I opted to reserve judgement on the Ravens’ decision to trade back in the draft until after they selected their picks tonight. I understand that everyone was, as always, quick to follow Ozzie blindly, but I wanted to wait and see how things panned out.
But, as promised, here’s my analysis.
Sergio Kindle – OLB – Texas
Kindle comes from a 3-4 background and is known for crushing QBs in the back field. The concern for Kindle is his history of knee problems, the guy has had four surgeries on one of knees. At 6′ 3″, 250 pounds, he’s got solid speed off the line, 4.65 speed.
Aside from injuries, Kindle has also had a couple run ins with the law, a DUI in 2007 and an interesting one car accident in 2009. In ’09 he hit a building with his car and fled the scene of the accident.
I’m sure the Ravens have done their research on this guy’s health, they typically have a good track record of keeping tabs on those sorts of things. I am a little more concerned about his off the field issues. Does this guy “play like a Raven” or does that little catch phrase not truly matter to the organization? My answer would be the latter. As long as Kindle plays well on defense, I suppose it doesn’t matter a whole lot.
Terrence Cody – DT – Alabama
The first answer to the Ravens roster holes was a defensive tackle from Ozzie’s alma matter, Alabama, Terrence Cody. It’s believed that the Ravens were looking to take Cody in the first round. The Ravens hope to have Cody compete for the nose tackle spot against Kelley Gregg and work with Haloti Ngata to solidify the run defense.
The club’s main concern with Cody is his weight. He was over 400 pounds in community college, but slimmed down to 348 for his pro day, though he was over 370 on Senior Day.
Personally, the weight isn’t my concern. This guy was drafted to compete with Kelley Gregg, but he’s not a pass rusher. At the most I see him as depth after the Ravens lost Justin Bannan. I don’t think the Ravens need to find someone to compete with Gregg, they need to find his successor. I hope that Cody can provide that because, personally, I think we’ve seen the last of Kelley Gregg.
Ed Dickson – TE – Oregon
Finally, some depth at tight end. A big target at 6′ 5″, 240 pounds, Dickson is credited for his speed across the middle of the field. An area, as we all know, the Ravens have lacked in the past.
From what I hear, Dickson won’t impress many with his blocking abilities, though that seems to be the case with most tight ends these days. It’s just nice to have another TE on the roster besides Todd Heap. Does he eventually replace Heap? I guess that’s up to him.
What were your thoughts on the Ravens first three picks?
I was disappointed to see that Chris Cook was off the board but it really is hard to complain about the talent that the Ravens picked up. Think about it, they could have had Dan Williams, but instead they got Sergio Kindle and Ed Dickson plus the 4th rounder. I'd like to think that is advantage Ravens.
I'm still worried about CB, but even Kyle Wilson in the 1st round would have had a difficult time stepping in and replacing Fabian Washington.
It is hard to be disappointed with these three players; however, it still stings that Ozzy wasn't more aggressive with Grondkoski. He seemed to be the only TE with solid blocking ability in the draft, but Dickson is a fine player and provides depth without pressuring Heap to retire or go elsewhere.
As an SEC fan, I've watched Mount Cody play quite a few games and he's a beast of a run blocker. Not only that, but he has a knack for collapsing the pocket by his sheer force and presence. I expect big things.
And finally, Sergio Kindle is a fantastic pass rusher. I was surprised that he fell as far as he did. If he indeed stays healthy and adapts to our defense schemes he'll be a perfect counterpart to Suggs within the next year or two. His rap sheet and attitude could pose a problem, but there are enough veteran mentors in that locker room to put him on the right path and help him focus on what he should.
I'm also worried about out CB depth situation, but that position was flying off the board. Overall, I think its been a successful draft to this point. Not splashy, but solid.
I agree, I would say overall the Ravens did a good job with what they had. Did they address the d backfield issue; No but they will before the draft is finished. They did address a couple of their other defensive issues so we're on the way to where we need to be.
The draft is a crap shoot for the most part. You do the best you can with whats in front of you and hope these guys develop into the Pro's you want them to be.
Yeah, you just have to wait and see how these guys are going to pan out. It was interesting to see the Ravens take another TE.
The CB issue definitely needs to be addressed. I just don't think it would have realistically been solved in the draft.
The Ravens will grade out well in the draft, they usually do. Reputation usually gives them the benefit of the doubt. Given that they landed Boldin prior to the draft should also add to their reputation. Time will tell, all of these guys are full of potential, but you gotta show it on the field. They took some risks, so let’s see how they play out.
Mark …you see them dealing or releasing Heap with the glut of TEs now?
I'm saying it's something to ponder. I will say that 2010 is the last year Heap will be a Raven.
Mostly I'm just saying that I understand the back to back TE picks. I'm already hearing the people going crazy about how dumb it was.
I used to sit there and agonize and get excited or pissed during and after the draft.
That was 10 years ago.
It's a crap shoot and the Ravens have shown to be better than most as far as not crapping out too much.
I'm a big Texas fan. Kindle certainly possesses the skill to be a good player but who knows.
Cody is a space eater (along with an eater of most everything) who played on a great D.
