-
Welcome to PurpleFlock! Be sure to sign up here so that you can chat with your fellow Ravens fans.
Welcome to the Ravens, Hayden Hurst and Lamar Jackson
- Thread starter RaineV1
- Start date
Braveheart
Practice Squad
Thank you. Happy that I have joined. Should have done a long time ago.
As I said I was surprised last night more than anything. We are Ravens, this does not happen to us during the 1st round of a draft .
Im excited to see where this takes us. Watching Jackson do his interviews i get the impression that he is not as clued up on our organisation "Mr. Ozzie" which did not help him in my eyes with the criticism of Wonderlic score but there is a fire in there. Lets see if that fire can overcome the Wonderlic grades. Creative minds wired differently etc. I got some gossebumps when he said "I will bring you a Superbowl... believe that".
idk if its good or bad tbh lol. Yes jackson is explosive but as a qb im not sold yet.
Grim
Ravens Ring of Honor
So my thoughts are this:
Hurst is a good player although I personally liked Goedert better. I am not a fan of his [Hurst] age. I wish he was younger and I wish he had more production to be honest. TE are notoriously slow starters so I am very apprehensive about a 24 yo TE to make an immediate impact.
Jackson is also a good prospect with elite athleticism and a great arm but we’ve heard that song and dance before in guys like Russell and others. I don’t like his accuracy or lack thereof and I would’ve preferred Rosen but I understand the idea behind trading back to get more. I don’t mind the compensation we gave up to get Jackson. That’s nothing to me because who cares about a 2nd round pick next year. Those have been hit or miss for us a lot of times. Jackson needs a lot of work on his accuracy and I hope we can fix that because if not he’ll be a huge flop. On his intelligence you have to be worried about how smart he is but he also showed that he can do a complex offense in Pettrino’s system, so there’s a lot of hope there for us on that end. That accuracy, though...ugh
I think it’s very likely we could take a RB with our next pick. WR or C are my preferred routes.
Hurst is a good player although I personally liked Goedert better. I am not a fan of his [Hurst] age. I wish he was younger and I wish he had more production to be honest. TE are notoriously slow starters so I am very apprehensive about a 24 yo TE to make an immediate impact.
Jackson is also a good prospect with elite athleticism and a great arm but we’ve heard that song and dance before in guys like Russell and others. I don’t like his accuracy or lack thereof and I would’ve preferred Rosen but I understand the idea behind trading back to get more. I don’t mind the compensation we gave up to get Jackson. That’s nothing to me because who cares about a 2nd round pick next year. Those have been hit or miss for us a lot of times. Jackson needs a lot of work on his accuracy and I hope we can fix that because if not he’ll be a huge flop. On his intelligence you have to be worried about how smart he is but he also showed that he can do a complex offense in Pettrino’s system, so there’s a lot of hope there for us on that end. That accuracy, though...ugh
I think it’s very likely we could take a RB with our next pick. WR or C are my preferred routes.
balfan23
MVP
Could it be that they are slow starters because it is a position that demands physical maturity? I had a different reaction when we went on the other side of this age curve and drafted a 20 year old Maxx. My thoughts were, man, he may not be ready to play until his rookie contract is up.
I'm hopefully that he's a physical specimen that can really do a lot ... help in the run game, help pass protect off the edge and be a mismatch in the middle of the field. I don't know anything about him, but I'm praying he's nasty. He looks nasty with that same Ryan Jensen wildling look. I want him pissing people off. I want him getting under people's skin. This team needs players with an attitude.
yes, he did as well
Braveheart
Practice Squad
Maxx still has nearly a year on Hayden but the difference in both's physical development is huge. Hurst is well built into his frame and ripped. Maxx even with 3 years in a pro setting still looks like he needs to develop?
I am hoping he plays angry as well. A few videos I have watched looks promising on that front. He looks quite nasty with the ball in his hands. Saw him fighting for yards and breaking tackes on a Tight End Handoff's.
Grim
Ravens Ring of Honor
Great question and I haven’t studied it enough to know. I am wondering if there is a correlation as well but I suppose we will find out here soon enough. I’m hoping that is the case but Gronkowski made an early impact despite being young when he entered the league in 2010, and he is currently 28 right now.
balfan23
MVP
Yeah - well Gronk is a freak. A TE entering the league with his immediate impact is definitely the exception, not the norm.
That said, I don't know what the history shows on TEs that entered at a slightly older age and whether they've had a faster impact. I just have the sense we're expecting him to start right away, given where we drafted him and given who we currently have on the roster.
Alright I'll split this into 2 posts since I have a lot of thoughts on Lamar Jackson after sleeping on it.
