Baltimore Beat Down: A Baltimore Ravens Dynasty

[thoro_headz]

I've been on the fence for a long time about posting a dynasty to the board. For years I have enjoyed following along those of others and gained a lot of knowledge by doing so. I feel like it's time to give back to the community that has given so much to me.

The dynasties that I have enjoyed most are the ones in which the author fully immersed the reader in their experience. That immersion goes beyond just sharing stats and outcomes. I plan to utilize the dynasty table generator to provide an abundance of information while also explaining the motivation behind my decisions. I also aim for realism. What's the fun in following a dynasty in which the author makes a ton of fantasy football type trades and drafts all of the good players? When building a quality team, the journey is what makes the payoff so special.

In each of my previous dynasties, I've watched with great sadness as the Ravens crash and burn because of drafting Joe Flacco. He is awful in this game and causes Harbaugh to lose his job after the first or second season. Harbaugh has too much potential in this game to get fired and be relegated to a career as an assistant and the Ravens are too good of a franchise to wallow in mediocrity. I feel funny saying all of this, given that I am a Steelers fan, but I respect the Ravens organization as a worthy competitor. Anyway, I'm going to take a crack a rebuilding the Ravens by redoing the 2008 draft and avoiding the Flacco fiasco.

[JDStang]

Re: Baltimore Beat Down: A Baltimore Ravens Dynasty

I have heard of the tools that can be used to format all of your dynasty stats and rosters but can't seem to figure out where they are or how to use could you give some assistance in that regard.

This sounds very interesting by the way, hope to see some more.

[thoro_headz]

House Rules

No sign & trades
No special skills for assistant coaches
GM initiates and negotiates all trades with head coach's consent
GM negotiates all contracts with head coach's consent
GM signs free agents during the season
GM signs undrafted rookies
GM does all regular season scouting
Coordinators call all plays except for the 2-minute drill and run-out-the-clock situations, head coach is allowed to select from plays suggested by coordinators
Huddle will be broken with 31 seconds left on the play clock in order to mimic what the CPU does
All field goals and punts will be supersimmed

I know there are a lot and I hope that they shed light on my style. I'm sure that there are some that I'm leaving out and I will add them as they come to me.

As the head coach, I let me GM and coordinators do their jobs. As head coach, I have ultimate veto power as my neck is on the line for their decisions.

[thoro_headz]

Sliders & Penalty Settings

I'll be using The God Switch aka (He who shall not be named)'s Essential Sliders with adembroski's penalty settings

Identical sliders for human and CPU

Offense
QB Accuracy 25
Pass Blocking 50
WR Catching 25
RB Ability 50
Run Blocking 75

Defense
Awareness 50
Knock Downs 25
Interceptions 25
Break Block 50
Tackling 25

Special Teams
FG Power 100
FG Accuracy 50
Punt Power 100
Punt Accuracy 75
Kickoff Power 25

Penalties
Offside 60
False Start 60
Holding 52
Facemask 52
Offensive PI 70
Defensive PI 70
KR/PR Interference 100
Clipping 52
Intentional Grounding 100
Roughing Passer 100
Roughing Kicker 100

[thoro_headz]

Team-Building Philosophy

I don't know how many of you had the opportunity to read ShakaFlocka's "We Are Texans: Building a Program and Sustaining Success" thread but he touched on some really good ideas in terms of building a team. If you haven't read that thread, you should. Many of them resonated with me and I will borrow heavily in the rebuilding of the Baltimore Ravens.

The 9 Personalities That Make Up "The "53%"
1. Commander
2. Captain
3. Guru
4. Anchor
5. Ally
6. Loyalist
7. Analyst
8. Traditionalist
9. Titan

Learning means everything. If a player can't learn the system, he won't ever become the player we projected him to be. If a player is considerably more Athletic we can afford to give up some Learning. If the player possesses massive size(think 90+) we can afford to give up some learning also. If the player had both elite size and athletic ability but learning ability isn't quite up to par, he will be considered as a developmental prospect.

