McGahee Traded To Ravens For Picks

[Packnut]

The Ravens and Bills agreed to a trade Thursday that will send running back Willis McGahee to Baltimore in exchange for the team's third and seventh-round picks in this year's draft, along with the Ravens' third-round pick in 2008, league sources tell ESPN.com's Michael Smith.


Not a bad deal for Baltimore.

[MJZiggy]

Well, we knew that was gonna happen. You're right. Baltimore did ok with that one.

[HarveyWallbangers]

So much for getting him for a 3rd round pick. They gave up two 3rd round picks and a 7th round pick. I think that is too much.

[Packnut]

Well, we knew that was gonna happen. You're right. Baltimore did ok with that one.


Yeah, basically it's a 3 this year and next. I would expect them to have a pretty good record next season so that 3rd rd pick should be well into the lower half.

[RashanGary]

That was a very good deal for Baltimore. I will laugh my ass off if Lynch goes before 12.

On the flip side, I can't wait to see what Rosenfart does here. He's going to try to rape and pillage Baltimore.

[Packnut]

So much for getting him for a 3rd round pick. They gave up two 3rd round picks and a 7th round pick. I think that is too much.


It all depends on IF he stays healthy. If he does I'd be willing to bet he has a very good season.

[RashanGary]

So much for getting him for a 3rd round pick. They gave up two 3rd round picks and a 7th round pick. I think that is too much.

Take away the fact that he's going to demand the biggest contract that a RB has ever recieved and 2 - 3rd round picks is nothing. Add into the equation the fact that Rosenfart is going to rape their salary cap if they choose to keep him for more than a year and you have a one year rental or a rip off.

[RashanGary]

I like McGahee alot better than Edge. I think he'll have a breakout season in his first year iwth a good team.

[Packnut]

So much for getting him for a 3rd round pick. They gave up two 3rd round picks and a 7th round pick. I think that is too much.

Take away the fact that he's going to demand the biggest contract that a RB has ever recieved and 2 - 3rd round picks is nothing. Add into the equation the fact that Rosenfart is going to rape their salary cap if they choose to keep him for more than a year and you have a one year rental or a rip off.

Yeah, good point. I did'nt realize Drew was his agent. I kinda gotta believe that Baltimore already has a deal in place with him though or this trade isto risky without him signed to a long term deal.

[MadtownPacker]

If the Pack was gonna lay own some fat $$$ I felt Mcgahee might have been worth the trouble but not for two 3rd round picks.

Not a bad deal for the Ravens though.

[BooHoo]

Interesting trade. I will be interested to see at the end of the year which team made out better.

[woodbuck27]

If the Pack was gonna lay own some fat $$$ I felt Mcgahee might have been worth the trouble but not for two 3rd round picks.

Not a bad deal for the Ravens though.

Was there anyone here hesitating on getting this young and proven RB when the asking price was reported as only a third?

No matter what it cost the Ravens to get him in terms of draft picks and was it a good or poor deal.

I'm wondering about the headache or the real cost to make him and his agent :)

[MadtownPacker]

I think rosenwhore lost some clout last season with all the crap he was spewing. After owens gave him the boot we havent heard much from him.

[KYPack]

It all depends on WM's production of course, but I think Baltimore got jobbed.

3 picks for one player who might not be right?

I dunno about that one.

A single third rounder was plenty for that guy.

[ND72]

3 picks for one player who might not be right?


might not be right? am I missing something here?

[gureski]

McGahee is talented and at the start of his prime. Two third round picks is a steal. He's rumored to be an attitude kid, not a criminal like PacMan Jones. There are attitudes all over the NFL. So long as you win and pay the kid money, he will be fine. Baltimore just became a Superbowl contender for next year.

[KYPack]

3 picks for one player who might not be right?


might not be right? am I missing something here?

I was referring to his "old" college injury.

Before the hounds descend on me, I know he recovered from that one.

I just don't think he IS a superstar. He might be in a decline.

He's coming into his prime? Then how come he has declined in rushing yards last year? & why's Buffalo running him off?

I would've have questioned the Pack if they made the 3rd for WM deal. 3 picks for him is too many, IMHO

[woodbuck27]

3 picks for one player who might not be right?


might not be right? am I missing something here?

I was referring to his "old" college injury.

Before the hounds descend on me, I know he recovered from that one.

I just don't think he IS a superstar. He might be in a decline.

