Ravens Rookie Class Gets Bad Marks for Participation

[bmorecareful]

I worry about Simon. He reminds me of Zibby 2.0. Different position but basically a heart guy that is just not athletic enough for their position but a good Special Teamer.

Brown and Williams I am not really worried about. It shocked me that Williams was thought so highly of at the beginning of the year. It is a very difficult transition from college to NFL for interior linemen. The fact that he came from a real small school made it more difficult. Brown will get there. He missed time in the pre season. He will be ready to go this year.

I am excited about KLM. He was the best all around Dline guy at ND last year. The other two guys are going to be 1st rounders this year. If he comes back 100% he will be a good player.

I am probably least excited about Elam. He seems to have the lowest ceiling. He does not seem to be a playmaker. I think he will be a solid to above average SS.

John Simon seems like a wasted pick to me. He is a good player, yes, but the excitement over his pick by the Ravens' brass doesn't make sense. He was picked at #129 overall and that's actually a bit of a reach from where most scouting services had him ranked. He doesn't scout that impressively at all and is basically a less-talented, but higher-motor, clone of Courtney Upshaw. I would be shocked if he ever starts a game for the Ravens quite frankly.

For the most part though I really liked the guys we drafted last year. My only quibbles are that I didn't like our 4th rounders (not sure Juszczsyk was worth a 4th rounder, he'd have been there later probably) and we should have used our last pick on Da'Rick Rogers instead of Mellette.

[Haloti92]

It is hard to predict how guys like Simon will turn out (lowish ceiling due to athleticism, but great work ethic to increase the odds they get to the ceiling).

I am sure the Ravens have dreams he turns into a pseudo- Jarret Johnson or even a long-term Ninkovich project with his work ethic.

[srobert96]

John Simon seems like a wasted pick to me. He is a good player, yes, but the excitement over his pick by the Ravens' brass doesn't make sense. He was picked at #129 overall and that's actually a bit of a reach from where most scouting services had him ranked. He doesn't scout that impressively at all and is basically a less-talented, but higher-motor, clone of Courtney Upshaw. I would be shocked if he ever starts a game for the Ravens quite frankly.

For the most part though I really liked the guys we drafted last year. My only quibbles are that I didn't like our 4th rounders (not sure Juszczsyk was worth a 4th rounder, he'd have been there later probably) and we should have used our last pick on Da'Rick Rogers instead of Mellette.

I am with you on what you are saying here. The reason why I liked the KJ pick is because I thought it signified a shift in the offensive mindset of the team. i was really excited about the prospects of replacing Leach with an H-back. Based on what we have seen so far I am concerned it will end up being a wasted pick. I also completely agree with you on DaRick Rogers. I wanted the Ravens to grab him. So disappointed when he signed with Indy.

[alien bird]

I worry about Simon. He reminds me of Zibby 2.0. Different position but basically a heart guy that is just not athletic enough for their position but a good Special Teamer.

I thought from the moment of that pick (#129) the Ravens should have gone with WR Kenny Stills (#144) or CB Micah Hyde (#159), either of whom would have been bigger contributors. But I suppose it's too early to tell what might happen in the long run.

[HotInHere]

Whatever the reason it is a problem and one that needs fixing.

Nothing to see here. The number of snaps played as a rookie does not really correlate to how good of a draft pick they are. There can be any number of reasons why a rookie doesn't play much, and there clearly were reasons for all of this year's rookies (save for Elam and Brown.)

Todd Heap didn't see a lot of PT as a rookie. Ray Rice was the third RB. Adalius Thomas, Ed Hartwell, Chester Taylor, Jarrett Johnson, and Jason Brown all didn't see much of the field in their rookie years. Hell, Joe Flacco might have gotten zero snaps in his rookie year if not for Boller and Smith going down.

Players get better, as Ozzie likes to say. Just because many of them weren't ready to play this year does not mean they won't be solid to excellent in the years ahead.

[AirFlacco]

It takes a couple of years to grade a draft. Elam knocked out one of the best receiver's in the game vs GB ala Pollard and knocked some other guys out too along the way. He made his rookie mistakes like when WEbb thought he was behind him vs GB but wasn't for the game breaker TD but he improved a lot by the end of the season. He'll be one of Ozzie's great ones.

Brown was a first round pick but dropped because he was injured during the draft and again but the jury is still out and he should improve. Oz signed D. Smith who was one of his best signings. I posted a link in the beginning of season that Brown wouldn't play much in the beginning but would be eventually worked in which is what happened.

Oher is all but gone and Wagner is his heir. He threw the block that sprung Rice for his TD in Miami. He was a good prospect that fell because of an injury. He'll start next year unless Ozzie signs a better RT.

Simon still has potential but as posted above had so many in front of him and he was a rookie. Don't rule him out
especially if you know who leaves. He'll move up the depth chart.

I posted a link from Phil Savage who said KJ would play mostly special teams except for a few plays here and there on
offense which is exactly what happened.

Don't forget Malette @ WR who could also bloom.

Marlon Brown of course was an undrafted rookie that just wasn't supposed to happen but he impacted the game pretty well with greater moments to come.

We got the guys we wanted in the draft - either Cyprien or Elam - and everyone wanted Arthur Brown, some wanted
him in the first round and Oz got him in second.

Let's discuss then again in 3 years. It could be one of Ozzie's best drafts.

[TL24x7]

Not an issue...yet.

BUT...

Six picks not named Elam or Brown in 2013 (including Marc Anthony who was cut) combined for a total of 100 snaps. That’s not acceptable in the salary cap era when rosters need to be replenished by an influx of youthful talent, particularly a roster with heavyweight salaries like those of Messrs. Flacco, Rice, Yanda, Suggs, Ngata and Webb.

