Random Ravens Thoughts: New Forum Edition

[DreamKid]

I bet most of those reporter/journalist "GMs" don't even know the difference between 3/4 & 4/3 defenses. They aren't held to any sort of standards, and of all the sports I follow American Football has the most ignorant/uninformed media. 

Beyond a general lack of knowledge regarding the sport, you'll also see those covering the team(s) just flat out make stuff up. Wonky picks in a fantasy draft scenario shouldn't surprise anyone when the decision makers are drawn from that 'pool of talent'.

I'll never forget reading an article last year that stated something to the effect of "Despite Jaylon Ferguson's struggle on the edge, he's emerging as a disruptive interior rusher"...... They literally just lie.

[SalvadorsDeli]

End of an era. 

[Ray Reed]

^ next ring of honor inductee after ngata methinks 

[DreamKid]

@AFlaccoSeagulls Any chance you could run a crusade on that new 'Autonomous Zone' in Seattle? Conquer the region and convert all of them into Ravens' fans. That could give us a very vocal/active foothold in the west, and further expansion would ensure more favorable crowds during cross country Away games.

Resistance isn't an option, make them Belee Dat.

[DreamKid]

Where are you guys at with Dobbins in terms of fantasy? 

Some think he will immediately take over enough carries to produce like a RB2, and others think he might get off to a slow start but is a home run and possible league topping RB1 candidate for the future.

 

 

[M.10.E]

1 hour ago, DreamKid said:

Where are you guys at with Dobbins in terms of fantasy? 

Some think he will immediately take over enough carries to produce like a RB2, and others think he might get off to a slow start but is a home run and possible league topping RB1 candidate for the future.

I will end up picking him because I always need some Ravens on my team. I don't think he'll get the goal line touches as long as Mark is healthy, but I can see him being a spot starter if you need him to get you 8 points or so. Top handcuff.

[sp6488]

Dynasty/keeper leagues, he's definitely a good pick depending on rules. Redraft is tricky because I'm guessing he's going to be one of many. Wouldn't be shocked if the team keeps his carries relatively light this season (maybe 100 carries for 550?). While the cuts against the value maximization strategy of riding a RB on rookie contract hard, they perhaps preserve his legs a bit better for years 2 - 4 when Edwards (and potentially Ingram) are gone  and having him run the ball 250+ times.

Edited June 12, 2020 by sp6488

[sp6488]

12 hours ago, DreamKid said:

@AFlaccoSeagulls Any chance you could run a crusade on that new 'Autonomous Zone' in Seattle? Conquer the region and convert all of them into Ravens' fans. That could give us a very vocal/active foothold in the west, and further expansion would ensure more favorable crowds during cross country Away games.

Resistance isn't an option, make them Belee Dat.

Not sure how many football (or sports in general) fans one might find in the CHAZ

[jpeter15]

Pretty powerful move by the Ravens with BLM

 

 

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

On 6/11/2020 at 9:59 PM, DreamKid said:

@AFlaccoSeagulls Any chance you could run a crusade on that new 'Autonomous Zone' in Seattle? Conquer the region and convert all of them into Ravens' fans. That could give us a very vocal/active foothold in the west, and further expansion would ensure more favorable crowds during cross country Away games.

Resistance isn't an option, make them Belee Dat.

 

On 6/12/2020 at 10:58 AM, sp6488 said:

Not sure how many football (or sports in general) fans one might find in the CHAZ

Well I would but:

1) I don't live in Seattle (I live just outside of Portland)

2) I'm currently traveling back home to see my family and do wedding prep stuff

3) There's not a chance I'm going near the CHAZ given the current COVID situation and how much things are spiking lol

OTHERWISE, Yes I would totally go and preach to them about our Lord and Savior Lamar Jackson!

[DreamKid]

47 minutes ago, AFlaccoSeagulls said:

2) I'm currently traveling back home to see my family and do wedding prep stuff

As a fellow Ravens fan I have to do my duty and advise you to get a prenuptial agreement in place if there isn't one already. They aren't just important for individuals with a large amount of financial assets, property, etc. Marriage is a business and legal arrangement, one you shouldn't enter unprotected. Relationships and the people within them can and do change drastically over time. Should things turn for the worse you don't want to be put into a position where you face financial ruin for simply seeking to exit a partnership you no longer look favorably upon. Nor do you want to be trapped in such a situation either due to fear of that same financial ruin should you pursue a divorce. That kind of living situation is exceptionally toxic and frequently sours the realities/life of those involved more and more over time- to put it 'nicely'. I'm also assuming you're a man, which makes things even more imperative if your partner is a woman, as the courts are slanted against males in matters of divorce- especially when children are involved.

