More Than a "Rolle" Player

Samari Rolle has made it very clear- he wants out of Baltimore. I understand his reasoning, too. He was asked to take a pay cut for the second consecutive year (and refused for the second consecutive year), making it seem as though the Ravens don’t think he is worth his price tag. Then (also for the second consecutive year), the front office brought in a player he deemed to be his replacement- though that would be high praise for a player with a stat line as pedestrian as Dominique Foxworth. Finally, and perhaps most devastating was the releasing of Chris McAlister and the sign that came with it that Baltimore isn’t afraid to dump its star corners when it has to. All of this has culminated in Samari Rolle wanting out before he is forced out, or worse yet, he is forced into a supporting rather than a featured role.

However, I would like to invite Samari to take a step back and survey the situation without the lens of his friendship with McAlister or his self consciousness about his age. There is no way that Coach Harbaugh wants to enter the season with Fabian Washington and Foxworth as his top two cornerbacks. No team wants to lose two Pro Bowl corners in the same offseason, particularly with the paucity of quality corners on the market. Ravens management isn’t going to hurry to cut ties with a player who had an impressive year despite often being left alone in single coverage- and as Rolle has said, the Ravens were 10-2 with him in the lineup. As for Rolle being put into the nickel spot or made into a role player, I wouldn’t count on it. It was easy to say (especially by me) that Samari would lose a step this year, but he didn’t, and while he can’t cover the fastest players on the field anymore, his instincts make him a one or a two corner in this league. I think it is safe to say that from a football standpoint, they want Rolle to start.

But why then ask him to take a pay cut? It is simple- Rolle is an aging player with a large salary, and the Ravens are in cap trouble right now. They were hoping to restructure his deal and free up a million or two to help the team resign their other free agents, all of whom spare Ray Lewis appear to have flown the coop. If I were the Ravens I would be trying to cut as much money off of the cap as I could, and I wouldn’t be shy about harping on the fears of a 30-something veteran player who may not be sure how big his next contract will be. It isn’t pretty, but it’s part of the business side of this game.

So, then what do the Ravens do now? With Jim Leonhard (likely) gone, Chris McAlister already released, and a significant weakening at the linebacker position with the departure of Bart Scott, I wouldn’t release Rolle unless it appears that he will be a cancer in the locker room. Without Rolle you are left with a group of cornerbacks filled with the dreaded “P” word- potential, the single most dangerous and devastating word in sports. The Ravens should try to work something out with their disenchanted corner to smooth things over, and give him a starting spot if that will assuage his worries. If nothing will calm him down, you still don’t release him- in this market he still may be worth a 3rd round selection. You never give away a player like Samari Rolle, even if that’s what he wants.

In the meantime, Samari should calm down, assume his leadership position on the team, and step in as the starter. He should count his $4.2 million a year and wonder what a 32-year-old corner like him would make on the open market… less than he would think.

McAlister Out, Rolle Next? Dealing with the Cornerback Situation

It was time, I suppose. Chris McAlister was just released by the Baltimore Ravens after his recent injury struggles and to free up $8 million in cap space, presumably to help this cash-strapped team sign its other free agents like Jim Leonhard, Terrell Suggs, Bart Scott and Ray Lewis (among others). This has become a perfect storm for the Ravens, one that Ozzie Newsome probably should have seen coming, but I am far from criticizing one of the best General Managers in the game. However, it does pose some questions moving forward.

From all appearances this would make cornerback the Ravens #1 draft need, leapfrogging the still dire need for a deep threat at wide receiver. I am fine with Samari Rolle and Fabian Washington holding down the fort until some young corner from this year’s draft is ready to step in full time. But now word is coming out that Samari Rolle wants out of Baltimore and will ask to be released at the NFL combine when he meets with Newsome to discuss his current deal. If the Ravens are down both Rolle and McAlister, cornerback suddenly goes from a need to a glaring liability. Fabian, for all his strides this year, is not by any stretch a shutdown cornerback, and without strong cornerback play the defense cannot execute its philosophy of attacking the quarterback with reckless abandon. Add in a new defensive coordinator that may be nervous about sending the house anyway or might not be able to compensate for a weak secondary, and this defense could look more like Minnesota than Pittsburgh. Minnesota lost games because they could not defend the pass nearly as well as they could stop the run- the Ravens cannot afford to have that sort of deficiency on that side of the ball.

