[News] Eisenberg: Future Is Brighter For Ravens Secondary After Offseason Changes

[BR News]

No unit has undergone more changes this offseason than the secondary, but was it enough to translate to on-field success?

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[757RavensFan]

Didn't know Ozzie tried to trade into the end of the 2nd rd to try to get a DB. 

[bioLarzen]

It's amazing how a lot of fans - and sometimes even experts - think this time, season after season, that maybe there are not gonna be injuries the next season... or at lest no key injuries...

There are ALWAYS gonna be injuries - and almost surely some key players amongst them. I'm quite sure the next season is gonna be no exception. NFL is like that. Players go down with injuries every day. So, I guess the wisest is to wait at least until the season comes to assess the strength of the roster. Surely, we at least have a chance to have a very strong roster, that's a good thing. But, just like with every NFL roster, 2-3 key injuries are anough to drastically reduce the roster's strength. Last season we all saw how it looks when it happens. Let's hope the next time it won't happen in this concentration... I would be very happy if no more than 1 key player, and no more than 3 starting players at a time were injured, and the IR never went above 6-7. This is more realistic than hoping for an intact, full strngth roster.

[eek]

Maybe we should look at signing chris culliver for insurance at the vet min

[757RavensFan]

1 minute ago, bioLarzen said:

It's amazing how a lot of fans - and sometimes even experts - think this time, season after season, that maybe there are not gonna be injuries the next season... or at lest no key injuries...

There are ALWAYS gonna be injuries - and almost surely some key players amongst them. I'm quite sure the next season is gonna be no exception. NFL is like that. Players go down with injuries every day. So, I guess the wisest is to wait at least until the season comes to assess the strength of the roster. Surely, we at least have a chance to have a very strong roster, that's a good thing. But, just like with every NFL roster, 2-3 key injuries are anough to drastically reduce the roster's strength. Last season we all saw how it looks when it happens. Let's hope the next time it won't happen in this concentration... I would be very happy if no more than 1 key player, and no more than 3 starting players at a time were injured, and the IR never went above 6-7. This is more realistic than hoping for an intact, full strngth roster.

Couldn't agree more. Prime example, the DBs ALREADY took a hit with Rolle out for the year. Granted he was there for depth purposes, but now he needs to possibly be replaced. 

[ellicottraven]

We'll be fine in the secondary as things stand barring major injuries of course. It couldn't hurt to add a seasoned vet with no injury concerns after TC cuts take place and I think we very well might.

[fluffy201]

We'll be fine in the secondary as things stand barring major injuries of course. It couldn't hurt to add a seasoned vet with no injury concerns after TC cuts take place and I think we very well might.

I'm not sure how we will be fine in the secondary. We only have one proven corner on the roster in Jimmy Smith, and It is not like he is a Revis. Wright had one good year and Davis played well before he got injured which was like two games. Put it like this, unless our d line puts up a ton of sacks I think our secondary will be the same old secondary. Weddle should make things better, but this is a make shift secondary that still needs major work.

[fusuymada]

  22 minutes ago, ellicottraven said:

We'll be fine in the secondary as things stand barring major injuries of course. It couldn't hurt to add a seasoned vet with no injury concerns after TC cuts take place and I think we very well might.

I'm not sure how we will be fine in the secondary. We only have one proven corner on the roster in Jimmy Smith, and It is not like he is a Revis. Wright had one good year and Davis played well before he got injured which was like two games. Put it like this, unless our d line puts up a ton of sacks I think our secondary will be the same old secondary. Weddle should make things better, but this is a make shift secondary that still needs major work.

No doubt, the best Ravens secondaries have been led by a pass rush that could keep the qb moving. Anytime any secondary has to cover more than 3 to 4 seconds, you are asking alot. Our pass rush gave qb's 6,7 and even more seconds to pass which even Revis would have a tough time doing for a whole game. The key to a great secondary is a great pass rush. I very specifically remember the playoff game against New England where Suggs and Lewis had Tom Brady running all over the field and he ended up throwing a bunch of interceptions including one to Carey Williams to end the game. It may have been the 2012 game. Anyway, as great as Brady was, he can't throw from his back. This last super bowl, when Cam had destroyed the league, the Broncos pressure kept him moving and took him out of his game. That secondary looked spectacular, but it was the front line pressure that made them look so good.

[PersianRaven]

The Cowboys were only asking for our 1st rounder and they also wanted our 3rd round pick to swap spots with us and we thought it was too much to do all that and snag Ramsey! I am still BAFFLED. We had 11 picks and losing one for Ramsey would have been worth it.

