In Baltimore Dean Pees is a synonym for “scapegoat”. But is that really fair?
Critics will argue that Pees’ style clashes with the traditional defensive style of the Ravens, which in its own way is a synonym for “organized chaos”. Remember those days?
It’s not as though Pees wouldn’t want to reinstall that attacking mentality. Those who are close to the team and are familiar with the Ravens defensive coordinator consistently sing his praises and credit him for being a tremendous student of the game.
To borrow a bit from an old statement of Bill Parcells, “Don’t fault the cook when the ingredients aren’t what they used to be.”
THE HEAD HONCHO
We haven’t heard from Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti thus far during the debacle that has become the Ravens 2015 season. He’ll sit back and continue to let the season unfold but make no mistake about it he is seething and if the Ravens ineptness continues, he’ll demand answers and hold the coaching staff and personnel department accountable. Expect some changes to the coaching staff, and no, Chuck Pagano will not return to Baltimore as the new DC.
Back to Bisciotti, he’s a quietly passionate owner and he doesn’t suffer underachievement well. Self-made billionaires rarely do. And let’s face it, 2015 has hurt his brand and perhaps the Forbes valuation of his team.
SPEAKING OF FORBES
We often hear how the Ravens aren’t the same since the departures of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed following the Super Bowl XLVII championship. How could they be? The Ravens “Batman & Robin” represented a once in a lifetime pairing – two players who were talented overachievers (think about that description) who were also leaders, both rallying their respective units to put in the extra work to study film.
Who does that now? Who could do that now?
Is anyone in the Ravens locker room capable of being a leader much less one like Ray or Ed?
Forbes defines leadership this way…
“A process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.”
To influence, a player must first be a good enough to command respect and secondly such players should possess a take-charge personality. Steve Smith is a leader but he will soon ride off into the sunset. Joe Flacco isn’t that guy. Could you see him coordinating a team trip to Hawaii as part of a bonding effort the way Russell Wilson did for the Seattle Seahawks?
Lardarius Webb has exhibited leadership qualities but a player who misses so much time due to injury misses an opportunity to establish his leadership.
The Ravens challenges are many at the moment.
Finding their defacto leader is among those challenges.
CAP JAIL
Many believe that the Ravens will shed a ton of dead cap dollars and become players in the free agent market in 2016. Not so fast. RSR’s Brian McFarland contributed an excellent piece this week describing the Ravens 2016 cap picture – and it’s not a pretty one, marked with many challenges. Check it out HERE.
TRAY WALKER
During the 2005 NFL Draft the Ravens used the 87th overall pick to select CB David Pittman out of Northwestern State. They vowed at the time not to never again take a corner without experience against big school competition that early in the draft. Yet in 2009 they used the 88th overall pick to select Lardarius Webb from Nicholls State.
Webb they said was different. He brought a moxie lacking in Pittman plus he had experience against the big schools when he played at Southern Miss. Outside of his injuries Webb has been worthy of the pick.
During the 2015 NFL Draft the Ravens again reached into the small school bag to select another corner, Tray Walker from Texas Southern. At the time the pick seemed like a bit of a reach as most analysts viewed Walker as a project. Apparently that’s true, after all how do you explain the Ravens scouring through the dumpster fire of NFL corners to sign Shareece Wright and not assigning the snaps to Walker?
Perhaps the biggest rub from the Walker pick stems from the Ravens passing on WR Stefon Diggs. Diggs would have provided a spark in the return game and now that he’s broken into the Minnesota Vikings starting lineup he is producing as an NFL receiver. In his very first start against the Kansas City Chiefs, the 6’0″, 191-pound Diggs caught 7 balls for 129 yards.
To put that in perspective Marlon Brown and Michael Campanaro combined, have 119 yards receiving in 2015.
LONDON TOWN FOR RAVENS?
If the current standings hold the AFC North last place Ravens will travel to face the AFC South last place Jaguars during the 2016 season. And as they are today, the Jaguars are frequent visitors to Wembley Stadium in London.
For all of you who like to travel with the team, get your passports ready!
NOTE: For those wondering, by virtue of their lease with the Maryland Stadium Authority the Baltimore Ravens are not permitted to play a home game anywhere other than M&T Bank Stadium.
