Sunday, August 2, 2015

RAVENS RELOADED AND RARING TO GO

      The 2015 NFL preseason is only weeks away now, and the Baltimore Ravens appear as ready as they've been in any year in the team's two decade history to contend for a Super Bowl title.  Ravens fans have grown accustomed to post-season success during the Flacco - Harbaugh Era with 6 post-season berths and 11 post-season wins in the last 7 years.  Despite their consistent success, the Ravens often find themselves entrenched in a dense fog of off-season questions and fears from fans and sports journalists leading into Week 1.  For the first time during the Flacco - Harbaugh era, however, that simply isn't the case.
     Only any given year, the Ravens are typically saturated with pro bowlers and promising new talent from the draft.  Baltimore has been a defensive factory, churning out highly sought-after free agents and future hall-of-famers.  Many physically dominant offensive linemen have donned purple and black as well, and that fact has helped Baltimore grind out rushing yards year after year to maintain an identity of a tough, smash mouth, playoff-ready team.  The passing department, by contrast, has always been a source of at least some frustration and uncertainty.  Joe Flacco has helped solidify the Ravens passing attack to an extent, but the revolving door of offensive coordinators and lack of truly elite receiving weapons has kept Baltimore out of the "elite" passing statistical categories....until now.
     For the first time in Ravens history, Baltimore is saturated with offensive weapons and guided by a talented offensive mind within the framework of a tried-and-true offensive system.  Marc Trestman inherited the basic framework of the most productive offense in Ravens history from 2014, but Trestman has more and better weapons with which to work.  Ozzie Newsome appears to have drafted one of the fastest, most explosive receivers this franchise has ever seen in Breshad Perriman, and the most impressive tight end in the 2015 draft with Maxx Williams.  Just to give you reference, Breshad Perriman ran his pro day forty yard dash in 4.25 seconds--that's exactly what Randy Moss ran at his.  If that wasn't enough, the Ravens drafted another solid tight end, Nick Boyle, and a big-bodied wide receiver, Darren Waller, with 4.46 combine forty speed and fantastic hands.  Now add those newbies into the mix with the existing veterans and you have more talent than the Ravens may realistically be able to keep on the active roster. 
     Arguably more important than receiving talent is the crew protecting our fearless QB.  For the first time in Joe Flacco's career the Ravens will be returning their entire starting offensive line from the previous season.  What's more exciting is that last season's offensive line allowed the second fewest sacks in the league behind Denver.  On top of that, players such as James Hurst, Ryan Jensen, and John Urshel give the Ravens depth capable of maintaining continuity in the event that starters become sidelined.  The return to health of the NFL's #2 rated right tackle, Rick Wager, should provide a major boost to the ferocity of this unit as he paired well with Marshal Yanda in run blocking and proved downright elite in pass protection. This group of lineman has thrived in Gary Kubiak's blocking schemes, and we should expect a similarly dominant performance this season.
     Another fantastic beneficiary of the dominant Ravens offensive line is the stable of Ravens running backs.  Justin Forsett led the league in yards per carry in 2014, and amassed nearly 1300 rushing yards on the season.  Some wonder if Forsett can duplicate last season's success in a year that he turns 30, but Forsett has fewer career carries than many other starting running backs aged 25-26.  Even in the event that age and the grind of the season wear on the diminutive scatback, the Ravens have the youthful legs and thunderous size of Lorenzo Taliaferro and Javorius "Buck" Allen on which to rely. 
     On the other side of the ball, the Ravens had numerous questions leading into the off-season regarding a beaten, battered 2014 defensive secondary.  Injuries and uneven performances led to a different cast of starters in the Ravens secondary nearly every week of last season.  Both Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith spent significant chunks of the season injured, and Matt Elam's regression left Will Hill alone as the only quality safety.
      The departure of Corey Graham after the 2013 season also meant a sizable void at the nickel corner position that was never truly filled during 2014.  In 2015, however, the Ravens signed former Patriots corner, Kyle Arrington, and former Texans safety, Kendrick Lewis.  Both still play at a high level and should bring veteran leadership as well as sorely needed ball hawking ability to a Ravens secondary that has lacked significant turnover production since the departure of Ed Reed. Lewis, in fact, had a rather athletic pick off of Joe Flacco on Friday, and he has already taken the reigns as a major leader in the secondary according to Jamison Hensley. Take a look at his interception at practice: KENDRICK LEWIS INTERCEPTION  Ravens fans should feel far more confident this season with Jimmy Smith, Lardarius Webb, and Kyle Arrington as the starting 3 corners along with Kendrick Lewis and Will Hill as the starting safeties. Reports from camp yesterday, in fact, described Arrington as being Steve Smith's tightest competition.  Rashaan Melvin will provide quality depth at corner as he continues to develop his fantastic raw talents, and hopefully Matt Elam will step up and provide solid depth and experience at safety.
     The defensive front 7 should be the strongest unit on the team.  The trade of Haloti Ngata to the Lions shouldn't set the Ravens defensive line back at all considering the outstanding job Timmy Jernigan did filling in for Ngata during his 4 game suspension at the end of last season.  Brandon Williams is one of the best run-stuffing defensive linemen in the league, and statistically the Ravens actually fared better against the run with Ngata off the field last season.  Reports from camp yesterday proclaimed that the defensive line didn't give an inch to the running game, and that only provides further justification for the decision to trade Haloti Ngata and his massive contract to the Lions.  C.J. Mosley should continue his already rapid development into one of the league's best middle linebackers, and Suggs and Dumervil should be able to put up yet another impressive season as one of the league's best pass-rushing tadems.  There were concerns when Suggs arrived two months ago at team headquarters roughly 20-25 pounds overweight.  Those concerns melted away last week when Suggs was first seen stepping out of his car with totally shredded muscles and a tight midsection. 
    Some have labeled me an unflinching optimist in regards to our beloved birds, but year in and year out the Ravens success leaves my optimism comfortably justified.  I am certainly not alone in my unusually high level of optimism for this season as even the likes of Peter King and Teddy Bruschi have proclaimed Baltimore to have the best roster in the league heading into the 2015 regular season.  As far as the rest of the division is concerned, the Bengals can't seem to do any real damage beyond the regular season with Andy Dalton, the Steelers are in serious defensive rebuilding mode, and the Browns are one of the worst organizations in pro football. Beyond the AFC North, the Ravens' biggest non-divisional rival, the Patriots, are in a major state of turmoil with Tom Brady's 4 game suspension recently upheld by Roger Goodell.  It's entirely possibly, however, that his suspension will be reduced or overturned as a part of a court or out-of-court settlement prior to the beginning of the regular season.  Even if we assume Tom plays the entire season, the Patriots have gone through almost a total overhaul of the secondary that helped win the Super Bowl. 
     The Ravens' regular season schedule is by no means easy, but Baltimore's biggest rivals each appear to be facing an uphill battle leading into this season.  No one should crown the Ravens as Super Bowl champs 5 weeks before the season starts, but fans of purple and black have every reason to be excited about 2015.  This, after all, could very well be the most complete team the Ravens have ever fielded.

 PRESEASON BEGINS A WEEK FROM THURSDAY!
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!