[eze17]

I agree that the Ravens need to generate a better pass rush. There were too many times last year where we let the opposing QB have way to much time to complete his passes. Hopefully with a healthy Suggs, and the addition of Correa, Kaufusi and Jundon, we do a better job of hurrying the QB.

That said, i'd like to see more competition at CB, but really don't see anyone out there who I think would help. Culliver is not an option in my opinion. Maybe after the June 1st cuts someone will be out there, but i'm not holding my breath that it will be a real dynamic player who will be a game changer. But I think we do need more depth at least.

[rmcjacket23]

39 minutes ago, PersianRaven said:

The Cowboys were only asking for our 1st rounder and they also wanted our 3rd round pick to swap spots with us and we thought it was too much to do all that and snag Ramsey! I am still BAFFLED. We had 11 picks and losing one for Ramsey would have been worth it.

Not all draft picks are created equal.

[Space11jams]

The Cowboys were only asking for our 1st rounder and they also wanted our 3rd round pick to swap spots with us and we thought it was too much to do all that and snag Ramsey! I am still BAFFLED. We had 11 picks and losing one for Ramsey would have been worth it.

i wouldn't have done it either....3rd and 4th rd was tooooo deep with players.....them combined is worth more than ramsey

[bioLarzen]

1 hour ago, eek said:

Maybe we should look at signing chris culliver for insurance at the vet min

You can be sure the FO is continuously monitoring the market. At this point it's too early - there's still a lot of time until the camp... almost 3 full months.

[DenverRaven]

59 minutes ago, PersianRaven said:

The Cowboys were only asking for our 1st rounder and they also wanted our 3rd round pick to swap spots with us and we thought it was too much to do all that and snag Ramsey! I am still BAFFLED. We had 11 picks and losing one for Ramsey would have been worth it.

If we took Ramsey and gave up our third, then we don't have Stanley or Kaufusi, both of whom play more critical positions right now. Ramsey means nothing without a good pass rush.

[TheConquerorWorm]

The problems in our secondary was mainly to blame on two reasons and neither of them is our Corners.

The biggest issue was pass rush. With Suggs down and Dumervil slipping, QBs had all day to pick us apart. I don't care if Revis & Sherman are back there, give a quality QB like Aaron Rodgers time to throw and he will cut them apart.

The second biggest problem was having a Safety & ILB that can't cover. Daryl Smith & Will Hill were good at stopping the run but horrible in coverage. Smith couldn't cover any TE or RB. Eifert, Gates & Barnidge took advantage of DSmith for huge games. Throws to the middle of the field to the TE just destroyed us. And Will Hill gave up too many long touchdowns by getting caught too far up the line of scrimmage and letting WRs get behind him. Torrey Smith, Malcolm Floyd & Doug Baldwin all scored long TDs that wouldn't have happened if Hill was not out of position.

I think the Ravens addressed those needs this past off-season (pass rush is always an on-going problem with every team in the league) the best the could. Weddle makes a HUGE difference. I also believe that bringing in an EXPERIENCED secondary coach will have just as huge of an impact.

[bioLarzen]

1 hour ago, PersianRaven said:

The Cowboys were only asking for our 1st rounder and they also wanted our 3rd round pick to swap spots with us and we thought it was too much to do all that and snag Ramsey! I am still BAFFLED. We had 11 picks and losing one for Ramsey would have been worth it.

Nope, they wanted to swap first rounders PLUS our third rounder. 

 

That said, it would have been a fair trade (at least according to the "standard" TVC) - but apparently Ozzie didn't like Ramsey enough to value him more than a first round plus a third round guy.

 

The future will decide whether he was right or wrong about that.

Edited May 10, 2016 by bioLarzen

[eze17]

Maybe we should look at signing chris culliver for insurance at the vet min

Sorry, I just don't see signing Culliver as improving our team, other than adding another body...I'd wait until the June 1st cuts to see who gets released before going shopping. the Raven's could definately use some depth in the secondary, and I realize we're probably not going to get a game changer, but lets see where the cards fall and not get desperate in our signings.

[bioLarzen]

2 hours ago, 757RavensFan said:

Didn't know Ozzie tried to trade into the end of the 2nd rd to try to get a DB. 

As I recall, they said at the draft end press conference that they tried to trade back into both the second and third rounds, but found no suitors.

[Ravenous_Ravens]

The problems in our secondary was mainly to blame on two reasons and neither of them is our Corners.

The biggest issue was pass rush. With Suggs down and Dumervil slipping, QBs had all day to pick us apart. I don't care if Revis & Sherman are back there, give a quality QB like Aaron Rodgers time to throw and he will cut them apart.

