SBNation.com User Blog: Christopher Atwood

Bryant McKinnie Drama Play-by-Play

Christopher Atwood — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:45:18 -0000

So roughly at 8:45 AM EST this tweet set the Ravens world into a bit of a frenzy:

Decision is made! I'm gone! - Bryant Mckinnie 8:47AM

Needless to say we were all a little worried to see our team's starting LT tweeting he was leaving the team 6 days before our first game.

Aaron Wilson provided a bit more insight into the situation:

The Ravens are attempting to restructure tackle Bryant McKinnie's contract, per a league source, situation could lead to his release. - Aaron Wilson 9:16AM

Bryant McKinnie in a text to me when asked if he's off the team: "Yes." - Aaron WIlson 9:26AM

However, no sooner than did everyone suddenly become frantic and started making projection on what the "new" Ravens O-line would look like this came accross the wire from Aaron Wilson, who was in text message contract with Mckinnie, continues to fill us in:

Updated with McKinnie text saying it's not over yet: McKinnie in contract squabble, could lead to his release - Aaron Wilson 10:01AM

Shortly after Mckinnie tweeted out:

Still tryin 2 work things out, so its not official as of yet. - Bryant Mckinnie 11:51AM

The resolution after the jump.

So roughly at 8:45 AM EST this tweet set the Ravens world into a bit of a frenzy:

Decision is made! I'm gone! - Bryant Mckinnie 8:47AM

Needless to say we were all a little worried to see our team's starting LT tweeting he was leaving the team 6 days before our first game.

Aaron Wilson provided a bit more insight into the situation:

The Ravens are attempting to restructure tackle Bryant McKinnie's contract, per a league source, situation could lead to his release. - Aaron Wilson 9:16AM

Bryant McKinnie in a text to me when asked if he's off the team: "Yes." - Aaron WIlson 9:26AM

Updated with McKinnie text saying it's not over yet: McKinnie in contract squabble, could lead to his release - Aaron Wilson 10:01AM

Shortly after Mckinnie tweeted out:

Still tryin 2 work things out, so its not official as of yet. - Bryant Mckinnie 11:51AM

The resolution after the jump.

After a bit more time Mckinnie took to twitter again to explain his doomsday tweet and help resolve the issue:

This morning got a phone call sayin I'm gone, & just now ended up signing 2 remain a Raven. - Braynt Mckinnie 12:42PM

Aaron Wilson further clears things up around the same time with the details of what the Ravens and Mckinnie did when all was said and done:

No additional years for Bryant McKInnie in restructure of his $3.2 milion deal, free agent in 2013. - Aaron Wilson 12:29AM

Bryant McKinnie in text to me regarding restructure if he can make $3.2 million plus: "Yes, I can still make it with incentives." - Aaron Wilson 12:33PM

So when its all resolved it can be summed up pretty easily, the Ravens asked Mckinnie to take a pay cut (reportedly around a 50% cut) and his agent said no so the team said the tried and true "take it our you're out of a job" line. Bryant took to Twitter to stir up some drama and then the Ravens called him to work on the deal more because it would have been a bad situation for everyone involved to cut him 6 days before the season starts.

Ultimately Mckinnie's base salary is reduced to something less than the $3.2 million he was scheduled to make, but he still has the potential to make it all back through incentives if he plays up tot he level that the Ravens want from him.

So crisis averted, all is right in the world, and in the words of the man who started this excitement with his first tweet:

Now let's turn our attention 2 The Bengals! #RavenNation - Bryant Mckinnie 12:44PM

And how, can't wait for the season to start so we can stop jumping at every little tweet and see some real football!

Tandon Doss: Honorary Office of the Peace?

Christopher Atwood — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:22:53 -0000

Tandon Doss: Honorary Office of the Peace?

Just saw this article about a fight being broken up by Tandon Doss prior to the game yesterday. I've got to give the guy props for stepping in to keep things from getting out of hand.

I already liked Doss as a player, but now I have more respect for him as a person for stepping in when he saw what needed to be done.

Fantasy Football: The Unauthorized League

Christopher Atwood — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:48:21 -0000

Fantasy Football: The Unauthorized League

So I promised some folks I'd make and post a league here for other people who are interested in signing up. I tweaked things a little bit with some of the new options that Yahoo! has made available (like rewards for big chunks of yardage and long scoring plays, as well as bonuses for players having big games).

Feel free to sing up, if there is a big demand for people to join I can up the number of people that are allowed in the league.

If you have any questions shoot them to me!!!