More of the same going forward will drive a wedge between scouts and coaches if the team fails in 2014. Finger pointing will commence as the scouts say the coaches are failing to teach and failing to provide an opportunity for the rookies to play.

Meanwhile the coaches will say the players aren’t good enough to earn the snaps.

[HotInHere]

Not an issue...yet. BUT... Six picks not named Elam or Brown in 2013 (including Marc Anthony who was cut) combined for a total of 100 snaps. That’s not acceptable in the salary cap era when rosters need to be replenished by an influx of youthful talent, particularly a roster with heavyweight salaries like those of Messrs. Flacco, Rice, Yanda, Suggs, Ngata and Webb. More of the same going forward will drive a wedge between scouts and coaches if the team fails in 2014. Finger pointing will commence as the scouts say the coaches are failing to teach and failing to provide an opportunity for the rookies to play. Meanwhile the coaches will say the players aren’t good enough to earn the snaps.

But the roster IS being replenished. You may say it's a bad thing that Brandon Williams was a healthy scratch for several weeks, but I am kind of excited that Deangelo Tyson played well enough to force that to be the case. Don't you think Brandon will get a lot of snaps this year, maybe once Cody is gone? Likewise Arthur Brown, after McClain is gone? And Harbs flat out said in the presser they were going to get Juice some offensive snaps. If just those three players play significant snaps next year -- and who imagines they won't? -- then you add them to Elam and Brown and have one of there most successful classes in Ravens history. And that's not factoring in if Simon or Lewis-Moore get some PT, which is entirely possible.

I just don't get what the big deal is.

[Sascha]

I agree with the general sentiment that, while our rookies made some contributions here and there, their collective contribution was a little disappointing. I admit that I'm not sure I would feel this way if it weren't for the fact that the front office seemed extraordinarily excited about this draft class.

I'm willing to chalk it up to circumstances for the most part. Elam played out of position at a position that's tough to learn; Brown got injured early in the year and needed time to pick up the defense at a position where knowing the defense is crucial; and so on. I'm a little worried about Williams because he was left inactive on game days in favor of Tyson, but as HotInHere has noted, Tyson played well enough to prove that he belonged on the active roster.

My biggest concern about the rookies' lack of playing time is what it does to their morale. No matter how professional and how motivated they might be, they're young guys who could easily get discouraged when they don't get a chance to contribute. I think we'll know a lot more next season when they've had a chance to step back, identify ways they can improve, and figure out how to make more of a contribution.

[rpcfball]

Color me with the crowd that is not in the least bit discouraged by what this class did this year. Many of them will be asked to take on much bigger roles next year, and I'm especially excited to see what Elam can do with a full season at SS.

Ozzie took this draft to lay the foundation for the next generation of Raven's defenses and I think he did good

[TheRockDoctor]

So what happened?

Is there a disconnect between the scouts and the coaches?

Did Ozzie Newsome have a bad draft?

It is WAY too early to even imply that this is a bad draft. If two more seasons from now many of these players are still not making contributions, then we can call it a bad draft.

More of the same going forward will drive a wedge between scouts and coaches if the team fails in 2014. Finger pointing will commence as the scouts say the coaches are failing to teach and failing to provide an opportunity for the rookies to play.

This is pure speculation. While the fact that most of the rookies didn't get much playing time COULD indicate a disconnect between scouts and coaches, it's nowhere near a sure thing that that's what it signifies as you appear to be claiming. I think that there was some tension between the scouts and the coaches under Billick, but my impression is that this hasn't been an issue under Harbaugh.

Nothing to see here. The number of snaps played as a rookie does not really correlate to how good of a draft pick they are. There can be any number of reasons why a rookie doesn't play much, and there clearly were reasons for all of this year's rookies (save for Elam and Brown.)

Todd Heap didn't see a lot of PT as a rookie. Ray Rice was the third RB. Adalius Thomas, Ed Hartwell, Chester Taylor, Jarrett Johnson, and Jason Brown all didn't see much of the field in their rookie years. Hell, Joe Flacco might have gotten zero snaps in his rookie year if not for Boller and Smith going down.

Players get better, as Ozzie likes to say. Just because many of them weren't ready to play this year does not mean they won't be solid to excellent in the years ahead.

This. Also, I'd add Jimmy Smith to your list of players. Late into the 2012 season there were plenty of people claiming that he was a bust, and he's now arguably our best corner.

[AirFlacco]

Not an issue...yet.

BUT...

Six picks not named Elam or Brown in 2013 (including Marc Anthony who was cut) combined for a total of 100 snaps. That’s not acceptable in the salary cap era when rosters need to be replenished by an influx of youthful talent, particularly a roster with heavyweight salaries like those of Messrs. Flacco, Rice, Yanda, Suggs, Ngata and Webb.

More of the same going forward will drive a wedge between scouts and coaches if the team fails in 2014. Finger pointing will commence as the scouts say the coaches are failing to teach and failing to provide an opportunity for the rookies to play.

Meanwhile the coaches will say the players aren’t good enough to earn the snaps.

Ravens missed their 6th straight playoffs by 6 points. They lost about 5 games by the middle of the season by 11
points and should have won all of them. I say the scouts gave them enough players to get back in but the injuries
to the o-line, Rice, Joe and all the changes on defense with so many learning a new system not to mention learning
each other moves was too much to bear. Yet, HARBs had them in the hunt at the very end of the season in one
of his best coaching jobs.

Rookies just aren't supposed to play but Elam got a lot of time in. Old school guys like George Allen and Lombardi never
played rookies. Hell, Allen traded most of his draft picks for vets and went to the SB with them.