2011 NFL Draft Winners: Baltimore Ravens
by Bruce Raffel on May 2, 2011 10:00 AM EDT
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PrintIt doesn't take a fan of the Baltimore Ravens to realize that the team scored big in the recently completed 2011 NFL Draft. Throughout the league, writers are acknowledging another great job by Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome, Director of Player Personnel, Eric DeCosta, Director of College Scouting Joe Hortiz and of course, head coach John Harbaugh and his staff.
All around our sports blog network, SB Nation, there have been stories mentioning the Ravens as among the teams that were graded out as winners in the draft, as opposed to the teams that appear to be the losers in that their drafts did not address their obvious needs.
The Ravens were thought by most to be in need of a big, physical cornerback and they got one of the best in the draft. Some sites say that had Colorado's Jimmy Smith not be dogged by those over-mentioned "character concerns," he might have been the first cornerback off of the board. That remains to be seen, but it is regularly acknowledged thatt he Ravens got a top-15 talent with the 27th pick in the first round.
Addressing their need for a speedy wide receiver by getting Maryland's Torrey Smith in the second round was critically acclaimed around the league and while Central Florida offensive tackle may not have been a familiar name to most fans, the experts see him as a solid right tackle who should be able to start there in game one of the 2011 season.
Check out two stories that list the Baltimore Ravens as "draft winners" on SB Nation-Indiana as well as Mocking The Draft.
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Definitely a great draft and I am actually glad everybody was bringing up Jimmy’s character so much. There’s no way he falls to us if they don’t and I love this pick the more I watch tape on him. McShay also felt that he will be a great player.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbw6Rlh_u8E
Love the link, thanks. I’m still completely stoked that Jimmy is a Raven. Like you said, his “character issues” actually played right into our hand. Every other team was worried about taking a chance, but here in Baltimore I’m sure our veteran/leader filled locker room will keep him on the right path. Like we end up saying every year after the draft….WAY TO GO OZ!
"Really, all Americans want is cold beer, warm p***y, and someplace to take a s**t with a door on it."
by StuckInUtah on May 2, 2011 10:39 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Love the pick
on the fake FG!
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on May 2, 2011 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions
His recovery speed
on the back end of a play is amazing! That will lead to a lot of picks, as opposing QBs wil think their WR is open byt Smith will recover and get back to make the play.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on May 2, 2011 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions
I really like our class. I would have liked to have seen a pass rusher, but it just didn’t work out in the draft.
That’s not the biggest deal. This is the perfect scenario to sign a veteran free agent pass rusher to a one year contract. That gives us time to see what Kindle is going to contribute. Also, I would say that pass rusher is one of our lesser needs. They addressed our two biggest needs, OT and WR, in the draft. I think Jimmy Smith was more of a BPA pick… and he’ll make our pass rushers look better anyway.
Two guys I think they’ll target in free agency, whenever it begins, are Jason Babin and Mathias Kiwanuka. I think Babin would be the perfect fit. He’s Suggs’ size, could play 3-4 OLB and had a breakout year (12 sacks) with the Titans last year. I think he’d fit our scheme better than Kiwanuka, who is more of a 4-3 DE. He’s not a long-term option since he’s already 30, but I think he could really help us get over this year. Either guy or any veteran FA pass rusher that Ozzie likes would add a good pass rusher to the defense at a minimal cost and would also buy time for the Ravens to figure out their young pass rushers like Kindle and Kruger.
Don’t forget about Pagano’s new approach to our defense also as a way of improvement. Alot of times last year, we weren’t complaining about the talent of our pass rush but rather how it was being used with Mattison. Three man pass rushes all the time which costs us games in my opinion (New England in particular).
We have some legit pass rushers here, they just need to be used correctly. We know what Suggs and Ngata can do. I am optimistic that Kindle is on the right track to getting healthy, Kruger is still progressing and hopefully JJ can bounce back because he will obviously be the starter again.
With Jimmy Smith AND Foxworth being with us for next season, that allows for Pagano to go all out on the blitzes, alot of people aren’t realizing this. A pass rush is only as good as the CB’s covering and the CB’s coverage is only as good as the pass rush in front of them. I won’t be surprised if we see 40 sacks from the group we have now for next year.
Real G's move in silence like lasagna
Pagano already said we are going to blitz more, which makes the Jimmy pick all the more important. All in all, I think we did an excellent job. If we can get Kindle back, he’s another rookie on the team, who makes us not taking an OLB practicaly irrelevant. I feel we’ll target a true pass rusher whenever free agency begins. I am psyched to see what these new guys bring to the table.
I completely agree with this. Sacks are more about scheme than talent. The Jets don’t have elite pass rushers on their defense, but Ryan’s scheme is so aggressive that it forces the pressure and sacks. Obviously, talent helps. The Steelers’ defense is a good example of good talent in a good scheme. I also believe that we have the talent… Suggs, Johnson and Ngata with our young developing guys like Kindle, Kruger and McClain have more than enough talent to put the pressure on the QB.
What we really need is 1) a scheme that’s commited to the blitz and 2) corners that can hold up in man coverage. I believe that our corner situation was adequate, especially with Foxworth coming back, before the draft. Jimmy Smith really helps. I think just about everyone would tell you that most of our players are a poor fit in a base, coverage defense. I believe our guys fit best in an aggressive defense, specifically a hybrid defense. The main question is regarding Pagano’s scheme… Is his scheme going to use our talent correctly? I believe that he will. I like what I’ve heard from him, but I suppose that remains to be seen.
That being said, I still think a veteran FA pass rusher could really help… If only to add depth and experience.
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