High Praise for Eric Decosta

[BlackBeak]

I thought Ngakoue was brought in to help beat the Chiefs not the Titans.

The ability to be effective with a four man rush consistently is necessary against any playoff team.

[Brtnder81]

I like most of his moves but he's also made some massive mistakes one is misjudging the market for Thomas.

Two is drafting Hurst.

I also thought he made a major mistake not keeping Canady over Stone which is one of the big reasons we lost to the titans last year.

Ozzie drafted Hurst and Canady opted out for 2020, Geno Stone wasnt drafted until 2020, so not sure how a roster decision in 2020 changed a game from the 2019 season.

[BustOfPallas]

EDC brought in the guys to diffuse the Titans and any other bully ball team... the question now is do they have the guys to match up with the air-it-out passing teams like the Bills/Chiefs.... those are the teams I feel like we don't match up with nearly as well. Lack the passing options on offense and the pure pass rushers on defense

Yannick was brought in for that 4-man rush. Last week was Calais/Wolfe time to shine.... this week will be Yan's turn to show us why we brought him here

Could sure use Tavon Young here about now.

That would be a pretty balanced D if he was healthy.

We are not built to score like the Chiefs but no one is.

We would need elite pass rush and more receiving talent and it would still be hard.

Also

Andy Reid = Jedi
Harbaugh = Padouan
.

[BcRaven]

I thought Ngakoue was brought in to help beat the Chiefs not the Titans.

from Tony Lombardi :

" In 9 games with the Ravens, Yannick Ngakoue had registered just 3 sacks. And while he’s pressured quarterbacks and helped to move them out of their comfort zone, it’s safe to say that Martindale expected more production from the Maryland alum. What happens between now and the end of the season for the Ravens will greatly influence whether or not Yannick returns to Baltimore. At this point, Matt Judon looks like a better fit for the Ravens given his versatility and superior ability to set the edge when compared to Ngakoue. "

I couldn't agree more. To me, Ngakoue has disappointed. I wouldn't spend BIG Bucks on him going forward. Problem for DeCosta is that aside from Ngakoue, Judon and McPhee and Bowser are also UFAs in 2021... Bc

[Valhain]

from Tony Lombardi :

" In 9 games with the Ravens, Yannick Ngakoue had registered just 3 sacks. And while he’s pressured quarterbacks and helped to move them out of their comfort zone, it’s safe to say that Martindale expected more production from the Maryland alum. What happens between now and the end of the season for the Ravens will greatly influence whether or not Yannick returns to Baltimore. At this point, Matt Judon looks like a better fit for the Ravens given his versatility and superior ability to set the edge when compared to Ngakoue. "

I couldn't agree more. To me, Ngakoue has disappointed. I wouldn't spend BIG Bucks on him going forward. Problem for DeCosta is that aside from Ngakoue, Judon and McPhee and Bowser are also UFAs in 2021... Bc

The Ravens have the player(s) to take on Judon's role. Ngakoue's not so much (as in not at all, lol) He's also 3 years younger and thrown right into the mix halfway through a season in a team that values run defense above anything else.

Luckily, with the salary cap going down and so many teams needing to cut players just to get below that cap, this FA will be a buyer's market for teams like the Ravens with a relatively nice cap situation. If there's one FA year where the Ravens can make some moves (even if short duration ones) it is 2021.

[BcRaven]

The Ravens have the player(s) to take on Judon's role. Ngakoue's not so much (as in not at all, lol) He's also 3 years younger and thrown right into the mix halfway through a season in a team that values run defense above anything else.

Luckily, with the salary cap going down and so many teams needing to cut players just to get below that cap, this FA will be a buyer's market for teams like the Ravens with a relatively nice cap situation. If there's one FA year where the Ravens can make some moves (even if short duration ones) it is 2021.

Val if, as you say, we're a team "that values run defense above anything else", then why spend mega-bucks on a guy who doesn't fit the strength of our defense? ... Bc

[LittleG]

Val if, as you say, we're a team "that values run defense above anything else", then why spend mega-bucks on a guy who doesn't fit the strength of our defense? ... Bc

A defence has to be multidimensional, or be taken to the cleaners each week.

We miss Tavon in our pass defence and our pass rush is usually masked by blitzers.... an actual pass rusher is needed.

[BcRaven]

A defence has to be multidimensional, or be taken to the cleaners each week.

We miss Tavon in our pass defence and our pass rush is usually masked by blitzers.... an actual pass rusher is needed.

Oh I agree about being multi-dimensional on defense, but what has (the subject of our discussion) Ngakoue brought to the Ravens "D" table that helps in that regard? I haven't seen much to merit a long-term, multi-million $ contract. Have you? ... Bc

[Valhain]

Val if, as you say, we're a team "that values run defense above anything else", then why spend mega-bucks on a guy who doesn't fit the strength of our defense? ... Bc

Because not every team they'll face has Derrick Henry as their main weapon, and the Tits were the perfect match for Judon.

You'll miss a guy like Ngakoue against others though, when you are forced to blitz with 6 guys over and over again.

[InigoMontoya]

Oh I agree about being multi-dimensional on defense, but what has (the subject of our discussion) Ngakoue brought to the Ravens "D" table that helps in that regard? I haven't seen much to merit a long-term, multi-million $ contract. Have you? ... Bc

I agree with this, but I also think most teams are sticking with quick passes and short drop backs that neutralize what Ngakoue can do. We'll need him to keep Allen from getting too comfortable in the pocket on Saturday.

[pslholder96]

I remember around the time we were either 6-4 or 6-5 how many folks were criticizing EDC and looking towards the offseason, me included. I said at the time the failure to upgrade the RG position and going with the WRs we have now was a mistake. Fast foward 7 weeks later and all is well. Winning really does cure all. Doesn't mean we can't still upgrade but some of our problem areas have righted themselves with better execution.

[JimZipCode]

from Tony Lombardi :

" In 9 games with the Ravens, Yannick Ngakoue had registered just 3 sacks. And while he’s pressured quarterbacks and helped to move them out of their comfort zone, it’s safe to say that Martindale expected more production from the Maryland alum. What happens between now and the end of the season for the Ravens will greatly influence whether or not Yannick returns to Baltimore. At this point, Matt Judon looks like a better fit for the Ravens given his versatility and superior ability to set the edge when compared to Ngakoue. "

I couldn't agree more. To me, Ngakoue has disappointed. I wouldn't spend BIG Bucks on him going forward. Problem for DeCosta is that aside from Ngakoue, Judon and McPhee and Bowser are also UFAs in 2021.

Saw this on Twitter yesterday:

Next Gen Stats
@NextGenStats
Jan 10, 2021
https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/sta...29441299148800

Yannick Ngakoue has increased his pressure rate by almost 50% since being traded to the Ravens mid-season, driven by a quicker burst off the snap.

Ngakoue's 0.73 seconds average pass rush get-off with the Ravens would be T-4th quickest among EDGE this season.

I dunno enough about defense to be confident evaluating anybody. But sacks are harder to get now than they've ever been before. It's also valuable to pressure the QB and move him off his spot, rather than just letting him comfortably drop back and throw in rhythm in 2.4 secs.

I think we haven't seen Yannick's full impact, and maybe we won't until next season. I think he has a skill dimension that no other player on the Ravens has. I suspect we keep him & Bowser.