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Ragone Watch (NFL Europe)

The worry I have is that even if he's the second coming of Montana, Brady , (name your underdog QB), .... he may never get enough quality playing time in the NFL to make him worth trading or using ....
 
May 3, 2005
NFL Europe

Throughout the 2005 NFL Europe season, NFLEurope.com invites you to take a look inside the world of a player from one of the six NFLEL teams with our Ask the Pros feature. You can send in questions to a player, and they will reply on NFLEurope.com the following week.

This week Berlin Thunder quarterback Dave Ragone will take your questions. The Houston Texans allocated passer has steered the Thunder to a league-leading 4-1 record, and has them on track to make it to their fourth World Bowl in five seasons. Ragone’s passer rating of 93.2 ranks second in the league, and he has completed 79 of 128 passes for 858 yards, with seven touchdowns this season.

Ragone started two games for the Texans late in his rookie season of 2003 after being a third-round draft pick out of Louisville. The strong-armed southpaw was one of the nations’ most prolific passers over his three years as a starter with the Cardinals, and was an All Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year each season.

Send in a question today for Ragone and he will come back with a reply early next week.

In order to have your questions answered by Dave Ragone, send your message to enquiries@nflp.co.uk, and be sure to include your full name, city and state. Those entries that do not include full name, city and state cannot be considered by NFLEurope.com.

Link

ive always doubted if these emails actually get to the player....
 
Berlin is used to hard fought games. Three of the Thunder’s four victories have been settled only in the last two minutes of the ballgame, and last week’s game against Amsterdam wasn’t decided until a last second interception that was returned for a touchdown by Jermaine Mays.

“Hopefully last weeks win will continue to give us the motivation to go out there and play very well against Cologne,” quarterback Dave Ragone said. “Cologne’s defense is the top ranked defense in the League, and they have been very successful so far in holding back offensive teams. I think it’s going to be a great game.”
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http://www.nfleurope.com/teams/story/BER/8449095

img8449094.jpg
 
Are we ever gonna get a Berlin game here? I have satellite (DirecTV) but have never caught a game yet. DTVs program guide is pretty vague as to which game will actually be on.
 
http://www.nfleurope.com/news/story/8454987
Berlin finally got onto the scoreboard with a trick play on their first possession of the second period. Bret Engemann had replaced Ragone at quarterback, but the Oakland Raiders quarterback was not the man to throw the touchdown, pitching the ball out to receiver Aaron Boone on the reverse who found Michael Jennings deep down field for a 51-yard touchdown pass.

The Thunder managed to tie the score with a field goal on the first drive of the second half. With Ragone back behind center, they moved from their 30 to Cologne’s 22 as the Houston Texans quarterback hit Michael Jennings on consecutive passes, the second a 22-yard pickup. Cal Murray’s 6-yard run gave Berlin a first down at the 11, but Boone was unable to hold onto the ball on a crossing pattern that would have got him into the endzone, and instead Berlin had to settle for a 22-yard Miller kick.

Chris Lewis was unable to inspire the Centurions to any offensive heights as Cologne went three and out, they key play a sack by defensive end Isaac Hilton that lost four yards for Cologne. On the first play after Steve Baker’s punt, Ragone hit Jennings on a quick slant that the speedy New York Giants receiver turned into a 70-yard score, outrunning the entire Cologne defense to hand the Thunder their first lead of the game at 17-10.

Berlin’s half-time defensive adjustments continued to pay off as national defensive end Christian Mohr came up with a tackle nine yards behind the line of scrimmage on the first play of Cologne’s next drive, bringing Baker back onto the field. The Thunder went on a clock controlling drive, wiping seven minutes off but ultimately coming away without a score after Cologne cornerback Jamaine Winborne sacked Ragone on third down.

After both teams punted the Thunder took over at their 25 with 1:50 remaining. Ragone hit Boone for a 31-yard gain to get to the Cologne 40, but Terrance Stubbs spilled an opportunity to get inside the 20, and another incompletion on fourth down secured the win for the Centurions.
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Ragone was 13 of 23 for 192 yards and 1 td O Ints for a qb rating of 98.5

sacked 2/29 yards and rushed 5 times for 21 yards
http://www.nfleurope.com/scores/stats/2005/05082005_ber_col_stats

.....................
with that said Ragone has been solid over there.
 