This move would also increase the need to sign Jim Leonhard to enable the Ravens to keep another playmaker in the secondary to dissuade quarterbacks from taking them deep. Lacking superior cornerbacks has a ripple effect on the rest of the defense- the linebackers are forced to drop into coverage weakening the pass rush, and the safeties are forced to play deeper limiting their ability to come up and make plays on shorter routes. The Ravens will need a strong turnaround in personnel to make up for this.

However, this move also allows the Ravens more latitude in signing Scott, Lewis, and Suggs. It is reported that they may use the franchise tag on Suggs, who in my opinion is their biggest need of the three. If Lewis is resigned it may trigger the loss of Bart Scott, as it is unlikely that Baltimore will be able to keep all three. This could signal the dismantling of the defense that made up the core of this 21st century Ravens team, and although the team has a solid group of young linebackers ready to step in in Antwaan Barnes, Tavaris Gooden, Prescott Burgess and others, it will be interesting to see how many of them are forced into action this season.

For all the talk about the Ravens’ linebackers, I believe that much more is at stake at the cornerback position. If this team can put some younger players or underrated veterans at these spots it will have a much more positive impact on the team than having to replace one or two of their Big Three at linebacker. If there is one thing that Ozzie Newsome has been excellent at it is replacing talent- he will have his work cut out for him this offseason.

Photo Credit: Doug Kapustin/Baltimore Sun

Ravens-Steelers Preview, Part 2: Steelers Offense vs Ravens Defense

Okay Ravens fans, this could be rough. Excuse me for possibly overreacting here… but did you see the Steelers on Sunday? Perhaps it was exhaustion from a grueling stretch of 5 straight “must wins” for the Chargers, but my eyes told me they came to play. They were simply beaten at the line and overcome from the first snap. Watching that football game, there was never a doubt in my mind who was the better team after seeing the physicality that the Steelers came out with. Ben Roethlisberger held onto the ball for a long time as always, but he could afford it with the protection he was getting. Nothing was penetrating that line, and Ron Rivera knew it. So by the time he held back his blitzers, Ben was already in a rhythm. San Diego’s corners were outmatched against the rested and aggressive receivers, and Big Ben did not fall into a trap of relying on one or even two receivers primarily. 6 players had receptions, and all had at least 2 catches- he completed passes to his tight end, running backs, and of course the detestable Hines Ward. It was a scary-efficient offense.

What does this mean for this weekend? A lot. No, San Diego is not as physical as Baltimore, but the ability of the Steelers to keep drives alive and extend time of possession most certainly is. Even with Chris Johnson, the Titans consistently were able to convert critical third downs, and were it not for a few timely turnovers would have finished with points every time. I don’t care how effective the Ravens have been in forcing turnovers, we shouldn’t expect the same out of Pittsburgh. Tennessee held the ball for almost 35 minutes, roughly the same as Pittsburgh did against San Diego. The Ravens cannot afford to allow the Steelers to hold onto the ball that long or they will get gauged- and this home team knows how to finish with points, having found an excellent short yardage back in Gary Russell.

But it isn’t Gary Russell who poses the greatest threat for the Ravens. After struggling with injuries for much of the season (conveniently at moments that he was playing the Ravens), Willie Parker looked like his old self on Sunday, rushing 27 times for 146 yards. He wasn’t all that effective early in the game, but as the contest went into the second quarter, Parker started to go wild, and it wound up opening gaping holes in coverage downfield. The offensive line, too, looked like it did before the loss of Alan Faneca and the 49 sacks allowed this season. They dominated the Chargers, who accrued only one sack the entire game. Sure, this defense only generated 28 sacks all season, but the Ravens only sacked the quarterback 6 times more this season, and will likely be even more tired than the Chargers were. Remember, the Ravens themselves only made one sack on Kerry Collins all game, and their exhaustion was showing from the second quarter onwards.

