Improving The Ravens' Pass Rush Through Free Agency
by Bruce Raffel on May 2, 2011 6:00 AM EDT
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With the 2011 NFL Draft over and the the Baltimore Ravens getting better at virtually every position, one area of concern remains to be address. The Ravens pass rush was perhaps its most glaring weakness in 2010, with a lowly 27 sacks last season. The domino effect of the lack of quarterback pressure means that the secondary has to wrok harder and more importantly longer in order to cover the opposing receivers. In the NFL, someone is going to get open if you give the QB too much time to wait and pick apart a defense, regardless of who the cornerback is.
Since the Ravens felt they got better value in the guys they selected rather than reaching for the pass rusher who might have been on the board when their pick came up, they must now either hope both Paul Kruger improves by leaps and bounds and the injured Sergio Kindle recovers in time to be the pass rushing menace he was expected to be when the Ravens made him their first draft choice in 2010.
The only other option is to try to find that complement to Terrell Suggs through free agency, once the Collective Bargaining Agreement is finally settled. Let's take a look at a few pass rushers who might be able to be targeted by the Ravens.
The biggest name available out there who has been productive rushing the quarterback is former Minnesota Vikings DE Ray Edwards. Edwards (6'5", 268 pounds) has sacked the QB at least eight times in each of the past two years and is only 26 years old, two years younger than Suggs.
Charles Johnson (6'2", 275 pounds), former defensive end for the Carolina Panthers, had 11.5 sacks in 2010, and will only be 25 years old by the time the 2011 season starts.
Former Detroit Lions DE Cliff Avril (6'3", 260 pounds) had 8.5 sacks in 2010, had at least five sacks in his three years in the league and just turned 25 years old.
New York Giants defensive end, Mathias Kiwanuka (6'5", 265 pounds) only played four game slast year due to injury, but notched four sacks and has been a steady performer in the prior four years and is 28 years old.
Perhaps one of the more interesting free agent defensive ends could be formr Tennessee Titans Jason Babin. Babin (6'3", 260 pounds) may be 30 years old but he was one of the league leaders with 12.5 sacks last year.
The problem with all of these guys might be that they all weigh in the 260 pound range, on the light side for a 3-4 defensive end, but perfect for the 4-3 defense. While the Ravens defense is hard to pin down to one scheme or the other, they like to employ four linebackers and three defensive linemen, with the fourth pass rusher coming from one of their LB positions.
However, any of these guys would be solid contributors in obvious pass rush situations and now that the draft is over and their options in undrafted free agents are limited, veteran free agency will be their next step in improving the pass rush and filling out their roster.
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I do believe all of them are too small and would only work if we did end up switching to a 4-3. I think we will have to end up drafting our eventual starting 3-4 end we are looking for.I just hope Kindle can come back and that should really help the pass rush along with Pagano being more aggressive. We potentially can have the best D in the league if Cody turns into the monster I know he will eventually become, we can get Kindle back and Jimmy turns out to be that lock down CB we drafted him to be. If those things happen this defense could be scary good next season along with Flacco and some of his new weapons. Football needs to hurry up.
Don't necessarily agree with the too small to play in a 3-4 thing
Both Ray Edwards and Jason Babin can play “big enough” to be effective in those pass rushing situations and are athletic enough., based on their pas rushing success, to fend off those huge OT’s.
Either would be an upgrade.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on May 2, 2011 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions
they all sound too expensive
aren’t there any aging vets that can give us six sacks and contain the run
Basically
We need what Trevor Pryce was after his first monster season with us, say years 2-3, but before he wore down and had to be cut.
Honestly I think that Redding could fill that role now that he’s finally adjusted to playing in a 3-4; he’d spend his entire career in the 4-3 before signing with us. Add to that Jones hopefully getting some playing time and McPhee who could add some pocket pushing power and we might have a serviceable pass-rush in house for our D-line.
Now on the outside we either need to have Kindle come back and not really miss a step or grab a guy who can be a pass rushing specialist off Free Agency. Though I still think we should give McClain another shot on the outside as he was a college DE, between Ellerbe, Gooden, Brenden, and Jason Phillips we have enough depth at MLB spot to let McClain go back to the outside.
