Today former Texans wide receiver, perennial fantasy football sleeper and major contributor to the Ravens playoff win last year Jacoby Jones, became the newest Baltimore Raven. For those who don’t remember Jones inexplicably tried to field a punt with Cary Williams bearing down on him in the second round of the playoffs last year. When Jones bobbled the punt it resulted in the Ravens jumping out to an early 7-0 lead over the Texans and an eventual win. Five months later Jones will enter camp trying to help the Ravens by not bobbling the ball but holding onto it.
Jacoby Jones fumbles a punt against the Ravens in the second round of NFL playoffs.
There is a lot to like about Jones signing. First, he is an incredible physical specimen: 6-foot-2 1/2, 210 lbs. and a 4.49 forty-yard dash time. Simply put, he has all the physical skills needed in a #1 wide receiver. Jones’ physical attributes shouldn’t be quickly dismissed despite his lack of production in Houston. When players with these skills/attributes “get it” they become stars. In past NFL seasons players like Miles Austin, Vincent Jackson and Brandon Marshall were all recent “projects” with similar physical skills who’ve developed into #1 wide receivers out of nowhere. More analysis on Jones and how he fits into the 2012 Ravens after the jump.
Twenty-nine other players, via searches using the play finder at pro football reference, have been a first team all-pro on defense since the merger, and then missed ten or more of their team’s games the following season. A handful retired, and of course there was Jerome Brown’s tragic car accident, while the rest suffered injuries.
Lisk concluded that based on the information in this group, the average points allowed per game rose from 17.3 to 20.8 and the average wins per season dropped from 9.8 to 7.9. READ MORE >>>
With the Nationals on a 10 game home stand and MLB.tv blacking out Orioles games, I didn’t get to see too much of the O’s this week. From what I did see, Brian Matusz got a raw deal due to some predictably poor defense in Anaheim, Wei Yin Chen had yet another very strong outing, and the offense looked great in some spots (Jones and Wieters) and rough in others (Reynolds hasn’t had a hit in nearly a week). But despite not seeing much of Baltimore this week, there is one thing I do know.
Cam Cameron is ruining Joe Flacco. How the hell is Joe supposed to build a successful career with shoddy schematics? No one will ever know how good Flacco can be until Cam’s parking spot is empty, and his playbooks are halfway through the shredder. This is how Ravens fans introduce themselves around here, and Baltimore was in the AFC Championship game last year.
At the same time, O’s fans acknowledge that there’s some talent on the pitching staff. Tommy Hunter won 13 games with Texas, Jake Arrieta’s stuff is cough syrup nasty, and Brian Matusz was once considered good enough that people still wonder what’s wrong with him. If Baltimore fans had their way, Cam Cameron would have had an appointment with Ned Stark’s barber months ago. Which leaves me scratching my own head as to why Rick Adair’s is still under an Orioles cap.
Breathe easy Ravens fans, Ray Rice was knocked out of the pool for the cover of Madden 13. I don’t consider myself a to be a very superstitious person, but I certainly buy into the Madden Curse. Last year’s curse on Peyton Hillis was so strong that it effected Peyton Manning and Sean Payton too.
You have to assume that a curse on Ray Rice could only do bad things to future hall of famer Ray Lewis.
Rice was edged by Aaron Rodgers in the Madden cover tournament on ESPN.com. Rodgers takes on Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson in the semi-finals.
Panthers QB Cam Newton and 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis also remain contenders for this year’s curse cover.
@CSNBrent Brent Harris Like father, like son.. Ray Lewis III gave verbal commitment to #Miami.. as HS jr last yr, Lewis ran for 2,312 yards and 29 TDs #Ravens Mar 21 via webFavoriteRetweetReply
So if Lewis III is a senior this year, that would mean that Ray would have to stick around for four more years to play with his son. It’d be awesome, but I don’t see it happening.
The Ravens have always employed the ‘best player available’ philosophy in the NFL Draft and there is no reason to believe they will waiver from that strategy this year. Over the next month and a half I will be posting about players I believe the Ravens are or should be targeting in the draft. Now, Boston College’s Luke Kuechly.
Luke Keuchly
POSITION – Inside Linebacker
COLLEGE – Boston College
HEIGHT – 6’3
WEIGHT – 237
- Kuechly is a technician. He Diagnoses plays extremely quickly and then takes decisive angles at the ball carrier. READ MORE >>>
Pro football is a grown man’s game. I mean that in the sense that, while they are coached and instructed, ultimately everything good and bad carried out on the field is done by grown men. They are free to choose any profession they want to seek out, and they choose to play football in the NFL willingly.
The NFLPA, as the players’ union, would obviously like there to be a unified front on player sentiments regarding the hot-button issues facing the league. In the most recent era, it has been lasting head injuries and the things that cause them, and in the most recent weeks, it has been incentives to injure opponents. Neither create a “safe working environment” by OSHA standards, but players seem to be much more comfortable with their own demise than someone profiting from it.
And that is the problem with the NFL today. There is not a unified front on the head trauma issue because the player pool is in a period of transition. What the league is transitioning to is a mystery, but there is a division between those willing to absorb the implied risk of a pro football career and those who claim to have been (metaphorically) blindsided. Current players bristle at a quick 15-yard flag or a fine for helmet-to-helmet contact. They feel the rules have been changed on them mid-flight. The liked the old way better. The way where the assumed risk was still the same, but the only ones suffering or profiting from a dangerous tackle was the tackler and tacklee themselves. Now, the NFL takes a bite out of the tackler’s paycheck, and the guys in the other jerseys get 15 precious yards. The players who are upset at the recent allegations of bounty systems among teams aren’t mad at the actions, they’re mad at the outcomes. Many are not calling for the game to be played differently. They simply want to absorb the good and the bad of their decision to play pro football like grown men.
