatums so why would that change in private now?

im not saying these things dont happen but it seems weird for them to be known or likely things at this point...
I don't think Weddle leaving is off given how strong the safety market is going to be in FA. I see us resigning CJ, and I could easily see Yanda retiring. He owes us nothing.
 
May I ask why that Steelers game meant so much in your mind? Just curious! I think many people would have been thrilled before the season if they heard that we went 1-1 against the Steelers
IMO, we could not afford to go worse than 4-2 for a divisional record. While it's expected to at least split with them, we needed to sweep to make up the loss against the Browns. Plus, it would've put in a better position for not only the playoffs, but the division.

... has more sources (opinions) and this time it’s Suggs finally leaving Baltimore.
HERE TO STAY! However, I think Hacksaw needs to hang it up.
 
that doesnt really pass the smell test
unless he has info that yanda is retiring that seems wrong

and the fournette thing sounds wrong too - we heard about who our targets were in that draft and i cant see ozzie or eric liking the analytics on drafting up to the 4th spot in the draft (up 12 spots) for a 2-dimensional running back - didnt we find out that our trade up target was haason reddick or am i misremembering?

id be sincerely surprised if a decision on CJ or Harbs has even been remotely decided in any sort of likelihood at this point given that they probably havent even spoken to CJ or his agent about the contract since the offseason and Harbs has been given space to work without ultimatums so why would that change in private now?

im not saying these things dont happen but it seems weird for them to be known or likely things at this point...
The Fournette thing was kind of surprising. He mentioned in several answers that big changes might be coming.
In my eyes some changes are necessary, but I doubt Biscotti will support a total rebuild because in all his interviews and pressers he comes across as a competitive person and he's willing to spend a lot on staff and facilities. He does not fit the cheap type of owner who supports a total rebuild
 
I don't think Weddle leaving is off given how strong the safety market is going to be in FA. I see us resigning CJ, and I could easily see Yanda retiring. He owes us nothing.

weddle may well be gone - im not sure we replace him though

if we are really changing then i expect us to build the franchise around jackson and that means offence

Daniel Jeremiah had a good list of what you need:

"Checklist for building a roster in today's NFL Role/Number of players:
QB (1)
Pass rusher (2)
Off Playmaker (3)
Def Playmaker (3)
Quality OL (3)
That's where I'd start. Once you fill those 12 spots, you'll have an outstanding foundation."

someone posited in the tweets below that checklist that he should probably specify that no 2 non-quality OL should start next to each other...

i dont think we go big after the safeties in free agency - especially as a lot of them are strong safety type players - lamarcus joyner being the big exception but he's gonna get paid a shipload of money - i think that money gets spent elsewhere if im honest but well see
 
Don't want Joyner and I know he's good. We do have a CB we could move back there...

I've seen that same thing about Suggs @RavensMania . Him wanting to test FA.

Whoever the FA money is spent on it better be YOUNG, promising players. Need to look at the list, but wouldnt be shocked if we pursued a pass rusher and can't see us spending on a RB. Would go the draft route likely. Same with OL unless a quality C is available. Wouldn't mind a move for a WR. Trade, FA or draft, if you add a real "#1" to Snead and Brown and that immediately boost what we have tremendously. Also, wouldn't go crazy paying Brown to stay.
 
I traded fournette for Levon bell so :/
Ouch.

Dude offered me Conner for Ingram ... the morning news broke that LeVeon was set to return after the bye. The dude offering hope I hadn't heard the news. I told him - aside from being allergic to owning Steelers, I didn't think it was wise to make a trade for someone who was going to be benched in 2 weeks.

LeVeon's season is one of the more puzzling situations I've ever seen.
 
weddle may well be gone - im not sure we replace him though

if we are really changing then i expect us to build the franchise around jackson and that means offence

Daniel Jeremiah had a good list of what you need:

"Checklist for building a roster in today's NFL Role/Number of players:
QB (1)
Pass rusher (2)
Off Playmaker (3)
Def Playmaker (3)
Quality OL (3)
That's where I'd start. Once you fill those 12 spots, you'll have an outstanding foundation."

someone posited in the tweets below that checklist that he should probably specify that no 2 non-quality OL should start next to each other...

i dont think we go big after the safeties in free agency - especially as a lot of them are strong safety type players - lamarcus joyner being the big exception but he's gonna get paid a shipload of money - i think that money gets spent elsewhere if im honest but well see

I like DJ and I think he's smart, but that's incredibly subjective and I don't agree with it entirely. That's one way to build a team, and a good one.

