SB Nation User Blog: DT711

The Beatdown's Reasons Why The Ravens' Defense Will Be Better In 2009 Than 2008

DT711 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:47:11 -0000

We have all heard it time and time again.... "The Ravens D will fall off. They lost Rex Ryan. They lost key players in Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard who can't be replaced. They are an aging defense. Ray Lewis is done."

Of course, us knowledgeable guys at the Beatdown know the average fan just has no clue. We have to disprove these falsities over and over and I think we are all getting tired of it. So I have an idea....

Why not come up with a list of reasons why the Ravens defense will in fact be better in 2009, then 2008. In this post you can list your ideas and expand upon some or all of them.

This way, when people question our defense, we can just link them to our post, and the facts will be clearly displayed for them. I also think this will be a great source of information when finished, especially because there are so many smart, knowledgeable Ravens fans who post here.

I'll start us off. My reason that our defense will be improved is our greatly upgraded secondary.(others could be regarding Ray's continued stellar play, Kelly Gregg and Landry's return, T-Good breaking out, Mattison taking less chances...) We have depth and speed back at CB like never before in Ravens history. I will expand on this later in the comments.

Madden 10' Rankings

DT711 — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:32:11 -0000

Baltimore Ravens

Position Name OVR

QB J. Flacco 81

QB T. Smith 59

QB J. Beck 48

RB W. McGahee 83

RB R. Rice 78

RB C. Peerman 68

FB L. McClain 92

WR D. Mason 88

WR M. Clayton 77

WR D. Williams 66

WR M. Smith 49

WR Y. Figurs 39

TE T. Heap 84

TE L.J. Smith 77

TE Q. Sypniewski 65

OL M. Birk 88

OL B. Grubbs 84

OL W. Anderson 82

OL Jared Gaither 79

OL C. Chester 78

OL M. Oher 77

OL M. Yanda 77

OL A. Terry 72

OL D. Hale 69

OL O. Cousins 68

OL T. Stallings 62

DL H. Ngata 90

DL T. Pryce 83

DL K. Gregg 77

DL J. Bannan 74

DL D. Edwards 71

DL B. McKinney 65

DL L. Divens 64

LB R. Lewis 97

LB T. Suggs 90

LB J. Johnson 79

LB P. Kruger 71

LB A. Barnes 70

LB T. Gooden 65

LB J. McClain 63

LB B. Ayanbadejo 63

LB P. Burgess 50

CB D. Foxworth 82

CB F. Washington 77

CB S. Rolle 75

CB L. Webb 71

CB C. Carr 65

CB F. Walker 49

S E. Reed 99

S D. Landry 71

S T. Zbikowski 63

S H. Nakamura 62

K S. Hauschka 59

P S. Koch 86

Link to all teams:

http://madden.easportsfans.com/?p=237

AFC North DT Debate

DT711 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:17:37 -0000

We have been debating who is the top Defensive Tackle in our division for some time now. Obviously, the consensus from Beatdown regulars is that Ngata is the top DT, followed by Rogers, and Hampton. I was on ESPN and saw James Walker was having the same debate, and after much campaigning by fans for each of the respective players, a consensus needed to be made. Being the logical man that he is, Walker went with Ngata, as the only DT who brings the total package, along with upside to his team. See below the jump for Walker's article.

"It was the debate that just wouldn't end last week.

Who is the top interior defensive lineman in the AFC North: Casey Hampton, Haloti Ngata orShaun Rogers?

What started as a simple question turned into a heated topic of discussion. The comment section for "Take your pick" and our AFC North inbox has been filling up since the question was first posed June 1.

Everyone had very good points to make for these three stud defenders. Therefore, this week we decided to reopen this challenging debate.

Here is an in-depth look at each player highlighted by an AFC North final say:

Casey Hampton
#98 DT
Pittsburgh Steelers

2008 STATS
TACK	SOLO	FF	INT	SACK
22	13	0	0	1.0

Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh Steelers

Case for: Hampton is the top run-stuffer for the NFL's most dominant defense. Playing nose in a 3-4 defense is extremely difficult because of the constant double teams. Yet "The Big Snack" has done it seamlessly and with ease for nine straight seasons. His two Super Bowl championships are accomplishments unmatched by his two counterparts and a testament to his dominance and consistency.

