Will Lee Evans Remain A Raven?
by lastcallbmore on Jan 24, 2012 7:02 AM EST
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PrintLee Evans came on late in the season and the chemistry between he and Joe Flacco seemed evident again in the AFC Championship. The Ravens have had a few stop-gap veteran receivers over the years. T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Donte Stallworth were here trying to fill the veteran role just recently.
Will Lee Evans turn into another wasted wide-out option for Baltimore? Evans seems to have a bit more to offer than the aging Housh or the overrated Stallworth. Evans is a football player that never got fully integrated into the offense due to injury.
I know he dropped the ball that would have won the game this week but I still think Evans should be considered to come back next year and help this team. The trio of he, Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith could be a very potent one if Evans is back to form. This could provide match up problems all over the field, just like it did against the Patriots.
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I think the Ravens will definitely consider cutting him. This last drop aside he also dropped a big pass in the cincy game. Since returning from the ankle he hasn’t been the same and with him turning 31 he’s definitely heading towards the downside of his career. He’s due a 1 mill roster bonus in march and I believe has a base salary of 3 mill and some change I think if the Ravens feel like one of the younger guys can step up or plan on drafting a WR that they very well may cut him. We have some other more important pieces that we could end up using that money on. Carr could end up being another one depending on how his contract affects the cap since he only signed it in the off-season.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
Took the words out of my mouth
I think he still has lots to offer and can be forgiven for the drop (even Q had that huge TD drop against Pitt last year in the playoffs), but money is a huge factor when we have 13 free agents.
His $1M roster bonus can be saved, along with a portion of his $3.25M salary if he goes.
I think our top priorities should be:
Sign Grubbs
Franchise Rice
Open negotiations with Flacco
Give Webb the highest possible tender (restricted FA) and work on an extension – Two 1st Round picks
Give C. Williams a high tender (also restricted FA) – 1st/2nd round
Re-sign Ayenbendago, and recruit/draft as much special teams help as possible.
I could see us cutting Carr, Foxworth and letting Johnson, McClain, and Redding go as free agents…maybe even Cundiff, as he’s gonna be a huge scapegoat here.
With our lack of depth at WR, there’s no way we should cut him before training camp. I saw burst, hands(i know), and body control in the NE game. He had a nagging foot injury all year. He’s played in a lot of systems. He’ll be able to pick up a new offense (crossing my fingers) a lot faster than one of our young unproven guys.
Does anyone think Doss, or Laquan Williams is going to better than him next year…
daytime commentator. night time ninja.
I think Doss and Laquan have potential. They didn’t really have an off-season this past year so I’m real interested in both of them. Evans is a guy who’s relied on speed and with him turning 31 who knows how his body reacts. He did look much better in NE, but for me it’s more seeing on where we are cap wise. If we keep him and it means losing Redding or JJ or some other important role player I would rather cut him. If we have the space than it won’t hurt to give it another try.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
JJ and Redding are quality players. I don’t think we can commit another three years to either of those guys at the price they deserve. I think it all comes down to if they really want to stay in Bmore. I wouldn’t blame them if they left. It’s their last real chance to get a decent contract.
Evans was getting decent separation against NE. Yes, it was against a poor D, but if you can get separation in Cam’s systems, that says something.
daytime commentator. night time ninja.
Oh yeah we definitely can’t overpay them but I could see Redding being undervalued in the market. If it came down to losing someone important I would rather keep them, but like I said if we are going to lose them anyways then I’m all for him coming back.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
We should definitely keep Lee
Yes, he was far from perfect this year, but he is a tremendous asset to have. He’s also very cheap at the moment!
This.
His deal was extremely front-loaded, and from what I can tell he’ll cost about $4m to keep on the roster next year (I believe he’s on a 3 year, $18m+ contract). But we’ll know pretty soon (March 16th at the latest).
You come at the king, you best not miss.
by organizedchaos52 on Jan 24, 2012 12:40 PM EST up reply actions
This is a tough one
I say we should give him another shot, if he can stay healthy and on the field we would have one of the top trio’s of receivers in the league.
