Tuesday Ravens links: Improved defensive line, speedy Terrence Brooks

The Ravens have taken a defensive tackle in the first three rounds of each of the last two drafts.

The organization has long been a fan of having a two-deep worth of starting talent on the defensive line, mainly because it's a position group the Ravens rotate quite a bit on Sundays.

But as The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec notes, there could be another issue at play. Haloti Ngata is 30 and Chris Canty is 31, and by taking Brandon Williams in 2013, with Timmy Jernigan and Brent Urban this year, the Ravens could be preparing for life down the road without those two defensive linemen.

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One luxury the Ravens will have in the back end by drafting Terrence Brooks is speed, and lots of it.

Brooks was the fastest safety at the NFL combine, posting a 4.42 40-yard-dash. Brooks has the range and ability to cover over the top, something the Ravens missed last season in their first year without Ed Reed.

CSNBatlimore.com's Clifton Brown writes about why the Ravens are excited by a player of Brooks' caliber.

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With reports out there that the Ravens would have offered Michael Sam a free-agent deal if he went undrafted, Russell Street Report's Mike Fast wonders what the reaction would've been if Baltimore in fact drafted him.