12jg34
03-13-2009, 09:13 AM
What does everyone think the Ravens will do with their first and second round draft picks? I know that Ozzie says best player available, but in this year's draft, the best players available for the first and second round could be a TE-WR or WR-WR combo. These two scenarios would also fill needs.
The Ravens already need a WR b/c it's a weakness of the team, but also b/c Clayton, Mason, and Williams are free agents after this year (i think). It's unlikely the Ravens would retain all of them or want to retain all of them. The only WR who is both young and under contract would be Marcus Smith, he of the no catches in his rookie year. This, and the where the talent is position-wise in this draft, leads me to believe that the Ravens could be in the market for receiving threats early, maybe with the first and second round draft choices.
However, Ozzie has proven that he won't draft or sign players, regardless of their proven ability, if he has younger talented players in the pipeline. See the Jim Leonard situation, with Landry, Zibby, and Heiroaheoiahbger (dude from Cinn.). See also Casey Rabach, with the Ravens already having committed longterm to Mike Flynn. So, this has me believing that they won't use the first two picks on receiving threats. He'll let Marcus Smith develop and probably retain someone from the Mason-Clayton-Williams trio.
Probably a bigger reason that the Ravens won't is the best player available approach factor. It's most likely that when the Ravens pick, there will be a better player available in either the first or second round that's not a receiving threat (TE or WR).
What's everyone's thoughts?
(sorry for the somewhat stream of consciousness thought process but I don't have the time to really read over and edit what I wrote. Hope it's somewhat intelligible.)
The Ravens already need a WR b/c it's a weakness of the team, but also b/c Clayton, Mason, and Williams are free agents after this year (i think). It's unlikely the Ravens would retain all of them or want to retain all of them. The only WR who is both young and under contract would be Marcus Smith, he of the no catches in his rookie year. This, and the where the talent is position-wise in this draft, leads me to believe that the Ravens could be in the market for receiving threats early, maybe with the first and second round draft choices.
However, Ozzie has proven that he won't draft or sign players, regardless of their proven ability, if he has younger talented players in the pipeline. See the Jim Leonard situation, with Landry, Zibby, and Heiroaheoiahbger (dude from Cinn.). See also Casey Rabach, with the Ravens already having committed longterm to Mike Flynn. So, this has me believing that they won't use the first two picks on receiving threats. He'll let Marcus Smith develop and probably retain someone from the Mason-Clayton-Williams trio.
Probably a bigger reason that the Ravens won't is the best player available approach factor. It's most likely that when the Ravens pick, there will be a better player available in either the first or second round that's not a receiving threat (TE or WR).
What's everyone's thoughts?
(sorry for the somewhat stream of consciousness thought process but I don't have the time to really read over and edit what I wrote. Hope it's somewhat intelligible.)