Joe Flacco, Year 2

[Chris Raiden]

Derrick Mason is gone (for the moment, he still reportedly has not filed his retirement papers officially), and his replacement retired after two days. How will this impact the development of Joe Flacco in his second NFL season? Is he destined to suffer from reduced production as a result? Or will he rise above and start to elevate the games of his receiving corps as a result of his play?

[Texecutioner]

Flacco could possibly struggle being that there isn't a receiving weapon over there to save his life. I sure hope that he doesn't, but come on man, he's got nothing to work with at this point. They'll have no choice but to run, RUN, run, and did I say RUN? I like what Flacco brings and I think he should have a pretty nice career, but it's not that easy to make a lot of things happen with no weapons.

[Ball_Hawks]

I think Flacco will do just fine this year. Just as long as they use their 2 good TE's to their advantage. Todd Heap cant be asked to block as much as he was last year. He is their best receiving wepon and he has to be used to his fullest. Also having LJ Smith they could run alot of 2 TE sets.

[Texecutioner]

I think Flacco will do just fine this year. Just as long as they use their 2 good TE's to their advantage. Todd Heap cant be asked to block as much as he was last year. He is their best receiving wepon and he has to be used to his fullest. Also having LJ Smith they could run alot of 2 TE sets.

I know that Todd Heap has been a very capable pass catcher in the past as a TE, but when he's the biggest receiving threat on your offense, you're in a lot of trouble. I just don't understand why they won't offer anything significant for Bolden.

[Ball_Hawks]

I know that Todd Heap has been a very capable pass catcher in the past as a TE, but when he's the biggest receiving threat on your offense, you're in a lot of trouble. I just don't understand why they won't offer anything significant for Bolden.
In the past? He still is a very capable pass catcher!

Yes he had 35 catches for 403 Yards last year. But he was kept into block alot of the time. He is one of the best all around TE's in the NFL. I rank him up their with Jason Witten as top all around TE.

I expect around 800 Yards from him if they use him better then last year. He is truely one of the most underrated players in the NFL.

[Texecutioner]

In the past? He still is a very capable pass catcher!

Yes he had 35 catches for 403 Yards last year. But he was kept into block alot of the time. He is one of the best all around TE's in the NFL. I rank him up their with Jason Witten as top all around TE.

I expect around 800 Yards from him if they use him better then last year. He is truely one of the most underrated players in the NFL.

He averaged 25 yards last season on a team whose best WR's were a really old Mason who was approaching retirement and Clayton who hasn't ever been what people expected. He might be able to return to a form where he pulls in like 700 yards possibly, but him being their best receiving option is still pathetic to say the least making them the worst off as a receiving group in the NFL.

And you're crazy if you think that Heap is as good as Jason Witten. Other than Witten's rookie season, his worst year he had 754 yards compared to Heap's best season yards wise where he had 763 and WItten's gone over 1,100 yards once and over 900 yards just last season all while playing less seasons.

[Ball_Hawks]

He averaged 25 yards last season on a team whose best WR's were a really old Mason who was approaching retirement and Clayton who hasn't ever been what people expected. He might be able to return to a form where he pulls in like 700 yards possibly, but him being their best receiving option is still pathetic to say the least making them the worst off as a receiving group in the NFL.

And you're crazy if you think that Heap is as good as Jason Witten. Other than Witten's rookie season, his worst year he had 754 yards compared to Heap's best season yards wise where he had 763 and WItten's gone over 1,100 yards once and over 900 yards just last season all while playing less seasons.

You didnt get 1 word i had to say did you?

Heap would be the best target on a hand full of teams. He is a great target and he has outstanding hands. You use the receiving stats like its all a TE's does is be a over sized WR. He plays on the RAVENS!! They are a running team so you do have to look how much they ask him to block.

He was asked to block ALOT more then he was asked to go out on passing routes. Something teams do is have their TE's block when they have a inexperianced QB.. They keep people in more to help protect him.

Heap is one of the best ALL AROUND TE's in the NFL.. He isnt the best but one of the best(Witten & Gonzo ahead of him). So i am talking blocking & receiving. So im not just going to throw out some lame argument with receiving stats cause their is another part to the clame.

[Texecutioner]

You didnt get 1 word i had to say did you?

Heap would be the best target on a hand full of teams. He is a great target and he has outstanding hands. You use the receiving stats like its all a TE's does is be a over sized WR. He plays on the RAVENS!! They are a running team so you do have to look how much they ask him to block.

He was asked to block ALOT more then he was asked to go out on passing routes. Something teams do is have their TE's block when they have a inexperianced QB.. They keep people in more to help protect him.

Heap is one of the best ALL AROUND TE's in the NFL.. He isnt the best but one of the best(Witten & Gonzo ahead of him). So i am talking blocking & receiving. So im not just going to throw out some lame argument with receiving stats cause their is another part to the clame.

Lame argument? GO look back at the first post and you'll see that this thread wasn't about what a good all around TE Heap was or is. It was about Flacco and whether he'll have a slump or not, and my initial posts were that if Heap is your biggest receiving threat on the team, on any team, then you're offense has a ton of problems. This wasn't about whether or not a good TE blocks more or passes more or what Heap has had to do in the past as far as both. It's about the lack of weapons that the Ravens have in the receiving game.

I like Heap and always have, but going back to my initial assertion, if he's your best threat at catching passes on the team which you said yourself by your own admission, then your passing offense is in for a world of problems.