- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,195,716
- Reaction score
- 59
Offseason report cards rarely determine what happens once the NFL regular season begins. Every summer, teams that dominate free agency and the NFL draft are subsequently crowned champions on paper. That's when it happens. Most return to reasonable thinking that Baltimore Ravens games are won between the lines rather than on well-prepared spreadsheets.
Still, offseason grades provide an interesting snapshot of how national analysts view the work completed by each front office. Recently, ESPN's Seth Walder handed out report cards for every NFL franchise.
Seth Walder is one of ESPN's analytics experts. For this assignment, he gives Baltimore a respectable grade (B). That ties six other franchises: the Detroit Lions, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Carolina Panthers, the New Orleans Saints, the Denver Broncos, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If you're interested, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals earned grades of C+ and C, respectively.
The surprising part? Eight teams finished ahead of them, including AFC North rivals the Cleveland Browns. Walder praised Baltimore's handling of one of the league's most turbulent offseasons. The Ravens replaced longtime head coach John Harbaugh with Jesse Minter. They made waves by adding Trey Hendrickson. To continue strengthening their pass rush, they reunited with veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell.
Walder also agreed with Baltimore's decision not to match the Raiders' massive contract for Tyler Linderbaum. He believes the price simply became too steep. The Browns were praised for trading Myles Garrett, although ESPN disagrees with the decision to move off offensive tackle Tytus Howard.
Long story short, the Ravens are still viewed as one of the AFC's premier contenders. That's become the standard in Baltimore. Offseason grades are interesting conversation starters, but if history has taught Ravens fans anything, it's that Eric DeCosta isn't building championship teams for June. He's building them for January.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens edged by an AFC North rival in offseason report card
Continue reading...
Still, offseason grades provide an interesting snapshot of how national analysts view the work completed by each front office. Recently, ESPN's Seth Walder handed out report cards for every NFL franchise.
ESPN respects Baltimore's discipline, but ranks the Browns' offseason higher
Seth Walder is one of ESPN's analytics experts. For this assignment, he gives Baltimore a respectable grade (B). That ties six other franchises: the Detroit Lions, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Carolina Panthers, the New Orleans Saints, the Denver Broncos, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If you're interested, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals earned grades of C+ and C, respectively.
The surprising part? Eight teams finished ahead of them, including AFC North rivals the Cleveland Browns. Walder praised Baltimore's handling of one of the league's most turbulent offseasons. The Ravens replaced longtime head coach John Harbaugh with Jesse Minter. They made waves by adding Trey Hendrickson. To continue strengthening their pass rush, they reunited with veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell.
Walder also agreed with Baltimore's decision not to match the Raiders' massive contract for Tyler Linderbaum. He believes the price simply became too steep. The Browns were praised for trading Myles Garrett, although ESPN disagrees with the decision to move off offensive tackle Tytus Howard.
Long story short, the Ravens are still viewed as one of the AFC's premier contenders. That's become the standard in Baltimore. Offseason grades are interesting conversation starters, but if history has taught Ravens fans anything, it's that Eric DeCosta isn't building championship teams for June. He's building them for January.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens edged by an AFC North rival in offseason report card
Continue reading...
