Ravens News 5/21: Playoff predictions, OT proposal and more

2019 NFL predictions: A way-too-early look at who’ll be division winners and playoff teams - Jason La Canfora

AFC Wild Cards

Kansas City and Baltimore.

Baltimore’s offense should be totally transformed, they won’t be silly about how much they ask Lamar Jackson to do too soon, and while the pass rush will suffer they may have the best secondary in football. Love the coaching staff. They’ll pick up where they left off.

1 under-the-radar move to love from each NFL team this offseason - Christian D’Andrea

Baltimore Ravens

Re-signed QB Robert Griffin III (two years, $4 million)

Lamar Jackson averaged 17 carries per start as a rookie, so making sure the Ravens have a veteran backup was a priority this spring. Who better than the man who lived the cautionary tale of what taking unnecessary abuse can do to a budding young mobile quarterback? RGIII has already served as a valuable mentor for Jackson, and now he’ll serve the same role for the next two years while making less than one-ninth what Joe Flacco will.

Is Former Ravens Defensive Tackle Haloti Ngata A Hall Of Famer? - Bo Smolka

Ngata doesn’t present the slam-dunk case of first-ballot choices Lewis or Reed, but given his longevity, his five Pro Bowl appearances and his role in the Ravens’ tradition of defensive dominance that helped secure a second Super Bowl title for the franchise, Ngata “deserves some Hall of Fame consideration,” says longtime Baltimore sportscaster and Hall of Fame voter Scott Garceau.

“It was so easy to have a Haloti in front of you, because he just dominated the offensive line’s attention,” said former Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain, who played with Ngata for six years. “Not just the offensive line, but he dominated the offensive coordinator’s attention. You had to prepare for where he was and what he could do.”

Ngata could one day end up on a very crowded ballot alongside former Ravens teammates Terrell Suggs and Marshal Yanda, among others.

”I think it’s a way-above-average career that deserves some Hall of Fame consideration,” Garceau said. “My quick take without really getting in and digging is, maybe hall of the very good, maybe not a Hall of Famer.

New NFL overtime rules: Explaining the OT format change proposal - Todd Haislop

Below is the proposal by Kansas City; it would amend Rule 16 (overtime procedures) in the league’s rule book.

Allow both teams the opportunity to possess the ball at least one time in overtime, even if the first team to possess the ball in overtime scores a touchdown.

Eliminate overtime for preseason.

Eliminate overtime coin toss so that winner of initial coin toss to begin game may choose whether to kick or receive, or which goal to defend.