Will LB Jameel McClain Play Beside Ray Lewis?

[Ngata92NT]

As we all know Ellerbe was excellent last year playing ILB besides the great #52. Gooden has a ton of potential and is especially useful in coverage. But Jameel McClain was a non-factor last season. He's gone pretty much unnoticed this offseason.

But:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-ravens-notebook-0801-20100731,0,4677143.story

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=NFL&id=5031&line=176568&spln=1

Apparently McClain has been getting the reps in practice over both Ellerbe and Gooden. And out-performing both of them! Granted it's just an internet article so I take it worth a grain of salt. But maybe we have another undrafted gem at ILB in McClain. Has anyone who's been to the practices noticed any improvement by McClain? And do you think he will open the season next to Ray?

I think it's great if we have 3 good linebackers all fighting for one spot. There will be a very intense competition I'm sure, one that will force all 3 to elevate their play.

On a final note Jamal Lewis/Ray Lewis/Jermaine Lewis worked out pretty well in 2000. Maybe McClain/McClain will have some of that same success.

Edit: Oh and I forgot to mention Ayanbadejo and Phillips. I wish we had this kind of depth at every position...

[AwakenTheDemon]

I'd rather see Jameel at outside linebacker (which is more his natural position, in my opinion) than inside linebacker.

[Ravenmore74]

We have a lot of dept at the linebacker position. I can see us rotating him in just to keep people fresh for the long 16 game season.

[Ngata92NT]

[quote name='Ravenmore74' date='01 August 2010 - 08:36 PM' timestamp='1280712968' post='442570']
We have a lot of dept at the linebacker position. I can see us rotating him in just to keep people fresh for the long 16 game season.
[/quote]

Naturally I expect to see a lot of rotation in our defense considering the depth of our front 7. But the question is whether McClain, Gooden or Ellerbe will be the starter and which of them will perform the best? I'm trying to get input from people who are watching the practices.

Of course it's possible that there will be no clear starter and all our linebackers will share reps fairly equally. I think Ayanbadejo and Gooden are better suited for 3rd downs and Ellerbe is the best tackler/run stopper. But McClain has an edge in pass rushing. It should be an interesting competition.

[Purple Punishment]

I would like to see McClain on the outside sharing reps with Barnes when Sizzle has his hand on the ground. McClain was one hell of an overachiever at OLB in my opinion

[Ed_Reed_Pick_Six]

You're not the first person to mention McClain as a great draft steal with huge potential. It certainly would be good if he is asking these questions and putting pressure on Gooden and Ellerbe to keep stepping up.

[Rav'n Maniac]

I have to agree with some that McClain, in his natural position as a OLB, is more formidable. I also agree that a rotation should be used among the three to play to their strengths.

[lowrider]

Personally I think this is great news. The fact is we have like 6 or 7 linebackers that could start on pretty much any other team. Hopefully we can send McClain with Suggs and Barnes on some blitzes. Those guys can get to the qb.

[justifythegame]

[quote name='Ngata92NT' date='01 August 2010 - 09:30 PM' timestamp='1280712637' post='442566']
As we all know Ellerbe was excellent last year playing ILB besides the great #52. Gooden has a ton of potential and is especially useful in coverage. But Jameel McClain was a non-factor last season. He's gone pretty much unnoticed this offseason.

But:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-ravens-notebook-0801-20100731,0,4677143.story

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=NFL&id=5031&line=176568&spln=1

Apparently McClain has been getting the reps in practice over both Ellerbe and Gooden. And out-performing both of them! Granted it's just an internet article so I take it worth a grain of salt. But maybe we have another undrafted gem at ILB in McClain. Has anyone who's been to the practices noticed any improvement by McClain? And do you think he will open the season next to Ray?

I think it's great if we have 3 good linebackers all fighting for one spot. There will be a very intense competition I'm sure, one that will force all 3 to elevate their play.

On a final note Jamal Lewis/Ray Lewis/Jermaine Lewis worked out pretty well in 2000. Maybe McClain/McClain will have some of that same success.

Edit: Oh and I forgot to mention Ayanbadejo and Phillips. I wish we had this kind of depth at every position...
[/quote]

McClain hasn't been outperforming anybody. Like others have said, they are trying to give him reps to find out what to do with him. There are too many OLBs on the roster, Kruger might also stay at OLB another year, so they have to find McClain a roster spot.