I've been a Lamar Jackson fan for awhile but never really knew what to think about him here. The guy has an incredible arm. It's amazing how easily he can just flick his wrist and the ball rockets out like it does. His overall arm motion is pretty damn good although the release point can be a little low at times. He needs a lot of work though - especially his footwork. The mechanics are actually smooth but he can definitely lose them at times. I'm hopeful that cleaning up his footwork and developing some consistency in his mechanics will ease some of those accuracy problems. I usually hate to look past accuracy issues but I actually think his might be correctable with work. If Urban and company can get him to widen his base, I think he'll be more accurate.
My biggest question with Lamar has always been his intelligence. In interviews and such, he definitely doesn't come off as the smartest guy. With that being said, he was asked to change a lot at Louisville over the years and handled it pretty damn well. I've watched pretty extensive tape on him because part of me thought he was going to be a legitimate possibility. Normally I only stick with the previous year plus maybe a game or two from the prior year. I started Lamar early and worked up to the 2017 season and I really loved how easily you could see his progression over time. He was raw as hell when he first started out at Louisville and over the years, you could see the understanding of the game. He was reading defenses and progressing through multiple reads. He absolutely still needs work but I always find it encouraging when you can see the progress in a QB on tape and it doesn't just halt.
I typically hate to throw out player comparisons after being burned on them in the past but man, Lamar does have a lot of Mike Vick to his game. It might be the cheap and lazy comparison but I don't care - there are a lot of similarities there to me. I've read up on Vick when he first came out and he had more of the natural talents down but needed work learning to run an NFL offense. I think Lamar is a little more developed there but needs more work on the physical side of things. I think at worse case, you have a Tyrod level player which isn't the worst thing in the world although you'd much rather get Vick out of him. I think Vick would have done some absolutely crazy things if he didn't lose those couple of years of his prime.
One thing I really liked about Lamar last night was seeing him having a good time in the green room even after falling further than expected. He had this attitude that he was going to enjoy the night no matter what happened because whatever was supposed to happen was going to fall into place. He clearly has a chip on his shoulder but he wasn't the guy in the green room getting mad or upset. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it, but I love that mental side of him. Competitor but doesn't really let his emotions get the best of him.
Lastly, I wouldn't be surprised at all if we carry 3 QBs this year. RG3 is actually a really good mentor to Lamar as far as skill set goes. I think those two could work very well together. That RG3 signing makes a ton of sense now. Say what you want about his skill but RG3 has always been regarded as an intelligent QB and I believe he could also be a good teacher.
I've been a Lamar Jackson fan for awhile but never really knew what to think about him here. The guy has an incredible arm. It's amazing how easily he can just flick his wrist and the ball rockets out like it does. His overall arm motion is pretty damn good although the release point can be a little low at times. He needs a lot of work though - especially his footwork. The mechanics are actually smooth but he can definitely lose them at times. I'm hopeful that cleaning up his footwork and developing some consistency in his mechanics will ease some of those accuracy problems. I usually hate to look past accuracy issues but I actually think his might be correctable with work. If Urban and company can get him to widen his base, I think he'll be more accurate.
My biggest question with Lamar has always been his intelligence. In interviews and such, he definitely doesn't come off as the smartest guy. With that being said, he was asked to change a lot at Louisville over the years and handled it pretty damn well. I've watched pretty extensive tape on him because part of me thought he was going to be a legitimate possibility. Normally I only stick with the previous year plus maybe a game or two from the prior year. I started Lamar early and worked up to the 2017 season and I really loved how easily you could see his progression over time. He was raw as hell when he first started out at Louisville and over the years, you could see the understanding of the game. He was reading defenses and progressing through multiple reads. He absolutely still needs work but I always find it encouraging when you can see the progress in a QB on tape and it doesn't just halt.
I typically hate to throw out player comparisons after being burned on them in the past but man, Lamar does have a lot of Mike Vick to his game. It might be the cheap and lazy comparison but I don't care - there are a lot of similarities there to me. I've read up on Vick when he first came out and he had more of the natural talents down but needed work learning to run an NFL offense. I think Lamar is a little more developed there but needs more work on the physical side of things. I think at worse case, you have a Tyrod level player which isn't the worst thing in the world although you'd much rather get Vick out of him. I think Vick would have done some absolutely crazy things if he didn't lose those couple of years of his prime.
One thing I really liked about Lamar last night was seeing him having a good time in the green room even after falling further than expected. He had this attitude that he was going to enjoy the night no matter what happened because whatever was supposed to happen was going to fall into place. He clearly has a chip on his shoulder but he wasn't the guy in the green room getting mad or upset. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it, but I love that mental side of him. Competitor but doesn't really let his emotions get the best of him.
Lastly, I wouldn't be surprised at all if we carry 3 QBs this year. RG3 is actually a really good mentor to Lamar as far as skill set goes. I think those two could work very well together. That RG3 signing makes a ton of sense now. Say what you want about his skill but RG3 has always been regarded as an intelligent QB and I believe he could also be a good teacher.
Now, Hayden Hurst.