Generally, though, I feel that every player has to have at least a 75 in Learning and an 80 in Durability. I can't afford to have players incapable of learning our schemes or incapable of staying healthy. In order to see significant playing time, a player has to have at least 60 in awareness.

Free agent acquisitions will be kept to a minimum. This is a team that will win with homegrown talent.

[Aurabolt127]

Re: Baltimore Beat Down: A Baltimore Ravens Dynasty

Good luck, I'll be keeping an eye on the thread while I get my next dynasty up and running. Are you keeping Harbaugh and his playbooks? If so, are you going to roll with Smith or Boller or get a new QB?

[thoro_headz]

Re: Baltimore Beat Down: A Baltimore Ravens Dynasty

Thank for checking out my thread. I hope you enjoy following my career. I will be using John Harbaugh as my HC and the default playbooks. Like I mentioned in my first post, it sucks that Harbaugh gets the shaft in this game because of the drafting of Flacco. His ceiling as a HC is really high. Both of their playbooks are solid. Another thing that hampers this franchise, when operated by the CPU, is Harbaugh's control of the defensive playbook. I'll let Rex Ryan call his own plays.

[Aurabolt127]

Re: Baltimore Beat Down: A Baltimore Ravens Dynasty

Never did a franchise with a premade coach. Always thought about it with Gruden...maybe down the road after I see how it goes with you I'll give it a shot... Good luck!

[thoro_headz]

Playbooks

Offense: Cameron Power Run (West Coast Heavy Pass)
Pure Passer QB
Balanced HB
Balanced FB
Balanced WR
Soft Hands/Routes TE
Size/Strength/Engulfer OL

Defense: Rex Ryan 46 (Blitz Heavy/Zone Coverage)
Run Stopper DE
Prototype DT
Blitzer/3-4 OLB
Power/Blitzer MLB
Man Coverage/Ballhawk CB
Centerfielder FS
Run Support/Big Hitter SS

Balanced K & P

[thoro_headz]

Ravens Coaches

Breaking News: Ravens Fire Billick

"Trust me, Baltimore, I know quarterbacks."

Owings Mills, MD - After a disappointing 2007 campaign, in which the Ravens finished 5-11 and last in the NFC North, it was time for change. Disappointing is an understatement given that the team finished 13-3 in 2006. Going into the bye week, the Coach Billick had the team at 4-3 with three straight division games coming up. With nagging injuries to QB Steve McNair, the hope was the they bye week would allow him to heal up and lead the team in a push toward the playoffs. Instead, the team went to Pittsburgh and lost 38-7. That embarrassing was followed by a 21-7 loss at home to Cincinnati. To add insult to injury, the Ravens lost the next week at home against Cleveland. The team never recovered and, counting their week 7 loss to Buffalo, went on a 9-game losing streak. The streak was broken in week 17 with a home win over Pittsburgh.

The team's demise can be largely attributed to their quarterback play. Starter, Steve McNair, missed 9 games on the 2007 campaign. His injuries forced Kyle Boller into action. Boller, a first-round pick in the 2004 draft, did nothing to shake the disappointing label that he had earned in his previous seasons with the franchise. The blame lay at the feet of Coach Billick. Billick, thought to be a QB guru, selected Boller to be his QB of the future. More than the continuing offensive woes, and far more than the nine-game losing streak this season, or the dismal 5-11 record that followed a surprising 13-3 mark and divisional championship in 2006, it was Billick's loss of support among his players that forced Bisciotti and general manager Ozzie Newsome into making a change.

On December 31, 2007 Brian Billick and his entire staff were fired. His firing signaled the end of an era in Baltimore. In his 9 seasons at the helm, the Ravens amassed a record of 86-67. The team had a 5-3 record in the playoffs and won a championship. Even with his past success, the team's owner decided to go in a different direction. In a short statement, Billick said that the owner did what he believed was best for the Ravens, and asserted that the two men are and will remain friends.

