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According to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com, we might be seeing a lot more of veteran cornerback Lardarius Webb at the safety position.
Expect more Lardarius Webb at safety going forward. It's a very interesting move.
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) November 16, 2015
Ryan is right, it is an interesting move for a team that is doing everything it can to search for answers to it's failing secondary. Lardarius Webb has been moved all over the field this season, seeing time as the outside corner, inside/slot corner and now even a little bit of safety. FilmStudy noted it best:
Biggest change Sunday was Webb to cover-2 safety for a number of snaps with K Lewis lined up opposite slot receiver on some plays. @Ravens
— Ken McKusick (@FilmstudyRavens) November 16, 2015
With the Ravens hurting at the cornerback spot more than anywhere right now, you might be questioning the move to take a veteran and stable corner and push him out of that position in favor of someone with less experience and not playing as well. But when you think about it, it makes sense.
The Ravens have routinely said that they want to stop the big plays from happening this season and as games have wore on, it is apparent that a few big plays are part of what has doomed the Ravens to their current 2-7 record. Even though the Ravens are thin at cornerback, they have fare more inside corners that can play Webb's latest position than they do outside corner where Jimmy Smith and Shareece Wright have been lining up. Having Webb playing back a bit could be the answer to settle things down in the secondary enough to begin putting wins together.
It could also be the natural progression for Webb. As time and injuries have taken their toll on him, he has lost a bit of the speed that made him such a weapon in his earlier days. However, he still has the experience and ball hawking skills necessary to play the safety position as we saw with his interception on Sunday that snapped the Ravens 21 quarter streak without a turnover. Kendrick Lewis has been a disappointment for the Ravens thus far and in turn, Will Hill has been asked to play a variety of positions and styles to make up the difference. With Webb playing more of a free safety, Hill can go back to big hits and playing the strong safety spot that fits him so well.
Only time will tell, but the Ravens clearly are trying anything and everything they can at this point. If Webb doesn't work out back there, expect Brandon Williams to be our next safety since he's been doing so well for the defense.