If he’s just gonna be injured 80% of the season (hard to foresee) we should let him go.
It’s a real tough one, but man, if only he hauled in that pass, we’d all be praising this guy. That loss is sickening, I can only imagine how the team feels that poured everything into it this year. :-(
I'm pretty sure the injury happened in the preseason game against the Chiefs.
He was pulled down awkwardly (it may have been flagged as a horsecollar and waved off). I don’t expect it to happen again, and like you say, you can’t foresee something like that. Just have to deal with injuries.
You come at the king, you best not miss.
by organizedchaos52 on Jan 24, 2012 12:43 PM EST up reply actions
I think it was the redskins game. Initially, I thought he broke his leg, ala Carolina’s Steve Smith.
daytime commentator. night time ninja.
That's probably it.
I remember being pretty worried. Turns out I should have been.
You come at the king, you best not miss.
by organizedchaos52 on Jan 24, 2012 3:09 PM EST up reply actions
Evans should stay. Before the drop he played a part in us still being in the game. With a offseason to get his body back and work with the trainers he could be big for us. Not to mention his speed helps on madden lol.
by Raven_all_day on Jan 24, 2012 8:51 AM EST via mobile reply actions
That is hilarious. He does kill it on Madden. Ravens are unbeatable with Q and Lee in the video game world…and next year they’ll give Torrey some props too.
Right. Webb might be a 90 after this week.
by Raven_all_day on Jan 24, 2012 9:42 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
yup
I kill it with smith on madden, shotgun, 3 wide right, smith on the inside, send him deep, that 3rd corner on nearly every team, along with the SS CANNOT keep up with his speed, if you have your protections right it’s a 60+ gain every time
Pagano is interviewing for the colts head coaching job.
by Raven_all_day on Jan 24, 2012 9:41 AM EST via mobile reply actions
...And so it Begins
…yet again… I almost want to have an “off” year defensively so other organizations/entities would stop picking our defensive players/staff…
Wonder who the “next man up” would be if Chuck departed?
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."
For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind
Yeah I mean really only 1 year with him? Hopefully he is bad at interviewing lol
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
I Hope
Chuck contracts a really bad case of temporary hives that renders him almost impossible to look at, much less interview…
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."
For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind
Are they sure they don’t want Cam instead?
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
by AV23 on Jan 24, 2012 11:33 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
For Not Making
The Super Bowl, that would be the next best thing…
But on a more serious note that in it of itself is the ultimate indictment. Most of us have been pretty critical of Cam, and rightfully so (IMHO). There are a few who have defended Cam. If Cam was worth it, he would be mentioned as a potential HC candidate. I do not believe I have seen even the wildest of rumors tying Cam to any vacancy…
OTOH, take a Chuck Pagano. There is no argument that he has done a great job, and already after one season he is being interviewed for HC vacancies, or at least rumored to be. Don’t hear Cam’s phone ringing…
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."
For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind
I think Lee Evans should stay . I dont think the ravens should atleast further evaluate him
in training camp and if the young guys or even a rookie wideout from the draft seems to be better then release/trade him
They will probably make a decision before march that’s when he’s due the mill for his roster bonus.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
Not sure if we can evaluate personnel that fast--ours or others'
I don’t really see anybody in FA that could upgrade Evans. Obviously, Desean Jackson opposite Torrey Smith would be potentially devastating, but if there’s ever been a poster boy for the opposite of “playing like a Raven” it’s him. When you look at the progression of Jackson v Mike Wallace, operating in very similar situations, you see the difference attitude makes.
If we had someone that could’ve stepped up, they would have done so when Evans was injured, the perfect opportunity. Instead, we rarely went 3-wide and stuck with Smith and Boldin, and even when Boldin went down no one put anything on film to show they could really take Evans’ spot.
Ozzie might have to eat that mil while we see what our young guys can do in TC. Ultimately, Evans will stay on the team for the same reasons we signed him in the 1st place—he’s a player at a bargain with a skill set that fits our O perfectly, with high intangibles. He may even take a pay cut to stay with a contender after a trip to the SB literally fell through his hands, which would never happen in Buffalo, St. Louis, Oakland, or anywhere else he might sign next year.