That is not updated for today's game. After last week's game, Ragone had been ranked #2 in the league in passer rating, just behind Casey Bramlet of Hamburg (Cincinnati Bengals). However, Bramlet did not have a good week this week, so Ragone should take over the #1 spot when the ratings are recalculated withing the next few days. I don't know how to calculate the ratings, or I would probably do it.
 
i actually have a program to calculate the ratings - pretty neat, PM me if you want me to send it to you.

but including this weeks game ragone should take over at #1 with a QB rating of 94. bramlet (CIN) should drop to #2 with a rating of 89.
 
Berlin Thunder quarterback Dave Ragone suffered only his second loss of the season on Sunday, but took time off afterwards to respond to some of the questions he was sent by fans last week. The Houston allocated quarterback, who has started two games for the Texans in the NFL, has compiled a 4-2 record as a starter in Berlin.

Ragone has completed 92 of 151 passes for 1,050 yards, with eight touchdowns and two interceptions this year. Among the questions Ragone answered were about the difference between NFL Europe and the NFL, his relationship with offensive coordinator Steve Logan and his likeness in Madden 2005.

Has Chris Redman been able to give you any advice on playing the waiting game while waiting for your shot to prove you are a legit NFL quarterback? And do you feel you are still a part of the Texans plan for the future?
Andrew Sexton, Austin, Texas

"Chris has been very influential in my development. We have known each other for a long time, and I know that he is someone that I can always go to for advice both on and off of the field. I really think that I can learn from his experiences and help that make me a better quarterback. Certainly I love being a part of the Houston Texans' franchise. It's a top-notch organization and I'm honored to be out here representing them."

Do you find that reading defenses in NFL Europe any easier to read than a defense in the NFL, given your experience with both.
Sean Pantellere, Allendale, New Jersey

"It's a bit more basic because of the rules here. But we are also limited offensively so it's even."

What is the biggest difference between the NFL and NFLE? With such a short season in Europe what do they do from a playbook standpoint? Is it a whole new playbook that you have to learn or do they have a simplified system? If it is a new system how does everyone deal with learning it in such a short time?
Jim Dudley, Bedford, Virginia

"That's a good question. In NFL Europe, we put a base package of plays in during training camp in Tampa, and then maybe we put in about 5 or 10 new plays a week. In the NFL we may put in 30 or so plays a week. With so many players coming from different teams, obviously some guys may be more accustomed to this style of offense than others. What I like about being here is that I believe that we run the most complex and interesting offense of any NFL Europe team. We may have a little less time to grasp all of it because it's just a 10-week season, but if we can perfect the offense than I believe we can do really, really well."

With the experience you are gaining in Europe, does it give you a new level of confidence going into the summer back in Houston?
Wes Parrish, Bardstown, KY

"Sure. I played two games for the Texans so this is the first time since college that I have really been able to play a considerable amount of time. I think this League has been really good for me in terms of seeing my ability to play at this level."

I know you are the son of Italian immigrants - how did your parents feel about you going back Europe to play football?
Paul Facchiano, Port Jefferson, NY

"My parents are definitely excited that I am closer to their homeland. My wife is also from Estonia, so she has been able to go back and see relatives which has been great. As far as my parents, I have to let them know that the pasta is better here in Europe!"

What do you miss most about the States?
Anna Lucas, Brecksville, Ohio

"Great question, Anna. I guess the thing I miss most about the States is my sister, Anna Lucas, from Brecksville, Ohio."

While at college you faced off against your current offensive coordinator, Steve Logan, then headcoach of ECU. Steve Logan has had much success in developing quarterbacks, such as Jeff Blake, David Garrard and just recently with World Bowl winner Rohan Davey. Considering your shared history and current placement together at Berlin how is the working-relationship and how will this entire experience impact you pro career?
Sammie Walden, Greenville, NC

"I feel real lucky to have his as a coach. Coach Logan is a one-of-a-kind type of guy. He's really great both on the field and off the field, and he's been around a long time -- and he understands the position so well - that you just can't not have a ton of respect for him."

