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Position: Offensive Tackle Analysis: The questions surrounding this guy always surround his attitude and effort. Physically, he is quite the specimen. As for talent, it is all there. This guy could be great, but he isn’t. Position: Offensive Tackle Michael Oher may be one of the few Ravens players who has as much notoriety off the field as he has on it. Oher’s life story was the subject of the hit movie The Blind Side which starred Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock, and the book of the same name, written by Michael Lewis. While the movie was becoming a box-office smash, Oher was winning rave reviews as a rookie starter at right tackle for the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens’ first-round pick in the 2009 draft had a solid rookie season playing mostly on the right side of the line, while subbing for Jared Gaither at left tackle, his natural position, for a few games while Gaither was injured. Position: Guard/Tackle Analysis: Tony Moll was acquired by the Baltimore Ravens at the beginning of the 2009 season to provide depth along the offensive line. Moll was never a consistent starter with Green Bay, the team that drafted him, but his versatility has lead to a fair amount of playing time. READ MORE >>> Stop me if I sound like a broken record, but with each day that passes and with each practice Jared Gatiher misses, the Ravens have to be feeling that it is less and less likely that the temperamental tackle can be relied upon to start on the offensive line. Gaither’s attitude and desire have been in question for most of his football career. His talent is evident, but whether or not he cares enough to be a player the Ravens can count on is another thing all together. There were rumblings that the Ravens were unhappy with Gaither last season. The rumblings became tremors during the off-season. Gaither wanted a contract extension. The Ravens meanwhile made sure Gaither realized he was not as valuable, league-wide, as he and his agent believed. Trade rumors surfaced, but not team was willing to part with either a 1st or 2nd rounder in the draft to acquire Gaither. So it appeared that both sides were stuck with each other and the Ravens were stuck hoping Gaither will get the message, start working hard and be a reliable option at right tackle. READ MORE >>> The Baltimore Ravens held the first of their off-season mini-camps this passed weekend. There is only so much you can take away from these camps as far as what to expect from newcomers and which veterans look to be ready to step up their performance, but nothing causes football fans to salivate more than reports from these camps and the realization that training camp is a little over 2 months away. Here is a look at the positives and negatives from the mini-camp. The story of the camp was the position switch of tackles Jared Gaither and Michael Oher. Rumors had it that coach John Harbaugh got a talking to from Leigh Anne Touhy about how to best use “Big Mike” on the Ravens line and that he would be more capable of protecting the family. Stronger rumors, however, have it that the Ravens are concerned with Gaither’s continued lack of work ethic and no longer consider him reliable enough to protect QB Joe Flacco’s blind side. The good news is that Oher proved himself more than capable of being a good LT in the NFL during his rookie campaign. As a Ravens fan I just wish the position switch was not as much about the teams lack of faith in Gaither as it was their belief in Oher. The key to all this will be how Gaither reacts to the switch. The Ravens have been sending messages to Gaither during the off-season, and probably since he became a Raven, about his work ethic. Gaither was criticized for his absence from team workouts in Marh. He was also given a lower tender to protect his restricted free agency status and was reportedly shopped for draft picks leading up to the draft. The Club has clearly established that Gaither and his agent Drew Rosenhouse have over-valued Gaither’s ability. But this still has not seemed to motivate the talented tackle. And of course Gaither sat out the rest of the mini-camp after a foot/toe issue cropped up. Whether the injury is legitimate or not, Gaither needs to get back in the good graces of the coaching staff, or O’niel Cousins could take the RT spot away from him. Other notable performers over the weekend were Demetrius Williams and Cory Redding. Williams who was much maligned for his lack of preparation and hard work last year has seemingly come out of the off-season stronger and more ready to fight for a spot on the roster. Williams made some nice plays in the passing drills and has added more muscle to his frame. All of which could be attributed to his healthy off-season. It remains to be seen if he actually makes the team, but at least he realizes that the dog-house is pretty crowded with Gaither in there with him. Redding was lauded for his work ethic and no non-sense approach to the mini-camp. Redding shows more versatility than the departed Dwan Edwards and should be a factor in the pass rush as the club looks to eliminate holes in coverage by giving opposing QB’s less time to throw the ball. It was also good to hear the positive reports about Terrell Suggs getting his burst back. Suggs believes he was helped by spending more time working out with the club this winter. Ravens fans and coaches agree. Hopefully the disappointing 2009 season is all Suggs needs to keep up the conditioning work. Results should