Actualy he has us as the number two favorite to win the superbowl, for the AFC, and he is right, our offense last year kept us in every game, and our execution was fantastic, albieght a few set backs, no one is perfect, but we all can agree that our defense was horrible.

This year with to me I see a MUCH MUCH better Defensive cordinator, Dansby, unleashing Wake full time, and more time to gel, with our backfield.

The addition of Brandon Marshall, and our upgraded O-line, I am not worried about this year, and we should win the close one's this year.
PERIOD.

Thats why I am telling myself, this could be the next undefeated team, maybe not this year, but I mean if our rookies pan out, and so does clemen's then watch out!

How Baltimore isn't in that first group I find amazing.

You can make a case for Miami being up there with Indy and SD. I might not agree, but you can make that case. NOT having Baltimore up there as well though I think is insane. Baltimore might be the most well balanced team in the AFC maybe the NFL

I thought it was insightful to read what he said about the Ravens D, actually. I agree - it's no longer so much about the yards you give up (which have traditionally pointed to points scored) - but it's about tightening in the RZ and not giving up big plays for scores.

I am anxious and hopeful at the same time that an improved pass rush and secondary will help with the big plays. And I'm hopeful that we'll see a stop to the QB rush TDs that have plagued us over the past couple of years. Those things drive me nuts.

I think Dansby will be a great asset for stopping the QB rush problem. He is a major upgrade over Ayodele.

If I had to do a power poll it would look like this....

1 New Orleans
2 Indy
3 SD
4 Min
5 Bal
6 GB
7 Dal
8 Cin
9 Miami
10 NYJ

We are not in the same class as the top 5 teams until we actually win some games against good teams. We definitely have the potential and were usually competitive vs Indy etc. I am excited like you can't believe to see the new look Dolphins and think Lombardi has some great points but it's a little early to be that bold.

It is a great compliment to Sparano and the other coaches that he commented on the great execution.

When we see "Henne to Marshal" hook up early and often in the preseason..and some picks by our young secondary...and some sacks by the youngins' then I will be a little more convinced.

I think last year was a fluke and we are better than 7-9 but really just lost out due to injury.

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“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

I don't see how SD is a Top 3 or Top 5 team.

Their head coach sucks. Their top WR is out for 3 games and is throwing a hissy fit over his contract. Rookie RB. And their defense isn't all that special.

Sure SD has an easy division and can get a bunch of easy wins...but I don't see them as any good.

I woud make a case for Balt over SD, but SD is in a weak division, so they make playoffs just about every year so?

I like Mia, and Baltimore's best defenders are OLD by comparison, ray is what 36? Reed is what 32? 33?? I mean there no spring chickens.

lol, Plus Im not sold on there QB, yeah he had two decent seasons, but with the help of the defense, and the running game.

There runnin game is solid, but not elite.

There kicker is ok, punter is ok, special teams is average, so again, they are a solid team, but I like ours better.

I agree that Baltimore is primed for a big season. Especially with AB and Mason as the WR's but the fact is that they were 9-7 and SD was 13-3 last year after winning 11 straight games to finish the season. Wins against NYG, Philly, Dallas and Cincy.

I also think the rooke RB...Mathews is going to be a good RB to pair with Sproles and the 4th ranked scoring offense.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

I hope we do end up in the top three, but I think we crack the playoffs and not much more. I think there is just too much youth on D. Just for Odrick and Misi to adjust to a 16 game NFL season will be big. How about FS?

Of course the offense could be WIDE open if the R&R express stays healthy with Marshall opening up the backfield. As Ricky texted right after the Marshall trade, "How are you going to stack the box on us now?"

We are on an upward trajectory, and I bet we get into the playoffs this year, deep into the playoffs next, and Super Bowl the next.

bpa

PS Why is there so little talk about Odrick?

eesti Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree that Baltimore is primed for a big season.
> Especially with AB and Mason as the WR's but the
> fact is that they were 9-7 and SD was 13-3 last
> year after winning 11 straight games to finish the
> season. Wins against NYG, Philly, Dallas and
> Cincy.
>
> I also think the rooke RB...Mathews is going to be
> a good RB to pair with Sproles and the 4th ranked
> scoring offense.


