What It Would Have Cost To Trade Up For A First-Round Receiver
Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome spent plenty of time during his final draft press conference over the weekend answering questions about why he didn't take a receiver with any of his seven picks.
"We tried to put ourselves in a position to do that; it just did not work out," Newsome said Saturday afternoon.
The Ravens could have traded up to get a playmaking receiver, but that would have been costly. The draft's top wideouts – Corey Davis (Western Michigan), Mike Williams (Clemson) and John Ross (Washington) – were all off the board by the ninth-overall pick, and the Ravens weren't on the clock until No. 16.
The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec shared what he believes the Ravens would have needed to give up to get one of those players.
"To leap over the Tennessee Titans at No.5 and make sure they had a chance to select Western Michigan's Corey Davis, the [trade] chart stipulates the Ravens would have, at the very least, had to surrender their first-round pick (16th overall), their second-rounder (47th), their first third-rounder (74th) and their fourth rounder (122nd)," Zrebiec wrote. "And that might not have even gotten it done."
Moving up to get either Williams (No. 7) or Ross (No. 9) would have required a similar haul, meaning the Ravens would have needed to trade away at least half their draft picks this year to get one of the top three receivers.
"None of those scenarios were ever going to happen," Zrebiec wrote.
If the Ravens would have tried to make one of those deals – and it's unknown how highly rated the receivers were for Baltimore, or whether one of the teams in the top nine would have even accepted a trade – they would have been left with only four draft picks this year. That means they wouldn't have cornerback Marlon Humphrey, pass rusher Tyus Bowser, defensive end Chris Wormley or offensive lineman Nico Siragusa on the roster right now.
"I'm sure the Ravens would have loved to be able to mull selecting Davis or Williams, but that opportunity never came close to presenting itself," Zrebiec wrote.
Scott Van Pelt Shares Touching Tribute To Heap Family
The NFL showed its support yesterday for former Ravens tight end Todd Heap and his family after the recent loss of their daughter, Holly.
Teams and players from across the sports world posted about #HugsFromHollyDay, and one of the most touching tributes came from ESPN's Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter after his powerful conversation with Todd Heap.
May 9 Is A Day To Watch
After making significant signings to open the new league year in March, the Ravens have been quiet on the free-agency front. Newsome and company wanted to see who they acquired in the draft (as well as avoid losing future compensatory picks), but now they could dive back into the free-agency waters to fill holes at receiver or on the offensive line.
Zrebiec says the day to mark on the calendar in regards to free agency is next Tuesday, May 9. Players signed after May 9 no longer count against the compensatory pick formula, and he expects the Ravens to wait until then to sign any more unrestricted free agents.
"The Ravens are presumably in position to grab an extra third-round pick in the 2018 draft because of the loss of right tackle Rick Wagner and they obviously want to preserve that," Zrebiec wrote.
"That wouldn't stop them from immediately signing free agents like center Nick Mangold or wide receiver Victor Cruz, who were both released and wouldn't count in the compensatory formula. However, it certainly would be a reason to hold off for another week before re-signing a true unrestricted free agent like Anquan Boldin. The Ravens have held off signing somebody until after the deadline before, most notably with Daryl Smith in 2013."
Well Wishes To Justin Forsett In Retirement
Former Ravens running back Justin Forsett announced his retirement from the NFL yesterday after a nine-year career.
Forsett was a fan favorite in Baltimore, where he enjoyed the best season of his career in 2014. He was also a respected voice in the locker room, and several of his former teammates wished him well as he heads into retirement.
Congrats brother! One of the best men that I know. All the best on what's next! https://t.co/vtHr5bkPGa — Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) May 3, 2017
Jon Dubé To Be Inducted Into Sports Video Hall of Fame
Another Raven is headed to the Hall of Fame.
Ravens Vice President of Football Video Operations Jon Dubé will be inducted into the Sports Film and Video Hall of Fame. He is only the seventh inductee from the NFL, and the only active NFL video director to receive the distinction.
Dubé, who followed the Ravens to Baltimore in the move from Cleveland, is in his 35th NFL season. He oversees the team's football video operations, and works closely with the coaches, players and scouts to provide footage of every game and practice.
Dubé played a significant role in the NFL transitioning from standard to high definition video, and he also provided leadership when the league partnered with Microsoft to allow Surface tablet technology on the sidelines during games.
The induction ceremony will take place at Collegiate Sports Video Association award banquet on Thursday, May 18, in Atlanta.
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