Baltimore Ravens: Will Kyle Arrington Help the Injury-Prone Defense?

The Baltimore Ravens’ secondary suffered various injuries throughout the season. The consistency of the defense was directly impacted. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens dealt with numerous injuries last season on the defensive side of the ball. The impact on the field was seen extensively in the secondary.

Lardarius Webb struggled with injury in the beginning of the season. Jimmy Smith dealt with injuries in the middle of the season that hurt the team at a time when they were trying to maintain consistency.

Even if the team had the entire defense on the field, a handful of players were beat up in one form or another. While many factors led to the Ravens’ poor pass defense, which ranked 23rd in the league, injuries were certainly one of them.

BaltimoreRavens.com columnist John Eisenberg said in his recent article, “They [Baltimore Ravens] need to go out and buy some bubble wrap to protect those pass defenders.”

They probably won’t add bubble wrap to the equipment, but with the addition of cornerback Kyle Arrington, the Ravens may have added someone who doesn’t need additional protection.

He was signed by Baltimore after spending six seasons with the New England Patriots. His durability will be the defining point in his ability to help the defense.

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According to Fox Sports’ injury report of Arrington’s last two seasons, after struggling with a groin injury throughout 2013 (and not missing a game), the Patriots held him out of the last two games of the 2014 season with a hamstring injury, which they did as a preventive measure as they headed into the playoffs.

While he does seem to have a history of injuries, Arrington also has a history of not missing games, which is exactly what the Ravens need to maintain consistency with the defense. However, he will have to overcome the tendency the defense has to be injury prone. In his press conference when he was first signed, he did not shy away from the pride he takes from not missing many games.

“It goes in with that toughness factor,” Arrington said.

He described an encounter with his trainer during his rookie year, when he thought he couldn’t play because of a groin injury.

The trainer told him, “Can’t make the club if you’re in the [cold] tub.”

If Arrington continues his tough mentality and stays on the field, the Ravens can feel some security in the secondary without the need of bubble wrap. And with the addition of free safety Kendrick Lewis, the defense looks to improve upon last season’s poor performance.

Kendrick also has a good history of staying on the field. He started every game for the Houston Texans last season.

He did miss the majority of the 2012 season with a shoulder injury while he was with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he addressed that in his press conference when signed.

“That’s gone,” Lewis said. “There [are] no worries in my book.”

He seems to be right. He dealt with a reoccurring ankle injury in 2013 but didn’t miss a single game.

With the majority of his career being in Kansas City, his postseason experience is not extensive. He played in two postseason games that included a 30-7 loss to Baltimore in 2010.

The real issue that the Ravens can’t help is the injury concern.

He does bring five years of experience to the Ravens’ secondary. The safety position already lost Darian Stewart to the Denver Broncos earlier in the offseason.

However, the real issue that the team can’t help, by signing new players, is the injury concern. The unpredictable nature of injuries will always loom, and with the physical nature the defense takes on, the players will have to trust their conditioning to keep themselves healthy.

“One of the things that I felt was practice execution equals game reality,” Lewis said during his press conference. “Just being able to be out there and getting experience through practice, it should become easier during the game.”

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