I know it's a downer thing to think about as you're likely in the happiest phase of your relationship right now, but my mother is a divorce attorney and I've heard waaayyy too many stories of Suicide, Ruin, Violence, etc- to not advise anyone I know (Male or Female) to cement a prenup. It's not a magic shield against all the ills of failed/broken relationships, but it is a legal one that can make separations easier, cleaner, and safer for all parties involved. 

Either way, congratulations and best wishes to you and partner. Hopefully you guys can drill some happiness out pf a year(2020) that isn't really looking to give any out. 

[sp6488]

Wouldn’t want to lose legal title to the @AFlaccoSeagulls account were things to take a turn for the worse

[DreamKid]

10 hours ago, sp6488 said:

Wouldn’t want to lose legal title to the @AFlaccoSeagulls account were things to take a turn for the worse

That would be hilarious, if weirdly that's all they pursued in the divorce. 

Then he'd finally start his @30SecondstoLamars account and constantly get banned for arguing with his old account.

Edited June 15, 2020 by DreamKid

[DreamKid]

Any players we should be specifically worried about coming out of this COVID altered offseason?

Obviously the elderly are the most vulnerable, but Hayden Hurst is gone, so we don't have any players to worry about as far as that goes. I think I'm going to keep an eye on OBJ and Calais Campbell. Orlando came into camp out of shape last year, so attention was going to be on him anyway. And Calais is at that phase of his career where curve balls are going to hurt him more than others. Carrying that weight at that height is always going to be rough, and older veterans already have to work that much harder to maintain peak form. Coming out of an offseason at 34 years old where you might not have had access to your typical exercise and recovery equipment- could have a significant impact. 

I also wonder if generally the team will alter it's famously high conditioning standards? If they get the sense that multiple players just "Aren't there yet" and feel it could be counterproductive to have so many take a step back. Usually Harbaugh will have guys that fail the conditioning test work exclusively with the 2nd/3rd team for a while, but how many presumptive starters could the team stomach sitting out of 1st Team looks after an offseason where they might already be playing catch up in terms of chemistry, awareness, etc?

[SalvadorsDeli]

5 hours ago, DreamKid said:

Any players we should be specifically worried about coming out of this COVID altered offseason?

Obviously the elderly are the most vulnerable, but Hayden Hurst is gone, so we don't have any players to worry about as far as that goes. I think I'm going to keep an eye on OBJ and Calais Campbell. Orlando came into camp out of shape last year, so attention was going to be on him anyway. And Calais is at that phase of his career where curve balls are going to hurt him more than others. Carrying that weight at that height is always going to be rough, and older veterans already have to work that much harder to maintain peak form. Coming out of an offseason at 34 years old where you might not have had access to your typical exercise and recovery equipment- could have a significant impact. 

I also wonder if generally the team will alter it's famously high conditioning standards? If they get the sense that multiple players just "Aren't there yet" and feel it could be counterproductive to have so many take a step back. Usually Harbaugh will have guys that fail the conditioning test work exclusively with the 2nd/3rd team for a while, but how many presumptive starters could the team stomach sitting out of 1st Team looks after an offseason where they might already be playing catch up in terms of chemistry, awareness, etc?

Campbell's an interesting one, because I suspect the opposite could be true with him - that being an experienced vet gave him an advantage this offseason, because he's already done this so many times that he hopefully has a good sense already of what and how to get his body ready for the season. Not to mention at his age you're doing less of trying to improve and transform your body into something new and better as much as you're also thinking about rest/maintenance to keep things where you're at.

I worry more about the young guys than the vets for that reason. They're still at points in their career where the offseason is crucial in terms of setting them up for improvement. The jump from rookie year to Year 2 in particular can be a big one for development - your first offseason in an NFL weight room with a professional training regiment.  With Hollywood obviously we've seen him putting in the work w/ Lamar and we'e also heard a little from Boykin in terms of how he's approaching/prepping. I'll be curious what Jaylen Ferguson looks like from a physical standpoint when training camp starts. Think it was particularly important for him to develop his body this offseason and get it in real NFL shape. He's not a plus athlete to begin with, and he's not an established player but is nonetheless in line to play a significant amount of snaps at an important position in 2020, so not making the progress he needed to this offseason would have repercussions for the defense as a whole. On the other hand if he shows up playing faster, stronger, or more explosive, any sort of improvement from Ferguson would be a huge added bonus and change the way we look at our EDGE group. 

Edited June 15, 2020 by BaltimoreTerp