Case against: Hampton, 31, is very one-dimensional. He's tremendous against the run but doesn't give you much in terms of pass rush. Hampton only has 5.5 sacks for his career. In fact, Hampton often is subbed on obvious passing situations and has become mostly a two-down player at this point in his career. Weight also has become an issue in recent years.

Reader's take: Jim from Zanesville writes: James, it is clear the deepest group of defensive tackles reside in the AFC North. The only reason we can compare those 3 DTs is because they are in a 3-4. There is a big difference between a DT in a 3-4 and a 4-3 (askTank Johnson). That being said, I have to go with Hampton. With two rings and being the centerpiece of the best defense in the league last year, "Big Snack" is where it's at! Ngata is also a proven commodity, but he's not better than Hampton -- not yet. Rogers hasn't proven himself to me as a 3-4 NT. He is a great athlete no doubt, and we'll see more this year. But he's third on my list for now.

Haloti Ngata
#92 DT
Baltimore Ravens

2008 STATS
TACK	SOLO	FF	INT	SACK
55	43	0	2	1.0

Haloti Ngata, Baltimore Ravens

Case for: Ngata is the most athletic and versatile of the group. He can play defensive tackle, defensive end and occasionally drops into coverage, as evidenced by his three career interceptions (two in 2008). Like Hampton and Rogers, Ngata is extremely hard to move off the line of scrimmage, but he's also athletic enough to avoid blockers chopping at his legs to stay active in plays. He's very durable and hasn't missed a start during his three-year career (48 straight games, 52 including playoffs).

Case against: At 25, Ngata also is the youngest of the group. He hasn't fully reached his potential, and sometimes Ngata's competitive mean streak on the field can get the best of him. His tackle and sack numbers decreased in 2008 from the season before, even though Baltimore's overall defense improved.

Reader's take: Bobby from Pittsburgh writes: I'm a die-hard Steelers fan. However, I think Ngata is the best DT in the AFC North. At 25, he has already been dominant on a dominating defense. I think Shaun Rogers had his last good year and will not be a force this year or in the future. Casey Hampton is also declining. Hampton may still finish with the best stats, two shiny Super Bowl rings and a dominant career. But Ngata is the better DT and his career is just beginning. Ngata hasn't hit his prime yet while the other two are past theirs.

Shaun Rogers
#92 DT
Cleveland Browns

2008 STATS
TACK	SOLO	FF	INT	SACK
76	61	0	0	4.5

Shaun Rogers, Cleveland Browns

Case for: Rogers had arguably the best season of any defensive lineman in 2008, recording 76 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Despite Cleveland's awful 4-12 record, Rogers made the Pro Bowl last season as an alternate, which carries a lot of weight because the coaches and players pick the reserves. When Rogers is inspired and motivated, which we saw last year, he is among the NFL's top defensive players at any position.

Case against: The problem with Rogers always has been inconsistency. Hampton and even the younger Ngata have shown the ability to be consistently dominant week in and week out. Rogers doesn't have the same track record over his eight NFL seasons. Playing for mostly losing teams with the Detroit Lions could be one reason. But at the same time, it is puzzling that a player as good as Rogers failed to lift his team or defensive units to become more dominant.

Reader's take: T.J. from Bedford, Ohio, writes: This take your pick question is pretty easy in my opinion. I may be biased towards Shaun Rogers being a Browns fan but numbers don't lie. Rogers dominates Hampton and Ngata statistically and he is the best defender on his team, with the same being arguable at best for Hampton and Ngata. Last year Rogers had linebacker-like numbers with 76 tackles, with 61 of those being solos. Hampton and Ngata combined for 77 tackles (Hampton 22, Ngata 55). Rogers also dominated in terms of sacks, with 4.5 being more than double what Hampton and Ngata had combined. Sorry Stiller and Ratbird fans but this is a question of best player, not the best defense. So it goes to Rogers by a landslide!

AFC North final say

James Walker: It's hard to go wrong with any of these three players. But the AFC North blog's pick for top interior defensive lineman in the division is Haloti Ngata, because of his youth, consistency, pure athleticism, upside, versatility and track record as a winner. Ngata is the only player who currently embodies all of these traits. Hampton is a consummate winner and an ideal nose tackle for a 3-4 defense. But he's 31 and a two-down player. Rogers dominated in 2008 and his stats were off the charts. But he's 30, inconsistent and has never played for a winning team. Ngata is the complete package with significantly less mileage, making the Raven the clear choice.