A lot of you know I've been a fan. I always prefer a two way guy because I think it helps disguise things so much more. I don't mind a receiver only type but he has to be special and I think only Gesicki had the chance to fit that this year. Since it's obvious the Ravens prefer guys that can do both, Hurst was the obvious choice.
Yeah, he's 25 but I don't care, especially at the TE position. To me, the guy is NFL ready. There's still room for improvement but I honestly believe you can throw him out there as a receiver or a blocker from day 1 and he's going to give you above average play at minimum. He's athletic but not a super athlete by any means. He's strong but not a mauler by any means. He's just good at everything. Solid route runner, good explosiveness, quick release, super strong hands. He's a TE that I think can make an impact at all three levels as a receiver. Watching his tape, I loved his awareness in zone. He always finds the soft spots and I think whoever is at the helm is going to love him as a safety net as well as a mismatch.
He's not the sexy pick but I think people are going to absolutely love this guy in 2 years after seeing him produce and do it consistently.
A lot of you know I've been a fan. I always prefer a two way guy because I think it helps disguise things so much more. I don't mind a receiver only type but he has to be special and I think only Gesicki had the chance to fit that this year. Since it's obvious the Ravens prefer guys that can do both, Hurst was the obvious choice.
Yeah, he's 25 but I don't care, especially at the TE position. To me, the guy is NFL ready. There's still room for improvement but I honestly believe you can throw him out there as a receiver or a blocker from day 1 and he's going to give you above average play at minimum. He's athletic but not a super athlete by any means. He's strong but not a mauler by any means. He's just good at everything. Solid route runner, good explosiveness, quick release, super strong hands. He's a TE that I think can make an impact at all three levels as a receiver. Watching his tape, I loved his awareness in zone. He always finds the soft spots and I think whoever is at the helm is going to love him as a safety net as well as a mismatch.
He's not the sexy pick but I think people are going to absolutely love this guy in 2 years after seeing him produce and do it consistently.
JAAM
Hall of Famer
How quickly things change. You wrote just last night before we picked Lamar that he would be a bust and now you want to support him? Such a joke.
Expecting someone to fail and hoping they don't are 2 seperate things
DeVito52
Ravens Ring of Honor
It's funny to me that some people are calling Jackson a "one read and runner."
At that point I know they watched 0 Lamar Jackson tape. Because Jackson is very far from a one read and runner.
If Jackson runs, most of the time it's designed. He is good with getting to his 2nd and 3rd reads. Even when he scrambles, he's looking to throw the ball.
I just saw a PFF tweet that said over 70% of Lamar's rushing yards came from designed runs.
JAAM
Hall of Famer
You're another one I went back and forth with last night about the whole thing and especially Flacco. Seems like the front office felt the same way considering you don't draft a QB in the 1st to NOT be a starter. It's time for a culture change. I'll be forever grateful for your boy but the future is here.
My Thoughts so far:
Hayden Hurst: I wasn't happy with the value of the pick, and preferred Gesicki and Goedert to Hurst, though not by a huge margin. My biggest concern is that Hurst ends up stuck in the Juszczyk/H-back role as the underneath target while not providing the lead blocking skills that made Juice so valuable. I think Hurst will be a good TE, but he's not Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski. His hands and athleticism are underrated, so he'll be a consistent target, albeit not an all-generation one or anything like that.
Lamar Jackson: I was definitely surprised by the pick and I think it says a lot about how the franchise views the direction the franchise is headed. Jackson is underrated as a cerebral prospect. He played in a pretty complex offense and made solid reads from what Ive seen. I believe he could start now if he was needed. He lacks touch on certain throws, but that seems more a product of his poor footwork than anything.
Overall, Im pretty happy with Round 1. Hurst is going to provide some value as a seam/underneath target and the Ravens took their franchise QB at good value.
Hayden Hurst: I wasn't happy with the value of the pick, and preferred Gesicki and Goedert to Hurst, though not by a huge margin. My biggest concern is that Hurst ends up stuck in the Juszczyk/H-back role as the underneath target while not providing the lead blocking skills that made Juice so valuable. I think Hurst will be a good TE, but he's not Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski. His hands and athleticism are underrated, so he'll be a consistent target, albeit not an all-generation one or anything like that.
Lamar Jackson: I was definitely surprised by the pick and I think it says a lot about how the franchise views the direction the franchise is headed. Jackson is underrated as a cerebral prospect. He played in a pretty complex offense and made solid reads from what Ive seen. I believe he could start now if he was needed. He lacks touch on certain throws, but that seems more a product of his poor footwork than anything.
Overall, Im pretty happy with Round 1. Hurst is going to provide some value as a seam/underneath target and the Ravens took their franchise QB at good value.
mc_red23
Pro Bowler
I loved the Deion Sanders bit...
"Ozzie man, I love you man. Ozzie, you know I love you, I appreciate you."
Ravensnation5220
Ravens Ring of Honor
They really were. Makes you think they really planned this out