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  1. #1
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    Pass Coverage ILBs

    So since we've firmly established we have several good run stopping ILBs (McClain brothers, Bynes, McClellan), I'm hoping we come away from this draft with some talent at pass coverage.

    Who are the pass coverage ILBs in the draft? I'm more interested in the guys outside of the top 4 (Te'o, Ogletree, Brown, Minter)
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    “When I think of a Baltimore Raven - we go in there, we take your lunch box, we take your sandwich, we take your juice box, we take your applesauce, and we take your spork and we break it. And we leave you with an empty lunch. That’s the Baltimore Raven way.” - Steve Smith Sr.


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  2. #2
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    Re: Pass Coverage ILBs

    Found this site: http://walterfootball.com/draft2013p...nreviewILB.php

    Judging from that list...I'd focus my attention on Kiko Alonso and AJ Klein.

    I've warmed a lot to Te'o in the last few weeks. I think if he's there at 32...Ozzie is going to have a tough time passing on that value, IMO.
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    “When I think of a Baltimore Raven - we go in there, we take your lunch box, we take your sandwich, we take your juice box, we take your applesauce, and we take your spork and we break it. And we leave you with an empty lunch. That’s the Baltimore Raven way.” - Steve Smith Sr.


    Call me a Special Teams coach again. I dare you! I double dare you, MFer!





  3. #3

    Re: Pass Coverage ILBs

    This is a list of guys i've studied that i think fit the bill. I put them in two groups, the first group is of guys that i believe could play the will position in a 34 defense. The 2nd list is of guys that most likely will have trouble doing so and may be relegated to just passing downs and special teams. Im still searching for later round guys, i think we could definetely use 2 LB's out of this draft that are comfortable in coverage but i'm certain the 2nd guy wouldnt be an early pick.

    Khaseem Greene, projected 2nd
    Sio Moore, projected 2nd to 3rd round
    Kiko Alonso, projected 2nd to 3rd round

    Sean Porter, projected 3rd round
    DeVonte Holloman, projected 3rd to 4th round
    Zaviar Gooden, projected 3rd to 4th round
    Jelani Jenkins, projected 4th round
    Brandon Magee, projected 5th round





  4. #4
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    Re: Pass Coverage ILBs

    Quote Originally Posted by RavenScallywag View Post
    Found this site: http://walterfootball.com/draft2013p...nreviewILB.php

    Judging from that list...I'd focus my attention on Kiko Alonso and AJ Klein.

    I've warmed a lot to Te'o in the last few weeks. I think if he's there at 32...Ozzie is going to have a tough time passing on that value, IMO.
    The Ravens sent a bunch of coaches to Klein's pro day. He's definitely on their radar





  5. #5
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    Re: Pass Coverage ILBs

    I think Alonso is my guy as of right now, but I also like Klein. Either way I hope they wait till the 3rd-4th round to get an ILB
    "Cause if you ain’t pissed off for greatness, that just means you’re okay with being mediocre, and ain’t no man in here okay with just basic.”
    - Ray Lewis

    https://www.baltimoreravens.com/author/cole-jackson

    Twitter: @ColeJacksonFB





  6. #6
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    Re: Pass Coverage ILBs

    I just hope the Ravens draft an athletic player who can cover on 3rd downs, we don't even really need an every down LBer, we just need someone who can come in on 3rd downs and cover TEs, and eventually develop into a starter. If someone like Ogletree is there or an Arthur Brown at 32, I'd be happy to draft them, but I hope we don't go out and use a high pick on a player like Manti Te'o or a Kevin Minter when we already have those kind of players.

    We need to come out of this draft with an athletic LB who can cover, and an athletic safety who can hit hard and cover (Matt Elam, DJ Swearinger, Cyprien or Kenny Vaccorro).





  7. #7
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    Re: Pass Coverage ILBs

    What foloows is the case for not taking a pass covering ILB or even any ILB. This is not necessarily what I believe but I wonder if the team is thinking along these lines. A shorted version might be: if we cant get the best 2-way ILB in the draft in Ogletree-the only ILB who might project to be on Patrick Willis' or Bowman's level, then why get any? Better to beef up other parts of the defense.


    wish I could find the stats again but last year the defense plays around 1400+ snaps with something like 750 of those snaps the team used 5 DBs, while they used 4 DBs fewer times, around 650 I believe. So you could say that the Ravens' base defense was either a hybrid 3-3-5 or a 2-4-5, depending.

    And this was true while playing Ray Lewis on every play (when not injured) even though he was a known liability in pass coverage. If anything if Ray were not out there, the team would have gone 5 DBs even more since the team's LBs were not all that great in pass coverage.

    So the first urge is, yes, definitely find LBs who can cover and you folks have identified them: from Ogletree to Brown, Greene, Moore, & Alonzo being the most obvious ones and probably the team is aware of others.

