After the Ravens down season a lot of the focus has been on their recent draft struggles. For a team that has garnered a reputation as one of the most savvy front offices in football, it’s fair to say that Ozzie Newsome and company have been in a bit of a funk.
Recently though, another unfamiliar trend has emerged not around current Ravens players, but rather former ones. Early to mid-round draft picks that didn’t meet expectations in Baltimore are now faring better elsewhere. It’s a strange course for a team that for the longest time found players that were cast-offs elsewhere, and seemed to thrive once they arrived, not left.
Tony Lombardi recently pointed out how the Ravens gave up far too quickly on John Simon, and he’s right. After appearing to land a steal in the fourth round, a player who was highly praised by scouts and respected Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, for whatever reason, fell out of favor with the Ravens. Simon is not a Pro Bowl player, but he is a solid one. He finished his 2015 campaign with five sacks. For a team like the Ravens that has the need for pass rusher at the top of their 2016 draft list, he’s probably a player they wish they hadn’t tried to hide on their practice squad.
Jah Reid is another example. Reid struggled to find a regular role with the Ravens after being selected in the third round of the 2011 draft. He was released following last year’s training camp, and he caught on with the Kansas City Chiefs. After latching on to a starting role, Reid was credited with being a key part of Kansas City’s turnaround after a 1-5 start. The Chiefs rewarded him with three year extension in December. He struggled in the Chiefs’ playoff loss to the Patriots but appears to have found a home in Kansas City.
A popular story that keeps popping up on Ravens websites in recent weeks is the revival of Michael Oher. Oher was generally competent in his time with the Ravens, but he never lived up to the expectations of his first round selection. He often frustrated fans with his frequent and ill-timed false starts, and most fans seemed to have a feeling of indifference when he left. After struggling for a year in Tennessee, he was released and it looked like a wise decision to let him walk following his four years with the Ravens.
It’s not surprising that Oher struggled in Tennessee, though. The Titans have recently held a close second to the Browns as one of the most dysfunctional organizations in football. They change coaches and GM’s on what seems like an annual basis and are regularly picking in the top five on draft day.
Since arriving in Carolina and signing a two year, $7 million dollar contract, Oher has thrived. He played in every game this season and has received high praise from Cam Newton, Ron Rivera and general manager Dave Gettleman. “I know everyone killed me on that one,” Gettleman told the Charlotte Observer. “Michael has been a huge boost to us. He’s settled it down.” The Ravens meanwhile are in flux once again at the left tackle position. Kelechi Osemele will probably price his way out of Baltimore and Eugene Monroe should have the word fragile on the back of his jersey instead of his last name.
2015 was a challenging year for the Ravens. There were an unheard amount of injuries and absurd amount of close losses. One of the weirdest things about this past year though was seeing former Ravens that the front office let walk thriving elsewhere. For a team that has always been great at knowing when to say goodbye to players, and finding treasure among other teams trash, it may have been the oddest thing that happened in a year filled with its fair share of strange situations.
