Matthew D. Elam

[pep_meister]

Is his once promising career coming to an end? I went back and was looking at his highlights and film and see so much potential...even going back to 2013 where he was calling out MEGATRON... the whole #eatgreedy thing.... he had a swagger about him as a rookie and flashed potential... what is wrong this year? Is it a mental issue or do you think he can't physically hack the NFL? 

 

just listen to the commentary at the beginning... everything he isn't anymore. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rREjDTpTedE

[ravensnick]

Is his once promising career coming to an end? I went back and was looking at his highlights and film and see so much potential... even going back to 2013 where he was calling out MEGATRON... the whole #eatgreedy thing.... he had a swagger about him as a rookie and flashed potential... what is wrong this year? Is it a mental issue or do you think he can't physically hack the NFL?

 

just listen to the commentary at the beginning... everything he isn't anymore.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rREjDTpTedE

At little early to say a player not done his secondyear is done, but he has not looked good at all.

[rmw10]

He's simply not very good right now.  I was hopeful that a return to his natural SS role would show off his skill set, but that hasn't happened.  I won't call a guy that hasn't completed 2 full years a bust yet, but he's heading in that direction.  I've seen very few instances of a guy that looks like he knows what he's doing out there.  He looks lost way too often.

[Alaska Alaska!]

I'm starting to think in today's NFL, fans are asking too much from young players.  We don't even allow time for rookie QBs to develop without labeling them a bust. 

[ravensnick]

I'm starting to think in today's NFL, fans are asking too much from young players.  We don't even allow time for rookie QBs to develop without labeling them a bust. 

I mean, look at the rook bust of recent:

 

Geno smith: how can he not be a bust?

 

EJ Manuel: still time to right the ship but not much.

[Sami84]

He had 2 flashes in his rookie sesson but aside from that.... Utter garbage

[Bltravens]

Part of the problem is they're not even using him properly still.  They're using him in the nickel for the majority of his snaps for some unknown reason.  Playing straight up man coverage.  That's not what he's good at.  Its like using Polamalu in man coverage.  Elam needs to be attacking down hill and playing shell zones.  Its not really a coincidence that really the only game we've been impressed was the Detroit game last year when Pees used him as an actual SS.

[Tru11]

elam reminds me off oher.

 

doing what the team is asking from him without complaining but never getting the chance to actually settle and learn a position.

 

today he seemed to have drawn man cov on eddie royal.

 

there arent many safeties in the NFL that can cover slot wrs well , so im really wondering what made the ravens think this 2nd year guy could do it lol.

 

last week he was covering slot wrs as well as he was going man to man on colston.

 

i guess its lack of depth and for the better of the team but its really hurting his progression.

[MTRavensFan]

oh, boy, you know you're in for a tongue-lashing when Mama calls you by your full name...

[H8R]

The fundamentals are just soo bad that it's really hard to see him as a game-changing safety... He doesn't really do anything well... He's lost in coverage, misses lots of tackle in pass and runs defense. He's just not at a point where he should be a starter! I think it speaks to our lack of quality depth at safety that he's getting significant reps.

[Free Agent]

Elam isnt there yet mentally. His failure to grasp the game thus far explains his frequent breakdowns in coverage. He has the athleticism to succeed, but he hasn't backed up his physical ability with a full grasp of the mental side of things just yet. I'm holding out hope he'll simply be a late bloomer, a la Jimmy Smith, once he understands coverages and the other mental aspects of the game. Maybe, hopefully, next season.

[Dewy101]

He's been bad but so is the entire 2013 class of safeties they've all been horrible so far in their careers.

[H8R]

Jimmy wasn't a late bloomer IMO, he was and is often injured so he had limited game reps, so that limited his experience. ELAM has had a good bit of game experience Nd he doesn't seem to be improving

[Gordo52]

Agreed with rmw and Bltravens.

He hasn't looked good. He's playing man coverage vs slot receivers as a NB too often and hasn't fared well. I don't know if he'd be any better purely as SS though. There's gotta be a reason why Pees keeps lining him up at NB and having Brooks/Miles back there. Elams flaws appear to be bigger than the position he's playing. He still can't tackle properly and his instincts are garbage.

[blazeon32]

Another dumb player with the IQ of a brick. Sorry, he stinks. Keep picking those dumb players Ozzie.

[ravensnick]

He's been bad but so is the entire 2013 class of safeties they've all been horrible so far in their careers.

Reid and Vaccaro have been terrible? Top Pro Bowl Level Player (and one has already been to one).

[ravensnick]

Another dumb player with the IQ of a brick. Sorry, he stinks. Keep picking those dumb players Ozzie.

