Ravens Rookie Wide Receivers Need To Step Up Sunday
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2011 3:00 PM EDT
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With the status of veteran wide receiver Lee Evans up in the air for Sunday's game at the St. Louis Rams, it looks like the Baltimore Ravens' rookie draft picks and perhaps one undrafted free agent might have a chance to prove they deserve to be on the field against the St. Louis Rams. Evans foot is still obviously affecting his mobility and there is a good chance the team will rest him for this game, which should open a spot for someone else to shine opposite Anquan Boldin.
The Ravens drafted Maryland WR Torrey Smith in the second round for his ability to stretch the field and make big plays for the offense. In the fourth round, they took QB Joe Flacco's personal recommendation and selected Indiana WR Tandon Doss, who runs great patterns and has solid hands. Once the undrafted rookie free agents could be signed, the Ravens signed Torrey Smith's Terrapin teammate, WR LaQuan Williams, who impressed the coaches so much with his hustle, determination and play that he made the 53-man roster and has been active for both games so far in 2011.
Not only could Evans miss this game, but WR/KR David Reed has already been ruled out for an injured shoulder, meaning the kickoff returner job is up for grabs. Both Smith and Williams have practiced at that position so one of them appear to be the best bet to return kicks.
While Smith and Doss look to vie for that starting spot with Boldin, the other could expect to see significant playing time on three-receiver sets, although it could also open more reps for tight end Dennis Pitta alongside starter Ed Dickson. While Smith was the higher draft choice and has been active for both games, Doss is thought to be ahead of Smith in terms of grasping the playbook.
However, there is no question the Ravens want Torrey to earn that spot as he is the more dangerous receiver once he gets the ball in his hands, be it on the fly route, slant or WR screen. His speed was the main reason the Ravens selected him just like Doss' hands were the main reason he was drafted. Expect both players to be active Sunday, as well as LaQuan Williams, who is the best of the trio on Special Teams. The one player who impresses the coaches the most might be the one we see more frequently the rest of the way in the 2011 season.
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I hope some one steps up but it all depends on if Flacco trust them or not.
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?-langton Hughes
yeah I agree with Jimmy and Cary shutting down the other teams WR’s, they’ll make anybody rushing the QB look good - Jaz
What kind of bullshit is this trusting stuff, just throw the ball to them.
After last weeks performance it’s the receivers who should be trusting whether Flacco can get the ball to them.
Ready for the Tyrod Taylor era?
by Evan Skev on Sep 21, 2011 9:22 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
What kind of bullshit is this trusting stuff, just throw the ball to them
well shadow if it was that easy then I strongly suggest you try being a widereciever or quarterback
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?-langton Hughes
yeah I agree with Jimmy and Cary shutting down the other teams WR’s, they’ll make anybody rushing the QB look good - Jaz
I’m thinking that if they do have Evans sit, that we’ll see Torrey and Tandon both get their first NFL receptions on Sunday. And with Reed hurt, I wouldn’t be surprised if LaQuan took over on kickoff returns. These 3 rookie WR’s could do so much for the offense and Special Teams. Its just a shame that the lockout hindered their progress early on.
"Is adult entertainment killing our children, or is killing children entertaining adults?"
-Marilyn Manson
by StuckInUtah on Sep 21, 2011 4:04 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Can’t wait to see what the coaches learned from the TN game.
by Evan Skev on Sep 21, 2011 4:27 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Ultimately, any good coach could see his new star WR was hurting and make a more timely change. Now, after a loss, we are going to give the healthy guys a chance. Looks like a very easy day for the Rams D-backfield. 8 in the box again. Rice gets his personal spy. Boldin will be hounded and this game will fall on the shoulders of the TE’s and Cams ability to target them.
,
any good coach could see his new star WR was hurting and make a more timely change
Doing the titans game Lee Evan wasnt in the game for every snap the coaches would rotate the rookies and etc to keep from using him as much.
Looks like a very easy day for the Rams D-backfield. 8 in the box again. Rice gets his personal spy. Boldin will be hounded and this game will fall on the shoulders of the TE’s and Cams ability to target them.
it all depends on how the rookies perform because most of them all have the speed to strecth the field to give Boldin room to do what he does best but if they can’t get open then i guess it be because they rookies and dont know how run route effectively yet. I would also have to say that its the wide receiver coach who suppose to help the young guys get ready more than Cam Cameron himself; the wide receiver coach has more pressure on him than any one else when it comes to the wide outs.