If you look at how the Eagles did it, they did QB, Offensive Trenches, Defensive Trenches, invest in safeties, Then playmkers. And they had some good ones(and still do) but no one there is going to knock your socks off. Besides, outside of a couple of players, this WR class isn't exactly ideal if you ask me. This draft class is good with edge, interior oline, and a couple of solid RBs. Which is what I suspect we attack.

Lamar's safety needs to come first and we need to strengthen the dline before we even think about getting more playmakers(and we are off to a good start. Andrews, Hayden Hurst, Willie Snead, and Ty Montgomery in particular are all players that will fit Lamar like a glove). We are no longer in short game mode, we are playing the long one. Stanley and Brown Jr. are a great foundation for the line, because we can now focus on getting guards and a C(which guards are easier to find, Center is hard). I suspect that the receiving corps goes untouched. It's not perfect, but a corps of John Brown, Willie Snead, and Crabtree, with two young TEs is a really good group for Lamar's development, with Snead and the two TEs being possible long-term mainstays. Plus, while the running game looks good now, it's only a matter of time before teams catch up. Let's ensure that this is not an issue. Build the interior oline.

Defensively, our only massive hole next season, assuming we sign CJ, is going to be safety, which is still very important. With that much cap room, and Weddle's likely departure, we need someone there.

In a perfect world, the off season would look like

1 FS
1 DT(preferably someone who can rush the passer)
1 Edge
1 C
1 G
1 RB


This team can be a playoff team as soon as next season, but we have to see how competent the FO is...
 
I hated calculus, but my wife is a math major and had to do a ton of calculus and differential equations classes. Of course she’s not good at regular math and now she’s an HR Generalist
I got my degree in mathematics also. I did use it early in my career but not anymore. Still, I have no doubt the mental exercise benefited me in ways that are not obvious.
 
Don't want Joyner and I know he's good. We do have a CB we could move back there...

I've seen that same thing about Suggs @RavensMania . Him wanting to test FA.

Whoever the FA money is spent on it better be YOUNG, promising players. Need to look at the list, but wouldnt be shocked if we pursued a pass rusher and can't see us spending on a RB. Would go the draft route likely. Same with OL unless a quality C is available. Wouldn't mind a move for a WR. Trade, FA or draft, if you add a real "#1" to Snead and Brown and that immediately boost what we have tremendously. Also, wouldn't go crazy paying Brown to stay.
Lots of good choices for safeties in the FA class. Even guys like Tre Boston and Adrian Amos are quality pieces that would not break the bank. I could see us going for those two. I think Amos actually comes home.

I could see us going for David Irving as a pass rushing DT. Him and Henry could be good moving forward as a duo, along with Pierce if we move to a 4-3(which we should). Irving and Amos are both younger guys (for FAs) and would not break the bank. You make two moves in FA for the defensive side of the ball, those two should be it.

I don't see Crabtree leaving, and I would pay Brown some good money. We need someone to stretch the field to open up the run game for Lamar and whoever we draft at RB and he's one of the better deep threats in the league, and shouldn't command a crazy salary as far as receivers go. Building the oline for Lamar is way more important right now than getting playmakers when we have solid pieces for him to grow.
 
Lots of good choices for safeties in the FA class. Even guys like Tre Boston and Adrian Amos are quality pieces that would not break the bank. I could see us going for those two. I think Amos actually comes home.

I could see us going for David Irving as a pass rushing DT. Him and Henry could be good moving forward as a duo, along with Pierce if we move to a 4-3(which we should). Irving and Amos are both younger guys (for FAs) and would not break the bank. You make two moves in FA for the defensive side of the ball, those two should be it.

I don't see Crabtree leaving, and I would pay Brown some good money. We need someone to stretch the field to open up the run game for Lamar and whoever we draft at RB and he's one of the better deep threats in the league, and shouldn't command a crazy salary as far as receivers go. Building the oline for Lamar is way more important right now than getting playmakers when we have solid pieces for him to grow.

You still need my Threads Lost lol?
 
