The good news: rookie class

[Poes Crows]

Everyone knows the 2013 Ravens are going to field a team Decimated of Starters from 2012. It's a reality. A reality realists must face. One can be optimistic and optimism is a great thing, so here's a little optimism, but let's not let optimism blind us to the Mountain Climb looming just over the horizon.

 

John Simon - Acquired in the 4th round he was a Collegiate Menace. I've watched all of his game film highlights and he's gotten much quicker off the ball. He's a strong sonofagun and he can bolster the pass rush. Smart young man too. Articulate and intellectually engaged. You gotta like him.

 

The Harvard Kid - 4th Round. Word is the Raven's Defense pushed him all over the place in practice and Suggs called for Vonta Leach's return as a direct result. (How much of it was Sizzle being Sizzle is your call.)  But he can run routes and has great hands. He can block, granted most of those blocks were Ivy League.  He's sneaky fast and not easy to bring down.

 

Arthur Brown- He isn't Ray Lewis. He's not going to instill fear in the offenses, but he is quick and fast. You can't hit in the NFL anymore like Ray Lewis use to hit in the NFL. It draws Girly Flags from the League Instructed Referees. The League doesn't want Football played with all the pending Lawsuits. But what Jones can do is stick with a tight end over the middle and get on the running back that comes out late for a pass.  He should fit right in with the new Put Your Skirts on Girls NFL.

[SeaHawk]

Matt Elam, Arthur Brown, Brandon Williams... three rookies to be very thankful for having and to feel blessed with. Also, lets not forget having a healthy Suggs/Ngata, and a recovering Webb. And that's just defense, and doesn't even begin to touch on our excellent rotation on the D-Line. Offensively, we should feel blessed to have Ed Dickson, who will help soften the blow of losing Pitta, and a great backfield. And let's not forget the O Coordinator, Jim Caldwell. Let's be thankful for having a coach who is willing to scheme around his players, instead of against his players, and for having someone who actually mixes things up and allows audibles.

[beasy2487]

Matt Elam, Brandon Williams, Chris Canty, Elvis Dumervil?

[Cville-Raven]

Not even a single freaking mention of Matt Elam

[izvoodoo]

Matt Elam has me more excited than any pick we've had since Sergio Kindle

[Sami84]

there were only 3 times i was certain we had a superstar in the draft(s). JO, Ed and Suggs.

 

Everyone else to me was promise. I wasn't even sure about ray or Ngata.

[SeaHawk]

Not even a single freaking mention of Matt Elam

 

Hey man, I mentioned Elam haha... Elam is going to be huge for us.

[SeaHawk]

there were only 3 times i was certain we had a superstar in the draft(s). JO, Ed and Suggs.

 

Everyone else to me was promise. I wasn't even sure about ray or Ngata.

 

I fully believe that, while hard work paid off for all the players that have come through here and done excellent, that Lewis and Ngata's greatness are direct products of their intense drive and determination to be the best at what they do/did. Lewis wasn't the most athletic coming out of college, and had size "disadvantages" according to the "experts", but the most underrated attribute/trait carried him big time and made him the best ever, and that trait is desire to be the best.

[xxhighriser]

im ready to see an elite defense again

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

No mention of Elam or Williams? Really??

 

It's a thread about being excited for our rookies and John Simon gets the first mention? I mean, I understand and think hes gonna be a good player for us in the future, but I doubt he'll get many snaps this year with being behind Suggs, Dumervil, and Upshaw.

 

I am very excited for Elam. The kid just screams Raven to me... the way he looks, the way he hits, the smarts to negotiate his deal himself. Sounds like hes doing well in coverage and we already know hes a freight train.

 

And Williams just seems like the kind of guy who will go on to have a long, underrated career. He wont get much mention, but he just gonna do the dirty work eating up blocks to free up everyone else. Only the team he plays for will know how much he means. Maybe im expecting too much but personally I hope that's the way things turn out for him, bc he seems like a really good kid who deserves some success.

