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Baltimore
Ravens Column
By:
Sean Conner
1/18/09
"Next Man Up", seems like
a phrase that is cliché but when you consider the composition of
this season's version of the Baltimore Ravens it is more fitting now
then in previous years. In this particular mindset it doesn't matter
who is on the field next to you, all eleven players are starters and
will be counted on to do their job. Rookie may have been a term
thrown around a lot at the beginning of the season, but even these
players lacking the ideal amount of experience when entering
postseason play have to be considered integral components to a team.
This motivation has been instilled since the very onset of
mini-camps.
First to go down was
starting QB Steve Mcnair, the most crucial leadership role on the
team now was left in flux. Losing depth at this position led to the
drafting of Joe Flacco, who was expected to come in and hold a
clipboard his first season. By watching veteran and former first
round draft choice Kyle Boller, or the inexperienced yet strong
leader Troy Smith, Joe would be preparing himself to take over as
the QB of the future for the Ravens organization. Well, not
according to plan Boller sustained a season ending injury in
preseason and Smith became severely ill during the same time period
that Boller was being placed on IR. Now the future becomes the
present and things looked bleak for the immediate future of this
franchise. Joe just decided to learn the playbook the best he could
and make the most out of his remaining reps he was receiving in the
final two preseason contests. Faith in his ability and trust in his
teammates propelled the offense to an impressive regular season, and
combined with an always formidable defense they have been awarded
with some meaningful games to play in January. Flacco may be the
most obvious example of this motto, but there are definitely many
more that have contributed to make up the fiber of this roster.
Losing Chris McAlister
and Samari Rolle for significant amounts of last season spelled doom
for the secondary and defense as a whole. Both players have
sustained a similar loss of playing time this year, yet with the
addition of Frank Walker via free agency, Fabian Washington by draft
day trade, and draft picks Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura the
defense has stepped up when needed. Not many would believe that with
Mcalister on IR, and Rolle going out during the game against the
number one seed in the playoffs that first year players Zbikowski
and Nakamura would fill in on nickel and dime packages and play well
enough to help hold the Titans offense to ten points. Zbikowski has
also taken over on kick off return duty with return specialist Yamon
Figurs being hampered by injury all season. Add the very scary loss
of Dawan Landry in week three for the rest of the season and you
have three quarters of the projected starting secondary being
altered throughout the majority of the year. Bring to the table free
agent acquisition from Buffalo Jim Leonhard, and with his strong
presence in coverage and run support the defensive backfield has not
missed a beat. You can't mention Leonhard without including his play
on special teams as a sure handed and straight forward runner with
the punt return team. These may not even be the best stories on the
defense this season.
Undrafted rookie Jameel
McClain out of Syracuse has been an impact player on defense and
special teams. In limited snaps he has registered 2.5 sacks, and put
constant pressure on the QB with his nonstop motor. That may not
even be his most impressive contribution, Jameel has been the cause
of two safeties during the year making him the first Raven to do so.
His effort has sparked inspiration and even changed games. It was
only a 10-7 ballgame in week 12 against the Eagles, punting from the
end zone McClain rushed through the line to block the ball out of
the end zone to increase the lead to 12-7. This set in motion an
onslaught of unanswered points en route to a 36-7 win. With the rash
of injuries to young LB's on the team roster he has found a role and
ran with it. Also on defense the team lost the underrated heart of
the defensive line Kelly Gregg. To fill his shoes would not be a
simple task, but his backup Justin Bannan who is built in almost
identical fashion has been up to the challenge. While Gregg is most
assuredly missed, Bannan's play has been tough and gritty, and he
has helped key the continued string of strong defense against the
run while occupying blockers to allow the linebacker's to roam and
attack gaps in the offensive line. Injuries have been prevalent on
the opposite side of the ball as well and forced the team to adjust
accordingly.
Once Jonathan Ogden
retired, the Ravens offensive line had to make many changes.