As always, I appreciate everyone's participation. A special thanks goes to T.J. from Bedford, Ohio; Jim from Zanesville, Ohio; and Bobby from Pittsburgh.

For future "Take your pick" or "Thought of the day" topics, feel free to send them to ourAFC North inbox."

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcnorth/0-3-39/Revisiting-Hampton--Ngata-and-Rogers.html

Poll

Who is the top DT in the AFC North?

Haloti Ngata

235 votes

Shaun Rogers

16 votes

Casey Hampton

16 votes

267 votes | Poll has closed

Ladarius Webb Interviews

DT711 — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:01:57 -0000

I came across a few interviews with Ladarius, pre and post draft, from Sports With Coleman on 1370. I just gave them a listen and really like what I hear from Webb. He is going to fit right in, in this city and on this team. I like when Coleman asks him about playing with a chip on his shoulder. Webb responds, "I already got a couple. Add me one on my back. One because of my size. One because I love the game. Now one because I'm on the Ravens defense and thats going to be the best part."

Check them out if you haven't already listened...

Pre Draft

http://sportswithcoleman.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ladarius-webb.mp3

Post Draft

http://sportswithcoleman.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ladarius-webb-4-28-09.mp3

Kelly Gregg Wants A Piece of Brock Lesner

DT711 — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:49:56 -0000

Kelly Gregg Wants A Piece of Brock Lesner

It sounds like Kelly Gregg is ready to go....

Torry Holt Anyone?

DT711 — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:51:53 -0000

Poll

Do you think the Ravens should think about bringing Torry Holt in to fill our need at WR, once he inevitably becomes available? Keep in mind that Mason, Clayton and Wiliams are all free agents next year.

Yes, do what it takes to sign Holt and we are set

115 votes

Yes, if the price is right, but we should still add a young WR in the draft

344 votes

No, lets just draft a WR to add to what we already have.

59 votes

I'd rather have Marvin Harrison

30 votes

548 votes | Poll has closed

Ozzie Hates T.O.

DT711 — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:18:34 -0000

Just heard from Bruce Cunningham that Aaron Wilson says Ozzie hates T.O. with a passion.

This is no surprise but its nice to hear. Ozzie surely did not forget what T.O. did to Baltimore in the past. T.O. insulted the team and Ozzie, even going as far as calling him "boy."

That's probably not a good thing to call a dignified African American man who grew up in Alabama during the civil rights movement.

Supposedly Oz put out feelers to Rosenhaus feigning interest for T.O. just to mess with him, since he disdains him so much, and would like nothing more then for him to be embarrassed.

The Oz has spoken.

Just say NO to T.O.

We Still Need A WR

DT711 — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:11:04 -0000

Everyone here knows that the Ravens need an upgrade at WR. It's no secret.

What we also know is that the pickings are slim in FA, and adding a rookie WR, is risky, at best. It is asking a lot of a rookie to come in and contribute immediately. Most young WR's have a 2-3 year learning curve, and this is if they ever pan out.

In a perfect world we would add a big fast stud WR who can stretch the D to open up the running game, and who is a big target in the red zone. Unfortunately, there are only a dozen or so guys who fit this description and are young enough to be paired with Flacco for the next 5+ years.

Of course, it won't be easy to get one of these stud WR's, as we all have surely noticed from the huge bounty of picks the Cowboys traded for Roy Williams, as well as the Card's similar asking price for Boldin.

To make one of these deals worth it, we need a true #1, who is still young. Other then Boldin I can think of one player who would fit....

Braylon Edwards.

Now lets forget for a second that the chances of the Browns dealing him to a division rival are slim to none, and focus on the reasons why a deal like this could happen...

Braylon has not been a fan favorite in Ohio after leading the league in drops, so his value has taken a hit.
Braylon has also said that he does not feel welcomed there, and will not resign after his contract expires at the end of next season.
In order to get something for him before he walks, the Browns should be willing to move him
With Mangini as their new coach, the Browns are turning over the roster to get a fresh start.

Some of you may be saying, "Braylon sucks, he dropped that bomb that would have gone for a TD against us." I agree he did not inspire much confidence last season but there are many reasons why he would be a good fit.