[thoro_headz]

Ravens Coaches

Baltimore Gambles on Harbaugh

These are snippets from the actual press conference announcing the hiring of John Harbaugh. Original text can be found here http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/...2-C039B617F538

Owings Mills, MD - Ravens Team Complex

Owner Steve Bisciotti's opening statement:
"Thank you for being here. I want to introduce John Harbaugh, the third coach in Ravens history. We're very excited about it and we hope you are, too. We've worked very hard in the last few weeks and we're very proud to introduce him. I'm very proud of the group I put together to help him get here. Before we get to John, I want to talk about how we got to John and I want to mention some people. As you all know, it was documented, [assistant director of pro personnel] Vince Newsome, [director of pro personnel] George Kokinis, [director of college scouting] Eric DeCosta, [senior vice president of public and community relations] Kevin Byrne, [general manager Ozzie Newsome], [team president] Dick [Cass] and I put this together – and [vice president of football administration] Pat Moriarty, excuse me. Getting this to a manageable number was something that I had very, very little input into because it was about coaches and their reputations in the League and their accomplishments. Dick and I relied on that group to put together a list of people that they thought we should consider for a number of reasons. And, then they went about doing their work and doing background and finding out all they could about these people. They asked for a million opinions, they got some unsolicited calls of support for a lot of these candidates. This was fairly easy for me because I've done this my whole life. Hiring people is something that I've had a lot of experience doing, and I also had the luxury of a blueprint from what the Modells put together nine years ago in finding Brian Billick, and it made it very easy for us. Ozzie went through that process and he was the lead in this thing. It made it extremely efficient and organized, and we ultimately came down with six candidates that they thought were worthy of putting in front of us. I have to tell you, I spoke to [Falcons owner] Art Blank and some of the other owners recently and said that the effort that these gentleman put in for me and the credibility they have in the League to get straight answers gave me six candidates that I could have chosen to be the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. I want to thank them all, because without their help this would have been a stab in the dark.
"We have John here. John, as all of you know, comes from a football background, a family of football people and a special teams background, which to some is a disadvantage and to others it's quite an advantage. He's dealing with the entire team, he's dealing with Pro Bowlers, he's dealing with the 53rd man on the roster and making him feel like his contribution is/could be the most important one of the day. And, he's done that very successfully. This is a great day for us. I talked with Art Modell when we made the decision and I want to reiterate the support that I've always gotten from him, how much it means to us, how much it is part of our history here. And, this is not a 12-year history. I'm pulling on the history of Baltimore football and I'm pulling from the history of Art Modell since 1961 and the talents of Ozzie and Kevin and Dick and everybody else involved. So, I'm very fortunate to have their support and I am very happy to introduce you to John Harbaugh."

Head coach John Harbaugh’s opening statement:
"Thanks, Steve. I just want to thank Mr. Modell, first of all, for the good advice that he just gave me. Going forward, I have always been a fan of your organization since I was a kid – thanks to my dad and growing up in Ohio. So, thank you for that advice. I want to say thanks to Mr. Bisciotti, to Ozzie Newsome, [and] to Dick Cass for this tremendous opportunity. I'm a football coach, I've been a football coach for a long time and I'm proud to be the football coach of the Baltimore Ravens. This is an opportunity of a career, and it's a dream of ours that we've had for a long time. And, we can't wait to get started; we can't wait to go to work. So, thank you. These guys right here that Steve was just talking about… You guys put us through a grueling process. I'm so impressed with what you did, the questions you asked – two long days in here – were about as thorough as it could possibly be, about as detailed as it could possibly be, and it made me think. And, I'm sure it was with the other five guys as well. So, it's just a very impressive group. You guys did a great job and I appreciate it. Thank you very much. My family – my dad, Jack; my mom, Jackie – they're the two best parents anybody could ever have, Steve. My wife, Ingrid, who is the greatest coach's wife you could ever have… Thanks for all the years as my best friend. My little daughter, Alison, is here, too. We couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of the Baltimore community and we're excited to be here. It's a good football town. [There are] a lot of good people in this town. We can't wait to get going. I just want you to know that I wouldn't be sitting here right now with this chance if it weren't for coach Andy Reid up in Philadelphia. He's been a great friend, he's a great coach, he's been my mentor for nine years now. Coach Reid, if you're out there watching, I appreciate it and I'm not going to forget all the great lessons that you taught me. And, all the people in Philadelphia, [Eagles owner] Jeffrey Lurie and the kind of organization that he runs… It's like the organization here in Baltimore. I know a first-class organization when I see one because I've seen it for the last 10 years in Philadelphia. So, thanks to Jeffrey and [Eagles president] Joe Banner and all the coaches there – Jim Johnson especially, who is maybe the best defensive coach I've ever seen. And, for all the things you've done for me, Jim, I appreciate that, too. A special shout out here to the Philadelphia [media members]. I see the Philadelphia beat writers sitting over here. I appreciate you guys coming down. Man, it's good to see you. So, that's what I got."

