Free Agency 2019

[Ellicottraven]

One reason I feel bullish that we'll make him a competitive offer is because we cherish leadership up front. With the loss of Suggs, we're looking for that leader on the front 7. Maybe, it's McCoy. I cannot help but get super excited about the push we'll get down the middle with him on the field. If Pierce isn't double teamed, he'll tear a black hole in the middle of the O line! Brandon Williams is still good to plug running lanes down the middle and McCoy can't be double teamed all the time with the two behemoths next to him. I bet Wink will dial up nightmares for offenses especially considering how fresh our D will be on a game by game basis with Lamar eating up clock like crazy!

 

[Ellicottraven]

If we offer him a deal it isn't going to be a one year prove it deal I'm certain. He won't accept Suh's kind of deal at this point. He will want some security of term and guaranteed money and I think that's what will get him over to us if at all. I'm think if we offer him a 3yr - 27M deal with 18M guaranteed and a 12M bonus, it may be too enticing for him to pass on us. Again, if other teams outbid us I'm not sure he gives up big money to sign with a team he loves that can contend.

 

[Grim]

I also think we could do some devastating things on the DL with what we have as well. Think about this kind of formation:

Henry | Pierce | McCoy | McPhee

That’s some serious heat on the QB honestly. That’s a stout DL against the run as those dudes are heavy but also got guys who can rush the QB as well. Could do some real damage and mask our weakness at OLB.

 

[JoeyFlex5]

4 man front of judon - McPhee/Henry - McCoy - Tim Williams for when we just wanna rush 4 and let our talent do the work... I like it.

 

[Nurps]

Im McStoked

 

[RavensMania]

He can play tackle in 34. And we're not playing 34 all the time.

as a matter of fact we are in nickel 70% of the time. I don't know why people still get hung up over 3-4 and 4-3 anymore.

 

[cdp]

as a matter of fact we are in nickel 70% of the time. I don't know why people still get hung up over 3-4 and 4-3 anymore.

Amen. The question should be 3-3 or 2-4 or even 4-2.

 

[cobrajet]

I hate to get my hopes up too high, but hot damn Gerald McCoy signing with us would be freaking awesome!

 

[rossihunter2]

Amen. The question should be 3-3 or 2-4 or even 4-2.

honestly the question shouldnt even be about that - it should be about do your DL predominantly 2-gap or 1-gap and is your SAM LB predominantly an edge defender or an off-ball LB

 

[Willbacker]

Amen. The question should be 3-3 or 2-4 or even 4-2.

I guess really the only difference would be if the edge players had their hands in the dirt since it would probally be the same personel. I'm talking 2-4/4-2

 

[Willbacker]

honestly the question shouldnt even be about that - it should be about do your DL predominantly 2-gap or 1-gap and is your SAM LB predominantly an edge defender or an off-ball LB

I'm curious. Would we have 2 SAMs if the opposing team is lined up with 2 TE's?

 

[JoeyFlex5]

I guess really the only difference would be if the edge players had their hands in the dirt since it would probally be the same personel. I'm talking 2-4/4-2

Haven’t we been known to run some 1-5 sets? With a NT and 5 standup rushers who are all a threat to stunt? Positions kinda mean shit anymore with a multiple front like ours. When pees was here the 2 gap thing and well roundedness was key because a player wouldn’t see the field at all without those things, but wink is drastically different and he lets talented players do what they do best.

 

[JoeyFlex5]

honestly the question shouldnt even be about that - it should be about do your DL predominantly 2-gap or 1-gap and is your SAM LB predominantly an edge defender or an off-ball LB

I like the sam off ball, or at least stand up, with your most dangerous edge rusher on the line at the 7 or wider. Off ball Sam backer makes it much easier to diagnose power runs and screens and allows you to jam the TE regardless of your task, like if you’re rushing or blitzing you can jam and pass the TE off to the appropriate zone while they have time to diagnose.

That’s whats so goddamn maddening about bowser because that’s literally his exact skill set and that’s what Ozzie envisioned for him but instead he’s been on the line rushing specialist

 

[Willbacker]

Haven’t we been known to run some 1-5 sets? With a NT and 5 standup rushers who are all a threat to stunt? Positions kinda mean shit anymore with a multiple front like ours. When pees was here the 2 gap thing and well roundedness was key because a player wouldn’t see the field at all without those things, but wink is drastically different and he lets talented players do what they do best.

I have most defintly seen just 1 DL several times and it was usually Urban. Strong/free don't mean shit and I'm starting to think the same about the LBs too. There's not many that play just one position anymore. I'm starting to see names like Rover starting to come into play. This is happening in all kinds of sports.

