Ravens Good News Pre-Free Agency – Titans Contract With Harold Landry

Some Ravens good news hit the wire tonight.  As expected, the Titans retained Harold Landry today by signing him to a five-year extension.  The headline numbers suggest Landry received over $52 million of guaranteed money across the five years.  Details of the transaction will not become officially known until the deal is finalized.  Ravens good news

But one important piece of information (for Ravens fans) leaked out.  Apparently, the year-one cap number on Landry’s new deal is only $5 million.  This is $2 million below my $7 million guesstimate for Landry, Hasson Reddick and Za’Darius Smith.  This is a very promising sign for those (like me) who think the Ravens should spend some cap dollars on signing Reddick or Smith.  For the Ravens, this is good news indeed and a very good sign.  It certainly supports the notion that, with contract restructures, there’s much the Ravens can get done in this first round of free agency.

The odds of the Ravens filling at least two major holes (edge linebacker and safety) just went up.

Stay tuned.

Ravens 2022 Roster Construction: Final Thoughts on Free Agent Targets

In this fifth and final part of a series on the Ravens 2022 roster reconstruction, I take a last look at where the Ravens salary cap currently stands and how they can increase it.  Then I offer some final thoughts on the free agent targets I believe they should try to sign.

Ravens Salary Cap Revisited

In part one of this series, I preliminarily concluded that the Ravens had approximately $8.5 million of available cap space.  More recently, incentives earned by players for the 2021 season were established, resulting in a downward revision of approximately $2.7 million.  After adjusting my earlier calculation for some minor items, the Ravens currently have $7 million of cap space going into the new season. Continue reading “Ravens 2022 Roster Construction: Final Thoughts on Free Agent Targets”

Ravens 2022 Roster Construction, Part 4 – More Free Agent Targets

In this part four of the Ravens roster construction for 2022 (see part one here, part two here and part three here) I delve deeper into the expected free agency list.  Who should be the Ravens free agent targets?  Positions of critical need are revisited, and I take a look at other positions where there are potential good fits.  I also explore some potential cap casualty cuts from elsewhere around the league

There’s actually quite a bit to look at here, particularly among so-called second and third tier free agents. Continue reading “Ravens 2022 Roster Construction, Part 4 – More Free Agent Targets”

Ravens Unrestricted Free Agents: Who to Re-Sign? – Part 3 in a Series

In this part three of the Ravens roster construction for 2022 (see part one here and part two here) I look at the Ravens own unrestricted free agents.  Who, if anyone, should they re-sign?

I continue my philosophy of generally avoiding over-30 players.  The Ravens primarily should focus on signing players who can contribute throughout the terms of their deals.  A 30-plus signing should be limited to players in limited roles and/or for small cap commitments.  The Ravens list, detailed in what follows, reinforces the view that those 30 and over players just won’t be full time contributors. Continue reading “Ravens Unrestricted Free Agents: Who to Re-Sign? – Part 3 in a Series”

The Need for Dissent – A Letter to the American Media (and Everyone Else)

Wisdom can only emerge from the clash of contending views.  From the passionate expression of deep and hostile beliefs.  Plato said a life without criticism is not worth living.  This is the seminal spirit of American democracy.  It is this spirit which can be found among many of you, and it is this which is the hope of this nation.

It is not enough to allow dissent; we must demand it.  For there is much to dissent from.

We must as thinking men distinguish between the right of dissent and the way to choose and exercise that right.  It is not enough to justify or explain any actions by the fact that they are legal or constitutionally protected.  The Constitution, after all, protects wisdom and ignorance, compassion, and selfishness alike.  But that dissent which consists simply of dramatic and sporadic acts sustained neither by continuing labor or by reason; that dissent which seeks to demolish while lacking both the desire and the direction for rebuilding; that dissent which contemptuously or out of laziness casts aside the practical weapons and instruments of change and progress – that kind of dissent is merely self-indulgence.  It is satisfying perhaps to those who make it but it will not solve the problems of our society.

Those calling for an end to dissent, who would stifle the voices of those with whom they disagree, would appear not to comprehend what this country is all about.  For dissent and debate are the very heart of the American process.1

Very truly yours,

Robert F. Kennedy, 1968

Dissent American Media

This urgent message of the need for dissent is not just for for the American media.  Dissent is the life’s blood of any functioning democracy.  Without competing voices there is neither conscience nor remedy.  For then we are left only with the dictates of the empowered, and the human spirit is withered and shredded.  Dissent is the root of all human learning and advance.  As Sophocles realized, “All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil.  The only sin is pride.”