The Ravens were just in a dogfight of their own, and have the scars to prove it. Terrell Suggs will force the coaching staff to let him play, but the Raven’s best pass rusher will not be 100%. Samari Rolle could be out next week, leaving Frank Walker against Santonio Holmes and Fabian Washington against Hines Ward. The latter matchup is especially distressing for one reason. Without Rolle, the Ravens do not have a cornerback who is either smart enough on the field or physical enough to match up with Ward. Against the Steelers, your cornerback has to have one or the other at least. You won’t find a more adamant advocate for Fabian than I, but the man does not know how to tackle, or at least hasn’t shown it thus far this season. Meanwhile, Hines Ward has been known to elude the grasp of linebackers on a regular basis. As many of you readers would know, Corey Ivy is not very popular on this blog. He won’t be very popular with any Baltimore fan after he is matched up with Nate Washington. Washington converted several key third downs down the stretch for the Steelers, and he is their most underrated offensive threat. He has the deep speed to break down the field, but he is even better at positioning his body and boxing out defenders for first downs when the defense is keying in on Holmes, and Ward. Oh, and there is always Heath Miller, who has the receiving skills of Todd Heap, even if his blocking ability isn’t quite there yet.

If the Ravens can hold stout at the line and move the offensive line backwards, they will force Ben to throw into coverage and make a mistake. He will make a mistake- I believe Roethisberger will be even more prone to the big error than will Joe Flacco. This season, the Pittsburgh quarterback has been easily suckered into the feeling that the entire offense rests on him, and it has had two important results. Primarily, he has held onto the ball far too long waiting for the open man, resulting in sacks. Secondly, he has thrown unwisely at the last minute and turned the ball over. His 15 interceptions are second worst in his 5 year career, while his 17 touchdowns are tied for the worst- but most telling are his 7 lost fumbles that resulted from his trying to hold onto the ball in the pocket when pressure came from behind. His games against Baltimore have not been especially poor, with only 1 fumble lost, 1 interception thrown, and a passer rating that is actually slightly higher than his season average. The teams he struggled against- Philadelphia and New York Giants, most notably, were teams that were able to apply significant pressure with every snap. I sure hope Rex Ryan doesn’t have his mind on head coaching jobs and can dial up something new for Big Ben.

However, when it comes to playing the Steelers, it starts and ends with stopping the run. In 2 games against the Ravens this season, the Steelers have rushed for a combined 160 yards on 55 carries for a paltry 2.91 average. While Parker didn’t play in that opening game, it still shows the ability of the Ravens D to stop the Pittsburgh run game. The Ravens must rely on that extra day of rest they got from not playing on Sunday to get rejuvenated because if they can come out and play the way they did in the first two matchups, this defense has the potential to harass and stifle any Pittsburgh rushing attack and, while it will give up the underneath passing, could benefit from a turnover or two courtesy of Brian Leonhard and Ed Reed that could swing the balance of this ballgame. If, on the other hand, the Ravens come out like they did against the Titans, this will be a very very long game, and we will see the defense out on the field for possibly 40 minutes of this ballgame. I don’t doubt the intensity of this game; I doubt the ability of the Ravens’ bodies to hold up for 4 quarters of football after the row they have been through.

Of course, all of this changes depending on the health of Suggs, Rolle, Washington, and others. And that is exactly the problem. Pittsburgh will attack the Ravens right up the gut, trying to wear them down for the 3^rd or 4^th quarter before gashing them in the passing game. With a fully healthy Ravens, I wouldn’t even note this point because I have no doubt that a rested Ravens team stuff this sort of attack. When Ryan is forced to pull the linebackers and safeties in towards the line of scrimmage (as he was forced to against the Titans), it will be up to the backup corners to try to make a play- and I just don’t trust Frank Walker and Corey Ivy. If, however, the Ravens blitz starts to hit and the run is stuffed, Baltimore will get the second wind they need to dominate the line of scrimmage. Ben can be forced into mistakes. He will have to be for the defense to win out over the Steelers physical offense.