Who else is like that? seriously 

[Dewy101]

Reid and Vaccaro have been terrible? Top Pro Bowl Level Player (and one has already been to one).

Vaccaro believe it or not is the worst safety in the NFL according to PFF and he was pretty bad against us last week. Of course Reid made the pro bowl, It's fan voting and he was the third Earl Thomas and Kam C were the two above him. His play on the field has been up and down. He's given up more TDs than Elam has.

[Tru11]

Reid and Vaccaro have been terrible? Top Pro Bowl Level Player (and one has already been to one).

 

think vaccaro is tied with him in missed tackles lol.

 

but vaccaro does play alot of NB like Elam so maybe its the position that is killing them.

[Dfence4champs2052]

Unless he's used solely in run support I don't see him getting much better. He's just awful in coverage for any amount of time period.

[ravensnick]

think vaccaro is tied with him in missed tackles lol.

 

but vaccaro does play alot of NB like Elam so maybe its the position that is killing them.

 

think vaccaro is tied with him in missed tackles lol.

 

but vaccaro does play alot of NB like Elam so maybe its the position that is killing them.

Well this could be a sign. Maybe it will take so time for these players to turn it around.

[gabefergy]

The only reason Elam is on the team still is because he was a first round pick. He's one of the worst DBs in the NFL.

[allblackraven]

Probably a victim of general problems in our secondary. Still too early too make a definitive opinion but I can see some validity in people calling him out. We should be able to expect more from a first round pick.

[Ravenatic20]

He stops playing before the whistle blows.  He's soft at times, does not "play like a Raven," not really a hard hitter.  I won't go into his coverage ability right now.

 

Several times today another defender started to tackle a SD player and Elam just stood right next to the play and did nothing.  He didn't help wrap up.  In one play the offensive player broke free from the defender when Elam was just watching, and gianed another 5+ yards.  If he helped wrap up in the place...

[gabefergy]

The problem with Elam is he is extremely limited in what he can on the field. We are trying to use him more on run downs close to the line of scrimmage, but if a pass is dialed up he is a liability. He doesn't have the range to play deep and his instincts are poor, so he really can't be trusted to play safety unless it's just in the box, but to make matters worse he has been a poor tackler as well.

 

What does he do well? Maybe it's too early to completely give up on him, but for every nice play he makes there are 5 bad ones.

[gabefergy]

He stops playing before the whistle blows.  He's soft at times, does not "play like a Raven," not really a hard hitter.  I won't go into his coverage ability right now.

 

Several times today another defender started to tackle a SD player and Elam just stood right next to the play and did nothing.  He didn't help wrap up.  In one play the offensive player broke free from the defender when Elam was just watching, and gianed another 5+ yards.  If he helped wrap up in the place...

 I noticed on a play where he was blitzing he just stopped once the RB tried to block him. He literally gave up.

[rmw10]

The problem with Elam is he is extremely limited in what he can on the field. We are trying to use him more on run downs close to the line of scrimmage, but if a pass is dialed up he is a liability. He doesn't have the range to play deep and his instincts are poor, so he really can't be trusted to play safety unless it's just in the box, but to make matters worse he has been a poor tackler as well.

 

What does he do well? Maybe it's too early to completely give up on him, but for every nice play he makes there are 5 bad ones.

 

That's the issue I'm having with him.  I haven't seen any area where he actually looks good.  He looks like a liability in nearly everything that he does.  The only thing he does well is come downfield, but again, as you said, he can't tackle so that skill is negated.

[tolucaraven]

He is truly awful and confused. He tackles WRs running downfield without the ball...does he think it wont be seen? He Dropped an int on the final drive. One of the worst draft picks outside of Boller, Ozzie has made.

[K-Dog]

Probably a victim of general problems in our secondary. Still too early too make a definitive opinion but I can see some validity in people calling him out. We should be able to expect more from a first round pick.

THIS.

 

I am the usually the last guy to jump on the "Bust / cut him " bandwagon, but I gotta admit, quite a few times I threw my hands in the air and yelled MAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaT !!! " at the TV.

[Dubs]

He reminds me of the CJ2K(1K) version of a Safety...he always wants to make the big play and never just plays within his role or just smartly. For example he loves going for the strip and in doing so gets carried for several yards to just misses.

 

Physically he has everything you could ask for...and somehow he still has swagger..even today he was shaking his finger after a pass deflection he made after several holding calls on him...This is my only silver lining. He still has confidence in himself and his abilities so time will tell in this regard--I remember Jimmy not having anywhere near this confidence when he was in his first couple of years and struggling