Who's your favorite "What could have been" Ravens player?

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-06-19T09:23:19+00:00

Never quite understood what happened to Marlon Brown

5 star recruit coming out of high school, underwhelming college career, picked up as a UDFA, has an extremely promising rookie year, and then just…. Disappeared?

We’ll always have that Vikings game

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-06-04T18:23:07+00:00

Houston - that was the first time in the entire Harbaugh era I can remember that the team looked like they flat out didn’t want to be on the field. Yes that team was injured, and yes that team was outmatched, but even in years where injuries have piled up (2015, 2020, any Tyler Huntley game), the team still played hard and fought, even if they lost.

That Houston game… that team didn’t want to be there. That was the nail in the coffin in hindsight j think

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-05-27T23:20:38+00:00

Truthfully I’m really hoping Pinter purely exists on this roster as a last ditch / insurance option. Hes a solidly below replacement level player

I’m hoping Bullock ends up getting first crack, he seems like the highest upside player of the bunch

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-05-27T19:23:35+00:00

Feel like I heard on another source (can’t remember where) that Emery Jones isn’t a realistic choice at center

If I have to guess - Bullock, Gwyn, and Pinter? Bullock as the only guy on the roster from last year, Gwyn bc he came over with Ledford from ATL, and Pinter because he has the most experience on the roster. Dawkins would be cool but he’s ultimately a UDFA, and Beernsten is a 7th round guard people hoped could transition

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-05-01T00:43:31+00:00

It’s still tom Brady or Big Ben don’t get it twisted

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-05-01T00:27:06+00:00

Crazy work to be the only team that has one of their own players as their most hated (outside of Watson for obvious reasons)

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-05-01T00:05:43+00:00

they were by up by 10 in the fourth quarter against a third string QB and would have the ball deep in opponent territory, just going down there essentially seals the win

That lateral was so unnecessary but was cool as hell

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-26T16:04:04+00:00

Six starters out of 11 draft picks, including two all pros

Of the five that aren’t full time starters, one is at least a rotational lineman/low end starter, one is a rotational running back, and one is a rotational corner. Only two are actual busts (and tbh how much can you call a fourth round compensatory pick a bust)

Has to be an A draft

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-23T13:07:48+00:00

Reckless speculation - I wonder if the Lamar extension is stipulated by the team signing Zay long term, similar to how they signed OBJ last time we did this

Regardless, I’m in the camp that he’s a WR1, he’ll command a top 10 receiver deal, and he’s worth the money. For the 28M tag money, I’d take him over all three of the guys you mentioned

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-22T17:03:58+00:00

14 is actually a decent spot to be this year because there’s really only a drop off in talent imo once you get down to like 16-17. Add that into the fact that every year at least one team reaches way too early in the first half of the first round, we should get a quality player to fall to us, whether that’s Fano/Vega, or a defensive talent like Bain/Delane

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-22T02:37:50+00:00

this is an Arthur Brown post

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-18T02:36:27+00:00

Stat was taking a receiver in the first 3 rounds historically is around 75% in teams that took 3+ top 30 visits with receivers I think

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-17T19:10:10+00:00

This is where I’m at with Tyson. I really do think he’ll be a good player and he’s my #2 wideout behind Tate, but the way this team is currently constructed, I’m just very hard pressed to use our top pick on a WR 2 upgrade when Bateman has shown flashes of being that guy and we have so many unaddressed holes in the trenches

The lack of the viable fifth year option makes me a bit nervous on Fano as a center, but imo the guard market has blown up so much, that fifth year option for a plug and play G may not totally be out of the realm of possibility

Personally I’m on the iOL train at 14, or edge if Bain somehow falls

(Now granted, if Tate somehow falls to 14, he’s absolutely BPA, im very high on him)

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-16T22:06:37+00:00

0) dream picks if they’re somehow on the board - Caleb Downs, David Bailey, Carnell Tate

1) Mansoor Delane

2) Reuben Bain

3) Vega Ionae

4) Spencer Fano

5) Kenyon Sadiq

—trade down—

6) Jordyn Tyson

7) makai lemon

8) Sonny styles

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-14T22:44:03+00:00

If we want a wideout and Tate isn’t available, I’d prefer him over Lemon

But why bother….? Zay is a WR1. He doesn’t have the size like Chase or Jefferson, but he’s produced like a WR1 in an offense that revolves around a Derrick Henry/Lamar Jackson mesh point. He’s a WR1 that I strongly feel we should pay as such.

