Ravens Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees has been the target of criticism during the 2014 season – and with good reason. But he isn’t solely responsible for the secondary’s horrific performance this campaign, one that has earned them the NFL’s 31st ranking.
Sharing in the blame, and there’s really no way around it, is the Ravens Teflon Don, Ozzie Newsome.
Newsome has been steadfast in his modus operandi and often chirps credos like “best player available” and “right player, right price”. And while those credos have led to solid business practices and a well-earned reputation as one of the league’s elite GM’s, Ozzie is in a slump.
Consider these alarming facts:
- Since the 2008 NFL Draft the Ravens have selected only 1 Pro Bowl player.
- The players drafted from 2009-2013 with picks 1 and 2 have included:
- 2013: Elam, A. Brown
- 2012: Upshaw, Osemele
- 2011: J. Smith, T. Smith
- 2010: Kindle, T. Cody
- 2009: Oher, Kruger
- Only 2 WR’s have been selected on Day 2 (or earlier) of the NFL Draft since 2006 – Torrey Smith and Yamon Figurs
- Only 1 CB has been selected on Day 2 or earlier during the last 5 NFL Drafts
In this day and age of the modern NFL, with each passing week (pun intended), it has grown increasingly obvious that the NFL doesn’t want a league dominated by defense. They prefer a less physical league that flags even the slightest acts of aggression by defenders to the point that they become gun shy, sometimes even passive.
Here’s something to think about. During their dominant defensive season in 2000 when they yielded 247.9 yards per game, the Ravens were the second-best defense when grading by average yards allowed per game. Tennessee was No. 1 with 238.3 yards.
This season the Ravens are ranked 16th overall giving up 360.2 yards per game which in 2000 would equate to the league’s second worst defense.
The league doesn’t really want a 2000 Ravens defense again. Instead they prefer to feature their fair-haired signal callers.
Quarterbacks take shorter drops these days and get the ball out in a hurry to swift receivers with top-end change of direction skills or difficult-to-defend height. The league has morphed into a glorified arena league and as such it practically begs clubs to prioritize skill positions that enhance a team’s ability to advance the ball by air or defend such advancements.
Times they are a-changing…
But are the Ravens?
Why Ozzie hasn’t adapted or at least modified the parameters of Best Player Available is a mystery.
How many times have we heard Ozzie say, “You can’t have enough good corners” yet he opted to give money to Jacoby Jones instead of Corey Graham. Which player would you rather have right now?
Nevermind, rhetorical question…
Since the summer I’ve had my iPod stuck on replay and the song it has played is, “Secondary is a Primary Concern!”
The Ravens went to the fire dumpster with the hopes of dusting the ashes off a few blemished defenders including Aaron Ross and Dominique Franks. They banked on the health of Jimmy Smith, Lardarius Webb and Asa Jackson, three players who would never be mistaken for NFL iron men.
The Ravens also flirted with the idea of bringing in Brandon Flowers who eventually signed a 1-year, $3M deal with the Chargers. In case you are keeping score Graham grades out as the league’s 8th best corner while Flowers comes in at 5th according to Pro Football Focus.
Emmanuel Sanders would have looked nice in purple and black. He signed a 3-year, $15M deal with the Broncos. The Ravens opted instead for Steve Smith for 3-years, $11M and while Smith has clearly been a positive signing he clearly lacks the upside of Sanders.
Defenders of Ozzie’s moves might argue that the Ravens were a bit handcuffed this offseason given their cap constraints. But aren’t those constraints at least partly on Ozzie?
It seems that the Ravens fall in love with their draft picks and overpay players like Haloti Ngata, Ray Rice, Webb and arguably Joe Flacco, in part because they wait too long to re-sign the guys that they envision as part of their long-range plans.
Waiting too long gives players and their agents negotiating leverage.
Soon the Ravens might risk the same with players like Pernell McPhee, Torrey Smith and Kelechi Osemele.
It’s not 2000 anymore.
It’s time for the Ravens to adapt otherwise the playoffs may continue to pass them by.