As for the two tight ends? Who knows but they absolutely needed them. They literally have nobody behind an old and beat up Heap.
Which did make me think about Heap. He sure makes a ton of money for a guy who clearly isn't what he once was…………………..
Line of the year…Cody is a space eater (along with an eater of most everything else).
2488 has nicknamed him Fat Ba$tard.
Any of you guys even realize the Playoffs are underway in the NBA and NHL? I didn't realize Duane Kiper's cousin Mel was looking for so many folks to fill slots on his Staff? But seriously, the Ravens barely made the Playoffs last year, yet didn't add any players that have any chance to start in 2010. Better yet, their first pick has a bum knee? And yet they'll be reported in the A-Minus / B-Plus range? Given that I couldn'ta named 1o guys that played College Football this past season, whadda I know anyway???
I hear you Bruz. I'm not a college football guy but from what I see the Ravens signed a guy with a history of knee problems and a guy with a history of weight problems. I don't know the first thing about these guys, but from what I read I was a little surprised to see the high marks from them.
Bruz – The Great OZ knows all. Do not question Oz, for he is all knowing.
A "bum" knee?
Did you watch Kindle play last year?
I mean, if you're gonna comment you might wanna at least seem somewhat informed.
Mark from Tampa…I don't travel much, so I rarely stay in a Holiday Inn Express…That said, a knee that's had four procedures done on it before it turned 23 would seem to qualify as a "Bum Knee" to me. You don't believe me? You think I'm spending my time on the BSR making uniformed comments? Try Googling "Kindle Knee" for me and then telling me how uninformed I am again.
The other answer to your question is "No". I probably saw him in the Championship Game against Florida, but he didn't stand out. Oh, that's right, he wasn't in the Championship Game…My bad…Maybe I am uniformed.
I love all the grades that come out just after the draft, as if Mel Kiper and the other band of clowns can somehow see into the future. Since the tandem of The Great Oz and Savage Man split up, here's the post draft grades:
2005 – F, Two picks no longer in football, 4 other marginal players no longer with the team and Mark Clayton. A real bust of a draft.
2006 – C, Yes Ngata is a great run stuffer, but Chris Chester is OK, but is undersized and has no true position, Demetrius Williams – I'm saying nothing. PJ Daniels sells hot dogs outside Camden yards along with Quinn Sypniewski and Ryan Lacasse. Landry is decent, Koch is a good punter, two other marginal picks no longer with the team.
2007 – C – . When your second pick is Yamon Figurs, no matter who else you drafted the grade drops. Grubbs and Yanda are decent ballplayers. McClain was a solid pick. Smith, Barnes, and Burgess have been fair.
2008 – The class of Joe and Ray. I'll wait to grade this one. Flacco has gone to the playoffs two straight years, but in those games he has 1 TD and 6 INTs.
So it seems that Ozzie and Phil should have done everything they could to keep their marriage together, as seemingly part, they are just average.
But "Joe from Essex" still remembers the drafts of Ray Ray, and JO, and Jemal, and C-Mac…
Reputations last a long time, both bad and good.
There's no doubt that the draft day "gurus" give Ozzie and Co. high praise based on his history. Nobody knows what this draft will bring the team.
But I will say this. Every team drafts players who either don't make the team or make little impact. It's a gamble every year.
I'm not Joe from Essex but to deny that the Ravens aren't one of the better drafting teams in the league is being a bit over the top.
Micro-fracture surgery = serious stuff
Guru — Nah, maybe Mark is right…See below from the Wiki…
Procedure
The surgery is performed by arthroscopy. After cleaning the calcified cartilage, the surgeon creates tiny fractures in the adjacent bones (through the use of an awl). Blood and bone marrow (which contains stem cells) seep out of the fractures, creating a blood clot that releases cartilage-building cells. The microfractures are treated as an injury by the body, which is why the surgery results in new, replacement cartilage.[12] The procedure is less effective in treating older patients, overweight patients, or a cartilage lesion larger than 2.5 cm.[12] Further on, chances are high that after only 1 or 2 years of the surgery symptoms start to return as the fibrocartilage wears away, forcing the patient to reengage in articular cartilage repair. This is not always the case and microfracture surgery is therefore considered to be an intermediate step.[13]
The effectiveness of cartilage growth after microfracture surgery is thought to be dependent on the patient's bone marrow stem cell population and some think increasing the number of stem cells increases the chances of success. A couple of physicians are promoting an alternative treatment implanting autologous mesenchymal stem cells directly into the cartilage defect, without having to penetrate the subchondral bone[14][15]
Dear Mark — "Not even somewhat informed Ol' Bruz from Rosedale" here (see "Reply" to your Body Slam a few posts back)…Guru just broke it down for you…Went back a few years, to when the Great OZ had to work without Savage, Phil…Think the "aren't" in your above post may need to be changed to "weren't"…
I'd love to know what you two brainiacs expect from the draft.
Guru didn't break down anything.
What he did was ignore what the draft is.
2005 was disappointing as a whole. No doubt. Jason Brown was a very good pick that took a huge contract with the Rams. Oh well.
2006:
Ngata: One of the best DT's in the game.