Baltimore played in a division last year with Pitt and Cincy two very good teams. SD plays in a division with 3 teams that pick in or near the Top 10 of the NFL Draft!!

Plus Baltimore WINS road playoff games. SD loses HOME playoff games. Baltimore is a much better team

bpa Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> We are on an upward trajectory, and I bet we get
> into the playoffs this year, deep into the
> playoffs next, and Super Bowl the next.
>
> bpa
>
> PS Why is there so little talk about Odrick?

1) So we are 3 years away from a Super Bowl? If that's the case our current coaching staff won't be here! Gotta be there sooner than that. Make the playoffs this year...be a legit Super Bowl contender NEXT year!

2) What is there to talk about Odrick?! You can't take these OTA's seriously. Guys in shorts and a helmet running around playing 2 hand touch. You learn NOTHING from that. Which is why all the praise of Misi and the knocks on Jones....I laugh at! Lets have the guys start hitting before we bury one guy and anoint another.

Mike stop being a pessimistic negative old fart, or ill come to your house, and give you the most manly homo errotic hug of your life!!

Seriously dude stop complaining, and go buy your own team lol, otherwise shut up about the what if's and enjoy the goodies we have.

Marshall, Dansby, and Nolan, are the biggest acqusitions we could have asked for, we all wanted, and we recieved.

We will be going deep into the playoffs, HELLO WE SCORED A BUNCH!!! OF POINTS LAST YEAR, AGAISNT THE BEST!!! WE HELD THE T.O.P BETTER THAN ANYONE!!! NOW WE HAVE A BETTER DEFENSE, AND BRANDON MARHSALL!!

COME ON GUYS!!!! GIVE SOME LUV!

SOMONE GIVE THAT MAN A CIGAR!!!

Mia1 Wrote:
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> SOMONE GIVE THAT MAN A CIGAR!!!

Or a homo hug.

MikeO Wrote:
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> How Baltimore isn't in that first group I find
> amazing.
>

Baltimore didn't get much better this offseason, and they couldn't get past the divisional round of the playoffs (again). They have a young QB (so do we), but the core playmakers of their defense are getting older.

I wasn't burying anybody. I just can't remember less talk about a first round pick than Odrick. Of course no one knows how they are going to be doing at this time of year. IMHO the lack of talk may have more to do with the Marshall/Dansby signings. Perhaps the silence is mostly about the extremely good off season we have had.

Finaly some positive thinking!!

DolfanMike Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MikeO Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > How Baltimore isn't in that first group I find
> > amazing.
> >
>
> Baltimore didn't get much better this offseason,
> and they couldn't get past the divisional round of
> the playoffs (again). They have a young QB (so do
> we), but the core playmakers of their defense are
> getting older.

Adding Boldin to their offense doesn't make them better? Please. Just as big of an acquisition as Brandon Marshall. And their young QB has won 3 road playoff games. Like I said there are hall of fame QB's who never won 3 road playoff games.

MikeO Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> there are hall of
> fame QB's who never won 3 road playoff games.

None of those QBs had defenses the caliber of Baltimore's. But that Baltimore D is slowing down. Ray Lewis isn't who he used to be.

montequi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> None of those QBs had defenses the caliber of
> Baltimore's. But that Baltimore D is slowing
> down. Ray Lewis isn't who he used to be.


Yup. Two words: Trent Dilfer. It doesn't matter who Baltimore's QB is, they are about defense. And the defense is aging. And that QB is good but not great.

Baltimore finished behind Cincy last year. Adding the second best WR from the Cardinals didn't make Baltimore all that much better. That team revolves around the Defense, and the Defense is just getting older.

Also Mason is what 38??? I mean without Boldin, you have average wr's.

Stallworth. Thats it, and Boldin gets hurt every year!

Without Marshall you have average WR's on Miami. That is the entire point of what we did in Miami. One stud makes the whole group better.

Baltimore is a very good football team. To think they aren't or they are old and such is a mistake. Mason is their 3rd WR, not even a starter. Either is Stallworth. Those two close out a very good WR corp for them. Yes Lewis is old as is Reed but those are the only 2 starters they have that are old. Their d-line is nasty. Their o-line is good. Ray Rice is the 3rd best RB in football behind AP and CJ. Flacco is big-time.