Supplemental draft choice from a year ago Jared Gaither was thrust
into the starting position at left tackle and although he has fell
short of Ogden's level of performance he has showed promise and the
ability to be the protector of Joe Flacco's blindside for years to
come. Right Tackle and draft choice out of Iowa from last season
Marshal Yanda was moved inside to RG, placing Ben Grubbs the team's
first round draft choice from last year out of Auburn to his more
natural position of LG. This moved the most improved lineman of last
year Jason Brown from left guard back to his position in college at
North Carolina of center. Then to bookend the line Adam Terry was
moved to RT. Due to Terry's ankle issues early on the Ravens were
quick to sign veteran tackle Willie Anderson to help stabilize and
bolster the line. Even Chris Chester, a second round draft choice
out of Oklahoma from a few seasons ago who seemed to be a failed
project, has filled in admirably as starter at RG after Yanda was
lost for the season to IR. He has proven to be the player Ravens
scouts thought he could by excelling in his pull technique and
getting to the second level of defenders. The running back's have
been riddled by some injury as well, with McGahee being out all
preseason and the first game, it opened a door for Cam Cameron to
allow Leron McClain to get the opportunity to tote the football. He
has capitalized and become the team's primary ball carrier and power
runner to compliment a three-prong rushing attack which also
features Rutgers first year man Ray Rice and long time bulldozer and
lead blocker Lorenzo Neal. On the wide receiver front an early
midseason injury to Demetrius Williams landing him on IR has left
the Baltimore aerial attack with really only two primary pass
catchers. Even the go to guy Derrick Mason has been battling a
separated shoulder since early November after hitting the turf hard
in Houston. This has given Marcus Smith a chance to really learn the
offense by being on the field . Although he has yet to haul in a
pass, he has been an asset in blocking and on special teams. All
this makes the current spot in the AFC Championship game even more
startling to any person outside the locker room.
The mantra of "Next Man
Up" has been the way of life for the 08' Baltimore Ravens. No matter
who lines up for the next play they expect to beat the man in front
of them and come out with victory. In a conference championship game
that will feature division rivals clashing, who almost mirror one
another, it will be a battle of wills across the board that
determines whether the Ravens or Steelers advance to play in the
Super Bowl. After eighteen straight weeks of football and many
setbacks along the way, the Ravens are a closer team for all of it,
and are ready to earn the right to play another day.
10/14/08
The Ravens came out
of the gate strong this season with two consecutive home wins
against divisional opponents. After a tough three game stretch
which featured all playoff teams from a season ago and two of
the past three Super Bowl champions, this team may be teetering
on the brink of another long losing stretch.
After soundly
defeating the Bengals and Browns only high praise seemed to be
directed towards the team. Some pundits understandably picked
apart the Baltimore victories due to the opponents being
perceived as second-tier. Still one can admit that with a rookie
head coach, rookie quarterback, young offensive line, and
aging/ailing defense, two wins to start the season was both
unexpected and impressive. These circumstances might result in
unfavorable outcomes for others, but for the Ravens it looked
like they had found a successful formula to give themselves the
best chance of winning.
Any NFL player or
coach will tell you that the main goal each week is to control
the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football. Coming into
the season that was a serious concern for a group lacking the
now retired Jonathan Ogden. Even with the addition of Willie
Anderson to the offensive line before week one, it appeared that
whoever was going to be lining up under center for the team
would be taking quite a beating throughout the regular season.
By controlling the line and clock in their first two wins, along
with only allowing one sack, this young unit showed what it is
capable of when playing together. The following two games were a
little more of a struggle due to the caliber of the defenses,
yet considering that Pittsburgh and Tennessee bring to the table
two of the top overall defenses, both which pride themselves on
stopping the run, the Ravens' offensive line held up well. Even
after those two physical battles the rushing offense still
maintained the number four overall unit in the league before
getting thoroughly handled by the Colts' swarming defense which
came into the contest as the worst rated run defense in the
league.
On the other side of
the ball the Ravens' run defense has been excellent, allowing
only about sixty-four yards per game. Today the team did allow
their first run of over twenty yards and first rushing td, aside
from that they were able to maintain a level of respectability
when it came to stopping the Colts' offensive line from taking
total control of the game. Due to some over-aggressive plays
from the secondary and the ability of Peyton Manning and the
Colts' line to read and pick up blitzes, for the first time this
season the defense was had consistently the entire game. Of
course there were some drives in the previous two games where
the toughness of Big Ben kept the chains moving, or the veteran
savvy of Kerry Collins showed when he got rid of the ball
quickly and on target before the blitz could get home. The
defense had not been on its heel's until meeting the aerial
attack of Indy and has fueled this season's campaign up to this
point. Rarely have mental breakdowns and the inability to make a
play and get off the field plagued this defense.
Unfortunately for the
Baltimore Ravens the few lapses and big plays being made by the
opposition have outshined their solid play. I'm sure that this
is not much consolation for a team that now sits two games
behind a Steelers' team that has been very banged up and has not
yet played to their full potential. Yet they have still overcome
their deficiencies to secure a 4-1 record. Also at this point
the Ravens are only a half a game ahead of a Cleveland team they
dominated in week three. Nearly all people in the loop of the
NFL circle did not expect them to be able to compete for the AFC
North title or a playoff spot, but the men suiting up in the
Ravens' purple have to believe they could have easily been 4-1.