Look
$4 Mil and change for a good, veteran receiver is a pretty good deal. Keep him.
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."
For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind
Agreed. Give him a full off season and full health, he can still produce.
Flacco has to trust his receivers to make catches, but shouldn’t throw towards coverage. He needs to attack deep more often, but shouldn’t hold onto the ball so long. He needs to show more awareness in the pocket and move to extend plays, but nothing good comes of him leaving the pocket. He should run with the ball if nobody’s open, but he definitely can’t run with the ball.
Flacco should have the awareness of Roethlisberger, the elusiveness of Vick, the control of the offense of Manning, the leadership of Brady, the accuracy of Brees, and the arm strength of … Flacco? - Ampallang
3.27 mill for a guy who drooped the game winning TD
hes gone….see Housh..but Torrey is the future…love this guy
"In a battle between patience and power, patience always wins"
Who should we draft with our pick?
I say a linebacker… It was painfully obvious that we had trouble covering the middle of the field. I swear I saw Ellerbe miss more tackles than I’ve seen him on the field this year
I think MLB as well. Really bad LT draft, only S even mentioned as a potential first is Barron and he looks more like a SS, Ozzie may not want to draft a C that early. It of course will depend on how the board falls, but if Hightower or Burfict are there I think we got to pull the trigger on them. Of course it’s extremely tough to guess what Ozzie will do. He rarely stays at our given pick so he very well could move up if there’s someone he really wants or move back if the board doesn’t fall our way.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
Keep Evans if he is healthy
was it a drop or just a great strip by defender? I believe it was a strip.
True. We didn’t extend his contract. Hopefully he’s packing up his office right now.
daytime commentator. night time ninja.
call me crazy but i kinda hope he returns. Most of the ravens problems on offense was the drop passes and inexeprienced youth on the field
and with a full training camp this year its no way they can’t improve. I just hope what ever the ravens do about the offensive coodinator position it be a person that provides a philosophy that isn’t complicated
Cameron waited until the AFC Championship to put together a respectable game plan. Even with that, I hated a lot of our play calls. He’s shown what he can do in 4 years. Now it’s time for us to show him the door.
Peace! And take your outdated predictable system with ya.
daytime commentator. night time ninja.
by El.Dude on Jan 24, 2012 3:59 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
He’s shown what he can do in 4 years
out those four years tell what wideout did Cam had to work with that actually was a consistent
Cameron waited until the AFC Championship to put together a respectable game plan
not true every big game like the steelers 49ers, bengels, texans(regualar season) browns, rams, and etc Cam has provided respectable game plan.
Even with that, I hated a lot of our play calls
Do you really think there isnt any sport fan in the world that doesn’t hate certain plays calls from their team offensive coodinator?
He’s shown what he can do in 4 years. Now it’s time for us to show him the door.
Out those four years the ravens were constantly changing certain things on offense that eventually turn out to be not enough or didnt work out. I would say this year they have finally had the right players but they mostly were inexprienced/players being introduce to a new system. The ravens still need to add some more pieces to the offense but overall think Cam did a good job this year especially with a offense that was ranked number 3 in drop passes
This May
Not be the best metric, but who is calling Cam to come interview for their HC vacancy? Chuck already has one interview and may get more. Cam has had four seasons to remake himself as an NFL coach, Chuck has had one season as a coordinator. And don’t say the 1 – 15 season is scaring people off – if Cam was doing such a bang-up job with the Ravens offense, somebody would at least interview him…
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."
For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind
if Cam was doing such a bang-up job with the Ravens offense, somebody would at least interview him…
’
Why isnt no body interviewing the ravens running back coach? Why isn’t nobody interviewing the saint offense coordinator?, why isnt no body interviewing the steelers defensive coodinator? why isnt any body interviewing the cowboys defensive coodinator ?since he’s brother rex ryan did so well with the jets as a head coach
, Why isnt anybody interviewing the saints quarterback coach? Brees broke a passing record in the nfl? Why isnt anybody interviewing me since I always get a nfl team to the super bowl playing madden(ok that was a joke lol) but there are lots of guys that did a good job as position/coodinator coaches but are not getting a interview for a head coach job.
