Ravens News 8/5: AFCN delusions, Reed’s bust and more

Cowboys must pay Ezekiel Elliott; Ravens starting a revolution? - Bucky Brooks

The Ravens’ revolutionary idea

“I can see what they’re doing,” a former NFL defensive coordinator told me. “By utilizing a college offense around a running quarterback, they can corner the market on all of the athletic quarterbacks in college football. ... It is similar to how the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots used to have access to all of the undersized defensive ends and rush linebackers because they were the only teams running the 3-4. If Baltimore can successfully make this transition, they will be able to snag all of the Deshaun Watsons, Lamar Jacksons and Kyler Murrays in the college game. ... It really could expand their quarterback pool.”

They could build teams that are balanced from a personnel standpoint, with multiple players sharing the responsibility of carrying the team, instead of leaning on the franchise quarterback and a handful of stars. ... You could probably build a better overall team. I just don’t know if you can win a championship with a runner at QB1.”

Measuring Steelers, Browns, Ravens delusions - John Steigerwald

In case you’ve forgotten, the Baltimore Ravens are the champions of the AFC North.

They won it by going 6-1 in their last seven games while the Steelers were throwing up all over themselves, losing four of their last six.

Steelers fans and quite a few in the media like to dismiss the Ravens because they have a running quarterback and their coach, John Harbaugh, said he plans to revolutionize NFL offenses with Lamar Jackson.

Here’s what Harbaugh told ESPN: “We’re probably doing iPhone 1 now. We have a whole new idea. It’s not that there is anything new in there, concept-wise, that has never been done in football before. But the way we put it together, to me, is unique and different.”

If you like the NFL, you should be rooting for unique and different. There sure hasn’t been a lot of that going around lately.

News & Notes: Robert Griffin III Finding Ways to Work Around Hand Injury - Clifton Brown

Robert Griffin III has been unable to participate in practice reps since fracturing a bone in his throwing hand during the Ravens’ practice at M&T Bank Stadium. However, Griffin has been a noticeable presence on the field, standing behind the quarterbacks and mimicking their footwork and timing during drills.

“RGIII comes out here in full pads, and he goes through every read, every play, the mechanics of it,” Harbaugh said. “He’s probably getting more work in than if he was playing, in lot of ways. I give him a lot of credit for that. He’s a pro, and he’s doing a great job.”

2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction: Champ Bailey’s plea, Ed Reed’s bust, Tony Gonzalez’s record and more - John Breech

Ed Reed

Before we get to Reed’s speech, we have to talk about his bust, and that’s because it might go down as the best Hall of Fame bust of all-time.

After getting over the shock of just how good his bust was, Reed started his speech and he used it to basically touch on every topic that’s important to him. Reed thanked nearly everyone in his life from his family to his friends to his former teammates to his barbers (and yes, that’s barbers with an “s,” apparently Reed has two barbers).

Like Law, Reed also had a pretty powerful closing to his speech. The former Ravens safety encouraged everyone to keep encouraging each other.

”Everyone has their own greatness and you reach your own greatness depends on your environment, your structure, the company you keep and your attitude,” Reed said. “There will be good and bad, right and wrong. Your reaction of choice -- good or bad -- has consequences that affects you and those around you. No matter what, encourage those around you and yourself.”