PS - Just incase the link doesn't work:
ID#: 659790
Password: flacco2evans

Ravens Add Former Patriot OT Mark LeVoir

Christopher Atwood — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 02:38:26 -0000

Ravens Add Former Patriot OT Mark LeVoir

According to the Carroll County Times the Ravens have agreed to terms with Former Patriot OT Mark LeVoir after a tryout today.

The 29 year old 6'7" 310-pound lineman out of Notre Dame was signed as an Undrafted Rookie Free Agent by the Chicago Bears and then was claimed off waivers by the Patriots from the St. Louis Rams 3 years ago.

The 5-year veteran has played in 32 games in his career, including two starts at RT for the Patriots in place of an injured Nick Kazcur.

Everyone has been clamoring for the Front Office to get another OT in the building and not only do they get one, but they get one who is still young, experienced and one of the better OT options on the Free Agent market!

Score another one for the Wizard of Oz!!

You Make the Call: Runningbacks

Christopher Atwood — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 01:33:52 -0000

With the end of Training Camp for this abbreviated Off-Season the coaches and Front Office guys of the Ravens are going to have to make the tough calls for who they keep and who they cut as they begin reducing the roster to the required 53 men that will be the Baltimore Ravens Football Team of 2011.

Today we’re going to look at the Runningback position and see who you think will be on the team on September 11th when the Ravens host the Steelers for Week 1.

Currently the Ravens have 8 Backs on the roster, including Fullbacks. When looking at who is one the roster we can make a few assumptions as to who is going to make the team so I won’t be looking to close at them for this article.

Today we’re going to look at the Runningback position and see who you think will be on the team on September 11th when the Ravens host the Steelers for Week 1.

Ray Rice, Ricky Williams, and Vonta Leach are all going to be a part of this team for the upcoming season. Last season the Ravens carried four Runningbacks and one Fullback for five Backs total, so that means that with Rice, Williams, and Leach taking three of those five spots the remaining five Backs on the roster are competing for two spots.

But enough of laying the ground work, let’s take a look at the players.

Anthony Allen, RB (Rookie) - 2011 7th Round Draft Pick out of Georgia Tech

Allen has a good upside as runner if he can adapt to an NFL-style offense. He showed some flashes in the second preseason game with 5 carries for 34 yards (6.8 YPC) and a TD. Running Backs Coach Wilbert Montgomery has high hopes for Allen’s potential and the Ravens FO has been high on him as well.

Quote on Allen:

"He’s a tough kid; he will block when he does those fakes [in the wishbone offense], so he’s pretty versatile in that sense - square up and when they give him the belly..." - Joe Hortiz, Ravens Player Personal and College Scouting Director (Source)

Damien Berry, RB (Rookie) - 2011 URFA from Miami

Berry was a successful college Running Back and seems to fit the prototypical NFL-style Runningback in terms of size, weight, and other measurables. He showed some brief flashes of potential in the first Preseason game, but unfortunately an injury kept him from playing in the second game. If he gets healthy he will need to make more of an impact in the next two preseason games if he wants to make the roster; if he can’t get healthy he may be a candidate to be "stashed" on IR for the coming season.

Quote on Berry:

"Damien played at, we all know, the ‘U’ [University of Miami] and the ‘U’ has a good program there, and Damien [...] has to come in and earn his spot. He came in and he took Willis McGahee’s number [23], so I told him, ‘Those are tough shoes and big shoes you’ve got to fill if you’re going to wear that number.’ So he’s trying [...] to walk that talk. But Damien is a tough kid, hard-nosed kid, and that’s the way he was in college. And so far he has shown some of that toughness here, so I’m looking forward to what he really do once we start going at it." - Ravens Runningbacks Coach Wilbert Montgomery (Source)

Matt Lawrence, RB (3rd Year) - 2008 URFA from Massachusetts

Lawrence has been working his way back into getting a shot at carrying the ball after an injury derailed his season last year. Prior to that in 2009 he was a solid special teams guy with 16 ST Tackles. This year could be a make or break year for Lawrence as the Ravens seemingly are deeper at Runningback than in years past and he could be on the cutting block if he doesn’t show that his injury is past him and he can be a solid contributor.

Quote on Lawrence:

"Matt Lawrence is basically... Everything that Matt does from here on - because he missed a lot of football - he’s learning football all over again. But he’s doing really well. He’s still going to make mistakes, but he’s testing it. It’s training for him all over again. But Matt is on pace." - Ravens Runningbacks Coach Wilbert Montgomery (Source)

Ryan Mahaffey, FB (Rookie) - URFA from Northern Iowa

Mahaffey was most likely signed as a Training Camp body to give Leach breaks and to save the wear and tear on Vonta (and the team’s Linebackers). However, Mahaffey was considered one of the better blockers in the Football Championship Subdivision, where he played primarily at TE and was a redzone target for his team with 6 Touchdowns in his final season at Northern Iowa. A solid athlete overall, Mahaffey also lettered in basketball and trackas well. (Side note the info on the Ravens website may be incorrect, several site list him at 6’4" rather than 6’2" which would make him better suited for Tight End position.)