In your experience in college, the NFL, and the NFL Europe...what are the major differences in those three leagues and which one do you prefer?
P Stew, Lanham, MD

"All three have their own positives. The NFL is certainly a premier League, but I've only played two games in the NFL, so I'm still trying to stay patient and do my best. NFL Europe has been a great experience for me because it has given me the ability to go out there everyday and play. Off the field, NFL Europe is a lot like college in that you are with your teammates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the NFL you may be with your team all day, but you go home at night. Here, I find myself eating breakfast, lunch and dinner with my teammates all of the time. It's a unique experience."

Do you play video games? Is it cool to see yourself on a video game?
Erik Majorwitz, Giessen, Germany

"Honestly, I don't play that many video games, but I'd be lying if I told you that it wasn't cool to see myself on the game. And just like everyone else, I have to say speed on Madden 2005 should be a bit higher - and my awareness should be a little higher too! I'm just joking about that, but thanks to everyone for asking me these questions, and keep rooting for the Thunder."
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http://www.nfleurope.com/news/story/8457507
 
the answer he gave about madden was pretty funny
*edit*
sorry guys, I meant to bold the questions for easier reading and messed that up
 
so far 13-26 138 yards and a td

Does anyone know what kind of offense Berlin is playing?

is it a west coast type? or mainly ball control? verticle game?
 
oh, I realize this is NFLE and not THE NFL, but Ragone seems to do a good job taking care of the ball..

Ragone also rushed 6 for 40
 
I was tying to look up what style of offense they run, but haven't seen anything yet.

Ragone had another solid day complete 50 percent of passes for about 10 yards a clip a TD and no Ints... rushed 6 for 40 yards.

besides that.. are they running a west coast or power running game or what?

Is it an offense that is supposed to be similar to what the Texans want to run?
 
Ragone wasn't exactly chopped liver in college, so given that, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that he is doing well in NFLE. I am pretty sure it isn't a WCO (to much read & react to get it right in the short time they have), but it is a dink and dunk that looks to me somewhat like the Pats. game. I hope he starts to get REALLY hot and wins the World Bowl with a SPECTACULAR game. I think we then start getting some folks sniffing around for a QB and CC could work a deal.
 
I am happy because this gives me a little more ease when i see Carr get sacked. He will be a very nice backup this year, and if he sees any game time and does well could be possibly had for a middle round 3-6 selection.
 
If all we get is a round 3-6 then keep him. We got him in the 3rd and have invested a great deal of time developing him into an NFL QB. That in itself warrants a 2nd round pick if he succeeds in NFLE and shows promise in the NFL playing time he gets. All we have done is add value to a QB to give him away for the same or less?
 
Why don't we just hold on to ragone instead of possibly trading him? i just don't see us keeping banks for much longer and that leaves us with symons and ragone. i just don't see why everyone expects ragone to be trade bait, maybe he was drafted as the future backup. when you compare the prices of banks and ragone, there's a big difference in price and as long as ragone doesn't start too much, he'll never make the money of tony banks, who had started elsewhere.
 
atxcoolguy said:
Why don't we just hold on to ragone instead of possibly trading him? .
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At some point he will want to have the chance to be a starter somewhere and he will be too valuable to keep. So, you trade him and start again on the backup thing. Hopefully, you have a kind of a pipeline thing of good young tallent moving through your system that you can draw on if needed and then trade as they gain value. Greenbay is a real good example of this with what they did for a few years.
 
I am looking forward to seeing Ragone in action on Fox tomorrow. However I am concerned about what time the game starts. NFLEUROPE.COM says 10 ETD, but Yahoo tv listings says 12. Anyone know the exact time for us central timers?
 
Even though it's NFL Europe, the good games that he has been having ..racking up the numbers ... he's not going to be happy to just come back to the Texans and sit on the bench. He'll want playing time, somewhere.
 
Link

Ragone continues to make a name for himself!

