We’ve all heard the NFL has morphed into a predominantly passing league.
League personnel executives are now building their rosters on both sides of the football to address the trend.
On offense road grading linemen aren’t the flavor of the month. Instead teams seek athleticism and technicians who can pass protect. Tight ends are now built more like small forwards and they are being asked to challenge the foot speed of safeties. Desirable wide receivers must be tall and fast.
On defense, getting to the quarterback is key and that requires speed off the edges. Linebackers must possess good cover skills. Safeties that are thumpers but fall short when asked to shadow receivers are now considered dinosaurs. And today, teams don’t need 2 solid corners – they need three.
But why is there such a hurry to be like everyone else?
Why do the Ravens have to unleash their inner-Patriots?
Wouldn’t it make sense to buck the trend (no Showalter pun intended) and do just the opposite? If linebackers are now South Beach Diet customers, doesn’t it stand to reason that offenses should run at the lighter LB’s (pun intended)?
And this all brings me back to the Ravens of course who just so happen to have one of the game’s best players in Ray Rice and the game’s best fullback in Vonta Leach. Why not physically beat up DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer on the ground today and destroy their will to compete?
It doesn’t mean that Joe Flacco and Cam Cameron can’t attack the perimeter through the air but why play into Dallas’ defensive strength?
Why not make them take away an underutilized strength of the Ravens?
When you’ve got a gun, why engage in a bow and arrow fight?
