Is Derrick Mason's future impacted by the signing of TJ Houshmandzadeh?
by Massacre on Sep 7, 2010 10:45 PM EDT
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PrintWe have all seen the immediate impact the signing of TJ Houshmandzadeh had on Mark Clayton's employment status with the Ravens. With that out of the way, what is next for the Ravens' WR group - and specifically Derrick Mason - looking ahead to the 2011 season and beyond?
Before I go into my thoughts on this subject, I want to make a couple things clear. First, lets assume for the sake of the discussion that the CBA business will get worked out and consequently the 2011 NFL season will proceed as normal, as though the labor dispute never existed. Second, I realize this is yet another TJ post on a blog that is already overcrowded with TJ posts. However, this is a different twist on the overall subject - one that I believe has yet to come up in the media. So don't bother "yelling" at me for writing another TJ post. If you do yell at me, well, every party has a pooper and thats why we invited you!
Back to business. I can think of a few different scenarios concerning Mason's future with the Ravens. I'll list each scenario (in no particular order) followed by a brief 2-cents.
1. Ravens win the Super Bowl and Mason retires, ending his career on the highest possible note.
This is absolutely the best situation possible, one that every Ravens fan is surely hoping for. Mason is one of my favorite Ravens, and I would love to see him win a ring and walk off into the sunset. For receivers, that would leave the Ravens with Anquan Boldin, the opportunity to resign TJ and/or Donte Stallworth, and the continued development of youthful Marcus Smith and David Reed. TJ may want #1 WR money, which will likely mean his departure. Stallworth, if he performs reasonably well this season, will be re-signed as the teams #2 wideout, and the rest will fall into place from there. Who knows though, maybe Ozzie will put up the cash to re-sign TJ even if he wants to get paid like a #1, likely ousting Stallworth.
2. Ravens don't win the Super Bowl and Mason retires.
Sure, Mason signed a two-year contract extension this off-season, but that is no guarantee that he plays through the whole thing. He was contemplating retirement last off-season and the one before, so other than the extra money he could make, I wouldn't expect this coming off-season to be any different. This scenario would leave the Ravens' WR group in the same position as Scenario #1.
3. Ravens don't win the Super Bowl and Mason decides to play through the second year of his contract extension.
Equally as likely as Scenario #2, this situation could leave the Ravens' front office in a bit of a bind, albeit an enviable one. If the team is committed to maintaining a stockpile of great weapons in Joe Flacco's arsenal, they will surely consider retaining one or both of TJ and Donte, but it won't be easy. If either one of them wants a contract approaching the money the team is paying Boldin, that would likely be too much money to invest in one position group, forcing deficiencies in other areas. If this Scenario becomes a reality, the WRs could be Boldin, Mason, Reed, Smith, possibly Stallworth, and a FA or draft acquisition.
4. Ravens win the Super Bowl and Mason decides to play through the second year of his contract extension.
I see this scenario as highly unlikely, given Mason's past retirement considerations. Regardless, it would put the team in the same position as Scenario #3.
Of the four Scenarios listed above, I believe that #2 is the most likely (I am way to superstitious to ever pick my favorite team to win the Super Bowl!). This would leave the front office with the challenge of maintaining a strong offensive arsenal, possibly at the expense of other positions on the team. This may be a somewhat of a simplistic view, especially when one considers the development of Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta along with the eventual retirement of Todd Heap, but nonetheless, the questions surrounding Derrick Mason's future are interesting enough for me to justify writing a long, wordy, and above all, speculative fan post. Many thanks to those of you who made it to the end!
The opinions posted here are those of the administrator of this blog and his loyal readers. They are in no way official comments from the team, and should not be misconstued as such, even though he thinks he could do just as well or even a better job!
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If we win the Superbowl
I see Ray Lewis, and Ed Reed retiring too.
I don’t see Ray retiring. The guy has shown no signs of his career being over next year while Reed and Mason have. If we win it all, I could definitely see Ray coming back. He has said he wants to play about 3 more years and I think it could definitely happen.
