If you called Ozzie Newsome the best General Manager in football before the draft, you were probably right. After making another perfect pick in round two, Newsome solidified that he is not only the smartest in the league, but he knows where players are going every pick, every round.
Newsome decided he wanted to make a move on his player, and he did just that! He moved up seven picks and traded with the Seattle Seahawks to grab the player the Ravens coveted most, Arthur Brown, the linebacker from Kansas State.
I had previously written that the Ravens should have jumped on Brown in the first round, so you could imagine how loud I yelled when I saw Ozzie move up. It was obvious that he was going to take the young stud, and he did. Brilliant.
Brown will fill a hole left by Dannell Ellerbe, and he will do it very well. He is fast, he shoots gaps with the best of them, and provides much needed pass coverage help in the middle.
This move might be the end of the short Rolando McClain era. McClain was arrested just a week after he was signed, and I find it hard to believe that John Harbaugh will want him around to be a distraction in the locker room.
If McClain can’t stay on the team, Josh Bynes better be ready to step up. Bynes showed some flashes last season in his little time, and he could compete with Brown in camp for the second spot.
I can’t stress enough how happy you should be with the pick of Brown in the second round. He was the best available player on the board, and Ozzie Newsome jumped.
A week ago, Arthur Brown probably didn’t think much about Rolando McClain’s arrest. Now however, he may just be the person that benefits most.
