Random Ravens Thoughts: New Forum Edition

[Rein]

https://twitter.com/pff_ravens/status/1475498654106591239?s=21

Isiah Mack playing really well in the few snaps he received is a great sign. Two sacks (one negated by penalty), multiple pressures and a stout anchor against the run. I believe he could truly be in the mix for playing time next year after our rebuild of the D-line. 

[Boodgyman5220]

2 hours ago, Rein said:

https://twitter.com/pff_ravens/status/1475498654106591239?s=21

Isiah Mack playing really well in the few snaps he received is a great sign. Two sacks (one negated by penalty), multiple pressures and a stout anchor against the run. I believe he could truly be in the mix for playing time next year after our rebuild of the D-line. 

Not very surprised about Jefferson. Seemed like they finally played him to his strengths, up near the line of scrimmage. Surprised wink didn’t have him roaming the deep centerfield like he forced him to in his last stint with us.

[AngusMcFife]

Why do our players keep testing positive for COVID? 

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

12 minutes ago, AngusMcFife said:

Why do our players keep testing positive for COVID? 

My best guess is because despite being vaccinated, there is a major COVID outbreak happening throughout the United States and the NFL. The Omicron variant is insanely more contagious, but not as serious as the others so while they're testing positive, I would suspect most of them aren't showing much symptoms and with the NFL just doing literally nothing to quarantine players or pause the league, it's only going to keep getting worse.

[Ray Reed]

Patrick Queen has looked like a new player since about week 5/6 when they moved him to WLB and put a sturdy veteran ILB presence next to him.

Absolutely imperative the FO finds a guy that can play ILB next to him this offseason. Doesn’t need to be great, just a veteran presence to let Queen do what he does best.

It’s going to be infuriating if the FO and/or coaching staff just assume he can shift over to the regular MIKE position and continue this play next season - they did the same thing this past offseason and he was terrible to start the year at MIKE. They need to learn from their mistake there and maximize Queen’s value to the team.

[AngusMcFife]

39 minutes ago, AFlaccoSeagulls said:

My best guess is because despite being vaccinated, there is a major COVID outbreak happening throughout the United States and the NFL. The Omicron variant is insanely more contagious, but not as serious as the others so while they're testing positive, I would suspect most of them aren't showing much symptoms and with the NFL just doing literally nothing to quarantine players or pause the league, it's only going to keep getting worse.

But shouldn't the Ravens as an organization be taking steps to distance players from each other? Likewise shouldn't the players take it upon themselves to isolate themselves for these last couple weeks as they are making a final playoff push? 

I'm just a little suspicious that the leadership of the Ravens is not impressing upon the players to do everything they can to avoid the virus. (The same leadership who brought back Steve Saunders)

[DreamKid]

3 hours ago, Ray Reed said:

Patrick Queen has looked like a new player since about week 5/6 when they moved him to WLB and put a sturdy veteran ILB presence next to him.

Absolutely imperative the FO finds a guy that can play ILB next to him this offseason. Doesn’t need to be great, just a veteran presence to let Queen do what he does best.

It’s going to be infuriating if the FO and/or coaching staff just assume he can shift over to the regular MIKE position and continue this play next season - they did the same thing this past offseason and he was terrible to start the year at MIKE. They need to learn from their mistake there and maximize Queen’s value to the team.

TBF They did retain LJ Fort. I think his injury is easy to forget among our other bigger name losses, but still significant nonetheless. Obviously we all love Bynes and the savior role he's taken on(twice now) for our LB core, but Fort is a superior and more versatile option- so I can't say we went into TC underserved at the LB position. 

I think the MIKE - WILL stuff can be overblown, his main issue(especially to start 2021) overall is really just consistent tackling and last year he had some coverage lapses. The more general concept of just having that veteran option available/injected I do strongly agree with though. I think it brings a sense of comfort and security to any young core, and at EDGE & ILB in particular their impact can be even more layered than that. 

[DreamKid]

I'm with Lamar on this one. 