I think he would retire. He would have had an incredibly long career and the rare opportunity to leave without ever having played below the high level he expects of himself. Maybe he would stay and try to repeat, but I doubt it. It will never be easier to retire than after winning it all. You will forever remember your last season as being the perfect season—not ending on an INT like Brett Favre, which is clearly the reason he’s playing again this year
"Cam, we're not going to have any issues because we're going to be winning."
--Joe Flacco
"Just win baby. Yeah, I stole that."
--Jon Gruden
Agree with both of those
Also throw in Trevor Pryce and Matt Birk.
They say the empty can rattles the most...
Birk
will play out the last year of his contract, then likely retire. Hopefully we can get a super bowl or 2 in before then. I think Ray will also play 1 more after, regardless of if we win this year.
by Rayisyourdaddy on Sep 8, 2010 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
And Heap
Especially if he gets a little dinged and Pita and Dickson both end up being the Real Deal.
And also Gregg.
Point is, if we win it all, I expect a huge turnover due to retirements, especially if there is a very good chance of a lockout.
hmmm interesting but I think mason if anything gets better same as with boldin.
. T.J was a pro bowler, Boldin was a pro Bowler and Mason as well, if T.j impact anything with of mason it would be a future of another good season
Its cliche, but there are only so many balls to go around
I’d be very surprised of all three of these great wideouts get over 80 catches, 1000 yards this season. But with the way Mason has been talking the last couple of off-seasons, I don’t think his personal production will have much of an impact on his decision whether or not to retire.
They say the empty can rattles the most...
its possible that they all can have nice stats this year I can see both
bolidin and Mason having a 1,000 receiving yards. I can see T.J with 800 reciving yards and probably 400 for Stallworth
Definitely possible
That would be a DIRTY offensive season. If those guys have those kind of stats, Flacco’s winning MVP, no doubt about it.
They say the empty can rattles the most...
the workload
is much smaller than it was before with all the new faces, Mason isnt going to be the main guy which is going to help him in the long run of the season.
I’m so excited to see how much he dominates knowing that the best corner on the opposing team will be focused on Boldin.
i say win it this year, and come back and win it next year too!!
I agree, I dont think Mason will NEED to retire
due to declining ability/production – he’s a freak by all standards to have kept up his kind of production for as long as he has. I bet he could play at a high level for another 3 years or so. But does he WANT to?
It doesnt seem like it to me…
They say the empty can rattles the most...
3 years?? He’ll be 39 then. I know he’s defied father time till now, but it’s gonna get him sooner than that. I don’t know of any 39 year old WRs that are still good.
Right
3 would be a stretch. Maybe 2. Even that might be a stretch.
They say the empty can rattles the most...
He would be fine over 3 more years
Mason was never a speed guy. So if he looses a step then it isnt the biggest deal. Mason was almost purely a possession receiver to begin with. He runs perfect routes and has a veteran mindset to find holes in coverage.
So Mason’s skills wont diminish to the point of retirement anytime soon. As far as him wanting to retire the past 2 years… he wanted a new contract and he wanted to finish his career here in Baltimore as a Raven. That was only a bluff to get the Ravens to “woo” him back with a nice, new contract extension.
by Mstevens_Design on Sep 9, 2010 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
I'll be the first to admit
that I know next to nothing about the nuances of playing the wide receiver position. That said, I would think that when an athlete “loses a step” with age, he not only loses his top end speed but also some agility and explosiveness. As crisp as Mason’s routes are, it is still possible that a loss in quickness would impact his ability to get open. If his cuts are a tenth of a second slower, that’s a tenth of a second more time a DB has to react and recover.
They say the empty can rattles the most...
True
But, when you are the best route runner in the game period, a little slower in your cuts is still way above 99% of the corners out there.
Now that we have Boldin and TJ, Mason will be going up against the #2 or #3 CB at best (at worst, a safety or LB) so he definitely won’t be seeing Revis or Asamoughe (sp?) and should be able to school a rookie or slower veteran. I think Mason is going to have another 1000 yard+ year because of that.