With that said the whole team has factored in earning their
record at this current juncture, and they have the ability to
correct any instabilities coming to the forefront on game day.
It is either that, or continue down the path they seem to be on
and let these problems perpetuate themselves and possibly become
more numerous. By that time this Ravens' team could be looking
at a slide reminiscent to that of last season when they lost
nine straight and were only able to salvage a lone victory
against a Pittsburgh team resting a plethora of injured
starters. Here is to hoping that this team has too much pride
and resilience to allow it to reach that point.
4/26/08
Thus far the off-season
of the Ravens has been making little news, aside from the recent
retirement of Quarterback Steve McNair. It is safe to bet the
majority of this time has been devoted to looking at film, visiting
various pro days, and grading possible prospects that could assume a
role in reviving a franchise consisting of more veteran core players
than youthful talent.
A mixture of age and
leadership seems to be on a collision course with fresh legs and
some wide open eyes. Looking just a day ahead to the draft that
could very well be the most important to the team since the first
Raven draft in 96', there are certainly a lot of anxious feelings
throughout the entire Raven family. It would be wildly ambitious and
almost foolish to hope for a draft the caliber of that season, which
landed such integral pieces to a budding franchise like Jon Ogden,
Ray Lewis, and Jermaine Lewis. Yet still, for this weekend there are
probably just as many holes across the board that need to be filled,
not only so this upcoming year can be an improvement upon last
season, but so there is hope for Baltimore beyond the next few
years.
The very first spot
looked at on any team is QB. After a successful and taxing tenure as
an NFL starting QB Steve McNair has called it a career. No doubt in
my mind that his numbers warrant HOF consideration, but the most
important attributes he possessed had to be his effort and
consummate team first attitude which made him stand out as one of
the top QB's during Steve's thirteen seasons at the helm. His
departure leaves two men standing for the time being, and Kyle
Boller and Troy Smith are both looking forward to leading the new
Cam Cameron west coast style offense into battle. Most national
media guarantee the Baltimore Ravens want and need to have top rated
QB Matt Ryan, on the other hand there are many within the
organization, and those who follow the team that believe either Kyle
Boller can blossom in a new system or Troy Smith can be the guy that
develops into the franchise QB Baltimore has long coveted. Players
like Joe Flacco, Chad Henne, and Brian Brohm all have been linked to
the Ravens as the man to take over if they fall to the 38th
overall selection. I would not be surprised to see Quarterback not
addressed until even later with an Andre Woodson. A signal caller
will be taken by the Ravens this weekend but it is anyone's guess
who it will be, and it is exactly this unpredictability that an NFL
Draft is predicated on that will have many fans holding steady to
the edge of their seats.
Do not be surprised to
see Matt Ryan drop to the number eight spot, and yet watch the
Ravens pass on his services. Just because there is a lack of a
proven commodity on the current roster, it would be premature and
presumptuous to consider his selection a foregone conclusion. If the
trade value is there I could even imagine the Ravens moving back a
significant amount of slots in the first round to accumulate extra
picks for this year or next. There are so many options if that were
to happen, you could see James Hardy tabbed as a future #1 receiver,
Mike Jenkins brought in to immediately fill a void at cornerback, or
even Branden Albert to beef up and bring versatility to the
offensive line. Sitting at eight has great value too, due to the
variety of needs that every team has in the seven spots ahead of the
Ravens, a very highly rated player could drop to eight. Like Adrian
Peterson last season, maybe Darren McFadden takes an unexpected
plunge with teams trying to bolster their defense or offensive
lines. Vernon Gholston could also fall when the most sought after
pass rusher, Chris Long comes off the board. It's fathomable that
Sedrick Ellis could get the strongest push in the draft room. Or,
coinciding with popular opinion and belief, the Ravens pounce on
Matt Ryan or Leodis Mckelvin to fill one of their highest needs.
With so much in mind, and four extra compensatory picks being
awarded, all the Ravens personnel should be set in their mind
frame's with an eager focus.
The general idea is to
get better now, and build for years to come. Only with a lot of work
put in and patience will this come to fruition. Draft another first
round QB that does not pan out, and have Boller and Smith fail, and
it could set the team back years in development. Be smart with your
picks and make sure you have the guys who can flourish in your
system and environment, and just maybe you can build something
special. The NFL Draft is not an exact science, for every diamond in
the rough there are many more bust's. Keeping the faith and trusting
instincts will be crucial to the Ravens if they hope to continue the
pattern of solid and successful college drafts.