 

[rossihunter2]

Haven’t we been known to run some 1-5 sets? With a NT and 5 standup rushers who are all a threat to stunt? Positions kinda mean shit anymore with a multiple front like ours. When pees was here the 2 gap thing and well roundedness was key because a player wouldn’t see the field at all without those things, but wink is drastically different and he lets talented players do what they do best.

there were snaps last year where we played no DL at all on some passing downs - in dime we had 6 dbs and 5 lbs a few times

i think the key to scheme flexibility etc. is rotation and wink seems to love a stable of guys - and id assume the thinking behind bringing mccoy in is he offers yet another challenge for the offence to have to figure out and the flexibility to be effective vs the hurry-up (which offences started using a lot more to keep us out of dime towards the end of last year)

 

[rossihunter2]

I like the sam off ball, or at least stand up, with your most dangerous edge rusher on the line at the 7 or wider. Off ball Sam backer makes it much easier to diagnose power runs and screens and allows you to jam the TE regardless of your task, like if you’re rushing or blitzing you can jam and pass the TE off to the appropriate zone while they have time to diagnose.

That’s whats so goddamn maddening about bowser because that’s literally his exact skill set and that’s what Ozzie envisioned for him but instead he’s been on the line rushing specialist

and these are the decisions that DCs have to make but also can be flexible - i personally prefer the stand-up Sam but i dont like the off-ball sam so much schematically (albeit bowser fits that role to a tee) - and i think particularly with the way wink re-imagined our defence last offseason, having multiple options at the LoS (especially that dime defence on passing downs) where the offence has a huge challenge just picking out where the rush is coming from and who's dropping from where - the off-ball LB in that situation offers you much less than a Sam at the LoS (even if they are stood up still)

 

[RL52TheGreatest]

I have a feeling that if we even come close to offering McCoy a decent deal then he's not leaving the building today.

 

[mc_red23]

Brian McFarland @RavensSalaryCap
1/ As Gerald McCoy visits today, the Ravens are presently $13.484M under the Salary Cap. However, they will need $1.862M of that to sign their 3 unsigned draft picks, leaving them w/ $11.622M in "available" Cap space. But...….

2/ But, when the RuleOf51 ends in Sept, all players (not just the top 51) have to be fit under the Cap. So, that's the 53, IR, PUP & PS. That will take up several million, w/ the 2 players added to Cap (to go from 51 to 53) being a min of $1.14M & the PS taking up a min of $1.36M

3/ Plus, the more players on IR/PUP, the more the Cap space dwindles. Then, teams would like to have a reserve of $3-5M to carry into the season for further injuries. Over the last couple of yrs, the Ravens have finished the season with between 76-85 players counting on the Cap.

4/ So, if the Ravens are tighter against the Cap than $13.484M sounds & if the are able to sign McCoy, they are going to have to find a way to fit him under a tight Cap and may need to find a way to create Cap space, perhaps not immediately, but possibly down the road.

5/ Creating add'l space would likely come from the release of a player or the restructure of a contract. Restructuring is what got them their recent tight Caps, but they will have a better Cap picture in 2020, so they can more afford it this time around if they have to go there.

Sounds like it's going to be a struggle.

 

[rossihunter2]

Brian McFarland @RavensSalaryCap
1/ As Gerald McCoy visits today, the Ravens are presently $13.484M under the Salary Cap. However, they will need $1.862M of that to sign their 3 unsigned draft picks, leaving them w/ $11.622M in "available" Cap space. But...….

2/ But, when the RuleOf51 ends in Sept, all players (not just the top 51) have to be fit under the Cap. So, that's the 53, IR, PUP & PS. That will take up several million, w/ the 2 players added to Cap (to go from 51 to 53) being a min of $1.14M & the PS taking up a min of $1.36M

3/ Plus, the more players on IR/PUP, the more the Cap space dwindles. Then, teams would like to have a reserve of $3-5M to carry into the season for further injuries. Over the last couple of yrs, the Ravens have finished the season with between 76-85 players counting on the Cap.

4/ So, if the Ravens are tighter against the Cap than $13.484M sounds & if the are able to sign McCoy, they are going to have to find a way to fit him under a tight Cap and may need to find a way to create Cap space, perhaps not immediately, but possibly down the road.

5/ Creating add'l space would likely come from the release of a player or the restructure of a contract. Restructuring is what got them their recent tight Caps, but they will have a better Cap picture in 2020, so they can more afford it this time around if they have to go there.

Sounds like it's going to be a struggle.

i imagine we'd be offering a 2-3 year deal to spread the cap over multiple years so that the cap gets a bit bigger as the flacco contract (and other contracts) come completely off the books

 

[JoeyFlex5]

i imagine we'd be offering a 2-3 year deal to spread the cap over multiple years so that the cap gets a bit bigger as the flacco contract (and other contracts) come completely off the books

Which is what I’m hoping for. You don’t sign McCoy to this team for a 1 year impact, we aren’t the colts or chiefs or pats, this is a process that may take 2-3 years to pay real dividends, if McCoy is here for 3 years, that’s more time of a really high quality DT providing a massive improvement on interior pass rush. One year of McCoy for us to MAYBE go 10-6 and one and done is just stupid, but 2-3 years for this team to really gain traction is major.

I never wanted McCoy as a one year deal, I always wanted him 2-3, because he has given us no reason to expect a decline over that course.