Random Ravens Thoughts: New Forum Edition

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

I move to vote to declare @diamondbull424 Persona Non Grata of this forum after these disparaging comments about Ed Reed.

[berlin calling]

approved. send him off to the Cards or Colts forum where he can spend the rest of his sorry times alone.

[Danand]

1 hour ago, diamondbull424 said:

? I knew you would come to Reed’s rescue. Especially being ranked under Flacco and Rice. I know it’s slightly sacrilege to have it in that order, but I don’t know. I guess after years of a dominating defense it was finally nice to have a great offense. Actually now that I think about it, Reed doesn’t even make my top 5 Ravens anymore:

1. Ray Lewis 2. Terrell Suggs 3. Justin Tucker 4. Joe Flacco 5. Ray Rice 6. Ed Reed 7. Jonathan Ogden 8. Jamal Lewis 9. Todd Heap 10. Haloti Ngata HM. Derrick Mason

Though I’m probably forgetting someone. 

Kelly Gregg and Jarrett Johnson!

[Ballimore]

1 hour ago, diamondbull424 said:

? I knew you would come to Reed’s rescue. Especially being ranked under Flacco and Rice. I know it’s slightly sacrilege to have it in that order, but I don’t know. I guess after years of a dominating defense it was finally nice to have a great offense. Actually now that I think about it, Reed doesn’t even make my top 5 Ravens anymore:

1. Ray Lewis 2. Terrell Suggs 3. Justin Tucker 4. Joe Flacco 5. Ray Rice 6. Ed Reed 7. Jonathan Ogden 8. Jamal Lewis 9. Todd Heap 10. Haloti Ngata HM. Derrick Mason

Though I’m probably forgetting someone. 

Yanda.

Stover.

Koch.

McCallister.

 

 

[diamondbull424]

Ahh... Kelly Gregg, now that’s another name that I can get behind. Loved that guy. Man seeing all these names makes it difficult. I remembered Matt Stover, but Tucker was on my sig in the old forum since his inception. When he was signed as an UDFA I immediately jumped on the bandwagon. Saw a clutch game winner he made at Texas and the rest is history.

Yanda would be one of the next up as well. Though I might have to put Sam Koch high on my list as well.

This is actually quite fun.

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

I think it's more fun to have a top list of Ravens who weren't really well known compared to the greats of this organization, but you liked them anyways. Guys like:

Tom Zbikowski

Haruki Nakamura

Yamon Figurs

Fabian Washington

Le'Ron McClain

Dawan Landry

Tavares Gooden

Antwan Barnes

Troy Smith

Tyrod Taylor

Edited February 5, 2018 by Darth Pees

[Danand]

1 hour ago, diamondbull424 said:

Ahh... Kelly Gregg, now that’s another name that I can get behind. Loved that guy. Man seeing all these names makes it difficult. I remembered Matt Stover, but Tucker was on my sig in the old forum since his inception. When he was signed as an UDFA I immediately jumped on the bandwagon. Saw a clutch game winner he made at Texas and the rest is history.

Yanda would be one of the next up as well. Though I might have to put Sam Koch high on my list as well.

This is actually quite fun.

I did the drill not long ago and I had Kelly Gregg, Marshall Yanda, Jarrett Johnson, Ed Reed, Derrick Mason and Chris McAlister on the top of my list. Especially Gregg, Johnson and Yanda to me embodies one identity that makes the Ravens great, the ability to find the silent warriors who don't wow you with athleticism, but fights always and get the job done.

They are the bread and butter of the team that gives Ed Reed, McAlister, Lewis the ability to be the X-factors and playmakers they were.

[DreamKid]

It is difficult, you almost have to wait until a player is retired and out of the league to decide your favorite. How many Raven fans loved Torrey?, but now he'll be remembered as the guy who took a little more money to join a team in the 49ers that was a bit of a rival at the time. Also his weird lapses in concentration and effort during the 2014 playoffs didn't harbor him much love as he went out the door. Before all that though he was the guy for many fans, a lot can change.

2 minutes ago, Darth Pees said:

Tom Zbikowski

I loved that we had a Safety with boxing highlights,

 

3 minutes ago, Darth Pees said:

Le'Ron McClain

Jumbo Package with Neal. 

 

This thread highlights how much we need playmakers, we need new favorites and debates for the fan base. New things* like Ray Rice Running From Rutgers, Mason and Flacco's connection. We haven't had a home grown favorite on offense for a while.

[coordinator0]

My favorite Raven ever is Ed Reed. Nobody can usurp that throne. He was toast there at the end, but before that... nobody inspired fear of throwing deep like he did. Imagine what his interception total could be like if he was in his prime during this period of the pass-happy NFL. Adalius Thomas is up there as an honorable mention. Dude was just flat-out ridiculous for Baltimore's defense. Also took New England's money and (kind of) crapped the bed for them, so that was nice too. 

Hard to pick a favorite low-key Raven. There has been a lot of marginal roster guys that could make plays, but looking over past rosters they either didn't stick around past their rookie contracts or blew up into guys that couldn't be considered low-key anymore.  It's pretty much the same group of names that have been mentioned already. Jim Leonhard might be my best bet though.

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

I will never forget Ed Reed baiting and intercepting Peyton Manning in back to back plays in the playoffs in 2008 (first one he fumbled and it was recovered by the offense, second one was negated by a Frank Clark DPI).

[RavensfanRD]

ED Reed not in the top 5 Ravens of all-time will have you sent to the pit of misery, @diamondbull424 !! 

My Personal Top 5 would be:

1. ED Reed (My Favorite All-time Raven) 2. Ray Lewis (Obviously he would be #1) 3. Terrell Suggs 4. Joe Flacco (Because he's The G.O.A.T Got dammit!) 5. Justin Tucker

Ok, there you have it. Fight me!

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

Also, these 2 plays I'll never forget:

Ray Lewis:

Ed Reed

 

[diamondbull424]

You know. On further thought. I could be convinced of interchanging the order of Ed Reed and Ray Rice. I think Rice just has a special connection for me along with Flacco. Because while Ray Lewis is the REASON that I’m a Ravens fan or even a fan of football all together, Rice and Flacco were a part of that tandem of when I first started to pay attention to the draft. That was the year that I was in love with Brian Brohm. And I was lukewarm on Flacco, but hated Matt Ryan and thought he was overrated.??‍♀️

But I was in LOVE with Ray Rice coming out of Rutgers. He was my very first “draft man crush”. And we actually selected him and he became a beast like I predicted. And he also had “Ray” in his name.

I think it’s probably more like:

4a. Flacco 4b. Rice 4c. Reed. But yeah.

And In terms of those grunt players, if Adalius Thomas would’ve stuck around longer probably him. Jamie Sharper was a solid guy. Bernard Pollard did damage for us. But I would probably go with Bart Scott. He was an undrafted free agent and really came on well for us. And he had that tough mean angry attitude... but with swagger that defined those Ravens defenses. He IMO epitomized what it meant to be a Raven. Underdog, angry, and mean. The middle child that wouldn’t allow himself to be forgotten by the family.?

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

I'll never forget my first draft man crush. Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado.

[diamondbull424]

19 minutes ago, Darth Pees said:

I'll never forget my first draft man crush. Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado.

Yeah I loved Jimmy that year too. I remember he was my sig before Justin Tucker rolled around. If only Smith could’ve stayed healthy, he might’ve made a run at Chris McAlister for Best Ravens CB of all time. Though I guess the same could’ve been said for Lardarius Webb as well.