Edwin Mulitalo’s tricep injury has left the Ravens paper thin at the interior offensive line. Now holding down the three positions inside of the tackles are: Messrs. Brown, Flynn, Vincent and Chester. Brown has played in 10 NFL games and has started 1. Chester has yet to be activated for a NFL game plus he’s never even played an entire season on the offensive line at the collegiate level.
The others, Flynn and Vincent have been criticized unmercifully by the fans and to a lesser extent by the media.
The weak link in the chain just got weaker.
Time for another leap of faith?
Going into this season, the Ravens failure to address the inadequacies of the offensive line bordered on arrogance. They collectively determined that through conditioning, cohesiveness and experience the unit would deliver better results in 2006. They were so confident that they drafted a promising prospect in Chris Chester who by their own barometer isn’t ready to contribute just yet.
So if my math is spot on, that’s five offensive line positions, seven players, one who isn’t ready and another that can’t play on the right side (Adam Terry).
And they spent how much on Steve McNair?
A bit like adding a built-in swimming pool to a trailer park home in West Virginia, ain’t it?
Now the Ravens are in a position where they are forced to play Jason Brown. Not that that is a bad thing, it just leaves them very, very thin at O-Line. But maybe forcing the Ravens’ hand is for the best. This is a team that is reluctant to practice what they preach. Brian Billick campaigns for a leap of faith from the fans yet Billick seems to have little faith in some of their younger players and that is something that has to wear on a keen talent evaluator like Eric DeCosta.
Casey Rabach, the Ravens’ 2001 third round pick, had started only 7 career games up to the time Mike Flynn was injured in training camp in 2004. Is there any doubt which of the two the Ravens would prefer at this point? Had they taken an earlier leap with Rabach, might they have refrained from making Mike Flynn a wealthy man?
If Ray Lewis had not been injured in 2005, would we be as familiar with Bart Scott? Would he even be a Raven today or worse another ex-Raven gone to Cleveland?
The Ravens have long been lauded for their ability to find and draft top shelf talent in the first round. Outside of an obvious reach with Kyle Boller, the only first round blemish on Ozzie’s resume as the talent Grand Poobah of the Ravens is Travis Taylor. That’s not too shabby!
But when it comes to second and third round picks, the Ravens are either missing or for some unexplained reason there’s a disjoint between the talent evaluators and the coaching staff.
How many of you are wondering when Dan Cody will take the field? How about David Pittman, the man pegged back in April to be the Ravens nickel back?
Terrell Suggs had a bad hamstring and on Sunday, he played like a player trying to protect his hamstring. So why play him at all? Why risk further injury when a guy like Cody is sitting on the sidelines in street clothes? Isn’t the 53rd pick in last year’s draft worthy of back up status for a game? And don’t say that he doesn’t contribute on special teams because Suggs doesn’t either.
Where’s the leap of faith?
Consider the following players and their respective levels of activity since becoming members of the Baltimore Ravens:
|
Player
|
GP
|
GS
|
GI
|
Drafted
|
|
Chris Chester
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
2006, Round 2, 56th Player Selected
|
|
David Pittman
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
2006, Round 3, 87th Player Selected
|
|
Dan Cody
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
2005, Round 2, 53rd Player Selected
|
|
Adam Terry
|
11
|
0
|
9
|
2005, Round 2, 64th Player Selected
|
|
Dwan Edwards
|
18
|
1
|
19
|
2004, Round 2, 51st Player Selected
|
|
Devard Darling
|
14
|
0
|
12
|
2004, Round 3, 82nd Player Selected
|
|
TOTALS
|
43
|
1
|
52
|
|
GP: Games Played
GS: Games Started
GI: Games Inactive
I’m sure that he wouldn’t admit it publicly but this inactivity of first day draft picks has to gnaw away at Eric DeCosta. And if it doesn’t does this suggest that the Ravens are as bad in the second and third round of the draft as they are good in the first?
Sometimes you just have to trust each other. Offensive linemen have to trust the players alongside them and the coaches have to trust the scouts that deliver the players who suit up for them. The Ravens reluctance to play these players is a bit concerning.
After such a productive pre-season, why isn’t another former third round pick Musa Smith seeing more snaps?
Are the coaches sticking with the veterans because they have job security issues and the vets are a safer bet?
I’m not sure.
Those sipping the Koolaid will say that the team is 4-0 and that’s all that matters.
I agree – for now!
But there are a few cracks in that 4-0 wall and another was added on Sunday with the loss of Mulitalo.
Maybe it’s time to give some of these young players a shot so that when they are called upon they aren’t so green. Maybe it’s time for Billick to believe in the talent the scouts have spent endless hours delivering to him.
Maybe it’s time Coach practices what he’s preached?