Now Mason might retire at the end of the year if he just doesn’t feel it anymore, but like I had said, that was a bluff to get an extension.
by Mstevens_Design on Sep 10, 2010 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm with Massacre on this
I’m not an analyst on NFL Network or anything, but when you get up into the high 30s, your agility and explosiveness will fade. It’s just that simple. This guy isn’t Jerry Rice. He’s not even Isaac Bruce. How do you expect him to produce at, say, age 38? He’ll retire before then because he doesn’t want to find out.
"Cam, we're not going to have any issues because we're going to be winning."
--Joe Flacco
"Just win baby. Yeah, I stole that."
--Jon Gruden
I think it really depends on how you work on out and keep your body
in shape. Age can play a factor but I think it all comes down to you working out and constantly training your body. I have seen a article saying one of the fastest man is in his 40’s
Willie Gault
the receiver for the ’85 Bears, sprinter turned WR, still runs competitively and actually set the records for fastest 100 and 200 meter races for a man over 45 (at the ripe young ages of 45 and 47 respectively).
Straight speed and football talent are not exactly the same, but if a man, and a former football player at that, is still capable of performing at a ridiculously high level in his late 40s, it is certainly possible that Mason could still perform at 38 or beyond.
Two potential flaws: Gault is racing against other 45+ year old men, while Mason would be playing against men younger than he; and Gault is certainly slower now than he was in ’85 or at the peak of his ability, so there must have been some drop-off at some point.
"Give us 10 points and the game is over...And they didn't score on us. Make sure you quote that. They didn't score on our defense."
by organizedchaos52 on Sep 11, 2010 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions
you’re not taking injury into account. your body just doesn’t heal like it used to at age 38. Sure, in a race you can be fast because it’s non contact. But slam him into the ground a few times, make him tweak his hips and his hamstrings a few times, have him deal with muscle soreness for a few weeks… it builds up. There’s a reason most guys retire at Mason’s age.
"Cam, we're not going to have any issues because we're going to be winning."
--Joe Flacco
"Just win baby. Yeah, I stole that."
--Jon Gruden
He's 36 now
And he is showing no signs of losing those route running skills. At this point, he has already hit that wall of losing his explosiveness and speed. However, if you think about him running a route, it isn’t his speed or agility that really gets him open, its the way he sells doing other routes and just cutting out instead.
Think of it this way…. Stallworth is a lot faster than Mason. He has always had trouble getting open in his career unless it was a bomb. Clayton is another example of a young WR that couldn’t get open with the frequency of Mason.
So while I understand where you are coming from as far as his physical skills diminishing, I believe that with Mason and his route running, its 99% mental skills and 1% physical.
by Mstevens_Design on Sep 11, 2010 8:59 AM EDT up reply actions
… I believe that with Mason and his route running, its 99% mental skills and 1% physical.
I can appreciate where you’re coming from, but I don’t think Stephen Hawking would make much of a possession receiver.
Water covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Ed Reed covers the rest.
HAHA
I don’t know man…. he has that motorized wheelchair. I bet that thing turns on a dime.
At the worst, he’ll be impossible to tackle in that thing.
by Mstevens_Design on Sep 11, 2010 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Anyone else just have flashbacks to Backyard Football? Curse you, Kenny!
by RulingWalnut on Sep 11, 2010 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Winning solves everything...
If we do win the Super Bowl,all the older players would more then likely come back to defend the title.None of them are going to make huge money at this point and they know that,but with the new deal coming up,who knows,but pride not egoes is a tremendous force.It is a situation I damn sure hope we’re faced with in the near future!!!
I think you are jumping the gun, and assuming that TJ and Stallworth are productive enough that we want to resign them.
Also, i do not think that the market for TJ will be so outrageous; he signed a 5 year 40 million dollar deal before, and he clearly wasn’t worth that or there would have been a trade market for him (if they could have gotten just a scrub or a 7th rounder for him via trade, they wouldn’t be on the hook for his contract). He is not better than Boldin, so I guess his value will be around 4 years 18-20 million if he is a good soldier and has a good year for us. Not too bad for us, although he obviously wont be our first priority with Ngata, Yanda, McClain, Landry, Koch, etc on the market.
