Jared Gaither?
by packallday555 on Mar 3, 2010 9:35 PM CST
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PrintSo today the Ravens tendered a 1st round pick to their starting LT Jared Gaither. At 6'9" 340 lbs. Gaither is an absolute mammoth of a man, and a pretty good LT. He is only 24 years old, and is thought to have the potential to become an elite LT in the league. Some of you may see where I'm going with this but if not.....
..I'll make it more clear for you! Why don't we give up our 1st round pick in order to get Gaither? I know it might sound crazy and the thought of losing a 1st round draft pick isn't necessarily a pleasant one but if you think about it, it makes sense.
More then anything else we need a LT. Chad Clifton has at most probably one year left in his career, and it may not even be a full year. The consensus as soon as we lost to the Cardinals seemed to be alright, let's go draft our franchise LT in the 1st round of this coming draft. It sounds and sounded like a great plan but as we continue to get closer and closer to draft day, it appears more and more likely that none of what are considered to be the top LT prospects will drop to 23, and while guys like Brown (USC) and Campbell (Maryland) will probably be available, taking either of them would likely be a stretch which is something you don't want to do with your 1st round pick.
So with that being said, why not essentially use our 1st round pick on an already proven LT in the league, and a guy that still has room to grow? It would fufill our greatest need and could save us the difficulty of having to try and find a LT, which isn't a very ideal problem to have.
So, what do you guys think? Don't bash me too much :)!
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Yeah, it could be but I think the fact that they have Oher who is likely going to be a top 3 LT in the league could help us in stealing him away from them. I don’t know I just look at it as if we would actually be using our 1st round pick on him, which too me could actually be better then drafting an Okung, Davis, or Buluga. He was a good LT this past season, and he isn’t a guy who we would have to bring in and develop. Haha in short what I’m trying to say is I think it would be well worth the potential hassle.
by packallday555 on Mar 3, 2010 10:00 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Ha
I’m all in favor of giving up the first-rounder and the big contract for a 24-year old who can step in and play well immediately. I just meant he probably wants to stay in Baltimore.
by Donald Driver on Mar 3, 2010 10:04 PM CST up reply actions
It's an interesting proposition...
… but not likely to come to pass.
As you know, RFAs have to be signed to a contract the original team doesn’t want to (or can’t) match. In a no-cap year, the Ravens aren’t likely to let Gaither walk unless TedCo break the bank for him – and in general Ted breaks the bank for no-one.
If we were going after an RFA tackle, why not go for broke and try to nab Marcus McNeill? I’ve heard more good things about him than Gaither, but both have injury issues. Given the likelihood of Chad Clifton making it through another season injury free is approximately 0%, I guess I’d rather take my chances with a younger healthier draft-pick body.
I support it
That actually sounds better than risking it on an OT in this draft. I firmly believe this draft doesn’t offer many true LT’s. I believe there are a lot of quality RT’s though. This would be a good trade for us though. I’d be all for it!
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
If the Ravens would do it
Absolutely. Gaither is a good player, a huge man, and young. Some penalty problems according to my 2009 Football Outsiders almanac. I can’t imagine the Ravens letting him go for the Packers late 1st round pick. Oher is a good young tackle too, but they’ve got nothing behind Oher and Gaither. They had a rough time when they lost Gaither for a couple games late in the season.
If Oher can be moved to LT like the Ravens hope then our draft spot might work well for the Ravens if they want a RT who is good.
That’s what I was thinking! I’m not really sure what other needs they have though.
by packallday555 on Mar 4, 2010 6:55 PM CST up reply actions
Well then yeah, our 23 pick would be of some value to them. They could take Tate with their 1st round pick and use ours to take Wilson if he is still there. If not they could take a Brown or Campbell, and wait until the 2nd round to take a Cb (which is where most of the Cb’s should go aside from Haden.)
by packallday555 on Mar 5, 2010 10:11 AM CST up reply actions
If we are giving up a first round pick...
I would rather give up a third round as well and get Dumervil.
I’ve thought about this too but we would have to give up a 3rd rounder as well, and I don’t think there is anyway TT would do that. Though I would be all for trying to get Dumervil. Adding him probably gives us the best pass rush in the league.
by packallday555 on Mar 4, 2010 1:07 PM CST up reply actions
I think it's a Great Idea PACKALL>>>>
We’ve all been wanting a LT… and to trade our 1st Round Pick for a PROVEN LT is so much more appealing than taking a risk on an unproven player!! I don’t care how we get our LT… Just want to get one!! : ) Wouldn’t bash TT for a cagey move like that either! : ) I personally don’t know much about Jared Gaither… but if he can anchor the line for the next 10 years… I’m ALL IN!! : )
GO PACK!!!!!
Makes sense to me...