I can still remember the two safeties he got his rookie year as he started getting into the mix…
A Ravens fan on the wrong side of the country!!
by Christopher Atwood on May 2, 2011 7:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Redding is big and strong but
doesn’t have that explosive first step to rush the passer like we need. These guys, and you see I like Edwards and Babin, have proved they do.
aka 'Rexx'
Most of those guys would fit better for a 4-3 defense.
I thought we needed an OLB fill in for JJ on passing downs. We should bring Antwan Barnes back and give him another shot. He’s a speed demon and is great getting QB pressure. He’d be pretty cheap too. He also knows the terminology already so coming out of a lock out he’d be more ready to step in than other FAs.
If there’s a player that can contribute to our pass rush for the right price, then I know Ozzie will land him. But personally I feel like we already have the pieces we need, even if Kindle doesn’t make his debut this year.
Kruger is coming off of a year where he had to learn a new position
Gregg’s knee has had the time it needed to fully heal
Cody is developing into the monster we all know he can be & this is the year he does it
Redding was hitting his peak in the later end of last season, and just has to carry it over
Ngata ……do I really even need to say anything
Suggs looks like he’s back to his old form, and with some help he’ll only get better
Pagano plans on sending the heat, hopefully no more 3 man blitzes on passing downs
"Really, all Americans want is cold beer, warm p***y, and someplace to take a s**t with a door on it."
Agreed with everything, especially Kruger. The people who are ready to write them off are morons.
Real G's move in silence like lasagna
Look
If Kruger blows up, I will be the first to admit I was wrong -happened before, will happen again. But I believe he has maxed out, the Ravens have tried to make him into something he isn’t, and I have been told he is going to be shopped around.
He’s been at his new position ONE year. At least give him one more before saying he will be “shopped around.” And shopped around for what? Who will replace him, considering the dearth of pass rushers on this team already?
He’s been at his new position ONE year. At least give him one more before saying he will be "shopped around."
Exactly. Why are so many people ready to give up on a player after 2 years? Ask nearly any coach in the NFL, and they will tell you that besides QB, playing in the trenches from college to the NFL is the toughest transition of any position.
Real G's move in silence like lasagna
Kruger was a 4-3 end in college for two years (didn’t he start at QB before going on his mission?). Played one year for us at OLB. Last year as a 3-4 End.
He’s been moved around a lot. While I know that’s an excuse, we should give him one more year and see if he can find a productive role on this team.
His was a pretty good talent in college and we’ve already invested a lot in him. I’d hate to see another team benefit from all the hard work he’s put in with us.
We could use some extra depth.
Behind Ngata and Redding, there really isn’t much. Hopefully Kruger and Jones develop, but I still think we could sign a guy like Bannan to solidify our d-line rotation. I imagine that McPhee, while getting his contract, will end up being a guy that gets strategically IR’d.
I have full faith that Krugar,Reddings, and Kindle(if he healthy can get done .
I also like to say dont sleep on Pernell Mcphee he had five sacks in college before for his team but in his senior year his sacks drop because he was used all over the defense in diferent position other then defensive end. I think he probably could play outside linebacker but that remains to be seen at this point
They are all pass rushing OLBs in a 3-4
with the exception of Charles Johnson IMO. They could all play in a Cam Wake type role where they arent required to drop into coverage much and wouldnt be relied to do much against the run, but that would have to be as a ROLB where Suggs already plays. Sure, Suggs could play LOLB instead of JJ if we got one of these guys but that would be a waste of his pass rushing talent as he wouldn’t be rushing anywhere near as much. These guys are also likely to be too expensive with the possible exception of Kiwi given his injury.
Kiwi would be the best fit in a 3-4 as he played 4-3 OLB early in his career so he wouldn’t be a total liability in coverage/against the run
Don't be so quick to label the Ravens defense as a striaght 3-4
They’re as fluid a defense as there is in the league, and like the Jets, move players around constantly until the ball is snapped, so we could plug any of those DE’s in and still get the job done. Those guys are athletic and tough and have proved they can get to the QB.
aka 'Rexx'
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