What is your vision for the Ravens and are you bothered that you were offered the position after Jason Garrett?
(HARBAUGH) "First of all, As far as this football team, when you grow up as a coach's kid and your dad coaches for Bo Schembechler and you come up through the years [with that], you can't have a better job. I mean, Rich Leach stuffed me in a locker one time and Donny Dufek taped me to a goal post, Steve. So, who's got it better than that? We thought you didn't have a childhood if you didn't grow up like that. But, when you grow up in that environment, part of your life values, the thing you learn is that there are three important things [to] putting together a football team – three important things: No. 1, the team; No. 2, the second most important thing, is the team; and the third most important thing is the team. We'll stick with that through and through, beginning to end. That's what it's all about."

What do you want to tell the people of Baltimore about your ability to be a good head coach?
(HARBAUGH) "There are a lot of ways to prepare to be anything. There are a lot of ways to prepare to be a head coach. I'm proud of the path I took. I don't think you control your path. I think you start working for a guy and a coach puts you in a position and says, ‘I need you to coach this,' and you coach it. Then, the next year he says, ‘I need you to coach that,' and you coach that. And, if it's special teams, you coach that. You just do the best job you can and do what you have to do and you work as hard as you can and that prepares you. And, that path is laid out for you a little bit and you don't try to determine what path it's going to be. So, hey, you work with guys, you have fun out there on the football field, you pay attention to detail, you do the best job you can every day and then good things happen. And, that's what we're going to be all about."

What will you say when you first address the players and how will you establish your tone as a leader?
(HARBAUGH) "We've got a book, in the Andy Reid tradition, we've got a book about this thick and there are a number of meetings that are all laid out in there. I'm sure we'll take a look at that meeting outline and figure out what we're going to say. I think, more than anything, before we get to that point, we're going to have a chance to talk to these players individually. There are a lot of guys in town working out here right now. I saw some of the guys through the interview process in the weight room and in the training room doing those things to get ready for next year. So, we'll get a chance to talk to those guys one-on-one in town. We'll get a chance to get on the phone with guys as soon as we can. If we have to go see some guys, we'll do it. We'll start building those relationships, communicating with those players and start just getting ideas. [We'll] find out what they believe, see where they see the thing going, let them know who we are, what we're about. And then, when it comes time for that first meeting, we'll know what to say."

What is it about coaching special teams on the professional level that prepares you to deal with an entire roster of players?
(HARBAUGH) "Well, that's a great question, and we've had a lot of talks about that. It was great coaching the secondary this year, too. I think every position has its own unique situations that it brings to the table. But the thing about special teams that a lot of people don't realize is you are handling the entire team every single day. You're dealing with offensive linemen, you're dealing with the defensive backs, the wide receivers – they're all a little bit different. You get a chance to coach them every single day. You touch them in football, and then you kind of mold your team. You also get a chance to work with the young guys. That's where you develop the young part of your football team, and that's thrilling as a coach because you build a foundation for your football team with those young guys. I think that's probably the greatest part of coaching special teams. It's the most fun part."

