HOT TAKES: Another Weapon for Lamar?

No Safety in Numbers on Defense

Unless the Ravens improve in pass coverage, eventually the ship that carries their Super Bowl aspirations will sink. During training camp, there was excitement about the team’s secondary, so much so that there were some media members who thought that the Ravens might be forced to trade away pieces from the defensive backfield because the talent ran so deep. Has that talent evaporated over the course of three months, particularly at safety? Is the defensive coaching staff too inexperienced? Both?

Something must be done, and it would be borderline shocking if the Ravens remain status quo on the backend, particularly at safety. Eddie Jackson may as well be Jermaine Jackson and Marcus Williams is appreciated only by the equipment manager who hasn’t yet had to wash the $70M safety’s uniform.

The Athletic’s NFL Insider Diana Russini suggests that the Ravens make a play for safety Budda Baker:

“Ravens add S Budda Baker, sending 2025 third- and fifth-round picks to the Cardinals. Baltimore should gain four compensatory draft picks for 2025, giving them plenty of assets to upgrade a secondary allowing a league-high 287.1 passing yards per game. Free agent addition S Eddie Jackson has not worked out: PFF ranks him 127th out of 140 safeties. Baker (36th) offers a massive upgrade, and if the 28-year-old impending free agent signs elsewhere after the season, the Ravens could recoup yet another compensatory pick.”

With seven of 18 weeks in the books, the Ravens, unless the Cardinals agree to absorb some of Baker’s salary, would be on the hook for 11/18ths of Budda’s $14.2M salary. The Ravens would be forced to restructure a deal or two to accommodate Baker; per Russini they’d have to give up a decent amount of draft capital, all for a player who will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.

I have another idea – Jevon Holland from the Miami Dolphins.

At (2-4) and sinking fast, the Dolphins aren’t likely to be a threat to make the playoffs. Holland is an unrestricted free agent in 2025. The Ravens won’t have to give up as much draft capital for Holland, he’s more familiar with the AFC than Baker, and…he’s much cheaper. Holland’s 2024 salary is $3.37M and the Ravens would be forced to absorb 11/18ths of Jevon’s pay. And as Russini indicated with the proposed trade for Baker, if the Ravens don’t re-sign Holland, he’ll likely be worthy of a fourth or fifth round comp in 2026 to help offset the foregone draft capital in 2025. With 11 picks to work with during the 2025 NFL Draft, the Ravens could afford to lose one to help bolster their Swiss Cheese secondary. The addition of Dean Pees as a consultant certainly hasn’t so far…

B-Steve

By most accounts, Brandon Stephens is as sticky as anyone in man coverage. His fluid hips allow him to mirror even the shiftiest receivers in the league. His ball skills need work but without question, he has the tools to build upon. And let’s keep in mind that he is still learning the position.

Stephens began his collegiate career at UCLA, where he played running back. Due to limited playing time, Stephens left UCLA as a graduate transfer (he graduated from UCLA in 3 years). SMU was his program of choice, and their head coach Sonny Dykes suggested B-Steve move to corner.

When the Ravens turned the card in for Stephens during the 2021 NFL Draft, the 104th overall selection, if you exclaimed, “Who?” after the pick was made, I was right there with you. But Stephens has made a believer out of me. Initially pegged as a rangy safety, the Ravens moved Stephens to corner where he’s certainly improved. But now, some Ravens fans are suggesting that Stephens move back to safety given the team’s glaring need there.

I won’t deny that the idea is intriguing, particularly with Arthur Maulet being activated to the 53-man roster. The Ravens could move Marlon Humphrey to the perimeter and start Nate Wiggins. Problem solved?

Not so fast.

Stephens will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025. Moving him to safety could hurt his market value and perhaps even trigger doubt among a few potential suitors. Some might wonder if they’re paying for a corner or a safety, although Stephens and his handlers will argue that he’s a top-of-the-market CB.

For the record, the top 10 highest paid corners earn $20.6M on average annually. The top 10 highest paid safeties earn $15.8M annually, per OverTheCap.com.

It’s not the Ravens style to potentially undermine the career earnings potential of a player. But here’s a thought. What if the Ravens reach a long-term agreement with Stephens and then move him to safety on a short-term basis to potentially fix the team’s weakest link?

The Dynamic Duo

For the fourth straight week, a Raven has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week:

Weeks 4: Derrick Henry
Week 5: Lamar Jackson
Week 6: Derrick Henry
Week 7: Lamar Jackson pic.twitter.com/bFLPenSsIf

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 23, 2024

Over the course of the past four weeks, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry have gone back and forth as Offensive Player of the Week. It’s still relatively early in the season but if this continues, we might be revisiting the uncommon grounds we witnessed back in 1999 when St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner was the NFL MVP and his backfield mate Marshall Faulk was the Offensive Player of the Year.

That said, I’m pretty sure that neither cares about the individual accolades which will only be appreciated by either of these men if the Ravens feel the purple, gold, white and black confetti falling from the ceiling of Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans on February 9, 2025.