McClain wasn't good at MLB last year, i don't know what you were watching before you made that statement, he has a ton of potential as a pass rusher but looked like a guy who should be cut at MLB. If the Ravens can't figure out what to do with him, McClain might get cut when we are deciding on the final roster. We invested picks in guys like Phillips who should be ready to go this year and Gooden, while Ayenbedejo is a superior STs player and Ellerbe started last year.

[Ngata92NT]

[quote name='justifythegame' date='02 August 2010 - 02:30 PM' timestamp='1280777425' post='443189']
McClain hasn't been outperforming anybody. Like others have said, they are trying to give him reps to find out what to do with him. There are too many OLBs on the roster, Kruger might also stay at OLB another year, so they have to find McClain a roster spot.

[b]McClain wasn't good at MLB last year, i don't know what you were watching before you made that statement,[/b] he has a ton of potential as a pass rusher but looked like a guy who should be cut at MLB. If the Ravens can't figure out what to do with him, McClain might get cut when we are deciding on the final roster. We invested picks in guys like Phillips who should be ready to go this year and Gooden, while Ayenbedejo is a superior STs player and Ellerbe started last year.
[/quote]

That's because I never said that. In fact in my first three sentences I explained the McClain was a non-factor last season.

I'm talking about performance in training camp and the fact that the article I linked to claimed the McClain was taking reps as a starter. I don't know if it's true or not and I never claimed to.

Have you been to any of the training camps? And if you have, are you saying that McClain isn't performing as well as Gooden and Ellerbe? I'm not trying to make an argument in favor of any of them, because I haven't seen them practicing. From last year's performance certainly Ellerbe would be the starter. But who knows what will happen in training camp?

[MKdave]

I'm not going to say that McClain [b]should[/b] be used as a pass rusher, because that would imply I know more than the proffesional coaching staff who see him day in and day out, but I would agree with alot of posters who have been more impressed with him in games when he's played as an outside linebacker, as opposed to in the middle.

[PuRock]

[quote name='Ngata92NT' date='01 August 2010 - 09:30 PM' timestamp='1280712637' post='442566']
Apparently McClain has been getting the reps in practice over both Ellerbe and Gooden. And out-performing both of them! Granted it's just an internet article so I take it worth a grain of salt. But maybe we have another undrafted gem at ILB in McClain. Has anyone who's been to the practices noticed any improvement by McClain? And do you think he will open the season next to Ray?
[/quote]

I can vouch for the part that McClain seems to be paired up on a regular basis with Lewis. But he didn't really do anything to wow! me @ TC.

[Ngata92NT]

[quote name='PuRock' date='02 August 2010 - 03:36 PM' timestamp='1280781416' post='443259']
I can vouch for the part that McClain seems to be paired up on a regular basis with Lewis. But he didn't really do anything to wow! me @ TC.
[/quote]

Did Ellerbe or Gooden outperform him? or were you not "wowed" by any of the guys beside Ray? I'm interested in hearing anything you noticed about Phillips because I haven't really heard anything about him since TC started.

[FlaccoFlicker]

I want to see some preseason games first to see how it all goes but McClain has looked ok in what I have seen.I don't have a clear answer yet but we are stacked at that postition

[PuRock]

[quote name='Ngata92NT' date='02 August 2010 - 05:43 PM' timestamp='1280785388' post='443288']
Did Ellerbe or Gooden outperform him? or were you not "wowed" by any of the guys beside Ray? I'm interested in hearing anything you noticed about Phillips because I haven't really heard anything about him since TC started.
[/quote]

Can't really say that any of those guys outperformed any of the others @ yesterday's camp. I just noticed that McClain took all the snaps with the first teams and lined up with Ray during drills. Ellerbe and Gooden were both practicing with the second squad. I was wondering if they would be cycling these three out (on different days) to see who fits the best with the first team.

Phillips didn't even seem to exist out there? I can't even be certain he was out there yesterday.

[The Raven]

I love a little competition. I've been pulling for Jameel since he got moved to ILB. From what I remember, he plays the run pretty well (he was included in our goalline packages for much of the season), and we all know he can blitz and get pressure. His only concern is coverage, and speed. But, I'm going to assume those have improved.