In an expected move following the signing of T.J. Houshmanzadeh, the Ravens have traded former first round selection Mark Clayton to the Rams for a late-round draft choice. This leaves Baltimore without a possible solid slot receiver and with a trio of strong possession receivers with their top receiver spots while Donte Stallworth recovers and can possibly become the downfield threat the Ravens hope he can be. I understand why it was done, but I also can’t help but think that Clayton was never properly utilized in this offense, one that forced him to play as an outside receiver for his entire career while he was so clearly better suited to play in the slot. It also gives the Ravens with 4 top receivers either approaching or beyond 30 years of age, which raises questions about durability over the course of a season. READ MORE >>>
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Position: Safety Analysis: Six time Pro Bowler. AP Defensive Player of the Year (2004). USA Today All-Decade Team member. 13 career defensive touchdowns. What can you say about Ed Reed to a Ravens fan that they don’t already know? The future hall of fame safety has earned his nickname, the ball hawk, in his 9 seasons in the National Football League. READ MORE >>> This final round of roster cuts got the Ravens down to their requisite 53, not including their practice squad moves, but there were casualties that will give this team a very different look than in past seasons. The drama of Troy Smith is now officially behind this team, and he is welcome now to look in Cleveland or anywhere else for a potential starting job down the road. The hope and disappointment that followed the enigmatic Demetrius Williams through years of injuries and ineffectiveness is also over after failing to impress even when the Ravens were devoid of receivers. On the other hand, receivers Marcus Smith and Justin Harper (the latter on the practice squad) still remain a couple years after flashing just enough talent to make them late-round and free agent pickups of this team. I wanted to take a moment to look at these moves and more as the Ravens gear up for Week 1. READ MORE >>> Position: Cornerback Analysis: Chris Carr was signed by the Baltimore Ravens prior to the 2009 season to add depth in the secondary and to be the primary punt returner, a role he excelled in during his time with the Tennessee Titans. Carr performance with the Ravens in 2009 was a disappointment. Early in the season he was tentative in the return game and soft in coverage. As the season progressed Carr was more decisive returning kicks, but contributed few big plays. Carr also saw more time at corner as the season wore on. Injuries to Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb ultimately forced Carr into the starting line-up on defense. Carr turned in his best defensive performance in the play-off win at New England, but he left fans craving for better play after an up and down year. READ MORE >>> The Baltimore Ravens trimmed their roster to 53 players today, and now the wait for the Monday night opener with the New York Jets begins in earnest. Heading into training camp there were relatively few positions unsettled for the Ravens, but that does not mean that the final roster moves did not contain some surprises. It started with the trade of Antwan Barnes, announced earlier today, and then continued with the cuts of a few players that seemed like they would be part of the final 53. Most surprising of the cuts were K Shayne Graham, and WR Demetrius Williams. READ MORE >>> Position: Cornerback Analysis: Last season, Lardarius Webb exceeded expectations as the Ravens third round pick (88th overall) proving to be a valuable asset in the special team’s return game and in the secondary. Coming from a I-AA school, Webb soared as the All-Southland Conference defensive back and returner as a senior, was Nicholls State’s 2008-09 Outanding Male Student Athlete of the Year and was a two time College Sporting News Fabulous Fifty selection. READ MORE >>> The Baltimore Ravens pulled off another late pre-season trade sending LB Antwan Barnes to the Philadelphia Eagles for an undisclosed conditional draft pick. The move is surprising as Barnes has looked good in pre-season and the Ravens have need of pass rushers, Barnes specialty, coming off last season where they failed to generate consistent pressure. There are several scenarios that could explain the Ravens thinking: 1) Perhaps they feel confident that a rejuvenated Terrell Suggs, an improved Paul Kruger and the addition of Cory Redding will bolster therush enough, making Barnes expendable, 2) or the Ravens feel like Jameel McClain is better at OLB, making Barnes redundant, 3) or the Ravens believe that Sergio Kindle is closer to returning than we have been lead to believe. READ MORE >>> Late last night, John Harbaugh informed the media that safety Ed Reed decided to begin the season on the physically-unable-to-play list. Earlier in the week, Jets head coach and former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan told the Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston, “Ed Reed will play this game. Now he might not play the second game, third game or fourth game, whatever, but Ed Reed is going to play this game. I think part of that is a respect thing. He knows how disappointed I would be if he didn’t play. I want to win the game, but I want to play against Ed. I want them at their best and I know they will be.” In my humble opinion, the Ravens second annual kicking competition was over a long time ago. Billy Cundiff separated himself from Shayne Graham in week one of the preseason after a more successful training camp than the veteran. Yesterday’s game, if you were one of the few fans that endured it, didn’t solidify anything for the final kicking roster cut that looms over the front office. If you ignore their performance in camp and the preseason, the Ravens were probably most likely to go with the proven veteran Shayne Graham, who they went out and spent $2.5 million on (with incentives). READ MORE >>> In this week’s edition of Birds On The Wire, Jeff and Zach discuss the Orioles successful against, Buck Showalter’s impact on the team, September call ups, the Ravens preseason and injuries and give their predictions. All that and more on Birds On The Wire, BSR’s official podcast. Check it out and don’t forget to . . . → Read More: Birds On The Wire: Preseason is Over! BOTW - EP 49: Play Now | Play in Popup
Position: Running Back Analysis: Ray Rice is a small, but strong running back that took over the starting job from Willis McGahee in 2009. Rice was second in the NFL in total yards from scrimmage last season, gaining 2,041, over 1,300 of which were on the ground. He’s certainly been used in every offensive situation in his short career to this point. Rice will continue to his strength and quickness to excel on offense. The Ravens close out the preseason with a game against the Rams in St. Louis. While the starters will probably play very little, the game is still important in finding out who makes the final 53-man roster. Several jobs and roster spots will be up for grabs, as this game gives those fighting for . . . → Read More: Preseason Week 4: Ravens vs. Rams Position: Strong Safety Analysis: Toughness is what comes to most people’s minds when thinking about Tom Zbikowski. He is a fighter. He plays all out to the point of being borderline reckless. He’s the man. He also plays behind the great Ed Reed. At times, it is easy to wonder if there is a great talent wasting away on the bench. READ MORE >>> Position: Cornerback When it comes to Fabian Washington, it’s hard to say if it is disappointment in him or disappointment in the front office. It’s not that he is a bad player, it’s probably more that he isn’t a shutdown corner. 2009 was a season where Fabian was exposed for the first half of the season. It seemed like he was getting beat all over the place. It was so bad in Minnesota that he was actually benched in favor of Frank Walker. Seriously. Frank Walker. READ MORE >>> |
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