But would depend on the kind of contract the kid is looking for. A #23 pick isn’t going to get a HUGE deal like this kid might want…BUT we KNOW he can do it in the big leagues so I would consider doing this.
Gaither
I don’t think its a very good idea at all… FIrst, yes Gaither is HUGE, but that is the problem. We have had Clifton who was a really bad fit for the zbs the Packers use. Which requires the OL to be able to block on the move, not just push the guy right in front of you. You would be asking Gaither to do something that he is NOT suited for! He has limited to NO mobility to block on the move. If we want a LT that isn’t good at blocking in the zbs then why not bring back Clifton. He at least is a better pass blocker!
Second, its not just the 1st rd pick you have to give up… You have to pay the man. ALOT!!! Your not just talking about a contract that he’ll sign, it has to be a contract that the Ravens won’t match. And to do that you would likely have to make him the highest paid LT in the NFL!
Third, why would the Ravens not match it?? Last time I checked you need 2 OT and if you have 2 of them why would you let one go and be left w/ only one?! Makes NO sense… The Ravens are doing what they have to in order to keep him. I don’t see anyone making a bid for him, cuz it would be a waste of energy… You would essentially be negotiating a contract specifically for the Ravens to match!
NOT going to happen… A bad fit for the Packer blocking scheme, and a waste of time!!!
Probably right on with those thoughts, but heck at least we can drive up his value and take up cap space for another team. Its happened to us (with Kampman back in the day for example). You might be right about him not being a fit with the ZBS but doesn’t that push us back into the “atheletic players” category again which has totally failed us?? I admit, I don’t know a ton about Gaither…I just want to see some guys that are more prototypical OT on the team, rather than athletic players like we’ve been seeing.
Fair response. From everything I was able to read about him the consensus seems to be he is very athletic and very fluid. I don’t think he would struggle with having to block on the move. Another consensus seemed to be that really his only negative is that he needs to “focus” more.
Maybe the Ravens do match it but so what? I don’t think we should make him the highest paid LT by any means but I certainly wouldn’t mind giving him a pretty big salary. If we got him it would essentially be like bringing in a rookie LT (only 24), only he is already proven and pretty good.
From what I gathered from going over to the Ravens blog many feel like Oher will be taking over at LT this next year. A lot of them said they weren’t sure whether or not he could play RT, and this years draft is absolutely loaded with RT prospects. Sure, it’s unlikely this happens but you never know.
by packallday555 on Mar 4, 2010 1:05 PM CST up reply actions
Honestly I think your right
Draft picks no matter how good they sound on paper are just that paper. This man has proven himself in the league protecting Flacco well. He’s a monster and a serious bookend for the Pack and at 24 he has a lot of milage in him. The zone blocking might be an issue but he looked pretty quick on his feet when he was blocking Allen this year and would be a step up over what you have.
I think they want to shuffle Oher into that spot he’s making a lot of money for a right tackle right now and I have to think they know they are underutilizing him where he’s at. Honestly, if you did this Rodgers would probably kiss TT on the mouth.
It's a lot easier to love the Vikings when they win...
Why he is so young
I live in Maryland and go to all of the Terps games. I’m pretty sure he got kicked out of UMD after his sophomore year for cheating in class. Thats why he is so young and why he was never drafted and just picked up as an FA by the Ravens.
Pro Bowl?
Half the Pro Bowlers are just there b/c of name recognition and biased fan votes and half just get in due to injuries, guys not wanting to play, and this year Super Bowl players. I don’t think its a good way to judge talent anymore. Also, Oher had so much hype around him this year, I think Gaither hid a bit under the radar.
I'm not sure on this one....
I think that’s a bit too much to spend on a guy you hope can work out. Add Stroh’s great critiques of the move and I seem to remember rumors coming out of Baltimore to the effect that Oher might even replace Gaither because Oher’s work habits were better and more professional. All of that makes me very uneasy about giving away a first round pick and breaking the bank for the guy.
Yeah, his one knock has been his focus. I don’t necessarily know if we would have to hope whether or not he works out though. He has already proven to be a good LT. It seems to me like he could stay at that pace (if his work ethic and focus doesn’t improve) or he could become a top LT (if those two things do improve.)
I guess it just depends on what TT is thinking. If he is thinking that he’ll take either Brown or Campbell with that 23 pick I would rather us just go give a big contract to a guy who is proven, and a guy we don’t have to develop. But if he isn’t interested in either of them at 23, then we should keep it and use it on a guy who can be a great OLB or CB.
by packallday555 on Mar 4, 2010 1:13 PM CST up reply actions
Proven
How is Gaither proven??? Just cuz he started for the Ravens means little to nothing. Has he made a Pro Bowl, or even recieved any votes for a Pro Bowl? I know its mostly a popularity contest, but still. Do we even know what scheme the Ravens use in run or pass blocking? It could be entirely different…
If he has the mobility you suggest in your previous post then he should be DOMINANT. But he’s not… Is that his focus? Maybe… But if he lacks focus while trying to get a big contract, how do you think he will have more focus AFTER getting a big contract?! He could just as easily eat his way out of the NFL…
If he is a good athlete and was dedicated he would have been drafted higher and been a dominint player already, but he’s NOT…
That means he is FAR from proven!!!