He has tremendous speed and size (6'3" 215, 4.40 forty), a rare combination.
His troubles last year were almost surely mental as evidenced by his Monster season in 2007. He will bounce back.
Some of his troubles can be chalked up to playing for the Browns...I mean who wouldn't want to get the hell out of there?
He is young, just turned 25, and could be paired with Flacco for the next 8 years or so, to form one of the leagues most dangerous QB/WR connections.

I'm a realist and know that the odds of this are happening are very low, but wanted to throw it out there for all those clamoring for an upgrade at WR. I'd be willing to give up a first for Braylon, and maybe add a late round pick as well, pending we can sign him to an extension.

What do you guys think?

Poll

If he is available, do you think the Ravens should make a play to add Braylon Edwards?

Yes, make it happen Oz. Flacco to Edwards, I could get used to that

333 votes

Maybe but a first is too much

158 votes

Hell no, Braylon is a bum

131 votes

Lets just draft a WR

138 votes

760 votes | Poll has closed

Ravens Cut Ties With Jason Brown

DT711 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:07:49 -0000

Article from the sportingnews.com

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/real_scouts/entry/view/17462/

A very interesting 24 hours lies ahead for the Baltimore Ravens.

And the first domino has fallen. According to an NFL source, the club has informed center Jason Brown that he is not in their plans for the 2009 season.

Brown, who turns 26 in June, is expected to garner immediate, strong interest from four or five clubs when the NFL’s free-agency period opens at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Brown started in '06 and '07 at guard for the Ravens, before moving to center to replace Mike Flynn last season.

The move to let Brown leave allows Baltimore to focus on its two free-agent linebackers, Bart Scott and Ray Lewis.

Negotiations are ongoing with both players -- with the expectation that the Ravens will be able re-sign one, but not both -- and are expected to run up to midnight, when the club will lose exclusive negotiating rights.

The Cowboys continue to come up as a possible landing spot for Lewis, despite Dallas owner Jerry Jones’ insistence that his club will not be big players in free agency. Former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan’s presence with the Jets makes New York a possible suitor for either player.

Should the Ravens sign a veteran QB to mentor Joe?

DT711 — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:22:23 -0000

Poll

Reports out of Ravens HQ have said that Joe learned a good deal from Todd Bouman, and to the contrary, Troy Smith wanted no part of his development. Should the Ravens sign a veteran QB to mentor Joe during his transition to a franchise QB?

Yes, Bring in Vinny Testeverde and let the Unibrow's unite

26 votes

Maybe, but not at the expense of moving Troy Smith down the depth chart

52 votes

No, Flacco is the man. What can any mere mortal teach Joe Cool?

37 votes

115 votes | Poll has closed

Position	Name	OVR
QB	J. Flacco	81
QB	T. Smith	59
QB	J. Beck	48

RB	W. McGahee	83
RB	R. Rice	78
RB	C. Peerman	68

FB	L. McClain	92

WR	D. Mason	88
WR	M. Clayton	77
WR	D. Williams	66
WR	M. Smith	49
WR	Y. Figurs	39

TE	T. Heap	84
TE	L.J. Smith	77
TE	Q. Sypniewski	65

OL	M. Birk	88
OL	B. Grubbs	84
OL	W. Anderson	82
OL	Jared Gaither	79
OL	C. Chester	78
OL	M. Oher	77
OL	M. Yanda	77
OL	A. Terry	72
OL	D. Hale	69
OL	O. Cousins	68
OL	T. Stallings	62

DL	H. Ngata	90
DL	T. Pryce	83
DL	K. Gregg	77
DL	J. Bannan	74
DL	D. Edwards	71
DL	B. McKinney	65
DL	L. Divens	64

LB	R. Lewis	97
LB	T. Suggs	90
LB	J. Johnson	79
LB	P. Kruger	71
LB	A. Barnes	70
LB	T. Gooden	65
LB	J. McClain	63
LB	B. Ayanbadejo	63
LB	P. Burgess	50

CB	D. Foxworth	82
CB	F. Washington	77
CB	S. Rolle	75
CB	L. Webb	71
CB	C. Carr	65
CB	F. Walker	49

S	E. Reed	99
S	D. Landry	71
S	T. Zbikowski	63
S	H. Nakamura	62

K	S. Hauschka	59

P	S. Koch	86