Ravens-Steelers Preview, Part 1

Well this has certainly been the more hyped matchup (as expected), and Steelers-Ravens is always a game to watch. First there were bragging rights on the line. Then there was the AFC North Division Title on the line. And now there is a Super Bowl berth on the line. If the first two games are any indication, this will be one hell of a game- if anything, we will see our share of injury time outs. I cannot believe that the Ravens are in the AFC Championship game, it is absolutely incredible as a Ravens fan that they have gotten this far. As last week, we are going to have a much more involved preview session for playoff season. Here is our schedule for the next few days:

Today: What I’m Wondering
Friday: Steelers Offense vs. Ravens Defense
Saturday: Ravens Offense vs. Steelers Defense
Sunday: An Extended Rundown with Predictions

What I’m Wondering:

Will Flacco stay unflappable? Will he stay upright?
Joe Flacco was sacked 5 times in the Ravens first matchup against the Steelers. He was only sacked twice the second time around. However, he also happened to throw 2 interceptions and only complete 11 passes en route to throwing for only 115 yards- his 22.2 passer rating was worst for his rookie season, including the playoffs. I am not certain what the Steelers saw in the tape, but it is likely that without those interceptions the Ravens might manage a touchdown or at least hold onto the ball longer than the first time around. Joe Flacco will not only need to be competent this weekend and not make mistakes, he will have to make plays for the Ravens to win. And not just the occasional bomb to Derrick Mason, either. With the Steelers stuffing the box with defenders against the run, Cam Cameron will have to open up the playbook on those 3rd and longs to enable Flacco to have a variety of 1st down options- and it will be up to the rookie to complete them. Is Joe Flacco ready to win versus “not lose” a ballgame?

Which stellar defense will step up this week?
Well, while much of it was in garbage time, the Steelers did allow 24 points to the Chargers despite them being completely one-dimensional on offense. The Ravens allowed the Titans to rack up 391 yards and pierce the red zone 3 times, but forced 3 turnovers in their own territory and took advantage of a missed field goal to hold Tennessee to 10 points. It is hard to say which is better, and it is hard to say which one will perform better this week. The Ravens are banged up, worn out, and gassed after playing for 17 straight weeks. Also, they happen to be playing Ben Roethlisberger, who always seems to pull a rabbit out of his hat in the 4th quarter this season- and the Ravens, if the last couple weeks are any indication, will be out of bodies and out of energy by late in the game. Add in injuries to Samari Rolle, Terrell Suggs, and the mere presence of Corey Ivy on the field, and I can’t say the Ravens will outplay the Steelers. Even if the Ravens can throw on Pittsburgh, the Steelers are too well rested to get gassed in the 4th. Will the Ravens be able to overcome injury, aches, and pains to play in midseason form?

Which injury will hurt the Ravens the most against the Steelers?
This one is tough. You could make the case for Suggs, but I believe that the Ravens have linebackers in waiting who, while not as good as the Pro Bowl pass rusher, can still do a decent job- there is not as huge a dropoff in talent as there are at other positions. Samari Rolle will be a tremendous loss if he cannot play, but only because it would wind up with Corey Ivy as the nickel back. I don’t want Corey Ivy on anyone, much less an underrated receiver like Nate Washington. Believe it or not, I am going with Le’Ron McClain. Against the Steelers, the biggest need on offense is for a running back who can punish the Pittsburgh defense as much as they punish the running back. Last weekend McClain was running like a big back, but not a powerful back. He wasn’t getting a push at the point of attack, and whatever was wrong with his ankle really showed. I am sure he will play this week, but if he cannot drag defenders or hit the lane with determination, the Steelers will drop him right at the line. I am more comfortable with our depth on defense than on offense- I don’t trust Willis McGahee to carry the load this week and be successful.

A Ravens Rundown

Here we are, heading into the second half of the Ravens' surprising season. There is reason for hope in Baltimore with the 5-3 record and the possibility of truly finding a franchise quarterback. By the same token there is reason for serious concern, as that young quarterback has still not passed the test against an upper-echelon defense and as the injuries continue to play a factor with no bye week to look forward to. So! Questions are abound at this time of year to see exactly where this team is going; that's the exciting thing about the potential for a playoff run, the minutia of midweek practice notes become overanalyzed and dissected. In that spirit, on with the dissection!