The point is if you line up Baltimore next to SD....Baltimore is much much better! Not even close.

They have Rice, Heap (who is not what he once was) but still good and Ed Dickson (rookie) to go with Bolding and Mason, who I believe is the number 2 WR. Stallworth is #3 and Mark Clayton is 4 and Demetrius Williams is 5th.

Mason did not put off retirement to be a 3rd WR. Most of the depth charts are wrong online anyway.

Not a bad group of receivers to go with a great running game with McGahee as the number 2 RB.

They will be an explosive offense this year. They used to be about defense but their identity is changing with the addition of Flacco and co.

You can call them old but the fact is they can still play at a high level. Ray Lewis is still an excellent ILB and Reed has injury concerns so a lot is riding on that. Mason just turned 36 in January and still put up 1k last year as the number 1 WR.

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“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

I agree Bm is better than SD, but our wr's are WAY better than theres, period...

Mason in his prime was realy good!!

HOWEVER, I like Hartline to become just as good, especialy with Marshall, who is clearly better than any of what they got, not to mention Camarillo, the guy didnt drop a pass last year!

Yeah he isnt a blazzer, but the man catchs everything, and Bess is the next comming of Welker, if he plays the slot.

RB is better than Ray Rice when Healthy, don't even say Rice is third best rb in league, he is good, and I hope you pick him in your draft lol


They have a solid O-line, is one reason why they run well, another is there full back, and at last there division, is not the best at stopping the run.

They play alot more soft teams than we do!!

There stats are inflated, Pitts, was about for the past three years the only team to really challenge them, ok Cin had it's moments, but clearly past there time.

Stallworth never done anything, neither has Clayton there other wr.

Mason was the only wr they had worth anything last couple years.

When Boldin goes down again, then what?

They will be screwed.

Ray Lewis has clearly lost a step, and is running on boworred time.

Playing in a 3-4 is covering up his slowness, he can still make plays, but he is not the Ray Lewis of old, and I wounder how he will hold up this year.

Reed is getting old too, and still plays solid ball, but I don't know?

Heap is getting old, and to me plays like Fasano, without the fumbles lol, decent, but not what he once was.

Flacco is a solid starter, not a superstar, Ray Rice is a good rb, but Is he elite? Guess we will find out this year!

McGAHEE is not the same back, I think it's mental, because of Rice.

I can see them going 10-6 this year, maybe 11-5.

Will they be playoffs? Since Big Ben gets suspended, I believe that they can win there division, so they should make number 4 seed in my eyes.

We can, and should win our division, and I feel will get the number two seed.

SD number 3, Balt number 4, NE number 5, and Hou number 6th seed, with the Colts number one.

Just one crazy mans opinion.

Ray Lewis losing a step still makes him better than the next best ILB'ers with the exception of maybe Pat Willis. So he went from ridiculous to excellent.

He still had 134 tackles last year, 3 sacks, 7 PD, 3 FF and 1 FR AND played all 16 games and went to the Pro Bowl. He was still the second ranked ILB in the league.

Flacco had 3,613 21/12 ints with a 63.3% completion rate. All that with basically one above average WR. Boldin makes the entire WR group better.

And how is Cincy past their time? They seem to be ascending to me as they won the division and added more weapons this off season. THEIR rookie TE is going to be a monster and they replaced Housh to compliment Ocho. This should get Palmer back to the top of the QB rankings. He had a pretty good year in 09 without many weapons.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

Palmer is older, Chad is older, they dont have any other real threats at wr.

Cedric Benson is a solid Rb, they dont have a solid FB, there defense is ok, nothing special, and Troy Polamalu being injured last year, is why they won there division, and beating Baltimore, well the sun has to shine on a dogs bum every now and then.

They got there stuff handed to them in the playoffs, and before by the Jets.

You can like em if you want, but I dont, and I wont jump on the band wagon of Cin, there a decent team, Ill give em that.

Mia1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> When Boldin goes down again, then what?
>
> They will be screwed.


When Marshall goes down Miami is screwed. You can say that about any superstar play on any team. When they go down the team is screwed