 

[Ray Reed]

20 hours ago, DreamKid said:

TBF They did retain LJ Fort. I think his injury is easy to forget among our other bigger name losses, but still significant nonetheless. Obviously we all love Bynes and the savior role he's taken on(twice now) for our LB core, but Fort is a superior and more versatile option- so I can't say we went into TC underserved at the LB position. 

I think the MIKE - WILL stuff can be overblown, his main issue(especially to start 2021) overall is really just consistent tackling and last year he had some coverage lapses. The more general concept of just having that veteran option available/injected I do strongly agree with though. I think it brings a sense of comfort and security to any young core, and at EDGE & ILB in particular their impact can be even more layered than that. 

Yeah I was going to make mention of Fort in my post - I was going to say that relying on a 30+ year old Fort coming off ACL surgery may not be the most prudent move for the veteran presence next to Queen so I’m really hoping they sign someone else

[AngusMcFife]

It just seems like our LBs are constantly underproductive. 

OLBs like Judon and Za'Darius Smith become elite as soon as they leave. 
OLBs like Houston and Yannick underperform when they arrive. 

ILB Kenny Young can't play for us but becomes a functional player for strong defenses on the Rams and Broncos. 

The defensive scheme needs an overhaul so that players can play to their strengths. We finally have a bonafide young edge rusher in Oweh for the first time in years. He needs to have at least 10 sacks per year going forward or its a waste. 

[AngusMcFife]

CJ Mosley could be a post-June 1 cut. 

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

13 hours ago, AngusMcFife said:

It just seems like our LBs are constantly underproductive. 

OLBs like Judon and Za'Darius Smith become elite as soon as they leave. 
OLBs like Houston and Yannick underperform when they arrive. 

ILB Kenny Young can't play for us but becomes a functional player for strong defenses on the Rams and Broncos. 

The defensive scheme needs an overhaul so that players can play to their strengths. We finally have a bonafide young edge rusher in Oweh for the first time in years. He needs to have at least 10 sacks per year going forward or its a waste. 

We don't utilize our OLB's to their strengths, and I feel like that's been known for a while now. I mean, Yannick literally said this himself when he left the team for Oakland:

Quote

“I feel like in Baltimore, I wasn’t utilized the right way. That rotation was kind of ugly for me. Pass rushers need rhythm. You have to have multiple players to set up moves & I felt like I didn’t have that there.”

He goes from a consistent 8-12 sack guy and then his production just plummets when he comes here (3 sacks in 9 games), then goes right back up in Oakland (9 sacks in 15 games). Heck, in the same year we traded for him he had 5 sacks in 6 games with MIN.

Houston was a perennial 8-10 sack guy in KAN/IND and comes here and has 4.5 through 13 games (which might be an indicator that he's just nearing the end of his career, though).

Judon going to NE and becoming instantly elite is very concerning, same with ZDS going to GB and doing the same thing.

On the flip side, Kenny Young always had potential but has been traded away twice now. CJ Mosley went to the Jets and isn't anything special. I feel like there's a lot more evidence that we don't know how to use OLB's vs. ILB's.

Edited December 30, 2021 by AFlaccoSeagulls

[coordinator0]

Well. The defensive coordinators have gone from Mattison to Pagano (one year) to Pees to Martindale. That's not a stellar run of guys known for getting the most out of their edge rushers. Wink gets a lot of hype for him "complex" defensive system... but he definitely doesn't scheme or implement defensive lineups to get pressure with sets that aren't blitzes. 

[baltimoreRebel]

On 12/29/2021 at 10:43 PM, AngusMcFife said:

CJ Mosley could be a post-June 1 cut. 

I just can't see it (I'd love it). He's a dream player opposite of Queen. They compliment each other perfectly. They'd still be eating 17.5 Mil in dead money. We can hope though. 

[DreamKid]

On 12/29/2021 at 4:15 PM, Ray Reed said:

Yeah I was going to make mention of Fort in my post - I was going to say that relying on a 30+ year old Fort coming off ACL surgery may not be the most prudent move for the veteran presence next to Queen so I’m really hoping they sign someone else

I've been curious about this as well. Really sucks for Fort, dude danced around the league as a journeyman for almost all of his 20s and then we he finally hits with us... he gets injured. Will be interesting to see how EDC plays it.