The Pro Bowl is a popularity contest and nothing more. No I don’t know what scheme the Ravens use. I was merely pointing out that he isn’t immobile like you made him out to be.
Funny you use the word dominant because that’s a word I’ve read scouts use as well. Many think he is a dominant blocker when focused, the catch is he isn’t always focused. Would it be a risk giving a guy who has work ethic problems a big contract? Yeah, but I think it’s well worth the risk.
Well actually his personal story is quite interesting. He was rated as the #3 OT coming out of high school. He went to Maryland, where played two years. In 2006 he was on the preseason list for the Outland Trophy and was third-team freshmen all-american in 2005. In those two years at Maryland he also allowed ZERO sacks.
He couldn’t keep his grades up though and was academically inelgible to play in 2007. He decided to enter the supplemental draft where he was selected by the Ravens. Had he been able to keep up in school he would have likely been a 1st round draft pick.
He is proven. He started 15 of 16 games for the Ravens in 2008 and gave up only 2 sacks. I couldn’t find any numbers for this year but I think I remember seeing somewhere he gave up 3 sacks in 11 games started this season (Again, I don’t for sure about those.) Those are more then respectable numbers, and those numbers are pretty damn good for a guy to put up as a 22 and 23 year old.
by packallday555 on Mar 4, 2010 2:15 PM CST up reply actions
school
Oh, so he doesn’t have the mental ability?! Well that wonderful… Did you know that OL typically have to be among the smartest players on the field? Its not a coincidence that OL have among the top scores in the wonderlic at the combine!!! Its pretty well proven that they have to be able to think on thier feet, and make quicker decisions than any other position on the field other than the QB.
So now we should take a chance on a guy who isn’t a good fit for the zbs, has trouble focusing and for all intents and purposes flunked out of school?!!!
The longer we have this conversation the MORE I don’t like it…
Sorry, but I want NOTHING to do w/ him…
Well school type knowledge and football type knowledge are two pretty different things. Sure, the Wonderlich scores can help but there not everything. After all Collins had an extremely LOW score, and was in general thought be as smart as the pile of rocks outside of my house but he’s turned into one of the better safties in the league.
Another thing is your talking about the guy like he is a rookie going to be drafted this coming April or something. Obviously, he is not. He has been a good LT, for a good team, in what was one of the better divsions in football in 2008 and 2009. He may not have the ideal mental capacity but it hasn’t effected his play.
How do you know he isn’t a fit for the zone blocking scheme? Sure, he is big but that doesn’t mean he can move and block. From what I’ve seen of him and read, he is athletic and a pretty fluid mover.
So now we should take a chance on a guy who isn’t a good fit for the zbs, has trouble focusing and for all intents and purposes flunked out of school?!!!
I guess that’s one (pretty pessimistic) way to look at it. I would rather look at as, so we give up our 1st round draft pick and some big money for a guy who has been a good LT in his 2 years starting, while having the potential to become a great one.
by packallday555 on Mar 4, 2010 3:00 PM CST up reply actions
Gaither
Hey, just pointing out what you and others brought up… He isn’t a really good fit for the Packers zbs, no matter what you think of it, which is another discussion altogether… I didn’t say anything about his abiltiy to focus, and I didn’t bring up the fact that he was a poor student! Yourself and others brought those tidbits into the light for me. All that does is solidify my belief that he was already a bad fit, then his inability to focus and his academics issues? How is that supposed to make me feel better about the possibility?
BTW-There is a huge correlation between a guys wonderlic scores, especially OL, and how well the player performs in the NFL. To try to make it seem unimportant or say that school/book smarts are different is a poor argument… Have you ever seen an NFL playbook??? From what I hear each week is like a text book!!! Huindreds of pages/plays w/ variation and built in audibles… An NFL playbook is HUGE and difficult to learn…
As in the case of Collins, a Safety, the correlation isn’t nearly as high!
Why is he not a good fit for the zone blocking scheme though? That’s what I want to know. All you’ve really said about it is that he is too big and slow, which isn’t really the case at all.
Wasn’t trying to make the Wonderlich seem unimportant. Just simply pointing out that there are plenty of cases where a poor Wonderlich score doesn’t always translate to poor play on the field.