Quarterback DAVE RAGONE (Houston Texans) was named Offensive Player of Week 8 after he connected on 22 of 31 passes for 258 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions to defeat the Sea Devils.
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Nice compliment from the coach...
Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ said: “Dave has been doing a great job for us all season. He’s tough, and quarterbacks have to be tough, but Dave is really tough. He may be the toughest guy on the team. He makes excellent decisions in the passing game and his statistics show he is intelligent and doesn’t take any risks with the football.”
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SassyTexan said:
Even though it's NFL Europe, the good games that he has been having ..racking up the numbers ... he's not going to be happy to just come back to the Texans and sit on the bench. He'll want playing time, somewhere.
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Agreed Sassy - Thats what I said before the start of the season. That if he did well over there he would want some reps and would earn himself a good enough name we might be able to trade him to a Team where he is needed for someone decent we can use here. His salary certainly wont be a problem and his stats speak for themselves. You know there will be at least a few inital inquiry calls from teams. I'm willing to bet more than afew if they win the bowl. WIll be interesing to see for sure. I think it will be very nice if Charley can spin him into a good player or good picks for next year and get him to a team he can get some playtime on and a chance to start.
 
Here's a link with more on ragone from NFL.com. Obviously some others are thinking similar thoughts about his QB abilities and earning starter minutes somewhere. Of course it's probably just PR from the team, but it's nice stuff to hear. I hope he does well and they go on to win a bowl and we can trade him to a team for a good player or picks next year.

http://www.nfleurope.com/teams/story/BER/8497905
 
Ragone, like the Berlin team, seems to be peaking at the right time. Though some scouts liked him from the first, Jim Criner advised watching him in training camp, because "he's the only guy out there who's moving the chains every time he plays."

As usual, Gentleman Jim was right. Ragone's consistency has been one of the keys for the Thunder. The lefty has been picked off only twice, and his current total of 131 passes without a pick is only 56 behind the league record, which Ron Powlus set playing for Amsterdam in 2000.

On the face of it, Ragone couldn't be more different than Davey, but Berlin coach Rick Lantz says what's important are the similarities.

"Dave's not quite as explosive, but he has a strong arm, and can make the deep throws," Lantz said, "but both guys have an innate mental and physical toughness. They've got pocket sense and mobility, they're hard to sack, and they'll take a hit. But I had to yell at both of them to slide -- they always want to be making positive yardage."

That was evident last week -- in fact, Houston Texans coach Dom Capers was being interviewed on television just as Ragone took a fearsome hit rather than slide. Losing your quarterback is never part of the plan, and Capers' memory might have flashed back to Ragone's debut games as a rookie in 2003.

Ragone, a third-round pick, started two games for a team whose leading statistical marker was sacks allowed. In one of his two starts he was actually Houston's leading rusher, basically running for his life.

But now Texans pro personnel director Chuck Banker says he's happy with the success Ragone has had.
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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8506630
 
Oh no, that article indirectly compares him though stats to Ron Powlus, the man Beano Cook said would win THREE Heismans at Notra Dame
 
http://www.nfleurope.com/news/story/8523647

Nice write up on Ragone

Berlin Thunder quarterback Dave Ragone wrote his name in the NFLEL record books with his performance on Saturday, throwing 36 passes without an interception during his team’s Week 9 victory over the Frankfurt Galaxy, to put together a streak of 167 passes in a row without being picked off.

World Bowl bound Berlin quarterback Ragone’s record number of consecutive passes without being intercepted has surpassed the previous record of 156 set by Ron Powlus, of the Amsterdam Admirals, in 2000.

"It's nice to have that record. If you have watched some of our games you'd know that our receivers have made some really nice catches, and I've been fortunate not to have some tips picked off.”

Houston Texans allocated passer Ragone has thrown just 2 interceptions in 245 pass attempts this season and his interception percentage of 0.8 has him on pace to smash the league record of 1.1 set by Mike Quinn, of the Rhein Fire, in 1998.

During the streak Ragone has even completed a pass to himself, but the important thing is that no opposing defender has got his hands on the ball. Ragone’s care with the ball has helped Berlin record a league low 10 turnovers this season and to a +11 turnover ratio, tied with Amsterdam for the league lead.

“I got a little lucky there when I completed that pass to myself, and I think luck certainly plays a little bit into a record like this,” he said.

Ragone, who has posted a 97.6 passer rating this season also leads NFL Europe passers in almost every other important statistical category. His 245 attempts and 145 completions for a 62.9% completion percentage are all league highs, as is the 1,698 yards he has thrown for. His 13 touchdown passes give him a one score lead over Rhein’s Scott McBrien going into the final week of the regular season.