I could see us moving on from Weddle and Yanda retiring. I see us overpaying Mosley though... Which is fine tbh. I hope that we can find a HC that can transition us to a 4-3, which suits Mosley's abilities as a Mike much better.

I don't like the fact that oline is once again the biggest need on the team(after three fucking years nonetheless.. I hate this front office and never EVER want to hear anyone call me unreasonable when complaining about the oline again. It overachieved last year due to playing weak competition) because I fear that as per usual, we will neglect it, and Lamar will never maximize his potential as a result of this incompetence.

I think with us getting rid of a lot of dead weight, we will be heavier players in FA, and because of Lamar I could see us being a bigger hot spot.

Or Eric could just be Ozzie 2.0 and be stuck in the stone age like Ozzie has been. Which is what I expect.
I think this is the biggest question for this organization going forward. We have no idea what Eric was for this team while Ozzie was here. How much say did he really have? Will he just blindly follow the teachings of his mentor or will he be his own man?

I refuse to believe that all aspects of Ozzie were bad. I think elements of the way he showed patience in working the draft should be followed, but his approach to building a team - I think it is possible that Eric may take a different path. I think part of that different path will be the selection of a new HC. That will be telling. If he sticks with Harbs - well, that will say a lot.
 
I like DJ and I think he's smart, but that's incredibly subjective and I don't agree with it entirely. That's one way to build a team, and a good one.

If you look at how the Eagles did it, they did QB, Offensive Trenches, Defensive Trenches, invest in safeties, Then playmkers. And they had some good ones(and still do) but no one there is going to knock your socks off. Besides, outside of a couple of players, this WR class isn't exactly ideal if you ask me. This draft class is good with edge, interior oline, and a couple of solid RBs. Which is what I suspect we attack.

Lamar's safety needs to come first and we need to strengthen the dline before we even think about getting more playmakers(and we are off to a good start. Andrews, Hayden Hurst, Willie Snead, and Ty Montgomery in particular are all players that will fit Lamar like a glove). We are no longer in short game mode, we are playing the long one. Stanley and Brown Jr. are a great foundation for the line, because we can now focus on getting guards and a C(which guards are easier to find, Center is hard). I suspect that the receiving corps goes untouched. It's not perfect, but a corps of John Brown, Willie Snead, and Crabtree, with two young TEs is a really good group for Lamar's development, with Snead and the two TEs being possible long-term mainstays. Plus, while the running game looks good now, it's only a matter of time before teams catch up. Let's ensure that this is not an issue. Build the interior oline.

Defensively, our only massive hole next season, assuming we sign CJ, is going to be safety, which is still very important. With that much cap room, and Weddle's likely departure, we need someone there.

In a perfect world, the off season would look like

1 FS
1 DT(preferably someone who can rush the passer)
1 Edge
1 C
1 G
1 RB


This team can be a playoff team as soon as next season, but we have to see how competent the FO is...

DJ's list literally can include DL - it says pass rushers not edge rushers (and that is a specific choice) and with regards to the eagles they may have built safeties into their roster building over time but the season they were actually a good team and a threat to the NFL and won a superbowl their marquee moves were these:

extend zach ertz
sign backup qb Nick Foles
sign WR Alshon Jeffrey
sign WR Torrey Smith
sign CB Patrick Robinson
acquire pass rushing DL Timmy Jernigan
draft Pass rusher Derek Barnett
trade for CB Ronald Darby
trade for RB Jay Ajayi

those offseason acquisitions are what turned their year into a successful one to add to stout OL, franchise qb, couple of defensive playmakers and interior pass rushers and the playmaking tight end corps
 
Don't want Joyner and I know he's good. We do have a CB we could move back there...

I've seen that same thing about Suggs @RavensMania . Him wanting to test FA.

Whoever the FA money is spent on it better be YOUNG, promising players. Need to look at the list, but wouldnt be shocked if we pursued a pass rusher and can't see us spending on a RB. Would go the draft route likely. Same with OL unless a quality C is available. Wouldn't mind a move for a WR. Trade, FA or draft, if you add a real "#1" to Snead and Brown and that immediately boost what we have tremendously. Also, wouldn't go crazy paying Brown to stay.

I'm not that eager to try and pay John Brown. Would rather pay more for a top WR if available in FA/trade. Pissed me off pulling out of that end zone catch vs Raiders.
 
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