Quote on Mahaffey:

"A standout athlete at Grinnell High School, he also was a standout athlete at the University of Northern Iowa. That’s sports. He was also a standout at both schools academically." - D.Hayes, Your Weekly Paper Blog (Source)

Jalen Parmele, RB (4th Year) - 2008 URFA from Toledo

Parmele has been a steady contributor for the Ravens since he signed with the team in 2008, making his impact as a special teams player and Kickoff Return, where he has made 33 returns for 845 yards (25.6 avg.) Where Jalen has failed to make any growth when given the opportunity is in the running game as he has only accrued 7 carries for 44 yards. Unfortunately for Jalen he lost the primary KOR job last season to David Reed and only reclaimed it when Reed was injured. His biggest hope this season was trying to get the back-up job to Rice this year after McGahee was cut, but the signing of Ricky Williams made that a much harder goal to achieve for the 4th-year player. In addition, now that Reed is back and the Ravens seem to have a wealth at the KOR position this year if he can’t show more in the running game to prove he deserves a chance to stick around he may be out of job.

Quote on Parmele:

"They’re constantly trying to make the team better, and if they feel like they need to bring in a running back to come and compete, that’s what they did... I can’t take that as them saying, ‘Oh, they don’t trust me." I’ve just got to do what I do, and I’ve just got to prove that I can be the guy..." - Jalen Parmele, Ravens Runningback (Source)

So there you have it, five players, two spots, NFL hopes and dreams riding on the decision.

So loyal Baltimore Ravens fan the question is, if you had a say, who out of these five players would you pick to make the team for the coming season?

Poll

Who out of these five players would you pick to make the team for the coming season?

Jalen Parmele

11 votes

Damien Berry

3 votes

Matt Lawrence

1 votes

Ryan Mahaffey

0 votes

Anthony Allen

57 votes

72 votes | Poll has closed

Offensive Linemen: Who's Out There?

Christopher Atwood — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 23:12:58 -0000

With all the discussion that has been going on about the Ravens needing to add an Offensive Lineman, specifically a Tackle it got me to thinking who was really out there for us to look at.

So below is a list or current Free Agent Left, Right, or Swing Tackles (OT) who are Free Agents as off August 17th. I’ve tried to include any relevant miserables on them (Size, Weight, Exp., etc.) as well as some notes about their careers to help separate the career Practice Squad guys from the veteran Back-Up guys.

With all the discussion that has been going on about the Ravens needing to add an Offensive Lineman, specifically a Tackle it got me to thinking who was really out there for us to look at.

Available Offensive Tackles as of August 17:

Name	Natural Position (OT both)	Height	Weight	Age	Experience	Former Team	Comments
Andrews, Shawn	T/G	6’4"	330	28	7	NYG	Spent most of his career at G, moving to LT last season, documented personal problems,
Brewster, Robert	RT	6’4"	320	25	2	DAL	Younger player with upside, may be more suited for guard
Haslam, Kevin	OT	6’5"	304	24	2	JAC	Undrafted Rookie Free Agent out of Rutgers in 2010, said to be a versatile player who can fill many positions on the O-line
Henderson, Mario	LT	6’7"	300	26	4	OAK	2-year starter at LT, durable player who has only had limited time to develop
Hills, Tony	OT	6’5"	304	26	4	PIT	Younger player with potential upside, limited playing exp.
Kaczur, Nick	RT	6’4"	315	32	6	NE	5-year starter with exp. at both OT positions, seems slightly injury prone with minor bums and bruises littering his career
LeVoir, Mark	OT	6’7"	310	29	5	NE	Undrafted Rookie Free Agent out of Notre Dame in 2006, played in all 16 games in 2008 as a back-up Lineman, started two games at RT for an injured Nick Kaczur, Capable Swing OT
McKinnie, Bryant	LT	6’8"	335?	31	10	MIN	8-year starter at LT, Pro Bowl 2009, Weight concerns and off-the-field problems
Otto, Michael	LT	6’5"	310	28	4	TEN	RFA, Career special teams player,
Patrick, Chris	OT	6’5"	305	26	2	SF	UFL Vet., has been depth for NFL teams, no real game time exp. on the O-line
Petitti, Rob	OT	6’6"	327	29	5	CAR	Experienced back-up with starter potential, Capable Swing OT
Polmbus, Tyler	LT	6’8"	300	26	4	SEA	RFA, starting exp. at LT for Seattle
Sims, Barry	OT	6’5"	300	36	12	SF	Experienced veteran OT, has played LT and RT, quality back-up and mentor
Starks, Max	LT	6’8"	345	29	7	PIT	Championship Exp., 2-year starter, flexible playing multiple positions
Stinchcomb, Jonathan	RT	6’5"	315	31	9	NO	5-year starter, Championship Exp., Pro Bowl 2009
Tauscher, Mark	RT	6’3"	320	34	11	GB	On again off again starter for GB since 2000, Championshio Exp.
Walker, Langston	RT	6’8"	360	31	9	OAK	Exp. Starter, Never been part of a winning organization

