The "Don't bury me just yet" list......

**B-more Ravor** · 08-18-2006, 10:34 AM

Yes, it's just one game, but a lot of guys who had/have been written off, really came through last night. Now, it'll be interesting to see if they can build on it.

1. The obvious - MUSA SMITH. What can you say - WOW. Many, including myself, thought he was going to have a tough time making the team. Not anymore. He's clearly been the most impressive RB so far (not that Jamal has looked bad).

What I can't figure out is - where did the speed come from?!?!? When he was drafted, he was considered to be a Jamal-lite, because he was a bruising back, but didn't have Jamal's speed. Not it appears that somehow, he has found an extra gear.

2. DEVARD DARLING. Many had also written him off (not me on this one) and believed that UDFA WRs were going to beat him out. As I said then, he was drafted in the 3rd round and the team was going to give him every opportunity to prove himself. WRs often take some time to develop, so IMO, those giving up on him were being too hasty. By all reports, he's had a very good camp and now, finally, he's put together a good preseason game.

3. DWAN EDWARDS. Another whipping boy from the 2004 draft class. He's worked his way into the DT rotation and was very active last night with 6 tackles. He was shedding blockers, pursuing down the line very well and showed very good recognition on a couple of screen passes.

4. EVAN OGLESBY. It's not that anyone has written him off, but no one even thinks about him. In the hype of draft picks like Pittman and Martin and UDFA Prude, Oglesby never even gets mentioned. But, the Ravens have him listed as 2nd string on their Depth Chart, and last night you could really see why. He is going to make it very tough on the coaching staff when it comes down to the final cuts.

5. Last, but not least, KYLE BOLLER. It was nice to see him have a good game. He made some nice throws and lead the team up and down the field. He still needs to work on seeing the blitzers and he was holding the ball too long last night (although, so was McNair), but a solid game all the same.

**Bez513** · 08-18-2006, 10:38 AM

It's good to see output from the high draft picks like Musa, Devard and Dwan.

**highwater** · 08-18-2006, 10:49 AM

I'm patting myself on the back for NOT having buried Musa, DVD and Boller, but I have to confess that I was very surprised at Dwan Edwards, who I thought was a total stiff and a really bad draft pick. His performance really came out of left field. If he can keep that up, we're going to have some quality depth on the line.

The aspect of Boller's game that impressed me most was that he maintained his poise even though that porous second half OL was letting him get planted into the turf repeatedly. That was a little surprising too, because he's usually pretty jumpy in those situations (who wouldn't be -- that pass protection was pretty bad when he was in there).

**PurpleRulz** · 08-18-2006, 10:51 AM

1. Devard Darling is definitey saying to not forget about me.

2. Aubrey Franklin. Frank the Tank is really showing off.

3. Adam Terry. He is really holding down that LT position. I think that is his future. He must focus on RT for next year's draft/FA class.

4. Cory Ross. He refuses to be buried, and I think he makes this team folks.

5. Mike Smith. He has played his way onto this team. I love competition.

6. Musa Smith. He could be the comeback player of the year. He reminds me of Priest Holmes.

**Bez513** · 08-18-2006, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by PurpleRulz

6. Musa Smith. He could be the comeback player of the year. He reminds me of Priest Holmes.

He gets my vote!

**skimmy** · 08-18-2006, 11:05 AM

What I can't figure out is - where did the speed come from?!?!?

From what I remember of Musa in college and his rookie year, he has always had burst for short distances, but he was a guy that wasn't known as the type to get 50+ "homerun" touchdowns like Jamal. I remember Musa came in one of the browns games in 2003 and burst through a hole to get himself a TD which made me realize he was more nifty than I had thought.

**PurpleRulz** · 08-18-2006, 11:28 AM

Even Todd Helmick was wondering where Musa's burst of speed has come from. I think we may, may have our future starter. Musa is definitely an upgrade over Chester Taylor. Considering that we stuck with Musa through all of this, I see Musa showing loyalty and staying with us.

**jonboy79** · 08-18-2006, 11:43 AM

Agreed, Musa > Chester
Terry is the future LT, he did just fine.

**PurpleRulz** · 08-18-2006, 11:55 AM

Adam Terry has won me over. You have to put into perspective that Adam Terry went against great passrushers for two weeks in a row. You have to give credit to the opposition sometimes, and you must forget that Terry is still young, so he'll win and lose some battles.

Adam Terry played even better last night than he did against the Giants, and the Eagles have a better DL. I don't see Terry as a RT, however. His technique is perfect for LT. I feel better about our future at LT with Terry.

Pashos is a UFA after the season. I could see us either re-signing Pashos cheap, or letting him walk and signing a RT and drafting a RT prospect very high.

**Brandon** · 08-18-2006, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by Bez513

It's good to see output from the high draft picks like Musa, Devard and Dwan.

I felt the same way. I even mentioned last night, that perhaps, that 2004 draft might come around now, two years later. I believe Dwan and Devard have another year on their contracts, but Musa is a UFA after this season since he was drafted in 2003.

Granted this is preseason, but I was surprised to see how fast Dwan Edwards was last night. Hopefully, they have or are developing into future players for this franchise.

**Brandon** · 08-18-2006, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by PurpleRulz

4. Cory Ross. He refuses to be buried, and I think he makes this team folks.

Cory Ross may make the practice squad, but he hasn't done anything to beat out B.J. Sams for the job. According to Aaron Wilson, it seems as though BJ Sams has secured his job.

**WxKevin** · 08-18-2006, 12:29 PM

It's a shame, on a football level nto a personal level, that Ogden wasn't in camp the last 2-3 weeks because they wanted Terry competing against Pashos on the right side. Pashos is adequate but Terry has the potential to be good. I wouldn't be surprised to see Terry starting at RT by the end of the year.

I never gave up on Musa, then again I am the eternal optimist and don't give up on anybody on the Ravens until they are cut. He looks absolutely amazing. And this is on top of Jamal having a pretty good pre-season. How can you not be happy about the RB position right now?

Let's hope DVD keeps this up. It would be nice for once to have too many good WRs on the roster.

What can you say about Kyle? The guy played behind a future UPS driver on the right side, took 5 sacks and STILL had a good game. He made some absolutely perfect throws last night.