follow. Another player who had a good camp at a position of need was CB Cary Williams. Williams was acquired last season from the Tennessee Titans and saw most of his time on special teams. The Ravens need some corners to step up/in while Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb recover from knee injuries. WIlliams could provide some depth and could emerge as a dark horse to play valuable minutes at the start of the season. Nothing like a few quips from mini-camp to get Ravens fans pumped about the 2010 season. Next week we get to hear even more about how Flacco is looking throwing the ball to Anquan Boldin and Donte Stallworth. What other notes from the first mini-camp have you excited or worried? I remember when Michael Oher was drafted it was a no-brainer with the 29th overall pick. The Ravens had their right tackle of the future, a player who had dominated SEC ends from both sides of the line but predominantly on the left, would take over the position for a decade or more. However, I do not recall a single expert making the argument that he was an elite left tackle, which had caused him to slide further and further down the first round into the Ravens lap. They questioned his footwork, his reactions off the snap, and his ability to handle speed rushers. I don’t mean to make it out as though Michael Oher was considered a poor tackle by any means, but he was most decidedly a right tackle. Thus is was out of necessity that the Ravens played him on the left side, the “blind side” when Jared Gaither went down during the 2009 season and the position was fraught with ineffectiveness. Oher stood up to the task and performed admirably in 5 starts at left tackle and was by far the best left tackle on the team even when Gaither was healthy. So it was no surprise today when during the team’s first minicamp of the offseason (by the way, didn’t the season end in February? Give them some damn time off!), it was Gaither on the right side and Oher who seemed firmly in place on the blind side. I won’t turn this into yet another tear jerker about Michael Oher’s rise to greatness- he is the left tackle because of his commitment to the game and his talent at the position. By all accounts Jared Gaither has the talent- his size, speed, and strength have made him all along a project for this team to turn into a great tackle. He has the natural ability, but whether by his attitude, his work ethic, or his knowledge of the game, he has not cemented himself in his three years in Baltimore. Taken with a 5th round pick in the 2007 supplemental draft, hopes were high for Gaither, but he has never committed himself to his craft. Hopefully he will have more success on the right side, but it is sad that such a talented force has not taken the opportunity to make himself a cornerstone of the Ravens future. In all honesty he is only 24 and has years left to develop, but his personality has resulted in the coaching staff losing patience with him even when his body has been through frequent injuries. His move to right tackle comes on the heels of more trade rumors, this time to the Buffalo Bills. They can add themselves to what feels like a dozen teams rumored to be considering a move for Gaither, which I would encourage the Ravens to consider. If Gaither is going to turn his career around, it won’t be in Baltimore- the man likely needs a change of scenery. I can’t think of a better place for that to happen than Buffalo, where they have no one who has made more than a smattering starts at either tackle spot, all with miserable results. They will be forced to be patient with Gaither as he develops simply for lack of any better options at the position- they are like the Orioles lineup right now. The Bills were too enticed by C.J. Spiller’s talents to reach for a tackle with the 9th pick in the draft (the best tackles were already off the board), so they are left with a gaping hole at one of the most important positions on the field, one that will be essential for Spiller’s success. Michael Oher has risen above the prognosticators who placed him firmly on the right side, and looks to be the Ravens’ left tackle of the future. Jared Gaither has failed to live up to the perhaps unfair amount of hype built on his physical prowess (reminiscent of the hype surrounding Bruce Campbell) and will either complement Oher on the right or find his way to another team. Either way, the Ravens will be better off. Jared Gaither has had the misfortune of coming in to play left tackle for the Ravens after the retirement of a first-ballot Hall of Famer in Jonathan Ogden. While looked upon as a project when he first arrived with the Ravens, Gaither has risen to become the starting left tackle, one of the most important positions in the game of football. After last season, Gaither became a restricted free agent and was offered a first-round tender which would pay him $2.3 million for one year. Gaither has said in the past that he wishes to be a Raven for life and wants to sign a long-term contract. But what are the chances the Ravens will give him one? When he missed the beginning of the voluntary offseason workout program a few weeks ago, Coach John Harbaugh was concerned enough to call him out, stating that if Gaither wanted to be great, he needed to be present for the workouts. Gaither’s response was that he was rehabbing an ankle injury sustained at the end of the season and didn’t want to interrupt the therapy to report to the workout program. Should that send up a red flag on a player that reportedly has a half-hearted