[beasy2487]

No mention of Elam or Williams? Really??

 

It's a thread about being excited for our rookies and John Simon gets the first mention? I mean, I understand and think hes gonna be a good player for us in the future, but I doubt he'll get many snaps this year with being behind Suggs, Dumervil, and Upshaw.

 

I am very excited for Elam. The kid just screams Raven to me... the way he looks, the way he hits, the smarts to negotiate his deal himself. Sounds like hes doing well in coverage and we already know hes a freight train.

 

And Williams just seems like the kind of guy who will go on to have a long, underrated career. He wont get much mention, but he just gonna do the dirty work eating up blocks to free up everyone else. Only the team he plays for will know how much he means. Maybe im expecting too much but personally I hope that's the way things turn out for him, bc he seems like a really good kid who deserves some success.

 

If Williams can be a Kelly Gregg clone, which is pretty much what you've described, we've struck gold.

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

If Williams can be a Kelly Gregg clone, which is pretty much what you've described, we've struck gold.

 

Exactly what I was thinking as I wrote it. Also Cory Redding comes to mind, slightly different role but similar in attitude and understated contribution

[hawkprey]

I think UDFA Will Pericak has started to make a name for himself in camp. He could be solid depth at DE for us.

Him, Moe Lee, and Matt Furstenburg, added to our 10 draft picks, makes for a lot of good competition and better depth than we've ever had. There isn't enough room for them all, even if Lewis-Moore goes on IR as expected.

[rmw10]

I think UDFA Will Pericak has started to make a name for himself in camp. He could be solid depth at DE for us.

Him, Moe Lee, and Matt Furstenburg, added to our 10 draft picks, makes for a lot of good competition and better depth than we've ever had. There isn't enough room for them all, even if Lewis-Moore goes on IR as expected.

 

Pericak and Lee are likely heading to the practice squad.  Even with stellar play, there's so much depth in front of them that they don't have much of a shot.  It happens every year.

 

In the future though, I can see both guys being productive for us.

[beasy2487]

I think UDFA Will Pericak has started to make a name for himself in camp. He could be solid depth at DE for us.

Him, Moe Lee, and Matt Furstenburg, added to our 10 draft picks, makes for a lot of good competition and better depth than we've ever had. There isn't enough room for them all, even if Lewis-Moore goes on IR as expected.

 

Great point about Pericak. Ngata mentions his name pretty much every time he gets a chance. I love how pumped our D-line is about their potential. Perfect mix of veteran leadership and youth. You've got veterans you can respect because they've been there (Suggs, Ngata, and Canty), others that you can respect because of their pedigree and their hunger for a championship (Dumervil, Spears), younger guys with a lot to prove (Cody, Upshaw, McPhee) and rookies with crazy upside and awesome work ethic (Williams, Pericak). Ozzie isn't a personnel guy he's a freaking composer. Mozart with a depth chart.

[hawkprey]

Pericak and Lee are likely heading to the practice squad.  Even with stellar play, there's so much depth in front of them that they don't have much of a shot.  It happens every year.

 

In the future though, I can see both guys being productive for us.

Well maybe now that everyone's hitting IR there will be room after all.

[redrum52]

Matt Elam has me more excited than any pick we've had since Sergio Kindle

I really think if not for the accident we never would've needed Dumervil, cause we would have had that rusher we were looking for. I think Kindle could've developed into one of the next great olbs. Regardless, Upshaw has taken that spot and I feel this draft could go down as one of the greatest in Ravens history. I think Elam, Brown and Williams all develop into pro bowl caliber players, with Simon and Lewis-Moore becoming solid role players.

[msufan]

Man I completely forgot about Lewis-Moore can't wait for him to get healthy.

[Clutch Ravens]

I still find it hilarious that people are concerned about the number of defensive starters we lost from last season.

 

We also had Suggs injured, Webb out and Ngata nicked up for most of the season. Then you can factor in that the starters we lost made up arguably the worst defense in the history of this franchise.

 

This team is better than last years.