Do you have some early thoughts about what you would like to do with the offense here?
(HARBAUGH) "Well, we've got time, and I think the process begins today, and I'm looking forward to digging in. The first thing we need to do is hire a great staff, and I know I'm going to have tremendous help [from] the people in this building, starting with Mr. Ozzie Newsome right here. We're going to put together a great football staff. We're going to get a great offensive coordinator, a guy that's been there before and knows how to develop an offensive group. But I can say this about our offense: We're going to be tough, we're going to be physical, we're going to be disciplined and we're going to play really hard. And if we do those things, we'll be just fine."

What was Art Modell's advice to you, and what was the best piece of advice you received throughout this process?
(HARBAUGH) "Well I think I can say this: The advice that Steve did not give me was to under-promise and over-deliver (laughing). Mr. Modell said to bring good people in. You said that's the No. 1 thing. You've been doing it since 1961. You've put good people around you. That pays off and I will not forget that."

Can you talk about the caliber of talent you have here in Baltimore? (HARBAUGH) "Well I think that starting with Ozzie and the personnel group here, and we've talked about this a lot in the last two interview sessions, they've done a great job in putting together a strong football team [full of] the type of player that you like. When you play the Ravens, you look across and you see these guys play, you see qualities that you admire. They're tough, they run to the football, they will hit you, they play very hard. Guys that like football, that's a good place to start. Now as far as the plusses and minuses of each single guy, we're going to spend a lot of time looking at that. And I know one thing: What we're going to try to do is we're going to play to those guys strengths. Whatever our guys do well, we're going to look for what they do well and we're going to put them in a position to do those things well. That's what smart football coaches do. That's where we start."

Andy Reid always believed that offensive and defensive lines were what made a team. Do you believe in that philosophy?
(HARBAUGH) "Absolutely. You win in the trenches. I've heard that enough over the years from Andy and before. You win in the trenches. It will always be that way. It will never change."

How important is discipline, and how do you establish it as a coach? (HARBAUGH) "I think discipline is misunderstood sometimes. When you're talking about discipline in football, you're talking about guys making good choices in critical moments, maintaining themselves, being poised when they've got to be poised, doing the right thing. We've got smart guys on this football team, guys that are going to understand that. I think there's a plan in place for getting your team to that point. That's part of the process that starts tomorrow."

[thoro_headz]

Ravens Coaches

Harbaugh Hires Cameron, Retains Ryan

Cam Cameron, Offensive Coordinator

Less than a month after being relieved of his duties as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and a week into the Harbaugh regime, Cam Cameron has been hired to coordinate the offense in Baltimore. Despite Cameron's disappointing season in Miami, in which the Dolphins finished 1-15, he is still considered to be one of the NFL's brightest offensive minds. Many critics are quick to forget that while Cameron was in charge in Miami, the offense was looking pretty formidable before injuries to quarterback Trent Green and running back Ronnie Brown sent the Dolphins into a tailspin. Cameron was also regarded by many to be the brains behind the brilliant '06-'07 San Diego Chargers' offense that ranked fourth in total offense and first in points scored.

One of Cameron's biggest tasks will be improving upon the 22nd ranked team in total offense and 24th in points scored. Finding the proper quarterback to fit the Ravens scheme will be essential to their success. Whether Kyle Boller or Troy Smith can answer the call remains to be seen.

Rex Ryan, Defensive Coordinator

Rex Ryan, dismissed along with the rest of Billick's staff found himself in an interesting position. Still under contract to the Ravens as a defensive coordinator for the 2008 season, Ryan did not have the option to make a lateral move. If Coach Harbaugh chose to retain him, he was obligated to honor is contract. He could only leave Baltimore if he landed a head coaching job. After interviewing with the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins, Ryan is back in Baltimore. In addition to the feeling of disappointment from being passed over for those jobs, Ryan had also interviewed to be the head coach of the Ravens. Because the Ravens interviewed Ryan for the head coaching job but did not consider him a finalist, the relationship between he and Harbaugh will be interesting to watch. Assuming that he keeps the Ravens' defense among the league's best, Ryan should be a hot candidate for head coach openings next season. But for now, the Ravens' defense figures to remain a powerhouse.