And school/book smarts is an entirely different thing. Football smarts is more about understanding the game and really if you’ve played a game long enough you should understand it pretty well, (not always the case but normally.) especially at this high of a level.As far as the playbook goes, it’s a TON of memorization. Gaither must be ok in both of those aspects though, seeing as how he has had 2 good years in the NFL.
by packallday555 on Mar 5, 2010 10:19 AM CST up reply actions
Great Idea!
I would love to see the Pack get proven with a 1st rather than a gamble that may take years to start.
Outside the box, that’s great!!
TT you listening??
Gaithers ~ Was a Supplemental 5th Round Pick in '07
Massive, Athletic, Powerful Left Tackle as described by the NFL.com ~ Ravens Page ~
He’s started 25 of the 30 games he’s played ~ 5 for 5 in the playoffs… They also pointed out he was one of the big reasons the rushing game was so great in 2008… Also… provided security for Flaco’s BlindSide in the best passing year the Ravens ever had in ‘08… I didn’t look anywhere else…
ANYWAY… I don’t know if he’s even on TT’s radar… But, I know he’s played in the NFL… I know he’s at least PROVEN to the point he was the best LT the Ravens had… (Plus… I didn’t see him on ESPN or NFL NETWORK… giving up 3 sacks a game!!!!)
Gaither’s or a reach @ #23 on a kid that’s never played in the NFL? Well… I guess I’ll let TT make that decision… If he’s goes with Gaither… I wouldn’t be opposed to it… I figure he gets paid to make those BIG TIME DECISIONS…
GO PACK!!!!!
I would love this
gaither probably would be better than any lt we could get with our pick, and its not like we don’t have money
RIP Jim Thome 1-25-2010
an AL team not having a DH is like a giraffe fucking a mule. - larry
Ravens fan here.
As a Ravens fan who has watched Jared Gaither play in Baltimore for a couple seasons now, I wanted to weigh in with some perspective.
First, Gaither is a very good offensive tackle. The Ravens got him as a supplemental fifth round pick after a short stay at Maryland. The issue at MD was not cheating. It was laziness. He basically failed out of school. And that was after spending a year a prep school in order to qualify. He also had a reputation of dogging it in the weight room. So while he had first round skills, he kind of ruined his reputation.
However, in Baltimore we have not really seen this to be a problem. There have been whispers of him being a little in coach Harbaugh’s doghouse, but nothing concrete.
So, why would the Ravens consider letting him go? As others have stated, Michael Oher can slide over and play LT. In fact, he did, and did it well when Gaither was out with a neck injury.
Gaither hired Drew Rosenhaus a year ago, and getting paid is certainly on his agenda. The Ravens face a situation where they can’t afford to put so much money in essentially two left tackles. If the Pack would to pay him like he wants to be paid, the Ravens will let him walk and gladly take the pick. They just traded away a third and fourth for Boldin (who was in a similar situation in AZ where the team couldn’t justify top dollar to two WRs). Ozzie Newsome would love to take an extra first rounder and trade back with it to recoup the lost picks—in a draft that the Ravens scouts have been exclaiming is the best in years in the middle rounds.
I would disagree with the assessment that Gaither is not mobile. I won’t say that he’s Joe-Thomas-mobile, but he’s very good downfield, especially for a man his size. If you watch him on tape his engages linebackers and manhandles them well down field — he really does look like a man among boys. His huge wingspan also makes him a very good pass protector.
If not for the money, the Ravens would be crazy to let him go. But they may be forced to. It just doesn’t make sense for them to pay LT money to both the LT and RT. If Oher moves to LT there isn’t a lot of depth to fill in at RT. Tony Moll is in Baltimore and I don’t have to tell you all how weak a solution that is. Undoubtedly they’d like that extra first rounder to trade back, in part to find a decent RT prospect.
I’d say it’s 50/50 whether the team lets him walk. He won’t be a bargain but definitely can be had for a price.
Thanks for weighing in. I didn’t know his agent was Rosenhaus :(. He it kind of notorious for getting his players huge deals that they sometimes don’t always deserve. If Gaither would sign for the same kind of deal we gave Clifton I think it would be great for us to get him. Unfortunately I dbout or GM will do that. Thanks again for weighing in.
by packallday555 on Mar 6, 2010 2:15 PM CST up reply actions
Hey Packallday... ; )
Have you read what Pat Kirwan said about Gaither? Said he was better than any LT in the draft except Russell Okung… (and may even be better than Okung…) so… I think you were right on in your article… and even tho we re-signed Clif… It might not be bad deal?? Probably won’t happen now… but, I was with ya… especially before we re-signed Clif!
Go Pack!!
Yeah, I actually did read that! They guy is a good LT, and only 23 so it really didn’t surprise me. I doubt we make the move now cause of Clifton but it would have been a good one.
by packallday555 on Mar 7, 2010 1:55 PM CST up reply actions
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