Update on the secondary health: On the plus side Samari Rolle is finally back at practice this week and all word is that he should be ready for Sunday. Harbaugh has seemed very optimistic that Rolle would play, but it's very clear that we will not be seeing Dawan Landry or Chris McAlister this week as neither player has practiced for some time.

Regardless, the probable return of Rolle is a huge win for the Ravens, particularly entering this stretch. With the next two opponents being the Texans and the Giants, the Ravens need a cover man who can do a reasonable job against Andre Johnson and Plaxico Burress. No, Samari Rolle is not a shutdown cornerback anymore, but he's still a very capable and intelligent corner who will make an immense positive impact on the secondary. His insertion puts Fabian Washington at the two and Frank Walker at the nickel spots. In my opinion, the secondary will be far more solid now that Walker and Washington have gotten such extended playing time; the experience of successfully covering the other team's top receivers will make them that much more effective now that they're covering the second and third options primarily.

McGahee getting healthy again, but a question of what his role is: Willis McGahee practiced today and it's looking like there's a good bet he will be ready to go on Sunday. I believe he was healthy enough to play on Sunday but the Ravens had the luxury of depth such that they didn't need him to take on the Browns. The real question is that, when he's at full speed again, will he start? McGahee was the unquestioned starter coming into the season, but the recent play of Ray Rice mixed with Willis' injuries forces a re-evaluation of that role. Ray Rice was the sparkplug to the Ravens' comeback on Sunday, and without him I do not believe that the Ravens win that football game.

At the end of the day I believe that a healthy Willis McGahee is the best option for the starting running back. There's a place for each of the three (McGahee, Rice, McClain) in this offense, but Willis' experience and versatility makes him the best starting option. Keep in mind that Ray Rice had significant fumbling problems at the start of the year; it hasn't shown up recently, but that's another factor that makes me lean toward McGahee. I'll be intrigued to see what the coaches end up deciding, and if it means McGahee not starting, how he will handle it.

More questions about receiving corps depth: Ernie Wheelwright was placed on waivers today to make room for the signing of second year safety Daren Stone. This raises a couple questions. Just to get it out of the way, I do have to wonder why they chose to sign this kid Daren Stone. I don't know much about him and this is not a slight to his talent, but the Ravens do expect Dawan Landry to eventually return and have excellent depth behind Jim Leonhard and Ed Reed in the form of Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura. Now to my main point...

Releasing Ernie Wheelwright is very perplexing, considering that he was activated last week over Marcus Smith. All indications pointed to the coaches having a good deal of faith in the receiver, and I don't understand why the organization would reduce receiver depth which they desperately need for unnecessary safety depth. My guess is that Terrance Copper (recently signed) has shown up big in practice and has been tabbed as the fourth option behind Mason, Clayton, and Figurs. I would like to say Marcus Smith has shown something good enough, but if that were the case he would have been activated over Wheelwright. It looks like the staff looks at Smith as more of a project, but with enough potential to take up a spot on the roster even though he has not contributed yet this year.

A final congratulations: Joe Flacco was named this past week's AFC Offensive Player of the week for his impressive performance against the Browns, leading the Ravens from 14 down in the second half against the Browns (in Cleveland) to a win. Flacco was 17-29 for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. This leaves Flacco's streak of consecutive passes without an interception at 88, spanning three games. Another note about Flacco's overall performance this season: during CBS's coverage of the game against the Browns, they noted that Joe Flacco is currently putting up the second most accurate (completion percentage) season by a rookie quarterback in NFL history (second only to Ben Roethlisberger).
One other thing: the NFC Offensive Player of the Week? Fellow rookie Matt Ryan. Can you think of a better year for rookie quarterbacks? I sure can't.

(Photo Credit: Elizabeth Malby/Baltimore Sun (Joe Flacco), Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun(Ray Rice))