I Underrated the Ravens: Self-Correction

Ozzie Newsome is up there with John Elway as a nemesis for me.  

In earlier blogs, I said the Ravens will suck this season.  I was wrong.  It takes too long to go back and delete all that stuff, so I'll just confess to being lazy and presumptuous like writers I bash and write a self-correction.

The Ravens DID lose some talent this off season, and were limited in what they could do in free agency by their cap.

But I forgot a few things, like Crockett Gilmore, and the newly acquired Ben Watson, and even Maxx Williams.  Gilmore can still be a weapon.  Williams and Watson are good in-line blockers.  Their tight ends should be pretty good this season, and they can go two-tight end and get physical in the running game.

They got a real stud left tackle in Stanley in the first round, and he was the best run-blocker of all the left tackles, and some say the best overall too.

Happily, he isn't quite a finished product.  It's possible they put him at right tackle initially, but more likely he'll go right to left, and hopefully make some early mistakes.

But then that bastid Ozzie had to go and draft OLB Corea. AND DE/OLB Bronson Kaufusi dammit!  And later an interior defensive lineman who is pretty good too.

This is infuriating.  Ok Correa has a few warts and needs refinement, but is an athletic freak.  He might not be too much of a pain in the ass at first, but eventually will be.  

Kaufusi is another story, as my regular readers know.  Unlike Correa, he can immediately play defensive end in any 4-man set.  He can definitely get after the quarterback, is not soft on the run, and just needs work on standing up and covering in more than a simple zone.

Fortunately, the Ravens still don't have a great wide receiver crew.  Mike Wallace is a deep threat, but that's about it for him and the guy they drafted.  

Kamar Aiken is turning into a lethal weapon, but if you think Gramps Smith will come back off his injury anything like he was, you are delusional.

Two of their running backs are Terrence West and Trent Richardson.  I'm not laughing as hard as most of you are about this, since they now have a lot of blocking muscle, but it's still valid to question their talent at this position.

On balance, the Ravens are indeed scarier than I said they were, but not in the same zip code as the Steelers or Bengals, and still not better than the Browns either.

Ogbah is better than both their new outside linebackers, and Hassan is better than Kaufusi.  The Browns wide receivers and pass-catching tight ends are better, as are both running backs...maybe the top THREE running backs.

The Browns' defensive line should be better and deeper, and the inside linebackers too.

The Browns are just LOADED at outside linebacker now, too, including one ex-Raven and Ogbah, who has none of Correa's limitations. (Suggs enters year fifteen stop it.  Just stop it.)

Now I think Gilbert will emerge, Haden will be his old self, Campbell will be a stud, the Browns are eyeball deep in nickel and dime coverage guys, so the Browns secondary should also be superior.

The Ravens LOST one of the best guards in the NFL to free agency, and despite Stanley shouldn't have a better offensive line.

Notable here is Griffin and Kessler signing up with Tom House for mechanical tweakage.  Neither of them needs a lot of that; they're both pretty sound.

But House isn't a football guy.  I'm glad he says "rotational" as part of what the explanation for what he does.

We all think we can throw as soon as we learn how to do it, but we're wrong.  We can throw harder, farther, and more accurately if we're fine-tuned.

Some of the same principles apply to boxing.  Rotation is verily the key element.  That's the turning of your upper body around the axis of the spine.

Where your feet are matters, and whether on your heels or toes, and certainly it's a whole-body motion beginning at your feet, but the most important part is the last part: The upper body.  That's where the extra "zip" and accuracy come from.

That's also how Joe Montana or John Elway could deliver strikes while floating through the air.

Anyway, of more significance is the fact that Corey Coleman is going there with them.  I'm still hoping that Pryor and the other receivers will go too, but if they work with Randy Moss I guess that's okay too.

Coleman is being really smart here.  He'll develop chemistry with both RG3 and the potential future starter.  House might not be a football guy, but he'll for sure have him running every route (RG3 will make sure of that).

This is significant.  It matters.

The Browns wide receivers should be better, overall, than the Ravens even in game one.

Quarterback is naturally the critical thing, and we have to give Big Bird the nod here.  I never said he wasn't really good--just that he's not as good as Big Ben (or those most people rate above him).

RG3+Hue Jackson is potential.  Some of us dare to anticipate good things, but quarterback is way tougher to project than wide receiver (Pryor).

If you think that all Hue needs to do is exactly what Shanahan did, you're wrong, because every NFL defense has found answers to that.

However...Hue Jackson is a leader, not a follower.  RG3 is actually a really smart guy, and wiser now.  I can't help but think that even if RG3 isn't the sensation he was as a rookie, he will be pretty good, and can win in crunch time, with his legs if necessary.

I know that Ray Farmer and others have projected McCown as the starter.  Right now he IS the best quarterback.

But Farmer was talking about Hue's "system", so ex-linebacker or no, he clearly doesn't get it. If Hue has an ideal quarterback, it's everybody else's: Andrew Luck.

But Hue can and will use anybody.  RG3 was his signing, and the 6'1" Kessler was his draft pick.  Andy Dalton wasn't his "type", either.  He backed off on Wentz, who allegedly is.

Ray Farmer, a guy I defended extensively and will still defend, also seems incapable of long-term strategic thinking here:

He seems to think the number one thing is to win games asap.  He's wrong.

The number one objective is to reach the Superbowl in 2018, or take a shot in 2017 if we're ahead of schedule.

The number two objective is winning the Division.  It's NOT GOING TO HAPPEN in 2016.  The PLAYERS know it, as well as the coaches and front office and all us fans.

So even if McCown gives the Browns the best chance to win game one, if it's even close RG3 will start anyway.  He is younger, with more upside.  If he plays well, he can be traded for a high pick, or re-signed long term.

McCown is on borrowed time.  All one or two more wins in 2016 does is lower their 2017 draft picks, and guarantee that RG3 has zero trade value.

But I digress: Give the quarterback nod to Flacco, but remember the other 21 players.  Despite my maia culpa, the Browns still have more talent.  The Browns quarterback will not be asked to carry the team.

I don't give Harbaugh the nod over Jackson either.  I know Harbaugh is a great coach, but rate Jackson right there with him.

So in conclusion, I repeat: The Browns should SWEEP the Ravens in 2016, and Yoda needs to move to Baltimore and tell those fans to curb their enthusiasm.