The Dark Knight is Rising

The first time I watched Rashod Bateman during his initial practices at rookie camp back in 2021, he just looked different. The way he glided in and out of breaks without loosing speed, stood out. The ease with which he created separation, impressive. And I wondered if he could do the same when the vets showed up in July.

Fast forward to my training camp notes on July 28, 2021:

“Rashod Bateman is a polished product for a rookie. He has great body control, cuts sharply, possesses boundary awareness complemented by toe-tapping skills and he works his way back towards the football like a veteran. He snatches the ball out of the air with authority. That’s all good news for the team’s offense.”

Bateman was stacking practices. He created separation during 11 on 11 drills, even when covered by the likes of Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. But then, two weeks into training camp, Bateman suffered a groin injury that would cost him the entire preseason and the first five games of the season.

In 2022, Bate missed another 11 games with a Lisfranc sprain. In 2023 he missed a game after tweaking his hamstring but the accumulated downtime in part, prevented him from establishing any chemistry with Lamar.

It’s now 2024 and things are on the upswing. His ability to separate remains. Perhaps the scars are in the past. And now that he is developing a rapport with Lamar, hopefully he can stay healthy and be a dependable weapon in OC Todd Monken’s burgeoning arsenal.

Lamar Jackson’s 49-yard TD pass to Rashod Bateman traveled 58.3 yards in the air, Jackson’s 4th-longest completion of his career and longest since Week 12, 2022 (63.8).

Bateman has accounted for Jackson’s three longest completions so far this season.#BALvsTB | #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/ymd5b8Op33

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 22, 2024

The Dark Knight Rises@R_bateman2 pic.twitter.com/PlIBlLxxrE

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 5, 2022

The Deuce is Loose?

Keaton Mitchell, aka Deuce, has returned to the practice field for the Ravens, which commences his 21-day practice window, the timeframe allowed for him to practice before counting against the active 53-man roster. If all progresses as planned, Mitchell would be ready to go no later than November 17 when the Ravens travel to Pittsburgh.

Keaton Mitchell loading… pic.twitter.com/sH5NDTsYXi

— RC (@Chojnation) October 23, 2024

Last season, Mitchell played in 8 games, carried it 47 times for 396 yards and 2 scores. The 8.4 YPC is eye-popping. Now, with a revitalized Bateman, Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar to go along with the team’s unsung hero Justice Hill – not to mention the league’s best one-two punch in Lamar and The King, it represents an embarrassment of riches for Monken’s offense. The biggest challenge for Monken will be ball distribution, but what a desirable problem to have.

It will be interesting to see whose roster spot Mitchell eventually takes. It could be that of Deonte Harty who has been average at best as a punt returner and underwhelming as a kick returner.

Back during training camp this past July, after watching the team practice kick returns, I made the following observations:

“After the catch is made, the ensuing attempt to advance the ball resembles a running play more than your traditional return, and I have to wonder if that changes the dynamics of an ideal return man. The Ravens signed Deonte Harty to be the return specialist but it’s not hard to envision that a running back, trained to sift his way through in-line traffic, is better equipped for the job. Justice Hill could still eventually be the guy on kickoffs.”

After 7 weeks, I’m more convinced that a running back is better equipped to make big plays in the return game than an undersized receiver. And maybe that running back could be Keaton Mitchell.

Onsides is Off

The Ravens as you are probably aware, are the only team to give up a successful onsides kick. The league is 2 of 19 in that department and both successful attempts came at the Ravens expense. Cole Jackson (no relation to Lamar, Michael or Samuel L.) goes to the tape to uncover the root cause of the Ravens onsides issues.

Losing an onsides kick in the modern day with the new rules, is akin to an MLB batter stealing signs from the opposing pitcher/catcher battery but striking out anyway.

Since 2012, the success rate of NFL onsides kicks has hovered around 18%. More recent data following rules changes intended to promote safety, the recovery rate is now about 5.6%. Future Hall of Famer Justin Tucker who has been in the league since 2012, is just 1 of 16 (6.25%) on such onsides attempts.

Flowers for Stanley

Ronnie Stanley did not allow a single pressure on 26 pass blocking snaps against the Bucs blitz-heavy defense.

Stanley has yet to allow a sack this season across 224 pass blocking snaps. He’s the only left tackle with 50+ PB snaps and zero sacks allowed.#BALvsTB | #RavensFlock

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 22, 2024

Ronnie Stanley in Week 7 vs Buccaneers:

ZERO sacks
ZERO hits
ZERO hurries
ZERO pressures
#3 PFF pass blocking grade pic.twitter.com/KNopJTQ8zr

— Ravens Nation ð™‡ð™„ð™‘𙀠(@LIVERavenNation) October 23, 2024

Time to pay the man…again?

The post HOT TAKES: Another Weapon for Lamar? appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2024/10/24/tltakes/safety-in-numbers-on-offense/