2008 NFL Draft

[miller31time]

I know it's a long time from now, but does anyone think we'll go QB?

We're going to have a pretty good pick, and there are a few quarterbacks that are going to be available. Just curious, since Boller is resigned and McNair is still on the payroll in a big way.

[UrbanLegendMD]

I don't see why not. We need to improve the secondary, but QB is our biggest weakness. However, if we go young, we are gonna be in a rebuilding mode for a couple of years.

[Nowak008]

I can't see us going QB. I think Ray would **** a brick. I could us taking someone in the secondary.

[jerrod]

i was thinking boller was only signed through last season. is he signed longer?

[miller31time]

i was thinking boller was only signed through last season. is he signed longer?

From what I understand, he was signed to a 1-year extension.

The Baltimore Ravens agreed in principle Thursday to a one-year extension with quarterback Kyle Boller, who started 34 games during his first three seasons before settling into a backup role last year. Boller's contract was to expire after this season. The extension will keep him in Baltimore through 2008 and end speculation that the Ravens were about to sign Byron Leftwich, who was released by Jacksonville this week.

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0907/453371.html

[jerrod]

oh ok

i thought that he signed an extension when it expired but he signed it with a year left

i think that gives us a little more flexibility

[UTMCretin]

I figure this is a topic worth reviving.

8. Baltimore Ravens -- Vernon Gholston, DE/OLB, Ohio State
Record: 5-11 | Needs: CB, QB, LOT, OLB, DE, ILB
Scenario 1: The ideal situation is Ryan slipping and allowing the Ravens to address their quarterback woes.
Scenario 2: Keep an eye on Ellis. The team is reportedly very high on him and he would be a great value even though he doesn't fill a pressing need.
Scenario 3: If Ryan and Ellis are both gone, the Ravens will shop this pick aggressively.
Scenario 4: If they can't get one of their top two players and are unable to trade out, the Ravens would then look at Gholston, Albert and CB Leodis McKelvin, in that order.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft08/insider/columns/story?columnist=mcshay_todd&page=mcshaymock0415&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnfl%2fdraft08%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist%3dmcshay_todd%26page%3dmcshaymock0415

[UrbanLegendMD]

We don't need Gholston. We gotta make sure Suggs is back to his old form.

[UTMCretin]

We don't need Gholston. We gotta make sure Suggs is back to his old form.

The sad thing is that, even though our front seven is traditionally viewed upon as a main strength, it has become something of a position of need.

Pryce is a 12-year veteran who barely played at all last year, Jarret Johnson is the epitome of "stopgap", and Dwan Edwards, who started 13 games for us last year, only ended up with one sack as part of a pass rush that greatly underwhelmed. So even with the assumption that Suggs will go back to his usual self, its still a poor unit with only one real pass-rushing force, and an isolated attack is an easy one to stop.

Which isn't to say we don't have more pressing concerns. But it is worrisome, to say the least.

[Nowak008]

Kiper thinks Ryan is going to fall to us. Apparently all we have to do is hope that ATL doesn't take him.

[UTMCretin]

8. Baltimore Ravens -- Branden Albert, OT/G, Virginia
Record: 5-11 | Needs: QB, CB, LOT, OLB/DE, ILB
If Ryan isn't on the board and the Ravens don't trade out of this slot, they will take the best available player. We don't make trades in this mock, but we have to acknowledge that either Cincinnati or New Orleans likely will trade up to get DT Sedrick Ellis. If Ellis is there and Ryan is off the board, Ellis would be the pick. If Ellis and Ryan are both gone as expected, then Albert makes sense.

Baltimore trades its first-round pick (No. and its fourth-round pick (No. 106) to New England for its first-round pick (No. 7)

Why New England moved down (Ken Moll, Scouts Inc.): The Patriots are always in the business of adding picks and seeing how there is no danger of losing the player we target, it's a no-brainer to step back one spot for an extra fourth-round pick.

Why Baltimore moved up (Keith Kidd, Scouts Inc.): Could we have stayed there? Probably. But why risk someone else calling New England and sneaking in to get the guy we want. It only cost a fourth-round pick (and we have two) to make sure we get our QB of the future.

Moderator: And with the pick ... the Ravens select:


7. Baltimore Ravens (from New England)

Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
Anytime you have the chance to get a franchise QB, you take it. It's that simple. Ryan has the tools to succeed at this level and could immediately challenge for the starting job. To be able to get a guy like Ryan at this spot in the draft is a no-brainer.
-- Keith Kidd, Scouts Inc.



Jon (Baltimore) asks: I dont understand why the Ravens would move up. Especially if they were to draft a QB. And honestly, I dont even see what is so special about Matt Ryan, he looks like the next QB bust. As a Ravens fan, I would rather see McKelvin or Rodgers-Cromartie taken at 8 or move back to accumulate more draft picks and fill more needs and depth rather than wasting 2 picks and a lot of money on Ryan.

Keith Kidd: You just don't pass up a franchise QB. I thought about the corners at that point if we were stuck at No. 8 if Ryan wasn't sitting there, but in order to take a corner we'd have to go back in the draft based on the value we had for the corners. As for Ryan, he had great arm strength, leadership and toughness. He can step in to compete right away and showed show much growth playing in a pro system at BC. And you just can't pass on a franchise QB.

David (Walton NY) says: Getting the best QB in the draft at this point was the best thing for the Ravens, who I think were much better than their 5-11 record last year.

Phil (Cologne, Germany) says: I don't trust this whole Ryan-hype. I think the better solution would have been McKelvin now and then moving up in the mid 20s to take Henne. You shouldn't dismiss Troy Smith either.

Tom (Johnstown PA) says: I love this pick from the Ravens. Obviously they are thrilled to have Ryan and after the failed Kyle Boller and Steve McNair experiments, I can finally say we have a quarterback of the future.

[Nowak008]

Damn Ryan is gone. Looks like we are trading down.

[UTMCretin]

Surprise of all surprises - with Matt Ryan off the board, the Ravens have traded the 8th pick to Jacksonville.

The Jags just made a deal with the Ravens. The Jags probably targeted Harvey at No. 8. While the Ravens go back and are targeting either Henne or Flacco in the back end of Round 1. While it seems like a long way to go for the Ravens, they're still in the neighborhood to get the QB they want.

[Nowak008]

Wow Jags 1st along with two 3's and a 4. Great haul.

[UTMCretin]

And since there's really nothing we want in the 10-20 range, we're not missing out on anything as a result.

[miller31time]

It's a great trade, but I can't say I'm not completely disappointed Ryan didn't slip.

[UrbanLegendMD]

Why reach for Flacco? We could have had him at 26.

[UTMCretin]

I'm just going with the assumption that someone in between 18 and 26 was after him. Still, feels like a reach.

There's been comparisons of Flacco to Ben Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh. He does an excellent job of sliding in the pocket. Also avoiding the rush, while keeping his eyes down field and buying time for WRs to get open. Also he fits the mold of an AFC North QB, great size, combined with a very strong arm, probably the strongest in the draft.

[Nowak008]

We traded down again? What did we get?

[jerrod]

so, i know absolutely nothing about the draft

are we happy?