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Can Ravens linebacker Arthur Brown be considered a bust?

The second-year linebacker has not lived up to the expectations the Ravens had when they drafted him.

Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports

It's not a sign of doom that Arthur Brown wasn't a starter. C.J. Mosley was one of the best defensive players in the NFL and Daryl Smith is still playing at a Pro Bowl level. What's scary is how Smith was on the field for over 90 percent of the defense's snaps and that Brown couldn't come on the field and give him a breather, especially considering that Smith might be a cap cut after 2015.

What's frightening is how Brown was a healthy scratch for 12 games in favor of Albert McClellan and Zach Orr, who almost exclusively play on special teams.

Why he was benched for 12 games is concerning. It's wasn't a health issue that's for sure. It can't be that he needs to bulk up — he weighs more than C.J. Mosley, and he should've had the entire time after the 2013 season ended to hit the gym.

This makes me think that it's one of two things. Either he can't understand the defensive playbook, which shouldn't be the case, because he's had it the offseason to study. Or he's landed himself in John Harbaugh's doghouse, which looks like a work ethic problem, and that isn't good.

Considering all that the Ravens invested in Brown, it's not a good thing for him to be a bust, especially when the Ravens already have a member of their 2013 draft struggling.