Ravens Roster Construction 2022 – Free Agency Part 2

In this part two (of three – see part 1 here) of the Ravens roster construction for 2022 I focus on two concepts.  First, selecting the Ravens’ best strategic approach to the free agent market.  Second, identifying the players I would target and why.  But before I go there, let’s keep in mind a few considerations.

First, how much cap space do the Ravens need to have available to retain their own free agents for the 2023 season?  The answer there is, not much.  Given DeCosta’s poor 2019 draft, it is likely that only Marquise Brown will receive a second contract.  As a result, the Ravens cap space for 2023 should be substantial, certainly materially more than this year.  The 2023 league salary cap is currently is estimated to increase significantly.

Second, because the Ravens will have few of their own to retain in 2023, they will likely not be in line for substantial compensatory draft picks for the 2024 season.  This is important because, if the Ravens elect to pursue free agents in 2022 (excluding cap casualty free agents) then they could wind up with few or no compensatory draft picks in both 2023 and 2024.  And we know a cornerstone of the Ravens draft approach is the accumulation of extra picks.

So, there are significant cross-currents at play here as the Ravens approach the 2022 free agent market. Continue reading “Ravens Roster Construction 2022 – Free Agency Part 2”





Ravens Roster Construction 2022 – Free Agency, Part 1

This is the first of two pieces that look at the Ravens roster construction for the coming season.  That roster will look much different than the 2021 version, particularly on defense.  By my count (see below), the Ravens need nine starters and seven contributing backups.  This is a lot to get done.  Even with ten draft picks it’s unrealistic to expect the Ravens will fill more than four starter holes.  Indeed, four starters would actually be a strong draft haul.  I previously reviewed Eric DeCosta’s 2019 draft haul, which is here. Continue reading “Ravens Roster Construction 2022 – Free Agency, Part 1”





A Review of Ravens GM Eric DeCosta, Part 1 – The 2019 Ravens Draft

This is the first in a series of pieces in which I review Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta.  Simply, how productive and effective has DeCosta been?

Now DeCosta has reaped the reputational benefits of having worked for and with Hall of Fame GM Ozzie Newsome.  But is that gloss from the shine of Newsome’s career deserved?  How has DeCosta performed so far?  In this first piece I look at DeCosta’s first draft, the class of 2019.

Analytical Methodology

Retrospective draft evaluation is not simply a product of reviewing individual selections and determining whether individual players produced draft value.  Teams have an aggregate amount of draft capital to spend, and the proper consideration is whether the aggregate capital spent produced value, and to what extent.  This means that I don’t just look at individual picks in isolation.  After all, there are misses in every draft by every team – that’s to be expected.  It’s the picks as a group that should be evaluated.  Essentially, did a general manager expend his total draft capital wisely?  Did he generate an aggregate value above the aggregate value of his draft slots? Continue reading “A Review of Ravens GM Eric DeCosta, Part 1 – The 2019 Ravens Draft”





Who Founded the United States of America? Listen First, Then Speak

These days people have differences of opinion over the most basic questions.  It is so bad that it seems as if they cannot agree even over whether the sky is blue.  Which leads me to a simple difference of opinion over the basic historical question of who “founded” the United States – Europeans or Native Americans?  In one corner of this dispute sits former Senator Rick Santorum.  In the other corner rests CNN anchor Don Lemon.  Their argument, in the end, is really about the meaning of a simple word.  It is an illustration as to how people talk right past each other – intentionally or not – and the inability to hear what the other person is saying.

In this little blog piece, I’ll first lay out the simple debate.  Then, I’ll illustrate the difficulty people have recognizing that a single English language word has different meaning, leading to antagonism, personal enmity, and worse.  And finally, I’ll answer the historical question. Continue reading “Who Founded the United States of America? Listen First, Then Speak”





Ravens 2021 Post-Draft Takeaways

What follows are a  few Ravens 2021 post-draft takeaways.

Major Observation

The Ravens 2021 draft selections tip their hand a bit, in my view, regarding the shape of the offensive strategy for the 2021 season.  For one, the obvious. The Ravens just allocated a lot of draft capital to the passing game.  Rashod Bateman in the first round, Ben Cleveland in the third round (see below) and Tylan Wallace in the fourth round tells us a great deal about the Ravens’ thinking.  Diversification is coming.  More balance in the attack without eschewing the run. Continue reading “Ravens 2021 Post-Draft Takeaways”





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