The second biggest problem was having a Safety & ILB that can't cover. Daryl Smith & Will Hill were good at stopping the run but horrible in coverage. Smith couldn't cover any TE or RB. Eifert, Gates & Barnidge took advantage of DSmith for huge games. Throws to the middle of the field to the TE just destroyed us. And Will Hill gave up too many long touchdowns by getting caught too far up the line of scrimmage and letting WRs get behind him. Torrey Smith, Malcolm Floyd & Doug Baldwin all scored long TDs that wouldn't have happened if Hill was not out of position.

I think the Ravens addressed those needs this past off-season (pass rush is always an on-going problem with every team in the league) the best the could. Weddle makes a HUGE difference. I also believe that bringing in an EXPERIENCED secondary coach will have just as huge of an impact.

You summed up the situation perfectly.

Each unit affects the performance of the other units. It may not have worked out great last season but I feel a bit swing in order this season.

Secondary is improved over last season, more experienced, healtier and hopefully hungrier.

Add in new pass rushers up front and the return of key pieces and leaders.

Should be enough defensively to win more than 50% of the close games this season (within a score or less). Offense should be a similar story.

[Ravenous_Ravens]

  2 hours ago, fluffy201 said:

  2 hours ago, ellicottraven said:

We'll be fine in the secondary as things stand barring major injuries of course. It couldn't hurt to add a seasoned vet with no injury concerns after TC cuts take place and I think we very well might.

I'm not sure how we will be fine in the secondary. We only have one proven corner on the roster in Jimmy Smith, and It is not like he is a Revis. Wright had one good year and Davis played well before he got injured which was like two games. Put it like this, unless our d line puts up a ton of sacks I think our secondary will be the same old secondary. Weddle should make things better, but this is a make shift secondary that still needs major work.

No doubt, the best Ravens secondaries have been led by a pass rush that could keep the qb moving. Anytime any secondary has to cover more than 3 to 4 seconds, you are asking alot. Our pass rush gave qb's 6,7 and even more seconds to pass which even Revis would have a tough time doing for a whole game. The key to a great secondary is a great pass rush. I very specifically remember the playoff game against New England where Suggs and Lewis had Tom Brady running all over the field and he ended up throwing a bunch of interceptions including one to Carey Williams to end the game. It may have been the 2012 game. Anyway, as great as Brady was, he can't throw from his back. This last super bowl, when Cam had destroyed the league, the Broncos pressure kept him moving and took him out of his game. That secondary looked spectacular, but it was the front line pressure that made them look so good.

Yep. Football is more a game of balance than many people realize.

Too little pass rush and the secondary has to cover for days on end each play. Too little coverage and the front gets gassed from chasing and not able to get home to the QB.

Ineffective rushing and opponents start teeing off on your QB. Ineffective passing and opponents load the box.

When they are in balance they compliment each other and mask the deficiencies. Opponents see less obvious weaknesses. It's what makes team sports exciting and why super stars by themselves mean little compared to a well oiled machine that is the team.

[Ugly Ball]

The Cowboys were only asking for our 1st rounder and they also wanted our 3rd round pick to swap spots with us and we thought it was too much to do all that and snag Ramsey! I am still BAFFLED. We had 11 picks and losing one for Ramsey would have been worth it.

I'm just hoping we don't look back on this draft as Ozzie's biggest missed chance. Two missed moves that help make the Jags relevant. Keeping our secondary in an underwelming status, while elevating the Jags.

[Crusader]

I sure hope so, I'm so tired of complaining about it. I want to see this offense play with the a decent lead instead of holding their breaths when the defense is out there.

[GENE2407]

What planet are we on here? Our secondary sucks. They got abused by lowly Cleveland, got torched by the Raiders, Bengals, Seattle, SF, Arizona and any other team that dared to throw the ball 40plus times. We had a shot at Ramsey and Myles Jack and passed so we could take the safe pick and a bunch of long-term projects. Sad.

[GENE2407]

  5 hours ago, fusuymada said:

  5 hours ago, fluffy201 said:

  6 hours ago, ellicottraven said:

We'll be fine in the secondary as things stand barring major injuries of course. It couldn't hurt to add a seasoned vet with no injury concerns after TC cuts take place and I think we very well might.

I'm not sure how we will be fine in the secondary. We only have one proven corner on the roster in Jimmy Smith, and It is not like he is a Revis. Wright had one good year and Davis played well before he got injured which was like two games. Put it like this, unless our d line puts up a ton of sacks I think our secondary will be the same old secondary. Weddle should make things better, but this is a make shift secondary that still needs major work.