Chester: Started out badly. Has contributed a ton over the past few years. When Yanda went down in 2008 who played RG for a team that ran non stop and got to the AFC Champ game?
Landry: Any team in the league would take a starting SS in the 5th round. He was very good until his neck injury and in the 2nd half of last year returned to form.
Koch: one of the best punters in the league.
Sypniewski: Fantastic blocking TE who actually could catch. Sadly he destroyed his knee in a non contact injury in a mini camp.
That's a bad draft? Umm, no.
2007
Grubb – Starter
Figurs – No doubt about it. Terrible pick
Yanda – Absolute steal in the 3rd. He is their best offensive lineman.
Barnes – Shown flashes but nothing consistent
McClain – Great pick
Smith – Arrogant prick who I wish was gone
Burgess – best special teams player on team when Ayenbadejo is out.
What exactly is wrong here? Sure, Figurs sucked and was a bad pick.
2008:
Flacco/Rice: Not sure I have to go much further
Gooden: Reach who is soft.
Zibby: Solid special teamer who played OK when Reed was out.
Cousins: Definite project
Smith: Was gonna make the team as a WR until he tore his ACL
Hale: Looks like nothing more than a warm body
Nakamura: Very solid special teams guy who played some meaningful minutes at safety. We'll see how he comes back from a snapped leg.
2009: Too early but obviously Oher is a player.
Again, you guys can bitch and moan all you want. Go look around the league and do a little research about other teams and how their drafts work out.
You're always right Mark…ALWAYS.
No STG
I just point out stuff that you leave out.
And stuff like "Yes, Ngata is a great run stuffer" doesn't cut it. He's a fantastic player.
I could go on and on but it's not worth it. I certainly don't praise every move the team makes but I most definitely don't find issues with each one.
You whine about the Ravens draft and defend Peter Angelos and his hoarding of money while the team goes down the drain. You might wanna direct your discontent to the right owner and team.
I'll use my best Glen Burnism on this one…
It's too easy to take a cheap shot at somebody when they've already had their a$$ kicked and they're lying in the gudder, doesn't take much to do that.
I'd rather go after the biggest guy in the room and take my shots at him.
Bullying the bloodied guy in the gutter is too easy and unecessary.
Please cut and paste where I said anything about microfracture surgery not being serious.
And I know what the procedure entails.
One team said he could need it down the road.
The Ravens took Kyle Wilson and Ron Gronkowski off their board due to medical issues.
They kept Kindle on the board.
You two are worse than alot of the radio callers who couldn't understand why they took two tight ends.
OK…
A "bum" knee?
Does that not imply that there are no issues with the man's knee?
And again, you resort to name calling…but will later deny.
"brainiacs" in case you want me to cut and paste later.
One team said he "might" need surgery down the line and you run with it like he's the walking wounded.
He didn't miss any time last year and played one of his best games of his career vs Alabama in the BCS championship game. I got people on this board talking about playing Florida so I dunno what the hell is going on.
The Ravens red flag a bunch of guys for medical reasons including Gronkowski and Wilson but they didn't red flag Kindle. I doubt the are in the business of taking guys the think are hurt. But that's just me.
I posted that Ozzie definitely gets praise that's based on reputation basically agreeing with you and your sarcastic "- The Great OZ knows all. Do not question Oz, for he is all knowing." I'll ask again. Have you gone back and looked at other team's drafts in the time period you listed? How about 2004 when Phil Savage was here? Horrible draft. The fact of the matter is that the Ravens are one of the better drafting teams in the league. They aren't above criticism and certainly miss on picks. So does every team.
You try to spin the 06 draft as somehow being subpar when it wasn't.
I thought the brainiac thing was pretty tame and didn't think you're tough skin would be bothered. I apologize.
As far as denying things later.
What?
Geez, I guess my whole college career was "below average" according to your grade scale.
"You try to spin the 06 draft as somehow being subpar when it wasn't." – I gave them a "C"
We just have different styles, that's all. I try not to personalize things or call people names, however mundane, when trying to make my points. Everyone has an opinion, some better than others, but I don't try to bully people into believing what I believe.
I try not to as well.
You use sarcasm with a nice blend of passive aggressiveness.
Might wanna check out some other regulars that make it personal.
Guess you guys all know each other outside this forum.
You've never once answered my question as to how the Ravens stack up with other teams with regards to drafting players.
I guess it's futile at this point.
Mark,
The Ravens are among the better teams when it comes to the draft. Again, I don't always necessarily believe everything I post. Sometimes I launch out a salvo just to try to tick somebody off and get them to write in and get a debate going. It's my thing, it's what I do. I bust their balls whenever I can to other Ravens fans, but don't let any other team's fans go after them or I'll fight them tooth and nail.
And I'm the perfect mark.
I get it.
Sarcasm is my middle name…Look at my handle here… I could have easily been Tremblin' Trembley, but that's too easy. I like going after the guy on top of the heap.
http://www.theonion.com/articles/longstanding-leaguewide-practical-joke-culminates,17306/
Must read.
Geez, I guess my whole college career was “below average” according to your grade scale.
“You try to spin the 06 draft as somehow being subpar when it wasn’t.” – I gave them a “C”