3/4/08
It is a
difficult task to place a number value on an important piece
in your system that is vital to the underlying function and
success. In the draft of 2003, Terrell Suggs appeared to be
a lock as a top five selection coming off a record setting
year at Arizona State where he posted twenty-four sacks.
After the Arizona Cardinals traded out of the 6th
spot, most will remember an unexpected series of events with
teams rushing to the podium to put in their picks because
the Minnesota Vikings were in discussion with Ravens GM
Ozzie Newsome for a possible trade up to obtain Byron
Leftwich out of Marshall. What looked like a possible
blunder on the front office¢s part for not getting their man
ended up as a blessing in disguise in retrospect.
After five seasons Suggs has
consistently done what is asked of him and even exceeded
most expectations. His durability would be the most
overlooked aspect of his game. In his career he has yet to
miss a game due to injury. Good fortune may be on his side,
but I am sure that his work ethic in the off-season
contributes mightily to this fact. During his first season,
where he earned defensive rookie of the year honors, his
primary function was as a situational pass rusher. With
rigorous training and film study, Terrell has evolved into a
more complete and versatile player. While his sack numbers
have yet to match those of his first year in the league, he
continues to improve in pass coverage and can be counted on
heavily when trying to stop the run. On a team that does not
produce a high number of forced fumbles, Suggs is the
exception to the rule, as his nose for the football has
helped him cause a decent number of fumbles in his young
career. When looking at his development, and how seamlessly
he transitions from DE to OLB, it¢s easy to understand his
importance to the defense and team.
Franchising a twenty-five
year old on the upside of his career is certainly not a
detriment to the organization. After letting Adalius Thomas
walk in free agency last season, it was crucial that
Baltimore brings back T-Sizzle for the upcoming season and
the future. The premium put on rushing the passer elevates
the monetary demand teams are willing to dole out to acquire
such talent. A little over eight million for the average at
the top five of the OLB position does put some heavy cap
constraint on the Ravens front office. The team had to
restructure contracts for Todd Heap and Jonathan Ogden just
to create the room to franchise Suggs. Even though his
current number of 8.065 million leaves minimal
maneuverability for signing free agents and draft picks, it
is well worth the price to keep him in Ravens purple.
Terrell Suggs and his agent both feel he should get a
contract similar to that of Dwight Freeney's six year,
seventy-two million dollar benchmark. Factor in the
knowledge that while Freeney is more of a force creating
pressure on the QB, Suggs can also cover well in the flats
and does an excellent job in run support, so with his larger
quantity of responsibilities, his agent and him have a valid
discussion point when it comes inking a long term deal.
Keeping Terrell off the market was a good idea for the
Ravens brass considering the weak crop of free agents thus
far in this year¢s class. He would have been highly sought
after, and likely even struck a deal worth more than that of
Dwight Freeney's.
Often the franchise tag can
cause bitterness and resentment. Players want guaranteed
money to have more financial stability for their future,
since you can easily have a career threatening/ending injury
on or even off the field. For most people slightly more than
eight million in one year would be quite a nest egg and
nothing to complain about, but with the uncertainty of
tomorrow, especially for a professional athlete many players
would beg to differ. The Baltimore Ravens know very well the
unhappiness the tag can cause. During the 2003 season it was
used on Chris Mcalister. After being franchised one season,
the tag was placed on him again the following year, this led
to a holdout situation, which was finally resolved after
signing a long term contract. Throughout the ordeal
Mcalister's disenchantment could be detected from even the
most unaware eye. Holdouts are now unfortunately common
place in today¢s game, and players even speak of the
willingness to miss games during the season, which testifies
to the fact that a content franchised player is a rarity.
The good news for the Ravens
locker room, fans, and organization as a whole is that Suggs
is taking all this in stride. Many players in the same
situation would complain, yet Suggs is very happy to
continue as a Raven and understands the business and team
aspect of getting a deal done. He has been quoted as saying
he would love to retire as a Raven and that Baltimore is his
city, despite rumors stemming from a misconstrued comment he
made about the possibility of being an Arizona Cardinal.
What is important is that both he and the team want him to
stay in Baltimore. His behavior and professionalism in
dealing with his future shows maturity well beyond his
years, and provides only more proof that his presence on the
team is positive, and makes him an asset to the Baltimore
Ravens.
1/29/08
Change is in the air,
sweeping into Baltimore with a new set of wings, and
bound for flight is Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
There is no doubt Harbaugh is motivated and eager to
take on the challenge of coaching each and every player
to reach their utmost potential.