We will have to wait and see!
Also,
The WR corp next year is freakishly deep! So TJ might not be our best option because we might decide to go with someone who has a different skill set than Boldin. I thnk it more likely we sign a tall, big WR and keep Mase around 1 more year, than give Housh more money, even if he is reasonable and asks for #2 money.
Check out these names:
Randy Moss, Vincent Jackson, Miles Austin, Steve Smith (NYG), Sidney Rice, Santonio Holmes,Mike Sims-Walker, Donald Driver.
Plus sleepers like Malcom Floyd, Jacoby Jones, James Jones, Steve Breaston, and a bunch of stud TE’s. It is a great class at the position, so we are in a great position with only Boldin, the 2 young guys, and Mason under contract, because only Boldin is making semi-decent money at the position. IF V-Jax or Austin is still there, they will likely be targets. If the price is right though, I really like Sidney Rice. If we want to go cheap with upside, Floyd is the way to go; Cam was his OC there and probably knows him well, so if he is a stud, i expect us to make a run at him.
by Rayisyourdaddy on Sep 8, 2010 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Don't forget about the potential lockout...
Win or lose this year, I see alot of older veterans (Mason included) that may not return for 2012 if there’s no football in 2011.
Of course the lockout could affect the players' decisions
However, I wrote this fanpost under the assumption that there will be no lockout. Wishful thinking, I know. The glass is half full!
They say the empty can rattles the most...
Don't forget
Please remember that Mason has been Flacco’s number one WR as long as Flacco has been here. Yes he threw more passes to Rice last year and yes Q and TJ are incredible receivers but I still see Derrick getting those passes when Joe really needs a completion. There is a deep trust and understanding between the two and no matter who we get in the WR dept, Flacco to Mason has worked time and again and I see no reason to believe it will stop. Stallworth may come back and be great but I already know our big 3 ARE great no ifs about it. Those 3 receivers are the best group in the league. I am thrilled to have added TJ to our team!
Mason is definitely #2 receiver
I don’t think any of the new signings besides Boldin could overtake him. Especially not with his experience and the amount of time he’s been our #1. And I fully expect him to get just as many completions as any fantastic #2 receiver in the league would.
by Roa on Sep 9, 2010 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions
It will be interesting
to see how long it takes Joe to build with the new guys the kind of chemistry he’s had with Mason.
They say the empty can rattles the most...
Unfortunately we're poised to lose 4 great veteren players at any moment
Derrick, Ray, Ed, and Matt Birk are all looking more and more at the point in their careers where they are ready to retire. With a potential lockout this situation is amplified.
With the improvement to the WR position I think Derrick retires next offseason no matter what the results are knowing that we are going to be ok. He’s at the best point in his career to retire. Ed Reed considered retirement and I think missing half the season on the PUP list might influence him to end his career before he gets any more serious injuries. Ray and Matt are just plain old. They both play to a level that is easily among the very elites in their positions but they’re nearing the age where retirement is just plain necessary unless you are named Brett Favre.
I still can't believe
Ed waited as long as he did to get the hip surgery. I’m sure he had his reasons, but man…you’d think someone who loves football as much as he does would do everything in his power to get back into playing condition as soon as possible.
Maybe at this point he’s conceding that he just can’t make it through a full season, and would rather be back at “full strength” towards the latter half for the playoff push.
They say the empty can rattles the most...
you’d think someone who loves football as much as he does would do everything in his power to get back into playing condition as soon as possible.
One of the doctors he saw may have advised him that he’d return faster if he could avoid surgery. Reed probably played against the odds and lost, and ended up having the surgery later than was optimal.
Water covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Ed Reed covers the rest.
If Reed can give us a second half of the season/playoffs
Equal to what he did in the second half/playoffs in 2008, then we will be in great shape. I’ll take 10-12 games of MVP caliber Ed Reed over 16-19 of banged up, semi-inconsistent Reed. Zib can hold it down until the playoff push.
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