work ethic? Recently it has come to light that the Ravens are listening to offers for Gaither; which suggests that he may not be long for the left tackle job. After all, the club selected Michael Oher in last year’s draft. Oher was a left tackle in college and considered one of, if not the best, tackles in last year’s draft class. No one could possibly imagine that the Ravens drafted Oher to play right tackle for the duration of his Ravens’ career. Certainly the top brass had it in mind that he would eventually become the starter on the left side (and in the few games he played there last season while Gaither was injured, Oher did well). The rumor mill says that Gaither could be had by the right team for a second-round draft choice in this year’s draft, considered a deep draft by many analysts. Baltimore would get yet another pick to use to fill a need; perhaps even finding a right tackle once they decide to move Oher to the left side permanently once Gaither is gone. Peter King of Sports Illustrated feels that the Ravens could make a deal with the Dallas Cowboys for their second round choice, and believes it makes sense for the Ravens to do so. Gaither certainly has the potential to be a high-quality left tackle, but is he better than Michael Oher? If you believe his upside is as high as Oher’s, then maybe you keep him around. But if his work ethic is questionable, do you try to make him better, or cut him loose? Great left tackles are hard to find, and when you have one, you almost certainly have to keep him, and pay him. But will the Ravens pay Oher and Gaither franchise tackle salaries? The feeling here is they will only pay one of them, and that one is Oher. But maybe the Ravens want to keep Gaither around, believing that he can reach the potential that Harbaugh believes he possesses. So: does he stay or does he go? The NFL owners meetings in Orlando have proven to be more busy than I expected, though I’m not sure why that’s a surprise as the NFL is really a year round league. Yesterday, the Ravens signed defensive lineman Cory Redding and we talked about the possible overtime rule changes. Today, I was disappointed to hear two things from Baltimore’s Head Coach John Harbaugh. Surprise, surprise. Jamison Hensley at the Baltimore Sun talked to John Harbaugh about the Ravens’ voluntary offseason workouts and Jared Gaither‘s absence. “I talked to (Gaither’s agent) Drew Rosenhaus and he tells me he’s getting Jared in shape, Harbaugh said. “The last time I checked Drew Rosenhaus doesn’t coach the offensive line in the National Football League. Jared needs to be in our weight room with our players with our offensive line, becoming the player he can become.” Good point John. Gaither was given a first round tender as a restricted free agent. His absence may be a protest of his contract with the Ravens, either way it isn’t looked upon too highly and rightfully so. You’ve got to think that Michael Oher will eventually move to the left side and Gaither should be doing everything possible to get in shape and stay healthy, as it was a challenge for him in 2009. Return of “Frank The Tank?” Bad news for Ravens fans, looks like the team is considering bringing back everyone’s favorite cornerback, Frank “The Tank” Walker. “Frank has got as much talent as any corner in the league,” Harbaugh said at the NFL owners meetings. No he doesn’t John. he’s played a couple good games, but the guy is a loose cannon that gets burned by good receivers all day long. Harbaugh does know that the fans aren’t siked about the idea of Frank The Tank returning. “It’s funny you ask the question and the whole fan base, everybody’s going to be like, ‘Don’t do it.’ But Frank’s a better player than what people think,” Harbaugh said. What do you think? Not only did the Ravens fall to the Pats 27-21 this week, but two big names left the field on Sunday, left tackle Jared Gaither and linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo. Gaither was carted off the field in the 2nd quarter when his was pinched between Joe Flacco and two defenders and hit the crown of his head for what appeared to be a concussion. He was able to move all of his extremities and X-rays on his neck and shoulders were negative. A week after being named defensive player of the week, Brendon Ayanbadejo’s season is over. You might have seen our tweet when the news broke. He tore his left quadriceps tendon and will opt for surgery. 2009 Baltimore Ravens PreviewPrediction: 11-5 (Second AFC North)Head coach: John Harbaugh (Second year)
Offense QB Joe Flacco: At 24, he’s one of the bright quarterbacks in the NFL. RB Willis McGahee: Was hurt all of 2008, and returns healthy in 2009. If he can shine in 2009, he may play out his entire contract. FB Le’Ron McClain: After an All Pro season in 2008, it’ll be difficult for McClain to repeat. WR Derrick Mason: One of the most consistent receivers in the NFL. WR Mark Clayton: At 5’10”, he’s small, but can make an impact. TE Todd Heap: The team drafted OT Michael Oher, so Heap will have more of an impact on the passing game. LT Jared Gaither: The 22-year old had a good season last year and has All-Pro potential. LG Ben Grubbs: The 2007 first-round pick has shown durability the last two seasons. C Matt Birk: At 32, he’s aging. But six Pro Bowls speak for themselves. RG Marshal Yanda: He’s underappreciated, but makes an impact on the line. RT Michael Oher: There is a battle between Anderson and Oher, and due to youth and versatilty, the rookie takes it. |
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