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?-langton Hughes
yeah I agree with Jimmy and Cary shutting down the other teams WR’s, they’ll make anybody rushing the QB look good - Jaz
Cam will have his gameplan set
and it will be a good one. The key will bew, boring plays or unique ones, if Flacco and the o-line and RBs and WRs and TEs do their jobs, he will look like a genius. If they screw up, of course, it will be Cam’s fault.
No, it’s up to the players to make Cam and everyone else look good. Don’t be so quick to blame Cam. This game is on Joe’s shoulders.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2011 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Is it unusual for teams to have only 2 experienced WRs?
As I understand it, the Ravens have only 2 WRs who have played, and the rest are rookies. Considering how often injuries happen, isn’t that a bit risky of a personnel move?
Maybe, but there’s not really a lot of options out there that would improve the team any more than the rookies do. Maybe TJ, but he has attitude issues. For a while there we all thought we might be going into Week 1 with Boldin, Torrey, and Doss. Thank God that wasn’t the case, but they’re going to have to see the field at some point. Better off against the Rams D then the Steelers. If Boldin or Evans were to go down though, I guarantee Ozzie would be on the phone ASAP. He probably already has a plan in place just in case (god forbid) that happens.
Ozzie has a plan, he always does.
"Is adult entertainment killing our children, or is killing children entertaining adults?"
-Marilyn Manson
by StuckInUtah on Sep 21, 2011 6:36 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I honestly wouldnt mind Houshmanzadeh coming back he still a good player and he had a certain type energy/aggressive attitude I like
but lets just hope the young guys can get it together
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?-langton Hughes
yeah I agree with Jimmy and Cary shutting down the other teams WR’s, they’ll make anybody rushing the QB look good - Jaz
No way in hell
he couldn’t even get open against #3 corners. Our WRs struggle enough to get open. Housh is a gigantic pile of garbage at this point in his career.
what are you talking ? I remember several times Houshmanzadeh getting open
on steelers third cornerback in the play offs
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?-langton Hughes
yeah I agree with Jimmy and Cary shutting down the other teams WR’s, they’ll make anybody rushing the QB look good - Jaz
I don't remember him getting open "several" times
maybe a few, but even so that’s only 1 game. He struggled all season long, and then got an attitude even though he was the one under-performing. He was a terrible signing by Ozzie. He doesn’t make a ton of mistakes, but Housh was one. Clayton would have been much better at the #3 WR slot, at least he had decent speed and knew the offense. You saw what he was doing with a competent OC in St. Louis before he got hurt, and that was without Mason and Boldin to take coverage away from him.
I would also like to say Houshmanzadeh wasnt used often in our offense last year
and the way he was used I think it wasn’t to his strength besides he was very new to Cam and to the system as well
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?-langton Hughes
yeah I agree with Jimmy and Cary shutting down the other teams WR’s, they’ll make anybody rushing the QB look good - Jaz
So...such rookies tend to be game-ready?
I’m a hockey guy, so I’m used to rookies rarely being ready for prime-time spots on the roster. Maybe the gap between NFL/college is less than that in NHL/minor-leagues?
i agree. a rookie offensive football player can be worked around. in hockey, your going to touch the puck and have 1 on 1. much more difficult for a rookie hockey player.
It’s also often a lack of physical development that keeps NHL rookies from prime time. Also the fact that the game is equally defensive as offensive necessitates more learning on the hockey players’ part. Not to take anything away from football, I just feel like a WR’s role is a bit less multidimensional than say a center in hockey. Correct me if I’m wrong though, I don’t know that much about football yet.
clarification
*Important to note that what I mean by rookies in hockey are kids coming straight out of college or junior teams.
it can be risky but if the rookies are really good the stress of losing a very good veteran isnt as big. I think the rookies can contribute in a big way but the question is can they do that now or later( meaning next year) ? so far that has not been determine but the rams game should let us know
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?-langton Hughes
yeah I agree with Jimmy and Cary shutting down the other teams WR’s, they’ll make anybody rushing the QB look good - Jaz
just discussion. but to give cam a shove a little, we haven’t really stretched the field in his 4 years. we really haven’t attempted to find that player. going deep is the key to shaking up a stagnant game. 2 good things come from the bomb- catch or penalty. it may not be the highest % play but it makes you much less obvious. sometimes you have to air it out to shake off the lesser opponent although you may feel like you can bread and butter them to death.
we seem to keep young speedsters on the sideline, give them a few chances and then panic and bench/release them when they have a few failures. we tend to jump right back on the boldin, rice horse. give a kid a season on a chance for ounce.