After a rollercoaster ride for nine
seasons with Brian Billick the organization hopes new
blood is just what this team needs to improve upon a
dismal season that began with high expectations.
Injuries, turnovers, lack of discipline, all these
factors seemed very prevalent throughout the football
season. There were some good points this past year such
as a 4-2 start, a memorable effort against the
formidable patriots, and a strong finish against the AFC
north champion Steelers. In the end, a nine game losing
streak which included a heartbreaking loss to the
winless dolphins seemed to have planted the seeds in
team owner Steve Bisciotti¢s mind that something had to
be done.
Enter, the Ravens third head coach in
team history, John Harbaugh. His resume includes stints
in college as a positional and also assistant head
coach, ranging from Western Michigan to Indiana. After
13 years in the college ranks he joined the Eagles as a
special teams coach. He maintained that position until
last season when he switched to defensive backs coach.
It is known that he was awarded special teams coach of
the year amongst his peers on one occasion, and he
constantly led a unit ranked towards the top of the
league. Harbaugh comes from a football family, his dad a
head coach, and his brother former NFL quarterback Jim
is now the head coach for Stanford at this time. John
played some college football himself at Miami of Ohio as
a defensive back. His desire to want to become a head
coach grasped the Ravens management and made them
believe he has what it takes to run this team, and
despite the fact he has no experience as a coordinator
at the NFL level, the ravens front office all agreed it
would be worth the risk.
Now, comes decision time. The normal
state of the ravens address is postponed until a full
coaching staff is assembled. Meanwhile, Ozzie Newsome
and Eric Decosta and many others are shoulder deep into
the scouting/free agency/personnel process. Many
questions are on the horizon, and many more lay just in
front at the next stop light. The Ravens are not one of
the more fortunate teams with a lot of room to maneuver
within the salary cap. Heavy contracts like those of
Jonathan Ogden, and Steve Mcnair come with questions as
well. Who knows if Ogden is willing to play another
season? Does Steve Mcnair have another magical season
left in his aching body? Only time will tell, but due to
the lack of excess cap space some decisions made have to
be forced down from the organization. There is only so
long you can wait, no matter how much a player has
contributed for your team. Stand pact for too long and
you lose potential free agent acquisitions that could be
very helpful to your team, even more importantly your
top drafted talent on your roster may leave to the
highest bidder a la Terrell Suggs. Whether this team
looks to build mainly in the draft and by re-signing
their own free agents, or by making some splashes in
free agency, some business decisions will have to rear
their ugly head sooner or later.
Looking ahead to the draft and free
agency, Baltimore has some holes to fill. Just like
every other team in the league there are going to be
some spots where the ravens need to add some depth and
then there are others where the team may be looking to
retool and rebuild. The most glaring weakness in games
this season had to be at the cornerback spot. Okay, its
true many of the exotic blitz packages the ravens use
leave any cornerback vulnerable but you have to be aware
of your assignment and not leave another player who is
depending on you in a bad spot. Once Mcalister and Rolle
went down, the lack of experience, and just general
ability often stood out as an area that could be
attacked and conquered at any time the opposing offense
would like. Corey Ivey is a solid nickel corner, but
when he was left alone on the outside he was frequently
exploited. With the rest of the younger corners, the
game often seemed too fast for them, or they looked lost
in terms of identifying their particular responsibility.
Drafting a stud cover CB who is strong in run support
would go a long way to solidifying this unit in the
short and long term.
While contemplating the possibilities of
this season you may have to temper your expectations.
New head coaches struggle often finding their niche when
it comes to leading a team. Recent and past history in
the league proves it is not easy to implement a winning
formula that is successful and that will also last. This
can be seen by the constant turnover in head coaches
every season, with the average being about five new
positions needing to be filled each off-season. Whether
the hiring of John Harbaugh is for the good or the bad
remains to be untold until the product hit¢s the field.
For now Harbaugh is restlessly game planning his every
step, helping to bring in Cam Cameron as his OC made a
positive first impression among Raven¢s fans. Also back
by the popular demand of many of his players, the fans,
and with great support from John Harbaugh is defensive
coordinator/assistant head coach Rex Ryan. Although some
think bringing Rex back does not bode well for changing
the feeling in the locker room, it will be good for
continuity among the defensive unit, and positive for
the new head coach whom has a familiarity with Ryan
after coaching with him for the Cincinnati Bearcats in
the collegiate ranks. For now we all wait and hope
Harbaugh¢s energy can refresh this team and help them
improve upon this past season.
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