In the NFL, if speed kills, then slow leads to a fast death. With so many offenses showing read-option looks and spread formations while becoming more pass-happy overall, inside linebackers have to be able to cover a lot of ground. Although brute force is still needed in certain situations, the days of thumpers being able to stay on the field without being exposed are dwindling. Last year, the Ravens paid the price for not having enough athleticism on the field. Being able to defend stretch runs, iso patterns against tight … Continue reading →

The NFL Draft is over. So much work, and then — poof — it’s over. Below are some thoughts about the Ravens and the overall draft. It’s my “top 10″ of sorts. 1. The three-day format (first round on Thursday, second and third rounds on Friday and rounds 4-7 on Saturday) was scary when it first came out. Now I am over it and think three days is fine, but you either start the draft earlier on Thursday — say, at 7 p.m. — or move the event to a … Continue reading →

Towson wide receiver Gerrard Sheppard was all smiles when his phone rang and it was the Ravens on the other end. After going undrafted, the 6’2″ 215 lb Maryland native (Owings Mills) was ecstatic when the Ravens wanted to add him to their roster. “It was a dream come true. I was born and raised in Baltimore and to play for my hometown I felt nothing but great feelings inside. I look forward to working my butt off every day to show them I deserve to be a part of … Continue reading →

Now that the draft has come and gone, former Raven and current free agent left tackle Bryant McKinnie is expected to find himself a new employer shortly. NFL Network’s Jeff Darlington reports that McKinnie is on his way to Miami to visit the Dolphins today. For the past few weeks, the Dolphins have been trying to work out a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for their eft tackle, Glen Burnie’s own Brandon Albert. With the two sides unable to agree on compensation, they did not strike a deal this … Continue reading →

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and the rest of his front office evaluators – including Eric DeCosta, Joe Hortiz and head coach John Harbaugh – have essentially turned the draft into child’s play. As the majority of fans become uninterested in later rounds of the draft, for Ozzie & Co. they’re almost so good at it that it becomes like stealing candy from a baby. It’ll take three years to gain a good grasp on just how well the Ravens drafted this past weekend, but that doesn’t mean that the … Continue reading →

In case you missed the introduction to “April Madness: Ozzie’s greatest late-round picks and undrafted signings,” click here. Click here for part 2. Before I get into Boh’s and my selections, we’d like to point out a few things we took into consideration when picking winners: 1. The Recent Success Bias – guys who have performed really well within the past year or two may trigger an exaggerated opinion of their career as a whole. 2. The Super Bowl Run Hero Bias – this really only applies to a few guys, … Continue reading →

The Baltimore Ravens rounded out their portion of the 2013 NFL Draft by selecting Elon wide receiver Aaron Mellette and California cornerback Marc Anthony. Depth was needed at both positions, and neither position was addressed prior to the seventh round, so this doesn’t come as a surprise. Mellette’s availability in the seventh round was a bit shocking, as the 6’2 receiver caught 97 passess for 1,398 yards and 18 touchdowns. The level of competition may have inflated his stats; however, he did catch 11 passes for 180 yards and a … Continue reading →

The Baltimore Ravens continued to add depth to the trenches in the sixth round of the draft on Saturday, selecting Notre Dame defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore and Colorado State-Pueblo offensive linemen Ryan Jensen. Coming from the talented Notre Dame defense, Lewis-Moore was a talented defensive tackle who recorded six sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. He figures to fit in as a defensive end along the Baltimore 3-4 front. Lewis-Moore’s services aren’t expected to be needed anytime soon, though, as he tore his ACL in the BCS National Championship game … Continue reading →

The Baltimore Ravens used their lone fifth-round pick on Wisconsin offensive tackle Ricky Wagner. With depth and talent at offensive tackle a concern for the team entering the draft, it was expected that the team would address the need at some point. Coming from the offensive linemen-producing college of Wisconsin, Wagner has a high pedigree; however, he isn’t as talented as his predecessors. While he played left tackle for the Badgers, he figures to convert to right tackle or either guard in the NFL. Wagner has good size, being listed … Continue reading →

With back-to-back selections in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft on Saturday, the Baltimore Ravens selected Ohio State outside linebacker John Simon and Harvard fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The selection of Juszczyk is rather unsurprising, as the Ravens were rumored to have had serious interest in him. He’s a versatile offensive weapon who played mainly fullback for the Crimson, but is also capable of being a receiving threat, mainly in an h-back role. Essentially, he was drafted by the team to be Vonta Leach’s backup (and possible heir), as … Continue reading →

Leading up to the draft we heard a lot of talk that teams were interested in Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o. The Minnesota Vikings loved him, but they better trade above the Chicago Bears because he’s not getting past them at 20. Even the Baltimore Ravens raved about Te’o during their pre-draft press conference. I tried to tell people that press conference has been called the “liars luncheon” for years but people wanted to take Ozzie and company at their word. All of this talking was, in the end, just … Continue reading →

So Day 2 is in the books at the NFL Draft. After selecting Matt Elam, the safety from Florida in round 2, Ozzie and company were ready to address the other needs of the team on day 2…and boy did they do just that. The Ravens moved up in the second round and selected – OK I admit it…they selected my man-crush of the 2013 draft, ARTHUR BROWN, LB from Kansas State. If you have read anything I have written on the draft over the past three months you know what … Continue reading →

The Baltimore Ravens used the 94th overall pick on Missouri Southern State defensive tackle Brandon Williams. While the Ravens have spent the offseason upgrading and revamping the front seven, nose tackle has been a position that hasn’t been attended to. Haloti Ngata will likely assume full-time nose tackle duties next season, but the team lacked talent behind him. With Terrence Cody as Ngata’s backup in the middle of the defensive front, the team needed to add some depth. The addition of Williams not only fills the need at nose tackle, … Continue reading →