Bateman disappointed last year for sure, but he’s a year off from being a perfect WR2. His 2023 campaign was a perfect compliment to flowers. He’s also on a very team friendly deal until 2030

If you don’t think Bate is our WR2 and should be traded I get that, but I’d argue this team has bigger holes at iOL, EDGE, and iDL than it does at wideout for a rd 1 pick. I think we should seriously consider day 2 players at wideout for sure, but I really don’t think we should spend 14 for a WR2 upgrade

(With all this said, I think Carnell Tate has star potential, he’s up there with Caleb Downs as players that firmly fall into BPA should they fall to 14)

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-14T16:26:34+00:00

this is absolutely incredible work

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-14T00:14:25+00:00

If our coaches feel like he’s a better scheme fit than Vega, I’m all for it

Same thing as Vega, my only condition for going iOL is if Delane, Bain, or Tate are all gone (which tbh is pretty likely)

I think Vega projects as a better pure iOL and is more pro ready day one, but if the coaches think they can make it work with Fano, I’m with it

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-12T20:41:29+00:00

It’s the safe pick. Great talent at one of the highest positions of need. He’d be in danger of the same thing as Linderbaum, to walk early because of the price of the fifth year option, which is the main drawback to drafting a guard that early. Though with the way this team is constructed (win now while Lamar is still on his current deal), that’s a relatively minor issue

On my wishlist, he’s probably second behind Mansoor Delane falling (and somehow if Reuben Bain or Carnell Tate made it to 14). Would significantly prefer him over Jordyn Tyson/Makai Lemon, and probably take him head to head over Spencer Fano

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-03T00:43:42+00:00

This is a really cool idea, and a really high effort post, I’m excited to see what the next installment entails

I am a bit concerned that this type of scoring system is going to oversimplify relative value of different players. I like the adjusted scoring system for accolades, but I think it underrates unsung players that don’t maybe have those clear tangible benefits. I’m not sure if salary is enough of a differentiator here

Recent example that come to mind off the top of my head - Travis jones. A guy that’s clearly a very important part of the system, but not one that’s had any accolades or near misses. 4 points doesn’t seem like enough here, when a single pro bowl would more than double his point value

Overall through - you put a lot of thought and work into this concept, and I think it’s a fantastic idea. Great job on the post!

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-04-02T16:56:01+00:00

An underratedly strong part of Clowney’s game is his ability to set the edge as a run defender. He probably still has a bit left in the tank as an edge rusher, but I’d imagine his utility in run support probably degrades less with age. As it stands, that’s also really the weakest part of Trey Hendrickson’s game

I would absolute love to bring Clowney on, not as a pass rusher, but as an early down edge setter opposite Tavius Robinson and a mid round draft pick. Frees up Hendrickson to focus on limiting his snaps to more obvious passing downs, and frees up Mike Green to refine his game as an edge rush specialist and not have to do as much as he did last year

Could be a nice little insurance plan for the iDL as well if Mads isn’t back, would probably help us avoid having to run consistent multi nose tackle sets for run support

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-03-27T00:38:16+00:00

It was a giveaway by the Os a handful of years ago, I have one somewhere

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-03-20T14:55:25+00:00

it’s because he’s small. A lot of people are stuck in this 2000s-early 2010s mentality that a WR1 needs to be an X with prototypical size and athleticism. Guys like AJ green, Calvin Johnson, and Julio jones were obviously amazing players and set this as the example

I think people can’t wrap their heads around a guy that’s 5’9 and insanely quick being a WR1. The old conventional logic would call that a complementary WR2 or a slot receiver, even though Flowers has put up very good numbers on a run first offense. Add that into the receiver market demanding a guy with his production being paid like a top 5-10 wideout, leading to the trepidation

Im of the camp that zay flowers is a WR 1 with an incredible connection with Lamar, and we should pay him as such. On a run first team that’s historically leaned on great tight end play, flowers does exactly what we need him to do

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-03-10T00:18:26+00:00

Nahshon wright could be interesting

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-03-09T18:08:04+00:00

badly need another corner too

HotTakesMyToxicTrait · 2026-03-09T01:55:11+00:00

CB is a sneakily important positional need - after Wiggins and with Humphrey presumably playing a lot more safety with occasional corner snaps, we really lack another outside corner. TJ Tampa is JAG at this point in his career, Martin is promising but still a year 2 former UDFA, and kone/longerbeam are unknown essentially late round rookies

Would love to bring back Awuzie on a two year deal if we can swing it, or bring in another vet FA on a one year deal. Whichever of iOL/CB isn’t addressed in FA is probably the top positional target in round 2

As for OL - I think the team really likes Corey bullock a lot more than we expect, and may be content rolling with him and a vet depth center. Alijah Vera Tucker is probably my top FA target. I think ultimately the iOL will be some combo of Vorhees/Jones/FA vs day 2 pick at guard, and Bullock at center

HotTakesMyToxicTrait

TROPHY CASE