    But I am not sure the team is going in this direction. First of all, the team's #1 priority which Ozzie stated and they have followed through on in free agency is to get better up front and against the run. Canty & Spears help there. Dumervil, while not great against the run is better than Kruger. Those guys have firmed up the DL which will be enhanced by a healthy Suggs. Possibly the main hole left is more interior DT help for Ngata.

    That leaves the LBs and again the team so far has made one move and that was for a guy who is best as a run defender, Ro McClain. As it stands right now the LB corps of both McClains, McClellan, Bynes, and Carr and just fair against the pass-at best. So again this seems to leave the door open for a pass covering ILB....

    But. Part of me thinks the team won't go there unless the player picked is obviously the BPA at the time of the pick. Instead I wonder if the team is doing something that the Patriots are also doing: making a front 6 that really tries to shut down the run, leaving a back 5 to be the primary pass defenders. In reference to geting a pass covering ILB-why get one of those who even the best ones are only fair against the pass when you can get a good physical CB and/or 2-way safety who can cover better?

    So I wonder if the team might wind up crossing us up and picking safety and even CB when we see one of the possible pass covering ILBs available, that secondary help is a higher priority than ILB in the draft?

    Thus the priorities of the team on defense might be:

    1) Stop the run with the front 6, making the opposing offense one dimensional. Thus the likes of an in the box S like Pollard are not so important.
    2) Stop the pass with:

    a) a better pass rush with the front 6 and,
    b) having quality depth in the secondary so the team can play 5 DBs routinely. It is best that the DBs can be decent in run support. Webb is. Huff is. Ihedebo is. Graham is. But we could use a couple more DBs. Brown is not really proven yet. Neither is Smith, who might or might not be terminally injury prone. Asa jackson is an unknown to us fans. We lost Reed who Huff is nominally replacing but we haven't yet replaced Williams.

    Given al of this I can imagine the team surprising us all and not only taking a safety early (not surprising really) but a cornerback early, or even a CB instead of a safety or pass covering ILB. Or take another DT type like Jesse Williams in round 1 then going for other help-but not necessarily ILBs.
    Last edited by ursula; 04-13-2013 at 11:22 AM.





  8. #8
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    Re: Pass Coverage ILBs

    My concern is that we are seeing better and better TEs in the league. And, with this being more and more a passing league, RBs are getting less ground and pound and more the Ray Rice style, catch it out of the backfield and cut for a sizeable gain on a checkdown.

    if we dedicate our front 6-7 to stopping the run and our back 4-5 to stopping the WRs, that leaves a team to game plan to simply go WCO and get short passes out to TEs and RBs. If we don't have good coverage LBs, that's going to end up being at best, a bend don't break D, and at worst, death by 1000 cuts.

    I agree, if the pass covering LB isn't BPA, we won't take it. But I can't imagine they aren't going to address it in some form. If not this year, next year by way of reactionary FA or draft move, somewhat like this year when we realized our once elite run defense has been getting weaker.
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    “When I think of a Baltimore Raven - we go in there, we take your lunch box, we take your sandwich, we take your juice box, we take your applesauce, and we take your spork and we break it. And we leave you with an empty lunch. That’s the Baltimore Raven way.” - Steve Smith Sr.


    Call me a Special Teams coach again. I dare you! I double dare you, MFer!





  9. #9
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    Re: Pass Coverage ILBs

    Not sure if I need to watch more on Minter, but he seems like a two down LB without the possibility of getting better due to stiffness in coverage and lack of acceleration to the ball in space. Every play I saw of him I thought he was jogging, but realized that the guy was in full sprint when made to move to the sidelines

    I'm not a big Teo guy and even he appears to be more adept in space and coverage than this guy. Not seeing the fuss at this point. Somebody willing to show something to change my mind?

    I see Minter as a mid-late 2nd rounder from all that I have gathered due to those limitations.





  10. #10
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    Re: Pass Coverage ILBs

    Reddick is still my guy to grab in the 4th. I think S, LT and WR will be addressed with the first 3 picks then Reddick should be the 4th. He is always around the football if you watch his tape and he plays extremely physical
    "Cause if you ain’t pissed off for greatness, that just means you’re okay with being mediocre, and ain’t no man in here okay with just basic.”
    - Ray Lewis

    https://www.baltimoreravens.com/author/cole-jackson

    Twitter: @ColeJacksonFB





  11. #11

    Re: Pass Coverage ILBs

    I forgot about Gerald Hodges on my list as a 4th round pick, still might be one of the better values in the draft





  12. #12
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    Re: Pass Coverage ILBs

    I like Hodges too, would love him as a 4th round pick and even in the 3rd round.





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