As you can see there is a good mix of older veterans and younger back-up guys for us to pick from. We could go with a veteran starter, a young guy with upside, or an older veteran back-up depending on the price and what we feel that we need to fill out the O-line.

Personally I would like us to target someone like Jon Stinchcomb who is a proven starter at RT or Nick Kaczur. Otherwise I would rather us get a younger guy who can play both OT positions to give us some depth, especially if Oher were to go down; someone like Mark LeVoir or Rob Petitti.

A fall back plan could be to get an older veteran who can’t really start an entire season, but could fill in for a game or two if needed and give valuable experience to our younger players, like Barry Sims. There are other younger options listed there as well that we could pick from, but I fear the might be as much of a project as the guys we have right now.

But enough of my thoughts, I’m interested in what you, my fellow Ravens fans, think on the best way to solve our needs at OT for the coming season.

Poll

Which method would you chose for the Ravens to solve their problems on the Offensive Line?

Sign a Veteran Starter at RT

32 votes

Sign a Young Guy with Upside to compete

3 votes

Sign a Older Veteran Back-Up OT

0 votes

Any of these as long as it doesn't mean Cousins is starting!

18 votes

53 votes | Poll has closed

Could Jon Stinchcomb be the Answer at RT for the Ravens?

Christopher Atwood — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 04:03:33 -0000

Could Jon Stinchcomb be the Answer at RT for the Ravens?

According to Yahoo! Sports (link) the Saints have released their 5-years starter at right tackle Jon Stinchcomb to open the competition between veteran swingman Zach Strief and second year veteran Charles Brown. Stinchcomb was a second round pick in 2003 who has battled some injured early in his career before coming back in 2006 to claim the starting job on the right side of the Saints offensive line for the past 5 years without missing a start.

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

He showed real toughness this past season as he played through a torn left quad muscle for much of the year, still managing to earn a Pro Bowl nod. While the lockout kept him from meeting with his team's medical staff Stinchcomb rehabbed during the off-season at the Georgia facilities where he went to college and with a private trainer and has said he's looking forward to being healthy again for the season after playing hurt for most of last year.

Could Jon Stinchcomb be the Answer at RT for the Ravens?

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

So my thought is why don't we pick him up?

Here are my reasons:

He has shown toughness by playing through his torn quad last season and he still managed to earn a Pro Bowl bid despite the injury.
He's an experienced veteran having been in the league for 8 years and a starter for 5. This would give us another veteran presence on the line besides Birk who may not be around much longer.
He most likely wouldn't be too expensive, even before he was cut his base salary was only going to be $2.25 million and you can bet at this point in the off-season his asking price will be less than that.
He comes from a winning culture in New Orleans where they just won the Super Bowl two years ago so if we get deep in the playoffs he won't be intimidated.
By picking him up we could keep Marshal Yanda at RG and keep Ramon Harewood, Oniel Cousins and Jah Reid as back-ups while they continue to develop (or in Cousins case convert to guard) giving us depth and letting the younger guys develop more so they can take over for Stinchcomb in a year or two.

Granted all this is under the pretense that he his healthy from his surgery and can compete, but if so it would be huge coup for us to get a Pro Bowl RT to fill what has been a fairly obvious need all off-season.
You know what to do Ozzie ;)

Aaron Maybin Cut?

Christopher Atwood — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:02:13 -0000

Aaron Maybin Cut?

Just saw this on ProFootballTalk.com and it got me thinking if we might be interested in bringing him in try-out. I know the year he was drafted a lot of people wanted us to try and get him and now we have the shot and most likely the veteran minimum.

What do you think?

Ravens Offense Takes the Lead?

Christopher Atwood — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:57:44 -0000

Ravens Offense Takes the Lead?

Hey all, just joined up on this site and I wanted to get my feet wet on posting some before the season gets rolling and we get to watch the Ravens tear it up.

I saw this article on Yahoo! and thought it was an interesting read. Feel free to comment!