He's coming into his prime? Then how come he has declined in rushing yards last year? & why's Buffalo running him off?

I would've have questioned the Pack if they made the 3rd for WM deal. 3 picks for him is too many, IMHO

I'm there as well.

The Ravens got hosed in this trade.

They could get really wet over his contract.

[Packnut]

3 picks for one player who might not be right?


might not be right? am I missing something here?

I was referring to his "old" college injury.

Before the hounds descend on me, I know he recovered from that one.

I just don't think he IS a superstar. He might be in a decline.

He's coming into his prime? Then how come he has declined in rushing yards last year? & why's Buffalo running him off?

I would've have questioned the Pack if they made the 3rd for WM deal. 3 picks for him is too many, IMHO


He played for a team that had NO passing game and still avg'd 3.8 running against 7 and 8 in the box on a consistent basis. I don't get how that's a player in decline? I guess in your book stacking the box don't matter. :lol:

[LL2]

Well, this will probably take Lynch out of the picture for us.

[gureski]

McGahee didn't want to be in Buffalo. Plain and simple. That's all there was to it. He didn't even take part in their off-season workouts because he preferred to work out in Florida (which pissed the team off). He just didn't want to be in Buffalo. He is not in decline. He's a franchise back entering his prime. He reminds me of Javon Walker in that Walker just didn't want to be in G.B. when he found out he wasn't getting his money. Walker wanted money and when he realized the Packers weren't going to pay him he wanted out. McGahee is in the final year of his deal. He wants money. Led by their owner, Buffalo has made it their crusade to show the league the last labor deal doesn't work. They just announced they wont spread their bonus money out anymore. They are NOT going to be paying big money to anyone in the near future. It's only natural that they'd deal McGahee.

How can a guy as young as McGahee with hardly any wear and tear be finished? His ability isn't in question. It was his attitude.

[Packnut]

McGahee didn't want to be in Buffalo. Plain and simple. That's all there was to it. He didn't even take part in their off-season workouts because he preferred to work out in Florida (which pissed the team off). He just didn't want to be in Buffalo. He is not in decline. He's a franchise back entering his prime. He reminds me of Javon Walker in that Walker just didn't want to be in G.B. when he found out he wasn't getting his money. Walker wanted money and when he realized the Packers weren't going to pay him he wanted out. McGahee is in the final year of his deal. He wants money. Led by their owner, Buffalo has made it their crusade to show the league the last labor deal doesn't work. They just announced they wont spread their bonus money out anymore. They are NOT going to be paying big money to anyone in the near future. It's only natural that they'd deal McGahee.

How can a guy as young as McGahee with hardly any wear and tear be finished? His ability isn't in question. It was his attitude.


McGahee is a solid back. This was a good deal for the Ravens. Some people have no concept of the"need" fact. In a perfect world, yeah two 3rd's are a lot but you have to balance the NEED they had at RB. There was no one else. If a team has a HUGE need, it's hard to say they over-paid.......

[HarveyWallbangers]

McGahee isn't bad. I just don't think he's elite, and I don't think he's worth the huge contract, two 3rd round picks and a 7th round pick.

I can't say the fact he had the injury in college wouldn't bother me. That was a terrible injury, and I don't think he's gotten back to that same level since the injury.

[Packnut]

Scouts Inc.
FootballRecruiting
Weblog | RSS
La





Thursday, March 8, 2007

Choose a MonthMarch 2007January 2007December 2006November 2006October 2006September 2006August 2006
Don't cry for the Ravensposted: Thursday, March 8, 2007 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Baltimore Ravens

Since finishing the 2006 regular season at 13-3 and entering the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the AFC, not much has been going right for the Ravens.
First, there was the 15-6 home loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the divisional round. That was followed by a free agency period that until Thursday had been one to forget. On the surface, it almost appeared the Ravens had gone into this offseason lost and confused, but I don't necessarily buy that theory. If there is one thing GM Ozzie Newsome and head coach Brian Billick have proven since coming to town, it's that they know how to plan their work and work their plan. Thus far, that plan has led to a Super Bowl championship and consistently competitive teams.