“Watching their tape is like watching the 1960s,” he continued. “One receiver to each side. Isolation routes. No bunch sets or rub routes.” Added Cosell, “I’ve never seen a group of receivers so unable to beat man coverage.” The Ravens’ offense has become so predictable because they were blowing easy wins when attempting to run a pass-first offense in the season’s first half. We suspect Joe Flacco is going to have to air it out to beat the Patriots.
The film doesn’t lie. Cam needs to go.
daytime commentator. night time ninja.
Did you really watch the film? if you did please share because I want to see it. I think Cosell was only talking about one game I highly doubt he look at tape of the ravens offense for the whole season.
Baltimore sun sports writer Kevin cowherd had this to say
I was asked on “The Norris and Davis Show” on 105.7 The Fan this morning if I thought Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron would be back next season.
The short answer is: I do
Sure, Cameron and his play-calling have been the subject of much scrutiny — and scorn — from lots of Ravens fans over the last few years
And the state of his relationship with quarterback Joe Flacco has also been endlessly debated. (For the record, I don’t think it’s nearly as tense and adversarial as some people think.)
But why would the Ravens get rid of their offensive coordinator after posting a great 12-4 regular-season record and nearly winning the AFC Championship game?
Yes, there were occasions when the offense seemed unimaginative and out of sync. But every team goes through times like that during a season, even the mighty New England Patriots, whose offense with Tom Brady at the helm definitely wasn’t firing on all cylinders Sunday.
The bottom line — as Ray Lewis loves to say — is this: why would you fire your offensive coordinator after coming within a dropped pass and a missed 32-yard field goal of going to the Super Bowl?
I’m not saying it couldn’t happen. But it doesn’t make sense to me
I think Cosell was only talking about one game I highly doubt he look at tape of the ravens offense for the whole season.
He works for NFL Films, and has access to all the film. There’s absolutely no reason to assume he’s talking about just one game here.
Water covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Ed Reed covers the rest.
State your case, back it up with facts and reasonable opinions ...
Bruce Raffel
He works for NFL Films, and has access to all the film. There’s absolutely no reason to assume he’s talking about just one game here.
even if he wasnt im i suppose to believe what he said since he works for nfl films.
he also said this
The problem for the Ravens, as opposed to the Patriots with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, is that Pitta and Dickson have not shown the necessary receiving ability that validates such extensive use of 2 TE personnel.
now Dickson and Pitta isnt Gronkowski and Aaron Hemandez but for Cosell to say that they dont or havent shown the necessary receiving ability that validates why the ravens use two tight personnel extensively really makes me question he’s knowledge of flim study. Now I could be wrong and I could be saying something dumb but hey im not a nfl flim annalist.
… to say that they dont or havent shown the necessary receiving ability that validates why the ravens use two tight personnel extensively really makes me question he’s knowledge of flim study.
I think there’s a pretty solid body of evidence that Dickson hasn’t shown the necessary receiving ability.
You might want to do a little research on Greg Cosell before calling into question his credentials.
Water covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Ed Reed covers the rest.
State your case, back it up with facts and reasonable opinions ...
Bruce Raffel
I
think there’s a pretty solid body of evidence that Dickson hasn’t shown the necessary receiving ability.
You might want to do a little research on Greg Cosell before calling into question his credentials.
Dickson may have had some drop passes but both him and Pitta show this year that they are dangerous t when used together. I dont see how any one could question why the ravens used the two tight formation often especially when Lee Evans wasnt healthy for most of the season . Even the people that Cossell work with that be on Nfl.com have even said that ravens tight ends are one of the ravens best weapons.
I’m not questioning Cossell credentials but just because he has a history of studying nfl film and etc doesnt mean he always right what he’s saids.