“All in all, my goal is to come over here and get better as a quarterback, and I think that I'm doing that every day,” says Ragone. “I think that we have some very good offensive coaches that create opportunities for me to make these passes, and the team is able to execute the plays.”

Ragone started two games for the Texans in his rookie campaign of 2003, after Houston made him a third-round pick in the draft that season. The Louisville Cardinal was a three-time All Conference USA offensive player of the year in a prolific college career.
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I think Ragone is going to develop into a NICE backup quarterback for us, and if - if anything were to happen to Carr - we will have a good solid QB right there. I think this will be Banks last year as our back-up and hopefully Ragone can earn his way up to backup Carr.
 
“I think that we have some very good offensive coaches that create opportunities for me to make these passes, and the team is able to execute the plays.”

...kinda says it all, doesn't it? :thumbup
 
Anyone else hear Dave Ragone on 610 today?
He sounds like he is ready to come back to Houston and go into training camp and show his stuff.
Good Luck to him in the World Bowl.
 
yeah, i see ragone as our future #2. should be interesting to see if ragone beats out tony for the #2 this year or not. i still say banks is gone after this season. too old and too expensive. as for a #3 QB, there's always one out there, not the biggest thing to worry about, but us having a young, talented #1 and #2 will be great for years to come.
 
I cant wait for preseason to start to see what Ragone can do against the big boys over here. Same thing for that OG Bubba Evans. That guy is a monster.
 
He either is going to make a really good #2 qb, or he is going to want to get traded for the posibility of a starter postion. If he does want to get traded, hopefully we can get some good draft picks out of him.
 
The Texans might be forced to trade Ragone, & the timing couldn't be any better. According to this article in the Chronicle, Ragone has always wanted to be a starter & his success in Europe should only make that desire burn hotter. Since we drafted him with a 3rd round pick, it would stand to reason that we should be able to get a 2nd round pick at the very least, & if he does well in the Championship game, possibly a late 1st round pick(?).

I know that everyone is counting on Ragone replacing Banks as our backup, but in my opinion, he'll be traded. His desire to be a starter, his success in the NFLE, & next year's OT/DT depth in the draft should be enough to cause CC to accept one of the offers he'll most likely receive. Next year will be a good year to have 2 #1 picks, or at least enough picks to package for a move up into the 1st round.

In my opinion, an NFL backup will almost always be an experienced veteran that doesn't quite have what it takes to be a full time starter. If he did, he'd leave through free agency.

Ragone will be a restricted FA after next season & an unrestricted FA after that. If we don't trade him while he's hot, we could eventually lose him for nothing. Besides, we've got BJ to start grooming next.

I found this part of the article interesting/alarming.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3210896

Imagine Ragone's frustration when the talent level around him dwindled as a senior, and he dropped to the third round, only to be drafted by a team that had picked a quarterback with the first overall pick the previous year.

Before Ragone ever got to Reliant Park, word was he wanted no part of playing behind a franchise quarterback and would prefer to be elsewhere.

You never would have known it by how he conducted himself — first-class in every way.

Ragone still wants a shot to be the No. 1 quarterback for an NFL team, but he's too much of a team-first player to make a lot of noise about it. He won't have to; his NFL Europe play speaks volumes to teams that are being reminded why they thought so highly of him after his junior season in college.

At some point, Texans general manager Charley Casserly will get a call from another GM hoping to uncover the next Warner, Johnson or Delhomme. Or teams could just wait. Ragone will be a restricted free agent after this season and an unrestricted free agent after 2006.
 
While I'm glad that Ragone is having a good year in Europe and getting some
recognition which will help his career and boost his chances of playing for someone, if we trade him and don't get more than a second round pick for him, I don't think it would even be breakeven transaction for us. In other words, a 2006 2nd rounder in exchange for a 2003 3rd round would not be a good deal for the Texans when you consider the origional pick has done nothing to add value to the Texans team. Better for us to have used that pick in '03 on someone we would have hoped would play like Wand or Peek, instead of going with Cass's dubious strategy about you can never have too many QBs. Now if we woudl somehow get a first round pick, but of course that's highly unlikely.
 
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