Having run the defense in Baltimore since 2005, the absence of Rex Ryan would have led to a change in the the entire culture on the defensive side of the ball and in the locker room Ryan is a tremendous motivator and the players love him. A brilliant defensive mind, he has installed his complex 46 defense and his players execute it with flawless efficiency.

[thoro_headz]

Re: Baltimore Beat Down: A Baltimore Ravens Dynasty

I want to thank those of you that have been viewing this thread for your patience. I will be getting to the offseason tasks soon. I felt it was important to give some context before getting into the game. My next post will be a breakdown and discussion of the talent on the roster prior to free agency and the draft. After that, I'll take you along with my scouts as we prepare for the draft. Thanks for reading.

[mwlewis]

Re: Baltimore Beat Down: A Baltimore Ravens Dynasty

As a Ravens fan and kind of getting an itch to play this game again, I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes.

[thoro_headz]

Ravens Roster

McGahee, Heap Key for Transition to Air Coryell Ravens

Although the Ravens went 5-11 in 2007, the roster has many of the same players that were on the 2006 team that went 13-3. Unlike the situations facing the other new coaches as they enter they 2008 season, the cupboard isn't bare in Baltimore.

On the offense, Willis McGahee didn't disappoint after signing a 7-year, $40.1 million deal last spring, as he rushed for 1,207 yards and seven touchdowns despite receiving just 294 carries. He also caught 43 passes. McGahee is a solid enough runner to handle the power-rush load that is expected to define the ground game. Blocking for McGahee last year was a great offensive line that unfortunately is on the verge of losing its best player. That, of course, would be left tackle Jonathan Ogden, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Ogden flirted with retirement during the season and, eventually, agreed to return for one more season. Jared Gaither, chosen in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Supplemental Draft, is the next man up. Gaither was a first-round prospect before getting kicked out of Maryland. At 6-9, 350, the Ravens have a lot of faith in Gaither. The only thing hurting Gaither is lack of experience; he started just two games late last year. Assuming that Todd Heap can remain healthy, he will be featured in the passing game. When healthy, which hasn’t been nearly often enough, Heap is capable of stretching the seams and elevating for circus catches. The Ravens just need him to be on the field. Baltimore can only hope that Derrick Mason can maintain the sterling production he had in 2007. Mason registered 103 receptions, 1,087 yards and five touchdowns. Mason is 34, so there's a good chance he could slow down, especially in a new offense. Starting opposite of Mason is Mark Clayton. Last season, Clayton had just 48 receptions, 531 yards and no scores. The Ravens don't really have anything else at receiver unless Demetrius Williams, a third-year pro, steps up.

The Air Coryell offense, that Cameron will install, is based on the philosophy that you should be offensive on offense and attack the defense at all times. Test them vertically and make them cover every square inch of the field. Spread the defense out and make them work as individuals and not a unit. Find the weakest link in the chain, and attack. Coryell used unconventional playcalling to keep defenses on their heels. Passing routes are based off time. Timing is the key factor to this offense. One WR should be open and at a certain spot of the field at x seconds where another WR will have the greatest chance of being open at y seconds. Quarterbacks will have to anticipate throws based off timing, not yardage. Once a QB learns to run this offense effectively, it can be very dangerous. If the defense adjusts and is able to cover down the field, get the ball to an open RB, FB, or TE. These positions are also used as Wide Receivers, so all offensive skill players must have good hands.

The Air Coryell system relies on two things. A power running game that picks up tough yards through the middle of the field, and speedy downfield receivers that are used to strike deep without warning.

Areas of concern:

HB - McGahee has had issues with conditioning in the past may not be able to handle the load expected in Cameron's scheme all by himself.

TE - The tight end is integral to the success of Cameron's scheme. Can the Raven's trust Heap to remain healthy enough to enable them to run their full offense?

WR: Mason is prolific and can make plays running after the catch but how much longer can he produce? Clayton offers better quickness and sharp change-of-direction, but Mason better job of getting open and exploiting his opportunities within the flow of the offense. Both are possession receivers and are no threat to beat you down the field.

LT: Gaither offers a lot of upside and offers star potential...

The quarterback position warrants it's own discussion. Stay tuned.