I’m not questioning Cossell credentials but just because he has a history of studying nfl film and etc doesnt mean he always right what he’s saids.
You’ll forgive me if I take the word of the Guru of NFL Films over that of the Beatdown’s resident devil’s advocate.
Water covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Ed Reed covers the rest.
State your case, back it up with facts and reasonable opinions ...
Bruce Raffel
The Ravens’ offense has become so predictable because they were blowing easy wins when attempting to run a pass-first offense in the season’s first half.
There’s even a reference to him saying the first eight games.
whose offense with Tom Brady at the helm definitely wasn’t firing on all cylinders Sunday.
Tom Brady had the second most passing yards in NFL history. He would have had the most if it wasn’t for Drew Brees this year.
Using the Pats as an example of offense inefficiency is laughable. Kevin Cowherd’s football commentary card should be revoked.
daytime commentator. night time ninja.
here’s even a reference to him saying the first eight games.
Cossell said this
offense has become so predictable because they were blowing easy wins when attempting to run a pass-first offense in the season’s first half.
Im sure he was talking about the jaguars, seahawks, and titans game because in those game the ravens tryed to be pass happy. I dont see how the ravens offense this year was so predictable when they perform so well against top defenses like the steelers, houston, and bengels.
Tom Brady had the second most passing yards in NFL history. He would have had the most if it wasn’t for Drew Brees this year.
Using the Pats as an example of offense inefficiency is laughable. Kevin Cowherd’s football commentary card should be revoked.
I dont think you get what he was saying but he was just point out that there will be times where offenses be out of sync.
Really?
I even prefaced with “this may not be the best…”
In the case of the Steelers, LeBeau has stated he is not currently seeking a HC gig, so don’t bother calling.
Don’t know much about Pete Carmichael, but at first blush he seems like an excellent candidate.
Rob Ryan? He has been rumored in the past as an HC candidate. Although after this season, those rumors may get tamped down a bit.
Hey, I would love for Lombardi to come here as our OC. In fact, he is exactly the kind of candidate I had in mind when I made another post about Ozzie having a list of 8 – 10 hot, up-and-coming QB coaches/assistants that could make the jump to OC.
McDaniels is back in New England. He is young. If he keeps Brady playing at the same same level over the next couple of years, he will get another shot, I guarantee it.
I still stand by my original statement.
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."
For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind
Despite his $5.8m cap number
WR and kicker are diff situations—we should keep Evans.
When a kicker loses his nerve, it’s often lost forever.
Meanwhile Evans is entering a contract year, and while his $5.8m cap # seems crazy, Evans has shown he still has the physical tools to fit the role this offense needs. Especially if Cam is back (as he almost certainly will be, like it or not-FWIW I def don’t) as the Air Coryell FanPost argued, our scheme requires TWO physical vertical threats, and Evans is more than capable of playing the Malcom Floyd in our O. He can shake defenses out of base and is a matchup problem for nickel corners.
That being said, I’ll echo others in that I’d take Redding/JJ over Evans any day, but I think both of those guys are Ravens for life now, even Redding (although his proven effectiveness in a 4-3 and 3-4 will surely drive up his value in FA). I hope we can find a way to structure contracts to keep Evans for at least 2012, as I think he will have value even if Cam and Coryell are out. Remember, we run 2-WR-or-less sets more than any team in the league. If we go 3-wide like the Steelers do we might see Evans do some real damage next year.
$5.8M?
I thought Evans cap number was a $1M March roster bonus and then a $3M and change salary…? There seems to be about a million and half between us…
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."
For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind
Ravens 24x7
has his number as $5.758m. The base salary seem to be $3.375 with the million roster bonus. No idea where the other $1.4m comes from (signing bonus?).
(The box will the salary details is toward the end, but it’s a pretty damn good article).
You come at the king, you best not miss.
by organizedchaos52 on Jan 25, 2012 1:40 PM EST up reply actions
I Think
You are right- probably the signing bonus prorated over the life of the contract’s non-voidable years…
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."
For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind
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