No doubt, the best Ravens secondaries have been led by a pass rush that could keep the qb moving. Anytime any secondary has to cover more than 3 to 4 seconds, you are asking alot. Our pass rush gave qb's 6,7 and even more seconds to pass which even Revis would have a tough time doing for a whole game. The key to a great secondary is a great pass rush. I very specifically remember the playoff game against New England where Suggs and Lewis had Tom Brady running all over the field and he ended up throwing a bunch of interceptions including one to Carey Williams to end the game. It may have been the 2012 game. Anyway, as great as Brady was, he can't throw from his back. This last super bowl, when Cam had destroyed the league, the Broncos pressure kept him moving and took him out of his game. That secondary looked spectacular, but it was the front line pressure that made them look so good.

Yep. Football is more a game of balance than many people realize.

Too little pass rush and the secondary has to cover for days on end each play. Too little coverage and the front gets gassed from chasing and not able to get home to the QB.

Ineffective rushing and opponents start teeing off on your QB. Ineffective passing and opponents load the box.

When they are in balance they compliment each other and mask the deficiencies. Opponents see less obvious weaknesses. It's what makes team sports exciting and why super stars by themselves mean little compared to a well oiled machine that is the team.

Our secondary is so bad, it was Mississippi-one and the receivers were wide open. No pass rush could help that. Not getting any better this year.

[Moderator 3]

49 minutes ago, GENE2407 said:

Our secondary is so bad, it was Mississippi-one and the receivers were wide open. No pass rush could help that. Not getting any better this year.

On the contrary, it won't matter how open the receivers are if the QB is on his back.

[JimmyBlack]

7 hours ago, PersianRaven said:

The Cowboys were only asking for our 1st rounder and they also wanted our 3rd round pick to swap spots with us and we thought it was too much to do all that and snag Ramsey! I am still BAFFLED. We had 11 picks and losing one for Ramsey would have been worth it.

I'm happy with Stanley as the first round pick. We can't afford to lose Flacco again.

[huntrgathrr]

Our secondary showed a lot of improvement last year. Adding Weddle is HUGE. I think Webb will make a great safety alongside Weddle and Brooks may even beat him out for the second safety spot. Smith and Wright should be fine at the corners. Arrington, Davis or even Yougt will be fine in the slot. This should be a good secondary.
Getting Stanley was critical given the loss of Osemele. We should have a top 5 offensive line again.
Getting Smith and Perriman back healthy while adding Wallace and Chris Moore should give us a great receiving corp. I think Waller may have a breakout year. His size and speed indicate a huge upside. Getting back Gilmore to go with Watson and Williams gives us a strong TE group.
The addition of Correa and Kaufusi will add strength and speed to the LB group. Both will see considerable playing time. We need Arthur Brown to step uo and earn the spot next to Mosely. Hopefully Suggs and Dumervil are healthy and have another year left in the tank. Jernigan, Williams and Guy will form the backbone of a strong D line group. Henry could prove to be a real steal.
Changing the field to grass will hopefully cut down on the injuries which have derailed this team the last 2 years. The Ravens have every reason to expect to return to the playoffs. They have improved much more than the Steelers or the Bengals and Cleveland is anybodies guess.

[ravensnj]

Let's see what the June 1st cuts bring.

[Fastynart]

Stop the presses. "Future is brighter for Ravens secondary". Well, gee it couldn't have been much worse considering the dumb draft choices like Elam made by Newsome. They made no headway since the retirement of Ray Lewis and the aging of Ed Reed. Now maybe they have filled one of those slots, but the stopgap, Daryl Smith, is done, and no replacement is in sight. I like Mosley but he is no Ray Lewis. They had years to get this fixed and did nothing.

[TheConquerorWorm]

What planet are we on here? Our secondary sucks. They got abused by lowly Cleveland, got torched by the Raiders, Bengals, Seattle, SF, Arizona and any other team that dared to throw the ball 40plus times. We had a shot at Ramsey and Myles Jack and passed so we could take the safe pick and a bunch of long-term projects. Sad.

What makes you think Ramsey is so great? the media? his combine #s? Watch the game tape - he has hands like bricks and plays soft - that's why he didn't have the INT numbers. But you think he's a Hall of Famer?

Last time I checked, an elite franchise LT is worth way more than a soft playing Safety.....

Not counting future issues with his knee, who knows if Jack is even the same player after his current knee injury. He hasn't played a down since his significant knee injury last September. Injury aside, he's not a great fit as an ILB - his best position is probably a weakside OLB in a 4-3 defense or an OTTO(Jack) LB with the Jags.