We agree on this… It’s still early this season though… Let’s see if the coaches start giving opportunities
by Evan Skev on Sep 21, 2011 7:12 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Flacco says ...
“You don’t win football games in this league unless you go out there and play to win. You can’t sit back on your heels and just really play not to lose and hope to win football games. You have to play to win football games. If you don’t do that, you are not going to win a lot.”
Are you listening Cam???
"What we've got here is failure to communicate."
by Fandemonium on Sep 22, 2011 7:15 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Cam: So what you’re saying is: if we sit back and hope not to lose, we’re going to win… Okay! Cam Cam likes this gameplan. Hey, that almost rhymes. Hmm, I should call plays that rhyme because that’s fun. That’ll help us win games. Rhymes! Cam Cam to the rescue. Chuh Chuh!
The writer formerly known as This White Man Can Jump; Powah Stached; Bear Killer; Da Dude; The Other Bambino; TJ Dropped The Season; Harbaugh Is My Co-Pilot; Billick's Alter Ego; Mr. Poopy Pants.
okay flacco, do somehting about IT. cam said flacco changes 1/2 the reads at the line. not buying it.
Run Torrey Run
I want to cheer for this kid so bad! I hope he makes some plays this game!
Doss Has To Get Activated First...
before he can even worry about actually playing Sigh
Life is nothing but Beats & Rhymes
This preseason I have to say I was most impressed with T. Doss, whenever they threw the ball to him he went and got it. Tandon should work the slot this week. I think Flacco has a better week.
by Raven_all_day on Sep 21, 2011 8:26 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Agreed. I’m really waiting for Tandon to get his shot. I loved him coming out and Flacco requested him for a reason. He’s a play maker.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
If Lee is out, I like it. Put Pitta outside as a starting receiver, and Boldin on the other side. Let Doss and Dickson work the middle of the field.
The writer formerly known as This White Man Can Jump; Powah Stached; Bear Killer; Da Dude; The Other Bambino; TJ Dropped The Season; Harbaugh Is My Co-Pilot; Billick's Alter Ego; Mr. Poopy Pants.
i don’t know about all this. seems to be a lot in the air heading into an away game. WR and DB are iffy.
funny how two “minor” injuries have put us back to last March. our 2 biggest needs are still just that.
Jimmy Smith and David Reed are eyeing comebacks after the bye week. Jimmy is off crutches but still far from ready.
by Raven_all_day on Sep 21, 2011 10:07 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Anyone notice...
Before Ngatas signing, JJ and Fox got big contracts and haven’t lived up to expectations. I think ozzie notices this as well, atleast I hope he does.
by Raven_all_day on Sep 21, 2011 10:10 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Hard to argue Fox
We’ve discussed/lamented Fox’s contract here before. With a $7.1M cap number this year, he certainly hasn’t lived up to that contract. I honestly don’t see him being back next year (final year of his contract) when his cap number will be $8.3M and the cap hit only $2.7M to cut him.
But JJ is in the final year of his 5-yr contract that averaged $4.3M/yr. Personally, I think he’s lived up to that contract over the past 4 years.
"What we've got here is failure to communicate."
Last yr he was invisible. If he can improve this yr, I will wait for the Kindle take over.
by Raven_all_day on Sep 22, 2011 10:16 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Time to step up?
Uh, yeah. In fact, every player better step up, every minute of every game if we are to be a true Superbowl-caliber team. We’ve got the talent, just play like you want to be a champion! Two games and no need to panic… Go Ravens.
by Smiley4660 on Sep 21, 2011 10:21 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Not sure about that, but if our corners didn’t suck as much we would’ve had a better chance. If they don’t show up this Sunday we will get beat again.
by Raven_all_day on Sep 21, 2011 10:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
At the same time
if our pass rush shows up this Sunday, our corners will be just fine.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 22, 2011 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions
if we are not going to stretch the field more often, on the whole, we are better with Dickson and Pitta on the field together than Boldin and a gimpy Evans. Give me a young 2 TE set and I’m shredding with the outs, slants and surprise fades. Throw Leach out there more often and I’ll take my chances with small ball THAT WAY. Doss needs to be out there. he proved himself in the pre-season.
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