The 1st Mariner Arena (if that’s what they’re still calling it) is a dump. I’ve seen concerts, circuses and sporting events there and can tell you that it doesn’t matter what form of entertainment is on the floor, the place is flat out horrible.
If Baltimore ever wants a chance to land an NBA or NHL franchise, they need to tear that place to the ground and start over. I’d be happy help with the demolition part.
Monday, Major Stephanie Rawlings-Blake released a plan for a new downtown arena with the help of both the city of Baltimore and the Maryland Stadium Authority. The plan would involve expanding the Baltimore Convention Center to allow for larger accommodations and (of course) sporting events.
The arena would be built adjacent to the Sheraton Hotel and over look the Inner Harbor.
There aren’t many more details about the project and a lot remains unanswered about when, or if, this new arena will be built. According to Rawlings-Blake’s press release, the next step if for the city and state to lay out the financial information for the proposal. READ MORE >>>
Having formerly worked in the Cockeysville area, I was able to watch the transformation of the Hunt Valley Town Center. Crappy restaurants were replaced with nicer ones, Wegmans (the greatest grocery store in the world) was built and Wal-Mart moved out for a new project by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.
The project’s subcontractors have complained that they are owed over $1.1 million and building has stalled. Today, MVP Lanes features boarded off windows and a chain linked fence around what would be the front door.
It’s crazy to think that a guy who signed a $22 million contract three seasons ago can’t seem to get this project off the ground. Hunt Valley would have been a perfect location for an upscale bowling alley like this, but after reading the details in The Sun, I can’t imagine Lewis can pick up the pieces to finish MVP Lanes.
Ray Lewis has to be the greatest motivator since Matt Foley. His on-field presence is enough to get 80,000 fans amped up and even through injuries Lewis has proven to be a valuable commodity to the Ravens on the sidelines.
That’s exactly why Orioles skipper Buck Showalter reached out to Lewis who recorded an inspirational video in an Orioles hat and jersey. Jen Royle tweets that Lewis addressed the team on video as if he was in person.
“It was hella inspirational for me to see that fire that he possesses,” Adam Jones told Royle. ”He speaks the truth.” READ MORE >>>
The 2011 Ravens brought about one of the best seasons in franchise history. They finished the regular season with a 12-4 record en route to the team’s third AFC North title in team history.
They finished 8-0 at home for the first time ever and swept the season series against the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time since the 2006 season.
They featured a running back in the name of Ray Rice who led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage and brought along a rookie wide receiver in Torrey Smith who finished the season with seven touchdowns, setting a Ravens rookie record. They added a third Defensive Player of the Year award to the mantle with linebacker Terrell Suggs winning this season.
The Baltimore Ravens were two plays away from playing in Super Bowl XLVI, but overall was a season to remember for fans everywhere. Let’s take a final look at the Ravens season unit by unit. READ MORE >>>
The only thing more obsolete than the NFL Pro Bowl is complaining about the NFL Pro Bowl. Fans have been tired of the former for years and have now just given up on the latter and simply stopped watching. Making the Pro Bowl the NFL’s black sheep event is warranted for all the usual reasons people list.
There may have been a time when the NFL needed the Pro Bowl. That time is not 2012. I’m not propsing that it be tweaked, moved or reinvent it. The NFL needs to cut bait and simply can the Pro Bowl as we know it. So what does the league do the week before or the week after the Super Bowl? Tap the one asset the NFL has where there is any headroom for growth: new talent. College football all-star games are already suffering from “bowl sprawl,” with five major games in January. The future NFL star is the lowest-hanging fruit the NFL could possibly ask for.
Imagine if the NFL (with the cooperation of the NFLPA, which already stages a college all-star game), put on a top-flight all star game in Hawaii or Florida featuring the best draft-eligible players. The NFL Draft and Combine grow larger every year and this would be a great opportunity for NFL fans not immersed in the college game become familiar with their future NFL stars. Who wouldn’t watch that? It’s a slam-dunk. Roger Goodell, earn your extension and make this happen. READ MORE >>>
Time to wipe the board clean. The wounds of the 2011 Ravens may still be fresh, but the seconds are already ticking away until the 2012 Ravens break training camp. While the number of free agent decisions the team needs to make might be minimal in quantity, the re-signing or lack thereof by some key pieces may affect the puzzle greatly. Matt Lund and I broke down every potential new deal and decision not to renew.
If you need to brush up on unrestricted vs. restricted free agency, please feel free to do so and then leave your calls in the comments. (Player ages are in parentheses.)
Skill Positions
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RB Ray Rice (25) D: If a long-term deal is inevitable for Rice, I’d be happy if the Ravens took care of it now rather than franchising him and waiting a year. I don’t love long-term deals for backs as it obviously exposes the team to much more risk than most positions. Whatever you gotta do, Keep.
M: Absolute no-brainer. It would be in the Ravens best interest to sign Rice to a long-term deal to avoid the hassle of franchising him and also having both he and Joe Flacco as impending free agents in 2013. The guy is your workhorse, and led the NFL in yards from scrimmage this season. He’s worth every penny. Keep.
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The only thing more obsolete than the NFL Pro Bowl is complaining about the NFL Pro Bowl. Fans have been tired of the former for years and have now just given up on the latter and 
Time to wipe the board clean. The wounds of the 2011 Ravens may still be fresh, but the seconds are already ticking away until the 2012 Ravens break training camp. While the number of free agent decisions the team needs to make might be minimal in quantity, the re-signing or lack thereof by some key pieces may affect the puzzle greatly. 
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