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From the National Football Post
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...litz-4049.html
Just fill in "Packers" for "Ravens" and the article reads true.
I have been arguing here for several years that the Packers were approaching a level on their roster that would result in good players, even fan favorites, being allowed to leave in FA for two reasons, salary cap and roster depth. The Ravens have been there for a long time. The Packers weren't close to that type of depth when TT first came, although they had been in the late '90s when it seemed that every year had 2-3 starters going to other teams. As the roster improved under TT and MM, age and a few career ending/altering injuries delayed the full impact until just recently. As fans, we should hope it gets worse, that very good, fan-favorite players are allowed to leave because much younger and cheaper players are ready to step in for them. That is what will keep them in playoff contention and hungry for playoff success for many years to come.
From the article:
Read the full article for more insight.
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...litz-4049.html
Just fill in "Packers" for "Ravens" and the article reads true.
I have been arguing here for several years that the Packers were approaching a level on their roster that would result in good players, even fan favorites, being allowed to leave in FA for two reasons, salary cap and roster depth. The Ravens have been there for a long time. The Packers weren't close to that type of depth when TT first came, although they had been in the late '90s when it seemed that every year had 2-3 starters going to other teams. As the roster improved under TT and MM, age and a few career ending/altering injuries delayed the full impact until just recently. As fans, we should hope it gets worse, that very good, fan-favorite players are allowed to leave because much younger and cheaper players are ready to step in for them. That is what will keep them in playoff contention and hungry for playoff success for many years to come.
From the article:
The Super Bowl champion Ravens are finished. They might not win a single game next year. No team could overcome the collective talent loss of Ray Lewis, Matt Birk, Paul Kruger, Dannell Ellerbe, Cary Williams, Anquan Boldin, Bernard Pollard, and possibly Ed Reed and Bryant McKinnie.
That’s what the noise says. But that’s not what the history of the Ravens says.
They have allowed players to walk year after year, and found ways to reload and remain one of the league’s most consistent and successful franchises.
"In this environment you can’t keep all your players,” Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome told me. “You just can’t. The cap doesn’t allow you. We’ve experienced it over and over. From the owner all the way down, everybody understands.”
In fact, a number of the most competitive and smartest teams in the league do business the same way. The Steelers, Texans, Packers and Giants all are familiar with the storyline playing out in Baltimore.
“The reality of our business is that your roster is going to have some changes every year,” said Giants Jerry Reese, who has seen Martellus Bennett, Kenny Phillips and Chris Canty bolt. “Every team has to make tough decisions, and you hope you get a whole lot more right than you get wrong. We’re all in the same boat.”
This is what Texans general manager Rick Smith, who has lost Connor Barwin, and Glover Quin told me about the subject last fall: “You have to look at what you can absorb as far as losing players in terms of where your priorities are, where you are strong and weak.”
The Ravens do three things well that enable them to absorb the losses. They identify the players they cannot afford to lose, and they keep them. Newsome, Eric DeCosta, Joe Hortiz and their scouting staff draft as well as any team. And John Harbaugh and his coaching staff develops as well as any team.
That’s what the noise says. But that’s not what the history of the Ravens says.
They have allowed players to walk year after year, and found ways to reload and remain one of the league’s most consistent and successful franchises.
"In this environment you can’t keep all your players,” Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome told me. “You just can’t. The cap doesn’t allow you. We’ve experienced it over and over. From the owner all the way down, everybody understands.”
In fact, a number of the most competitive and smartest teams in the league do business the same way. The Steelers, Texans, Packers and Giants all are familiar with the storyline playing out in Baltimore.
“The reality of our business is that your roster is going to have some changes every year,” said Giants Jerry Reese, who has seen Martellus Bennett, Kenny Phillips and Chris Canty bolt. “Every team has to make tough decisions, and you hope you get a whole lot more right than you get wrong. We’re all in the same boat.”
This is what Texans general manager Rick Smith, who has lost Connor Barwin, and Glover Quin told me about the subject last fall: “You have to look at what you can absorb as far as losing players in terms of where your priorities are, where you are strong and weak.”
The Ravens do three things well that enable them to absorb the losses. They identify the players they cannot afford to lose, and they keep them. Newsome, Eric DeCosta, Joe Hortiz and their scouting staff draft as well as any team. And John Harbaugh and his coaching staff develops as well as any team.
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