BillickThe Ravens' offseason losses have been grossly exaggerated. The team opted not to use the franchise tag on star outside linebacker Adalius Thomas, who hit the market and left for the New England Patriots. While Thomas is a great player who I rated as the No. 1 unrestricted free agent on the market, it was defensive coordinator Rex Ryan who put Thomas in a position to succeed. Ryan is the game's best defensive coach, and it was his schemes that moved Thomas all over the field and allowed him to have success in a Ravens uniform. Thomas is a great football player, but the scheme is even better, and the team feels it will be able to replace Thomas with a young, talented player through the draft.
The team also waived long-time starting running back Jamal Lewis, who opted to sign a one-year deal with the division-rival Cleveland Browns. Nobody in Baltimore is going to fret having to face Lewis two times in 2007; he has been average at best since 2003. Lewis averaged 3.4 and 3.6 yards per carry, respectively, during the last two seasons behind an offensive line that was much better than the one the Browns will trot out this season. Lewis can't make defenders miss at this point in his career, so if the Browns don't open up holes for him, that yards-per-carry average will drop once again.

The Ravens reacted quickly to the loss of Lewis by trading for Buffalo RB Willis McGahee, a running back with a lot more versatility than Lewis. McGahee can run inside and outside, is a lot quicker to the hole and can make people miss. It's a huge upgrade for the Ravens, because Lewis was basically a three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust runner at this point. He was a sitting duck for tacklers, while McGahee is much more of a moving target.

Baltimore also lost right tackle Tony Pashos to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pashos developed with the Ravens, and it always hurts to lose a guy you have brought a long and turned into a quality starter, but he is not an elite tackle and will be replaced through the draft or with a mid-level free agent like Anthony Clement, Marc Colombo or Jordan Black. While there could be some drop-off, it won't be significant.

The team wanted to bring back starting fullback Ovie Mughelli, but not at the expense of making him the highest-paid fullback to ever play the game. In four NFL seasons, Mughelli has had one productive year, and you can bet the Ravens noticed it came the season before he was set to hit the market. Backup defensive lineman Aubryao Franklin will be missed some, because of his ability to play every spot along the defensive line, but he has just 40 tackles and one sack in four NFL seasons. Franklin had 17 total tackles last season, and the Ravens have other backup players on the roster who can give them that kind of production.

Last but not least, the decision to cut long-time starting guard Edwin Mulitalo was made a lot easier after Mulitalo finished last season on injured reserve and his replacement, second-year man Jason Brown, stepped in and played solidly.

While it would be very easy to jump on the Ravens-bashing bandwagon for the way their offseason has started, I am not going to go there. It is not unusual for Baltimore to have its roster raided in the offseason, which is what tends to happen to teams that draft good players. The roster has been littered with talent over the last six or seven years, and the Ravens have had success in every round of the draft and with undrafted free agents. Newsome, Billick and their talented staff have been able to find quality football players everywhere. And when you consistently draft as well as the Ravens have, you are eventually going to lose some of those good players simply because you just can't keep and pay everyone.

The Ravens are like the college version of the USC Trojans when it comes to acquiring football players. Some guys might leave a little sooner than you would like, but you can count on them reloading. Watching Baltimore on draft day is like watching USC on national signing day: The overall number of acquisitions might be smaller, but don't be surprised if the Ravens hit on about 95 percent of them.

This team has the best personnel staff in the business, and because of that, you won't see me shedding any tears for the Ravens this offseason. They will reload in the draft and with mid-level free agents once the market settles. Make no mistake about it -- this is still the team to beat in the AFC North.



7 comments on "Don't cry for the Ravens"

49ers make bold moves

GM Millen finally gets one right




ESPN WebHot ESPN Searches: MLB Spring Training | NBA Draft: Lottery Machine | NCAA Tournament Challenge
Hot Multimedia Searches: College hoops | DCI Championships | NASCAR: UAW-DaimlerChrysler preview


ESPN.com: Help | PR Media Kit | Sales Media Kit | Report a Bug | Contact Us | Site Map | Jobs at ESPN | Supplier Information | Copyright ©2007 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information/Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. All rights reserved.

[gureski]

Just to put things into perspective, Baltimore's third rounder this year is late. Their first round pick is 29th overall. That means that they have the 29th pick in the third round (unless there are some compensatory picks that would make it later).

That's 3 picks away from the 4th round. With McGahee on board, the Ravens offense should be better then last year when they won their division and had a first round bye in the playoffs. What I'm saying is that I think it's a safe assumption that their picks next year will be in the later half of the draft also.

Two late 3ds and a 7th for a RB entering his prime with franchise RB talent.

[The Shadow]

McGahee? Didn't want him, anyway.